Subject:Tracks
Entries
Entry 3364
Yo' kin go buy a new pocket han'kech'ef an' yo' kin wash de dishes wit it once, an' take an' strip 'im down [when wiping him]. [Strip here means to deprive of equipment or power.] Don' strip 'im up. Evah whut way yo' wanta do it, git it [foot track] toward yo' - git 'is tracks an' toenails, an' put dem in a cloth an' sew it up an' keep it. An' he git tuh de place hewouldn't Wanta go nowhere. He stay home dere an' nevah treat chew bettah den he evah have treated joo.
Entry 5322
Well, git his track - git nine track comin' tuhwards yo' an' git it an' put it wit some red ants nest - in de red ants nest, an' some salt in it. An' stir it roun' an' talk tuh de red ants an' tell it whut chew want done, work an' all, an' he'll come back. (That is to bring the man back? You get nine tracks as he is coming toward you?) Yes.
(Just one track right after the other, I see.)
Entry 5331
Take yore foot tracks an' put it intuh a bottle intuh some quick- silvah - use a black bottle - an' throw it over yore [shoulder] intuh de rivah... as long as dat bot- tle drift, yo'll drift, too.
Entry 5350
Tuh git mah wife outa sight, dat is tuh kill 'uh - ah guess yo' imagine [ah] meant rathah yo' take 'uh track dat make yuh jis' walk out de do', yo' know, an', ah come behin' 'uh an' git 'uh track. Well, ah'd [I would] git some san', yo' know, right out - he [doctor?] tole me tuh up both of 'em. Jis' sweep off de top of dat earth, dat is whah [where] she made a track, an' put it right in - jis' [make a] shingle outa a li'le piece of wood, make a li'le box, an' take dat track an' po' right in dere an' seal it up. Tack it up - dat is, seal it up, yo' see, an' go bury it. He said dat would settle it.
Entry 5380
[Direction is important in foot-track rites. Besides taking up a track toe to heel or heel to toe, and to you or away from you, there are many coming or going tracks; the following few given here merely to establish the margin title:] Ah've heard dat dey take some dirt from yore foot track an' if yo' wan'a keep a person away from yore house, dey say yo' take dirt from de out-going footsteps bur' [bury] it undah yore do'- step.
Entry 5415
Take a man or a woman's track. Git three lef'-foot tracks an' some sugah. Ah heard dat chew take it an' throw it in de centah of de fiahplace, dat track an' de sugah, an' say tuh itwhut chew want done. Dat will keep 'im or 'er home.
Entry 5425
Said dey'll take up de tracks. Yo' know, bring it tuh yo'.
(Weren't you going out to the forks of the road now?)
[My question shows that I was late turning on recording machine.]
Yo' mean de fo'ks of de road. Yo' mean three roads tuhgethah. Yo' pick up dose tracks an' bring 'em tuh yo', yo' undahstan', Yo' bring dose three tracks tuh yo'. Aftah yo' pick 'em up tuh yo', yo' takes 'em an' put 'em in a new piece of homespun, sew 'em up an' bury 'em undah de - jis' lak if yo' livin' tuh a place, if dere's someone dat chew wants tuh come in yore home, don' chew know - an' bury 'em undah yore do'steps.
(That will bring them to your house.)
Entry 5426
Dey goes tuh de fo'ks of a road an' gits de track of a person. Lak yo' pass by dere, dey git chure track, eithah of dose track. Dey'll git nine tracks, nine steps yo' make, an' dey'll git from de hollah [hollow] of yore feet tuh de toe goin' dat way. Dey'll bottle dat up an' throw it in de sea - in de swamp where it runnin' watah, an' dey shoot yo' right in behin' dat. Yo'll go right on behin' dat track, behin' dat bottle, an' yo'll nevah stop until dat bottle stops.
Entry 5433
Dey do dat sometime in ordah whenevah dey wan's a person tuh leave aroun' 'em - a enemy.
(All right, tell me the whole story.)
Whenevah dey have a enemy an' dey wan's tuh git rid of dat enemy, dey go tuh de fo'ks of de road an' dey take dere track wit 'em. Dey git both tracks an' take out dere tuh de fo'ks of de road befo' day in de mawnin', see. Yo' know, befo' daylight - sunlight - 'tween two an' fo' a'clock lak dat. An' yo' take dat track out dere an' yo' turn yore face tuh de east, an' yo' say three, repeat three words, In de Name of de Father, Son an' Holy Ghost. [Say] whut chew want dese people tuh do, dey doin' yo' harm, an' yo' call dis person name an' den yo' throw it dat way.
(What way?)
Dere tuhwards de east.
(You throw this track toward the east?)
Yes, throw it tuhwards de east.
Entry 5451
Den dey say dey could take roun' yore track an' dey kin finely [final- ly] run yuh completely away from home. Dey take out of yore lef' track, take three outa de lef' [3 left tracksl. jis' outa de palm of de track [often called the holZah = hol- lowl. Den jerk it back. Take dat an' mix it wit graveyard dirt. Put some sul- phur an' lodestone. Tie it in a li'le [cloth]. Bury any place right aroun' de house.
Entry 5458
[Deyl git mah track early in de mawnin'. Dey'd go tuh de sunrise, take it from de west, take it from de east. Put it in graveyard dirt [and sayl, "Go an' stay. Nevah come no mo'. Nevah be worried wit yo' no mo'." Take it an' throw it across mah left shouldah. Don't look back. Nevah be worried no mo'.
(Where do you throw it?)
Throw it across mah left shouldah tuhward de east. Nevah be worried no mo'
(How do you mean you take up this foot track from the east and from the west?)
Not throw it east an' west, take it up as yo' walk tuhward de sunrise. Undah- stan'? Jis' lak yo' walk out de do', undahstan', early 'fore de sunrise. Well ah will take yore track up. Ah would put yore track in a box. Undahstan', shet it up in dere. An' when - de stuff 'fore de sunrise, ah'm goin' throw it east an' west cross mah left shouldah in graveyard dirt. Well, ah'm goin' pray, 'Go an' stay. Don't nevah come back no mo'." Well, ah'll nevah see yo' no mo'. Undahstan'? All right.
Entry 5460
Ah heard dat yo' could go tuh de graveyard fo' nine mawnin's an' each mawnin' dat chew go, yo' git chew jis' as much sand an' graveyard dirt as yo' kin hold in yore han', yo' see. An' yo' take dat on back home, an' yo' place dat nine points aroun' yore house, see. Den if it's somebody which yo' want tuh harm or sompin, if yo' git 'em tuh come dere, undahstan'. Well, aftah dey come dere, yo' pick up dey tracks yo' see, an' yo go tuh a tree an' pick yo' a hole in dere, an' take an' place dis graveyard dirt each mawnin'. Jis' lak yo' took it from de cemetery. Take it back an' stick it in dat hole, an' de last mawnin' yo' take an' close it up. Dey tell me dat run 'em crazy.
(Would you do anything with their tracks?)
Take dem tracks up, yo' see, an' put dat fo' nine mawnin's - see, yo' jis' put dat in dat hole whut yo picked in de tree. See. Den aftah yo' do dat, put dat graveyard dirt in dere an' stop it up. Say dat will run 'em crazy. (You put these tracks in the hole, then you pick up this graveyard dirt and you put that on top of the tracks?) On top of de tracks.
Entry 5462
Use graveyard dirt an' ashes, an' de man will leave out of town. Ah don' know about movin' out de house. Take dat dirt out of dere an' take Purity Salt [trade name?] table salt, an' put it in dere. Mix it all up tuhgethah. An' when dis man, dis person be goin' out de do', take it an' go behin' 'em an' put it in evah track. Put a li'le piece lak dis in evahone his tracks an' he ain't comin' back. Yo' ain't got'a po' it - jis' nine of 'is tracks. He can't stay in town. Ah seen dat mahself. Mah girl frien' did dat.
Entry 5470
Yo' kin go right out in de cemetery right now - have done dat tuh me - an' git some [dirt], jis' from de head of de grave, an' go tuh de feet an' git some. An' when dey git it, jis' say, "Ah wan's tuh keep Carrie down, ah don' wan' 'er tuh strive [thrive], wan' tuh keep 'er down." If she wanted tuh drove me off from dere, or run me off from dere, she would fix itdis- away. Yo' take de graveyard dirt an' yo' goes tuh work an' take red peppah, beat 'em up an' fling 'em in yere [place?] if dey got [a place?]. Yo' leavin' out chere. Den, if dey don' wan' chew tuh enjoy yore things or yore own stuff dat chew got - ah mean de - to break yo' up, chew know, dey take de graveyard dirt an' follah [follow] yo' behind, an' git chore tracks, both feet. Put 'em in dere, carry 'em tuh de sea or de rivah, an' jis' throw 'em in dere. An' yo' will leave dat place, can't resist it. De sea or de rivah an' yo' will leave dat place. Yo' got'a go in nine days time. Break yo' off from dere. Cuz dat have happen tuh me.
Entry 5475
Well, dey take yore foot track - ah'm tellin' yo' lak ah've heard it - take yore foot track. Say dey take it up backwards, don't take it up goin'. Some of 'em say take it up goin', some says take it up backwards. Well, yo' git nine of dose tracks. An' den dey take dem tracks an' go tuh de graveyard an' git dirt. Any- body dat's not scared kin do dat. Git de dirt an' mix it tuhgethah. Carry it an' chunk ovah dey lef' shouldah in de rivah, yo' know, an' don't look back at it. An' jes' say, "Yo' drift on 'way from heah." An' dey say yo'll have tuh jis' wandah an' keep goin'.
Entry 5476
Takes dey tracks an' weah it in dey shoes.
(What will that do then?)
AH DON' WAN'A TELL NO STORY. Yes, yo' kin take dere tracks an' weah it in yore shoe. An' den yo' kin take brown sugah an' yo' kin take graveyard dirt, an' write his name an' yore name on a bran'-new envelope has nevah been used, an' put it undahneat' yore bed mattress. An' he's supposed tuh come back tuh yo' in three days.
(You put all this stuff into the envelope?)
Uh-huh.
Entry 5482
Now ah tell yo' sompin else yo' do ag'in. Now ah don' know if yo' kin git de track or not, but now yo' git three of de lef' track. Ah wanta show yo' how tuh git it. See, ah'm walkin', ain't I - walkin' along [demonstrates]? Well, yo' got'a git dis track up dis way.
(From the toe to the heel.)
From de toe to de heel. Jis' git a li'le bit of sand an' put it in yore han'. Git three of 'em.
(Get three out of the left track.)
An' den yo' take it an' mix it up tuhgethah, an' den git yo' a pod of red pep- pah an' yo' open dat pod of red peppah tuh de top; not tuh de pointy part, tuh de big part.
(At the stem part.)
An' yo' put gunpowdah. Yo' gits yo' a shell, yo' know a gunshell, an' yo' put dat gunshell [powder] in dat, some of dat [foot track] dirt in dere. Yo' know it [pepperpod] can't hol' much yo' know, but yo' mix de gunpowdah an' de gunshell tuhgethah - er [I mean] de [foot track] dirt an' de gunpowdah tuhgethah. An' yo' jis' take an' puts it right in front of yo' do' an' set it [afire]. See, dat gunpowdah will make it explode, yo' undahstan'. An' yo' stick a match tuh it an' say, "Stay apart, stay apart, [stay apart]."
(Does it separate them or send them away?)
Separate 'em.
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 5485
De track business breaks up frien'ship between a girl an' her sweet- heart man. Hit's lak ah had a girl goin' wit a man an' ah didn't want 'im tuh go wit 'er. In ordah tuh break it up, ah would take three swings of dirt wit'out stoppin', an' walk right on behin' 'em - ah grab [swing] up three tracks dat are jis' made - wit'out stoppin' - an' ah save dem. An' if he Wus goin' - jis' lak he wuz goin' south, ah would ketch his comin' no'th. Ah ketch de girl's goin' no'thwards, [I mean] ketch her goin' so'thwards, gits de three grabs. (In other words if he's walking southwards, you catch his from the toe back to the heel; and the girl's going north, you catch her's back to the heel - just in opposite directions.) An' ah got three of each. Den ah takes it an' ah compound it, jis' sticks it in de ground an' compound it [mix his and her tracks]. An' den ah take, an' ah takes gunpowdah dat explodes, an' wrop it up an' put it in somepin tight, chew know. Put de powdah at de bottom, wit de dry papah comin' up through de center, yo' know, an' pack it aroun' dere. An' den ah put dirt on top jis' lak it wuz shot, an' ah take dat out an' den stick a match tuh de top of dis dry papah, an' it goes tuh de bottom an' de bottom explodes. Dat explodes dere frien'ship. Dat breaks de frien'ship up. An' dat will do so.
(All you put in there is that dirt and the gunpowder.)
Dat's right.
(In this paper?)
Yes.
Entry 5489
[Yo'] kin take a gun shell an' yo' kin take yore tracks an' anothah woman's tracks, an' yo' kin put 'em in a shell, yo' know - undahstan', but leave de powdah. Take out de shots - see, de beebee, an' put 'em [tracks] in dat shell, an' pack 'em back down in dere jis' lak in de shell, an' yo' kin shoot it. An' dat'll settle wit 'em, dey'll nevah live tuhgethah.
Entry 5490
In othah words, ag'in, yo' heah tell about a man - ah'm havin' trouble wit a man about mah wife, yo' know. Well, AH'M JES' GOIN' USE YO' AN' AH FO' A PARABLE. Well ah done tell yo' 'bout mah wife an' yo' wouldn't quit, an' ah done git attah huh [after her] 'bout chew. An' yo'all - yet yo' don't quit. Look lak yo' jes' ready tuh die if yo' could. Well, fo' a instan' [for instance] now. Ah don't wanta ary [either] one a-yo' [of you], see. Well, tuh collah [put a collar on] it, ah gotta take de weak man's strength, see. Ah'm gotta make yo' stop in a way tuh keep mahself free. See, ef ah go ahaid an' kill yo', ah gotta be punished, yo' undahstan'; but if ah work fo' me, ah kin do it an' de law can't git at me, yo' see. Well, ef ah don' wanta kill yuh, ah'll jes' break yo' up. Ah'll take yore dirt dataway [demonstrates] - take up yore track, push it off from me.
(You take it from the heel to the toe or from the toe to the heel?)
Well, ah ketch dis centah of de track an' shove it from me - grab it an' grab it from me. Git up a li'le bit of it fo' three steps.
(From three different steps.)
Dat's right. Ah git it jes' lak dis heah [demonstrates].
(I understand: one - two - three.)
Three tracks - dat's de right feet. All right. Ah'll take dat an' put it right tuhgethah. Den ah'll turn roun' den an' ah'll git mah wife's track, see.
(How many do you get from her?)
De same thing. Den ah'll put dis in - ah'll take de shot out of a shell an' put dat [tracks] in dere, in de shot place, an' wheresomevah ah layway dem [keep mah gun an' shell] an' wheresomevah ah ketch 'em talkin' ah'll run in on 'em an' de time dey [before they have time to run away], see, ah'm goin' shoot right ovah dey haids yo' see. Dat's goin' blow 'em apart, yo' see. Yo' undahstan'? One go one way an' one go de othah, an' ah ain't goin' have no mo' trouble out chew an' 'er. AN' IF SHE BE WIT ANYBODY, IT BE WIT DE NEX' MAN, 'CUZ AH DONE BLOW YO' AWAY IN DE AIR.
(But you have to go in on them, touch them and shoot right over their heads?)
Dat's right. Jes' lak if yo's got 'er cornahed talkin' somewhere, ah ain't comin' up tuh shoot yo'. Ah's be lookin' roun' an' ah say, "Dere he be's now." [Yo'] know it customary tuh ketch yo' off [by yoreself] an' have a li'le talk. Well, it might be tuhday, see, when yo' go tuh work, when yo' [I] see 'em [you two]. Well, ah ain't gwine tuh see yo' [talk to you again], but jes' where ah meet chew [you two], ah'm goin' turn an' shoot ovah yore haid [heads]. An' when ah turn loose [the gun], one gwine dataway an' de othah one gwine dataway. An' den ah won't have any mo' trouble wit chew an' 'er.
Entry 5517
Jes' lak someone yo' don' lak in yore home an' yo' wan' 'em tuh stay from roun' yore home. Yo' watch dey track. Yo' kin git eithah one of dere track, or yo' kin git both of 'em. An' yo' kin put dis same sulphur an' salt wit it an' throw it back. Yo' walk aroun' yore house nine times, an' back at de sunrise [side] on de right side of de house, an' jes' [throw track, sulphur and salt] on top of yore house. Den dey'll stay from roun' dere. Ah have did dat. (If somebody comes to my house and I don't want them around, I will take that dirt from two of their tracks and put the sulphur [and salt] with it. Then I Would walk around my house nine times, and then do what on the sunrise then?) Go on de sunrise side of de house. (You go on the sunrise side of the house, and then you throw that stuff against the house or over the house?) Ovah de house.
(All the way over the house.)
Have it kinda lak a sack. Yo' put it in a sack.
(That keeps them away.)
An' tie de sack tuhgethah, an' dere ain't no ways 'bout it - none atall
[they'll stay away].
Entry 5518
Yo' would go an' walk roun' yore house, roun' an' roun', an' take five - ah don' know much about it but dis is whut ah heard mah ole people say. Take five li'le - well, jis' take yo' five [wood] chips dat maybe yo' had cut sometime. Yo' know dat chew had cut 'em sometime dere. An' dis fellah evah who yo' thought had did dat... (Had planted this thing down.) Had planted it fo' yo', yo' burn dem [wood chips] an' git chew some of 'is tracks sure. Make sure dat it 'is tracks an' burn it [5 chips]. Put it in a cup or sompin an' put it where it kin git hot, an' jis' burn dat coal good - mix it wit dat dirt. An' some way or 'nothah jis' t'row where dat he kin git it on 'im - somewhere. Maybe jis' sprinkle it aroun' 'is baid or in 'is baid, an' dat won' bothah yo', so dey tell me. Ah don't know, ah nevah tried it.
(Well, what do you do with those five chips?)
Well, yo' burn 'em - yo' burn 'em an' mix 'em wit dis dirt, but yo' must be sure dat it's some dat he have cut offa somethin', an' yo' must be positive dat dat's 'is dirt dat he walked on.
(You mean you burn this track and these five chips?)
Yes, burn 'em an' sprinkle it somewhere roun' where he kin git tuh it, see.
Entry 5523
Now yo' kin take sand outa nine of 'er tracks. Now dis is fo' leavin' yo' undahstan'. Yo' take sand outa nine of 'er tracks an' tie it in nine knots in a piece of gingham cloth, bran'-new ging- ham cloth, an' carry it an' put it up undah her do'step. An' she'll leave him two days aftahwards. (That is to make her leave. What tracks do you take, one right after the other?) Yes sir, one right aftah de othah.
(Left and right, left and right, [until] you get nine of them.)
Jis' git nine.
(That is to drive her away. But you must put them under her doorstep.)
Undah 'er do'step.
Entry 5528
Take dat an' put new manure in it. Take mah track an' put new manure in it an' jis' scattah it each way yo' see, an' den ah'll keep a-goin'. Ah jis' won't nevah continue ' nowhere. Dat's tuh keep yo' wit travelin' min'. [This manure, animal, is evidently scattered both ways along your tracks so that you are not going to or coming from a definite destination but in all directions. Human manure is almost a foot-track rite in POWER FROM DEAD PREACH- ER'S BoNE, that amazing and almost unbelievable story, p.285. In the present and following rites newness is reguired.1
Entry 5538
Ah'll answah yo' dis guestion. (All right.) Dey'll take yore foot track an' dey'll take a cord string, a bran'-new piece of cord outa de store, an' dey'll measure yore foot track. Dey will measure each one of 'em, right an' left. Dey goin' tuh put one foot track goin' dis Way an' dey goin' tuh put de othah goin' data way [demonstrates]. An' dey goin' tuh write yore name on a bo'd - it goin' tuh be on a bo'd [symbol of graveboard]. Dey goin' tuh write yore name on dat, an' dey goin' tuh take an' throw it ovah de lef' shouldah in de rivah [Mississippi] or in de lake [Ponchartrain] air [either] one of dem two go; if it go in de lake, it's all right an' if it go in de river, it's all right. Well, dat's tuh - dat is so yo'll jis' git sick, lingah sick, an' yo' don' know whut's de mattah wit chew. Firs' thing, a pain'll take yo' an' yo'll git paralyzed-lak, but yo' isn't paralyzed, yo' is tricked. See. Yo's [you has] no control of yore feet an' jis' puts yo' in a dragon [dragging] con- dition. (Now, they turn one foot track that way and one this way [author demon- strates]?) Yes, sir, jis' lak dis [demonstrates].
(Do they use the same string for both or two different strings?)
It's de only one string. Dey wan' dat track.
(Do they dig up that track or do they [merely] measure it?)
Dey takes 'em up. Dey takes 'em up, de whole measure of it. But how dey do, dey take 'em up - dey have a li'le flat bo'd an' yo' see, dey take dat dust an all up tuhgethah.
(They just slip it under those tracks?)
Dey slip it right undah dese tracks, an' now dey goin' tuh put one track goin' dis way an' [demonstrates] - one feet goin' out dis way an' de othah feet go dis Way. An' dey goin' tuh write yore name on a pastebo'd.
(Pasteboard?)
Shoe pastebo'ds whut chew buy shoes in. Dey goin' tuh write yore name on dat. An' aftah dey write chure name on dat, dey takes it an' dey goes tuh de rivah or de lake, an' throw it ovah de lef' shouldah.
(Well, wait a minute. Do they throw these foot tracks in with the pasteboard?)
Yes, sir. Dey throw dat ovah de lef' shouldah an' In de Name of de Fathah, an de Son, an' de Holy Ghost.
(I see.)
Dat's goin' tuh make yo', in nine days time, yo' goin' tuh come, be loose of yore limbs. No more service tuh yoreself. (What do they do with that string they measure it with? What do you do with the string?) Dey takes dat string - dat's de - dat so as - yo' see when yo' be - if yo' be pickin' up - yo' know, if yo' pick up dust, it's bound tuh crack, huh? But chew got de full length of it wit dat string.
(I see.)
Well, dat string goes wit it. It's tied right across dat bo'd. An' throw it ovah de lef' shouldah In de Name of de Fathah, of de Son an' de Holy Ghost.
Entry 5544
Yo' don' wan'a harm 'em but yo' goin' tuh move 'em. Yo' walk right down de road behin' 'im whichevah he's walkin'. Git chew sides [suckers] dat growin' from a hick'ry or from a 'simmon [persimmon] tree, an' stick it down at de end of 'is toe an' clip it off at 'is heel. An' take dem [clipped sticks measuring foot tracks] an' carry it [them] down tuh de rivah, say, "Go an' don' come back." An' he cain't stay dere.
(How many years old you you take the tree?)
Jis' only three sides less den a yeah old, but maybe [as old as] three yeahs. Cut dem de length of de feet [foot tracks] an' carry 'em an' don' look back, whatevah yo' do. Wish dere [at the river]. Dat will move him. (You take that from a persimmon tree?) From any tree in a stump. See, yo' jis' cuts if off, cut one heah an' two heah.
(We call them little suckers.)
Well, we call 'em sides, sprouts.
Entry 5551
Yo' be walkin' 'long an' pass by 'im. Yo' gwine down de street disa- way, ah'm comin' disaway. All right. An' when yo' pass by me yo' turn right roun' de first time yo' walk past, take up 'is track. Run down an' pick up de track. Yo' have tuh git it run- nin' an'... (How do you mean get it running? What do you mean by that?) All right, now ah'm walkin' down behin' joo, an' yo' lookin' dat way an' ah'm lookin' de same way yo' is, but ah'm lookin' at chure track an' ah'm goin' walk in a hurry. Yo' know, jis' take a little fast trot an' stoop down an' pick dem tracks up, runnin' like dat. An' take 'em an' put some salt in'em an' black peppah. An' take 'em tuh de rivah an' turn yore back an' throw 'em ovahbo'd, an' yo'll go crazy.
(What shoulder do you throw them over?)
Throw 'em ovah yore lef' shouldah.
(And what tracks do you pick up?)
Yo' jis' pick up two tracks, each foot - each one of yore foot.
Entry 5564
Dat a lady taken de track, yo' see, de hollah [hollow] of both of de feet - dirt - an' put intuh some fresh hog lard, stuck nine wire nails, new wire nails in this lard. Den wraps it wit raw cotton thread an' cuts de shape of a shoe sole, a pair of 'em, an' put 'em tuh- gethah an' wraps 'em an' put it in ground. Now, dose things dey say stops de ones from walkin'.
(How do you mean stops them from walking?)
Dere knees cannot bend.
(She gets that sole out of your shoe or does she cut it out of something?)
Cut it out of a pasteboard. Now dat's whut de lady tole me herself. [Mobile, Ala., (704 0r 702), 960:8.]
Entry 5565
Well, she'll git his track - she'll git de sand out of nine of 'is tracks an' she'll carry it undahneath 'er house an' she'll spread dat sand out. She'll take nine nails an' stick up in dat sand. An' he'll leave.
(Now which tracks does she get - one right after the other?)
No, his left tracks. (Nine left tracks.) Yeah. (Coming to the house or going?) Goin' - jis' eithah way, jis' git nine of 'is tracks. She'll git nine nails, jis' spread de sand down, an' den she jis' stick dese nails up in dat sand.
(Is all this sand in one pile or do they leave it in nine piles?)
Oh, no sir, jis' spread it out an' de nine nails in dere, an' in nine days he'll be gone.
(Are the nails pointed down or pointed up?)
Point down.
Entry 5573
Now, if yo' wan'a make someone run someone 'way from town - wanta git 'en outa town, run 'em 'way less den twenty-fo' hours - yo' go an' pick up dere track. But don' pick up de track behin' dem, pick up de track from de toe tuh de heel, both tracks. An' go tuh de lef'-han' cornah of de house an' write his name in dere. Tell 'im tuh, "Go. 1
(Write his name in his tracks? How do you write that? With what?)
Yo' write it wit yore han', yo' know wit yore fingah, see - right in de sand, see. Well, yo' pick up de track, write in de sand an' call 'is name an' say, "Henry, go." An' walk tuh de lef'-han' cornah of de house, backwards fo' steps, an' throw it ovah yore lef' shouldah. In twenty-fo' hours he'll leave town - anybody will.
(You take both tracks or just one?)
Take both tracks. (And what do you call the left-hand side of the house? Suppose I am coming in the front now. What would you call the left-hand side? Is it coming in or going out?) Dis de lef'-han' side of de house, it's a case of - yo' undahstan' now. If ah'm comin' dis way an' if ah pick up dis track disaway. Weli, ah'm goin' dis way. Well, if ah pick up dis track comin' dis way, dis is de lef side of de house.
Entry 5587
(What can you do to make a man stay away? Drive him away?)
Well, yo' will have to take up 'is track. Yo' see, yo' watch 'im when he valks. Now, see, if 'is toes are goin' dis way, 'way from de house, undahstan', vell yo' start from 'is heel an' yo' take one dat way an' take de othah one dis way, an' rake de dirt up. (Which one do you begin with first?) His right foot, from de heel. Take it from de heel an' carry it to de toe. Den yo' take yore lef' foot an' carry it de same way, from de heel to de toe. Yo' take dat an' put dat in - yo' have to use new homespun wit all dese things, yo' undahstan'. An' yo' take dat an' put it in new homespun an' carry it to evah-runnin' watah, a rivah or jis' a stream dat runnin'. An' yo' take it an' yo' jis' stan' direct lak dat [back to water] an' throw it ovah yore lef' shouldah an' let it go on down de stream. An' ah mean he'll follow it.
Entry 5593
Dey say yo' git de dirt outen nine tracks an' git a new piece of white homespun cloth an' sew up dem tracks. An' take de dirt outen de hollah of de track - nine tracks. Go drop it in dat sack an' sew it up an' tote it in yore pocketbook or in yore pocket. An' dey say dat dat woman or dat man will follah yo' anywhere.
(Nine tracks one right after the other?)
Yes sir. If a woman don' like a man an' wants him tuh go [that is what she does]. Well, den if he done wanta go, she kin take his track an' put it into a bag an' tote it an' dat'll prove him tuh come back to her.
(She'll get the dirt out of his tracks?)
Yes sir. Don't say de left or de right, but jes' say his tracks. Ah think it wuz nine tracks dat he tuk.
(Somebody told you that?)
Yes sir.
Entry 5594
Dey would pick up evah othah one of yore tracks for nine tracks, but dey take de right feet fer nine tracks. An' dey would take it off an' place dat into a bottle. Aftah placin' into a bottle dey would take - yo've seen dese pickanettle roots. People call 'em [par?] nettles.
(No, I don't know them [pickanettle] but I know what you are talking about.)
[This is probably the horse nettle, which appears several times in Hoodoo.]
It grows wit a white blossom into de top. Take dis blossom an' put it into a pot an' boil it. An' put a little linament, Sloan Linament into dat one, an' put watah onto de linament an' some kinda flesh meat. An' take it out an' yo' got a linament of yo' own creatin'. An' put on top of dat - stop it up tight [in a bottle] - write chure name onto de linament [bottle] be- fo' yo' put it [lina- ment] in dere. Write chure name an' turn it into de bottle, an' turn de bottle down to de groun' dis way.
(Turn that bottle down like that. All right. Then what do you do?)
Yes, sir, turn de bottle down dis way. Turn it down an' put chure name on it. Write chure name on it an' use a verse in de Bible.
(Do you know what verse in the Bible?)
Yes, sir, an' use de Second Kings but read it backwards, see. Read it back- wards an' write chure name. Writes chure verse three times an' write chure name three times. It must be backwards. Put on de linament in de bottle an' turn de bottle downward, down dis way [demonstrates].
(Cork down.)
An' dat'll take 'fect on 'em.
(Well, where are these foot tracks now? Where are the foot tracks?)
De dirt ah got from de foot tracks ah got it in de bottle.
(How much dirt did you take up?)
Jis' a small little.
Entry 5595
If yo' love a man an' a man don' care very much about chew an' he, yo know, come tuh yore house sometime an' sometime he doesn't. Well, yo' take a snuffbox an' [put] evah othah one of 'is tracks in dis snuffbox. Yo' put a li'le pinch of dirt in dis snuffbox out of evah one of 'is track - evah othah one.
(How many?)
Nine - till yo' git tuh nine. An' when yo' git tuh nine, yo' take dis snuff- box an' shet it up. An' yo' shet it up an' tote it fo' nine days in yore pocket. An' when yo' tote it fo' nine days in yore pocket, yo' come tuh yore step an' po' de dirt out intuh yore step. An' ah'll guarantee dat'll make him love yo'.
(You pour this track dirt of his under your step then?)
Yes.
Entry 5596
Well, some of 'em goes out dere to git some of dose leaves [from holly bush], dey uses 'em fo' a tea. Dat's part too of dis WITCHCRAFT BUSINESS. An' some of 'em goes dere to git some of dose balls [berries]. Dey git nine balls from dere each time dey goes. Some uses dat. Dey take dose holly balls an' fin' nine of yore foot tracks an' dey'll go ahead an' place nine of dese in 'is track [one in each track], an' give [call] his name, an' tell 'im to go. Well, dat will put 'im to movin'. [See also 2004, p.588, margin title HOLLY TREE, p.107, etc.]
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 5621
Dey say if yo' goin' anywhere an' a person don' wan' choo dere, an' yo' leave, dey walks right back out on yore foot track; an' take de firs' two track, an' takes up one han'- ful of dirt from de lef' an' den throw some salt in de right one. Dey take de sand [from left track] on back to de house wit 'em an' put it in a bag: an' keep dat. An' dey say yo' can't come back to de house no more.
Entry 5630
Well, yo' take dat foot track goin' dis way an' - yo' take it goin' - an' den yo'. take it comin', see. Well, aftah yo' take dat track - gits both tracks - see, yo' git one goin' an' de othah one comin'. Yo' gits a piece of Lowe's, bran'-new Lowe's cloth. It's thick stuff whut dey make sacks outa, cotton sacks.
(What they call Louis?) [Lowe's.]
Yessuh. Yo' git a piece of Lowe's an' yo' sew it up [into a bag]. An' yo' go git chew a box of table salt. Yo' git chew a box of cayenne peppah. An' take dat track an' yo' compounds all dat up tuhgethah an' yo' put in dere [small bag nade from new Lowe's cloth] an' [put] dat [Lowe's-cloth bag into a bag of] red flannen. [A bag of any material holding the ingredients of a hand is often en- closed within red flannel for added power.] An' yo' goes tuh de rivah an' yo' turn backward dis way [demonstrates] an' chunk it ovah in de rivah. See, lak dat, ovah yore lef' shouldah.
(What will that do?)
Dat will run 'em away.
Entry 5636
When a person, yo' know, jis' walkin' along, an' dey could take sulphur an' salts an' spirits of turpentine an' mix it tuhgethah an' cuz yo' tuh have a foolish min'. [Spirits of turpentine is used occasionally instead of turpentine, the addi- tion of spirits giving to turpentine a spirit or other-world quality. An inform- ant somewhere in Hoodoo explains the spiritual essence of turpentine.] (Well, what do they do with that stuff after they get it? What do they do with that?) Takes it an' mix it tuhgethah an' as yo'd walk along, see dey po's dat in yore track as yo' go 'long. A certain numbah of tracks yo' know. Ah 'spect [suspect] yo' have tuh put it in de tracks, nine tracks nine mawnin's. An' dat vill cuz yo' tuh go crazy.
(This mixture, they just slip it into these tracks?)
Yes.
Entry 5639
Dey go to work an' if dey git yo' an' if dey're goin' to hahm [harm] yo' dey take yore tracks an' bury on to dere steps. Well, now listen, dey put some saltpetah in yore tracks. See, now dat'll hahm yo'. If dey take yore tracks up from any- where dey'll hahm yo' if dey put saltpetah in it. [Somewhere either before recording began or along in here while recording machine stopped, informant mentions 5 foot tracks or footprints. I missed a notation at the time but will soon mention them.]
(On your own steps?)
Yes, on yore own steps.
(Yes, I see. On my own steps?)
On yore own steps.
(That is, five footprints of dirt on my own steps? Either foot track?)
Eithah foot, it don' make any diffrence.
Entry 5666
Git dat foot track comin' to yo', both of 'um. Git dat track an' take it an' take a piece of cloth. Git some red peppah an' salt an' tie dat oop [up] in dere. An' take it an' go east on a vacant lot some- where, where dere ain't no house at, an' throw it ovah yo' lef' shouldah - ovah de right shouldah at sunrise an' don' look back. Yo' see? An' de way yo' throw it, dat's de way de person is gwine.
(I see. You throw it over your right shoulder?)
Yes sir, an' don' look back.
(You throw it toward the east?)
East.
(Before sunrise?)
Jis' de way de sunrise, jis' as de sun go down. Let it be first dark, on a vacant lot where ain't no house. See? An' don' look back at it. An' de way yo' throw it, if yo' want dat person to move in dat direction, dey'll go in dat direction.
(I see.)
Entry 5667
It have been said dat if an' individual come to yore house an' yo' want en to stay away an' not come again, to sweep dere track out immediately right behin' 'em as dey go out.
Entry 5670
If yo' has a enemy dat comes to yore house, yo' wait cill it's dark an' take de broom an' sweep out de tracks behin' 'em. Dat enemy gon't return no' mo'.
Entry 5671
If yo' don't have nuthin tuh do wit 'em an' yo' wants tuh drive 'em, Yeep 'em away from yore house, yo' take some bluestone an' burn it well. An' while de bluestone is burnin', yo' take an' mix watah an' let it cook in dere good. An' dey come back tuh yore house an' yo'don' wan' 'em dere, when dey walk out, yo' po' it right in de tracks where dey make tuh go out, an' sweep it. Dat whut dey do wit de bluestone.
(They won't come back?)
Won't come back.
Entry 5672
When he come tuh yore house, when yo' see his tracks comin' towards yore house, well when he comes tuh yore house, yo' know dis 'is tracks. An when he stays - when he stays 'is length of time, an' when he starts out, git chew some salt an' throw on 'is back, an' den throw some salt in de yard, " den yo' start tuh sweepin'. Start from de do' an' sweep 'is tracks out back clean out. Dat's sweepin' 'im on away.
Entry 5673
Well, dere nuthin much dat chew kin do wit de foot track, but a lotta ople says it fo' drivin' people away an' all like dat. But de only thing dat yo' kin do wit de foot track is now: a lotta peoples wants tuh keep yo' away from de house an' all like dat. Now te thing is wit yore foot track proposition, like yo' have a person come tuh yore boase an' yo' don' wan' dem tuh come dere so often. Why [you] kin sprinkle some salt down right in front de gate where dey pass by, an' jis' as soon as dey come an' walk out, yo' gotta sweep de whole track an' all outside of de gate.
(Do you put that salt down before they come?)
Befo' dey come in dere. Jis' like yo' done be expectin' someone tuh come in, " yo' don' wan' 'em tuh be bothahin' yo'. Yo' don' wan' 'em tuh come dere, why put dat salt down dere.
Entry 5674
Tuh drive 'em away - tuh drive 'em away yo' git yo' some cayenne peppah an' salt. Jis' lak if a person is comin' in heah an' yo' don' wan' 'em in heah. An' yo' git chew some cayenne peppah an' salt, an' yo' set an' hold 'em [inl a conversation. Set an' talk wit 'em, be frien'ly wit 'em an' ack lak yo' ain't mad, chew know. An' den dey say, "Well, ah reckon ah bettah go." Well, yo' already has dat salt an' peppah mixed up an have it in yore han's somewhere, an' yo' follah 'em out de house. See, when dey goin' out, jis' sift dat cayenne peppah an' salt in dere tracks. Den go tuh each fo' cornahs of yore house an' put some cayenne peppah an' salt in each fo' cor- nahs of de house. An' den take de broom an' sweep it all on out an' sweep it de Way de' go an' flirt it. When yo' sweep it down on de steps, jis' lak if dey goin' up de street dat way, yo' flirt it de way dey goin' [demonstrates].
(How do you do that? Do it with your hand like that?)
[Flirting with a fan I had read about and had seen on stage; but flirting with a broom, though good English, was beyond my experience.] Wit chure broom, when yo' flirt it yo' say - WHEN YO' SPRINKLE IT DOWN IN YORE [ROOM] HERE, SAY, "WELL, AH'M CONKERIN' MAH ENEMY, IN DE NAME OF DE LORD. DRIVE DE DEVIL AWAY FROM ME, IN DE NAME OF DE LORD." An' jis' sprinkle it on dere, an' WHEN YO' SWEEP IT AN' YO' MAKE DAT FLIRT, YO' SAY, "WELL, AH'M FLIRTIN' MAH ENE- MIES AWAY FROM ME, IN DE NAME OF DE LORD." An' den flirt de dust on de street. Dey nevah put dere foot in yore house.
Entry 5675
Yo' mean de foot track tuh go or de foot track tuh come?
(Well, both of them - one one way and one the other way.)
Well, now, if yo' want somebody tuh come back, yo' git dis foot track an' don't - now, like de foot track is goin', don' turn de foot track back tuh yo'. Yo' git chew a piece of papah an' write on dat papah nine times, an' put it undah de step an' turn dat foot track back tuh de house. Dat's tuh come. Now, if yo' wan' 'em tuh go. (What do you write on that paper nine times.) Yo' write, "Come back, come back." An' ah don' care how far dat person is - an' if yo' wan' dat person tuh come back, in nine or 21 days dey will come back. Dat's fo' - now tuh go, yo' turn de track. Dis is de track, yo' write dat nine times, "Go."
(You turn the track as if it is going away?)
Yes. Git chew a handful of salt an' jis' dash it down an' sweep 3 times. Dey gone.
Entry 5677
If anyone come in de house an' yo' didn't wan' dem enemies to come dere any mo', as soon as yo' step out on de outside, yo'll git a pail of watah an' throw de watah down behind 'em an' sweep it ot [out]. An' dat's de sign da' chew [that you] won't come back dere any mo'. Throw it on de flo' an' sweep dere tracks off. Yo' do dat on de sly.
Entry 5678
Well, yo' kin take dat dust from de feet, if yo' wanted a person in yore neighborhood ~ an' yo' had a fuss wit 'em - an' yo' wanted tuh run 'em away. Yo' goes at de ninth hour, yo' see, tuh runnin' watah an' yo'll take dis here dast, whut yo' have swept up at de ninth hour, an' yo' throws it ovah yore lef' shouldah wit yore lef' han', not tuh look back, wit a curse word. An' yo' are forced tuh leave unbeknown tuh yore ownself. Yo'll pack up. Yo'll jis' leave. Yo' have tuh walk away.
Entry 5679
(This woman whom the man has left, she would get hold of his left sock?) Git holt of 'is lef' socks, 'is drawahs, an' take an' take dem home, an' put 'en undah de do'steps. Don' let nobody see or know yo' put 'em undah dere. An' den take yore broom, when he come inside de house. an' sprinkle salt down evah'where he walks. When he's goin' out, don' sweep it out do's, sweep it back in de house. Seep it all back in de house. Sweep 'is track all back tuh de kitchen, an' let dat stay undah dere, an' dat will bring 'im back.
Entry 5680
Well, if yo' want 'im tuh stay home, evah time he starts out, evah tine he leaves yore house, yo' jis' walk right straight on out while his tracks hot. An'.sweep 'em back right undahneat' de steps, say, "Come back heah." Yo' ain't gotta put nuthin behin' dat, says, "Yo come on back heah. Ah'm yore wife. Come on back heah." An' yo' sweep 'is tracks right undah dat steps. An' evah time yo' go out, yo' do dat an' he'll Qe back an' be so nice.
Entry 5694
An' den yo' kin take three of 'is lef' tracks, jis' lak yo' git 'em from de toe. Evah time yo' go, befo' yo' git 'em, yo' call 'is name. An' evah one yo' git yo' call 'is name. An' den yo' take dat track an' go tuh a lightnin'- struck tree an' git two splintahs offen it. Have one shortah den de othah. An' den yo' take dis heah - let yourn be short an' his'n be long. Well yo' lay his'n up on top of yoren. [The symbolism of the 2 splinters is quite revealing!] An' den yo' git a teaspoonful of sugah an' put on dere. An' den yo' sew it up in a piece of cloth an' weah it. Dat'll make 'im love yo'.
Entry 5695
Yo' take de foot tracks aftah it rains. Wait till it rains. An' when it rains yo' watch fo' dat person whosomevah yo' wanted tuh harm. Yo' watch fo' dem, an' when he done pass an' gone by on 'is business, why yo' come out an' git three tracks up. (How do you pick them up now?) Well, yo' pick 'em up wit chure han', jis' de whole track, yo' see. Yo' pick one up [demonstrates] lak dis an' yo' go an' yo' pick de othah one up. Yo' have a papah bag an' put dat in dere.
(You pick up three tracks?)
Yeah, an' yo' take a papah bag an' put dat in. All right yo' take dat an' put dat in, an' yo' go home an' yo' git chew a aig, yo' git chew some hot stuff an' some yeast box - de ten-cent box yeast box, do' [though] dey got a big box, an' yo' be ballin' dat up. An' yo' take dat an' throw dat in de rivah.
(What do you throw in the river?)
De tracks.
(What do you do with the stuff you whip up?)
Yo' whip all that up tuhgethah, yo' undahstan', den yo' put it back in a heaviah papah bag, an' yo' throw it ovah yore lef' shouldah out tuh de Miss'ippi Rivah, yo' undahstan'. Or if it's a guttah where it's runnin' watah it's all right. [RUNNING WATER IN A GUTTER IS MENTIONED HERE THE FIRST TIME IN HOODOO.] Well, dat'll be all of it, see.
(What will that do?)
Dat'll jis' send 'im down, dat he won' talk. Yeah, dat cripples 'im.
(It won't send him away or anything?)
No, it jis' sends 'im down, he cain't do nuthin.
Entry 5696
If yo' wan' 'em tuh go, yo' don' wan' 'im tuh stay, git choo a table- spoonful of salt, a tablespoon whut dey call cayenne peppah. Git choo a red flannin rag now, an' git saltpeter - woman salt- peter. Yo' know it's two kinds, a she saltpeter an' dere a he saltpeter. Yo' git de she. Take yo' a teaspoonful an' put it dere an' put it - make a li'le. red-flannin sack an' put it down in dere. Well, now if yo' know dis party, yo' watch 'er walk. Yo' count de tracks as dey walk. Yo' count de tracks lak dey 3 right-foot tracks. Yo' jis' take it from de toe. An' take it up, po' it in dat sack. Sew it up. Yo' meet de sun three mawnin's as it rise, an' wet on it. Take it tuh de rivah befo' de rise de fo'th day, an' throw it in dere. Ah don' care where yo' wan' 'em tuh go, dey'll leave dere. Dey can't stay.
(WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "SHE" AND "HE" SALTPETER?)
DE "SHE" IS A LARGE LUMP AN' DE "HE" IS IN LI'LE BITA CRUMBS.
Entry 5715
Jis' lak ah'm on de way now uptown. Ah'm on mah way up an' mah min' is toum. Ah got some pahtic'lah business ah wanta 'tend [attend] tuh, an' ah'm on de way, now. Den yo'll git some of 'is track, undah- stan'. Yo' stan' where he's goin', de direction dat he's goin'. Take some of 'is tracks three times - take dat dirt P outa his track three times, an' den put dat in a piece of new cloth an' bind I up. Put three pods of red peppah in wit it. An' den take dat an' sew it up a' put a long string about dat long an' so it kin swing it. Sew dat string jis batavay an' evah time de win' blow, dat swing. He's agoin'.
(Where do you tie that up?)
Ties it up on a white oak in de woods. Jis' take it, tie it up in dere. He can't stay becuz 'is min' altuhgethah from dere. (In other words you take that track, you take it three times out of three different tracks - one right after the other?) Yessuh. (The same thing as that other one you told me about, about taking all the dree tracks?) Dat's right.
Entry 5722
Den ag'in yo' could take up a track - yo' pulls up dat track. When she's comin' home, git behin' 'er an' take de track de same way she's goin', jis' lak she's comin' home. Yo' take it three times. (Where would you take it from, the heel to the toe or the toe to the heel?) Take it from de heel an' carry it to de toe, 'cuz she's goin' home. Take it three time.
(You take it three times. You mean three steps or all out of one?)
Take de leas' leetle bit about a half a teaspoonful, den po' dat in yore han' an' take it an' git nine. Git it nine times, make it three times three. Put dat in dere an' den take de red peppah an' put it tuhgethah. Put it in a bran'-new piece of cloth an' take it an' sew it. Sew it up an' stick it in a green tree, in de limb, an' let it grow up in dat tree. She stay home.
(How do you put it in that limb?)
Jis' take yo' pucketknife [pocketknife] an' split it an' set it right in dere; slip it right intuh dere. Split it.
(And the limb will grow together again?)
An' it will grow ag'in an' it won' hurt 'er neithah.
(That will keep the woman home?)
Yes, keep her home.
Entry 5738
Dey git twelve of yore tracks. Ah'm tell yo' whut ah knows. Red Devil Lye, rose watah, anothah potash - ah can't name it, ah think it's [something] - Hearts Cologne. Fix all dat up an' throw it in runnin' watah. See, dat will cuz yo' or ah tuh run away. (You take up one step right after the other, both right and left. Twelve of them?) Yes.
Entry 5744
Ah know about whut chew do wit de tracks. If yo' have a enemy or any- thin', anybody dislak yo' or anythin', an' dey wan' chew tuh leave town or sompin lak dat. Dey'll meet chew an' git chure track an' take it an' mix some dog hair an' cat hair. Yo' know cats an' dogs disagrees in anythin' lak dat. An' takes nine straight pins an' ben' dem tuhgethah, an' put dem in de fo'ks of de road, an' yo'll leave town. An' if it's a woman an' a man dat loved one anothah an' de' meet one 'nothah ag'in, dey be hatin' one 'nothah jis' lak cats an' dogs, be mad an' wanta fight an' kill up one 'nothah. No mattah how good dey is in love, dey git apart.
(This is to separate a man and his wife. Whose foot track do you take?)
Take his'n an' hers. Take his'n, yo' know, de lef' goin', an' bring it up ob yo' lak dis, an' take hers an' bring it up tuh yo'. An' mix it tuhgethah dt de hair out yore haid, if yo' kin git it. Eithah if yo' cain't git de hair oat dere haid, den git de dog's hair - yo' know, de bristles an' de cat's bris- tles, an' mix it tuhgethah wit nine straight [bent] pins.
(Wait a minute! You take the man's left foot, you say?)
De lef' foot track.
(And what about the woman's?)
Take de lef'. Uh-huh, take one goin' an' de othah one comin'. Dere's one aiie' one way an' de othah one comin' de othah way.
(Whose do you take going?)
Take de man's goin' or eithah de woman - it don' make no diff'rence, so dere's e goin' one way an' de othah one comin' de othah.
(And you bury this out at the forks of the road?)
At de fo'ks of de road, but chew mix dem cat bristles an' dog bristles wit dat track. Den take nine straight pins an' bend 'em. [Waycross, Ga., (093, 1760:6.]
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 5758
KIN DO DAT THREE DIFF'REN' WAYS. (Well, how would they do that?) Well, de way ah undah- stan', dey measures yo' feet [lengthwise], den crosswise, an' den make a triangle outa it. An' den tie dat up in bags an' bury it. Say dat will make yo' leave eithah de country or state where yo' are.
(I see. What foot tracks do you measure?)
Ah think it's de lef', fah [far] as ah undahstan'. (You measure them lengthwise. [I demonstrate.] Here's your foot track. You measure it lengthwise and then across?) Across, an' den make a angle out of it.
(Oh! Then you sort of...)
Sort of angle from de toes...
(You mean you come across this way?)
[I demonstrate.]
Yes, dat's right.
(You measure it this way and then that way, then you measure it this way?)
Jis' a angle - don't bring it all de way down dat time. Dat's de way ah andahstan'it.
(Bring it down like this?)
Dat's right.
(Sort of a...)
[I am still demonstrating.]
Jis' an' angle - a "v", see.
(A "v", I see.)
Supposed tuh be...
(You make a "v" in it like that...and...)
An' de way yo' wan' de parties tuh go, why de way de angle point, dat's de way dey'll travel. (I see. You make that angle - the way that angle points, that's the way they'll travel. I see.)
Entry 6022
(What do they say they do with that?)
Dey say dey takes yore hair. An' dis lady [root doctor] tole me dat dey take yore hair an' git nine pins, an' say dey will wrap it an' git chure tracks, an' say dey will wrap it up an' put it in a bottle, an' den dey'll put somepin lak, lak if dey could git yore urine, dey will do dat, an' stop it up in a bottle an' carry it away from dere an' bury it. Sometimes dey bury it right at chure doorstep, be- cuz dey say dat's what wuz did fer me. An' she warned me always be careful how or what I do wit mah hair. Comb it. An' I tole her, yes, becuz somebody had taken out all mah hair. She says she knowed it, says dat's why she tole me to be careful. An' dey take dose pins an' take dat hair an' put dose nine pins an' stick 'em in dere an' dey wrap it. An' dey put yore track in dere an' puts in a bottle. An' say if dey can't git any of yore urines [often called ureen], dey'll try to git some watah from de place where yo' use, yo' know, lak yo' might have a well or spiggot or somepin an' dey'll - sometimes people will come an' [say], "Ah wants a drink of watah, please." Dey jis' want some of yore watah from yore house where yo're at. An' den dey've got all dey want to do wit - dey got de othah parts. (What would they do with this hair and pins after they got it? What would they do with it?) Dey buries it.
(What is that supposed to do to you then?)
Well, it 'fect yo' some way about yo' head, give yo' pain an' miseries.
Entry 6443
Take de dead skin from de bottom of yore feet or yore toenails or some- pin' like dat - triimin' 'em, yo' know. A person kin take dem toenails an' jis' like if yo' walk, yo' take dis step an' dat step. Now dat dus' created dere from undah yore foot, put some in dis track, where yo' done walked; an' put some in dis one where yo' stepped. An' jis' keep yo' on a wandah, goin' on all de time awalkin'. Yo're nevah satisfied no more. But yo' see, dey does dis to dat stuff. Dey puts...
[I interrupt.]
(Toenails. And then you would put it in one foot track, and then into another foot track?) An' some in de othah one. Divide it up.
(You might begin with the left, or you might begin with the right?)
Yo' begin wit de right foot. Yo' see, yo' watch 'im walkin'. Co'se yo' know de right from de lef' in de direction dey's goin', but yo' wanta be sure yo' git de prints. Yo'll see de prints an' know one foot from de other. Yo' put it in de right foot firs'. It's quite natchel [natural] dat a person steps off on 'is lef' foot mos' any time when he's alone. Well, yo' put it in dere an' yo' git dis...
[I interrupt.]
(You take that and you put some in the left and you put it in the right, too?)
An' some in de lef'.
(I see. All right.)
Yo' dig a li'le hole wit yore pocketknife. Yo' know, jis' kiver [cover] it up. An' dat'll put 'im dissatisfied, so dat he won' even be satisfied nowhere he goes. He's jis' like a man when he done killed a man. He's afraid de law's in here, he's afraid de law's in dere. He's on de go all de time.
(I see.)
Entry 9449
"Fore yo' go down tuh de bossman, yo' git chew some salt, git chew a box-a [box of] bran'-new salt. Den yo' take dat salt an' tie it up in a new piece a yellah homespun, an' yo' put it in yore pocket. An' yo' take yo' some loose salt, have it in yore han', an' yo' sprinkle it all roun' where yo' - [do] not let chure boss see it - all roun' where yore boss makes tracks at. Sprinkle it all roun' dere an', see, salt conkahs. Salt is a conkah thing. Salt conkahs a lotta things yo' know, jes' even cookin' salt. Yo' kin do a lotta things wit salt. Dat's good.
Entry 9490
Yo' kin put red peppah an' salt - yo' weah dat in yore shoes, see. An' den yo' take salt an' put it in each cornah of de wall in yore rooms where yo' sleep at. An' if anybody [come] tuh yore house dat yo' don' want tuh come tuh yore house - dey come tuh yore house an' yo' don' wan' 'em dere - de time dey'd leave yo' sprinkle salt an' red peppah in dere tracks right out dere behin' 'em, an' sweep it out. See, an' dey won' evah come back a'gin. Well, we tried dat one time 'bout a police, about a law. Dey haven't nevah been dere tuh bothah us no mo'. (That first about that salt and pepper [in 4 corners of bedroom], that is to keep you from being harmed?) Yeah.
Entry 9535
Take salt an' trō' [throw] roun' de house an' cuss 'em, den sweep it - sweep dey tracks. Dey say dey won't come back den.
(What will that do then?) Dey say dey won't come back.
Entry 9561
[You] kin git some simple thing an' jis' git some red peppah - cayenne peppah - an' salt, an' call 'em in an' have a few word wit 'em, kinda conversa- tion. An' den aftah [or as] dey go out, throw it out behin' dem an' jes' sweep it out. Dat's how yo' could do dat. Dat's a li'l simple way tuh git rid of anybody dat yo' don't want. (I see. Now what else could they do?) Well, dat's about de simplest thing yo' could do tuh git rid of 'em.
Entry 9568
Well, if yo' are here an' ah want chew tuh leave out, ah throw salt when yo' leave out de doah. Ah throw salt behin' yo' befo' yo' turn - when yo' turn yuh back tuh leave. Ah throw salt an' den ah take de broom an' ah sweep, ah sweep it all out tuh de sidewalk [sweep the visitor's foot tracks off your property]. An' if yo' continue tuh return, jis' add some pepper to it an' finely yo'll quit comin'.
Entry 9621
Take cayenne peppah an' salt when yuh [visitor] go out de do', an' sulphuh, an' take yore broom an' sweep 'em out. An' let chure broom go on
[sweeping] out in de street behin' 'em an' dey won't come back soon. De way dey go, let de broom go [sweep] dat way.
Entry 9622
Jes' lak he visit de home backwards an' forwards [visits frequently]. Evah tue he leave yo' jes' take some cayenne peppah an' sulphuh an' salt, an' throw it behin' 'im an' make a curse or somepin or 'nothah an' sweep 'is track. He'll have tuh go away.
(That will make him stay away?)
Dat's right. He couldn't stay dere.
Entry 9662
Ah tole yo', when yo' want 'em tuh go [pauses].
(Yes.)
When dey makes de track, why yo' take a new broom an' sprinkle salt. Salt an' saltpetah, mix dat togethah an' sprinkle dat an' devil's snuff.
(Devil's snuff?)
Devil's snuff, yes sir.
(Where do you sprinkle that?)
Yo' sprinkle it right on behind. Jes' lak dey goin' out de do', yo' sprinkle it right on behin' dem. An' den yo' takes dis broom an' sweep it an' tell 'em - yo' make, make de wishes dat yo' want 'em tuh go an' stay [away]. Jes sweep 'im, jes' sweep 'im away. [The salt] outa box of salt dat's nevah been used out of.
(I see. Do you use salt? And what else did you say you used?)
Salt an' saltpetah an' devil's snuff.
(Devil's snuff. I see.)
Entry 9810
(That foot track, what do you do with that foot track after you get it and put those pins and things in it?) Yo' take hit, yo' don't bury hit, yo' lie hit on yore bedspring an' yo' sleep on hit. An' he may go wit anothah woman but he won't ca' [care] nuthin 'bout 'er. An' in goin' tuh de othah woman he'll pay yo' twice de 'tenshun [attention] dat he will 'er. But in goin' wit yo' an' lovin' yo' often, yo' know, evah once in a way he'll go tuh dis woman, but he won't intendin' tuh stay cuz ah got a man lak dat. Him an' me mean so much. (In other words, you will take this foot track in order to hold a man - that's all.) Dat hold 'im. (And you put those pins in there in order to keep other women away. You name them your enemies.)
[I am corrected!]
Dat won't completely keep 'em away, but he'll be from undah dere influence.
(When you name these pins you are thinking of other women, aren't you?)
Yessuh, dat's de enemies. (They are your enemies and you want to keep them away from your husband or your man.) Well, heah's de othah one. Yo' see, womens doin' lak dat, gittin' de foot track an' pins, dat's not all of it. Yo' see if a woman - now, ah don't know 'cuz ah ain't nevah did nuthin, but ah hear'd it. [They] say, if a woman goin' wit chure man, he care de mos' fo' yo', an' yo' ain't tryin' tuh, yo' know, do nuthin but jes' tryin' to keep de man a Zi'le out de way, an' she tryin' tuh do somepin tuh 'im. Yo must always do lak dis, say he goin' wit 'er an' he ca' mo' fo' 'er. Well, she's got'a make him ca' mo' fo' her den he do yo'. Yo' got'a git 'is track den, but chew git it in a diff'ren' way. 'Stead [instead] of gittin' it fahwahds, yo' gits it backwahds. But chew take it an' yo' ca' it tuh a ants [nest] - jis' lak, yo' know, in de summah. Jis' lak yo' see a ants nest an' ants totin' dirt in an' out. Dis is ca'in' [carrying] it in jis' [like] ah'm gittin' love. Yo' got'a git de woman's track dis time, not de man's track. Git de woman's track. Yo' ca' it tuh a ants nest where de ants totin' dirt in an' out an' put it down dere. An' yo' go tuh puttin' it down where de ants totin' in dere. Yo' know how ants tote in. An' yo' name de same thing: "Name of de Fathah, de Son an' de Holy Ghost, make her leave dis town." An' yo' know, as yo' thinkin' [all this] yo' sprinkle it. Well, jis' as de ants tote it in, she got'a go. Well, dat's de woman. Fo' de man, well, yo' don't put it down in no ants nest. Jis' tie it up in a hans'cuff [handkerchief] an' yo' got'a put nine pins in dere. [Here I turned off machine thinking she had ended and had to restart by re- peating what had been lost.]
(Put it in your bedspring?)
Put dat undah de haid of yore mattress an' sleep on it. But de woman yo' got'a find a ants nest where de ants totin' in de dirt. [Informant now tells an experience of hers, an experience similar to the one told in, vol.] Dis wus a man passin' through [town]. Ah didn't know 'im an' he didn't know me. Ah wus on mah way tuh a party one night an' he said, "Lady, " he said, "ah'm hongry: Ah wan't somepin tuh eat: If yo'd give me twenty cents, " an' he said, "dat's not de price, ah'd tell yo' somepin." He wus a big mulatto man. He weren't no white man, he wus a colored man. Ah says, "Well, ah'll give yo' mo' den twenty cents, " ah said, "heah's thirty cents. An' heah's whut he tole me. An' he tole it so straight. Ah had nevah seed de man befo' an' he had nevah seen me, but he tole me who [what woman] mah man wus gone wit an' how he looked an' evahthing, an' whut she wus tryin' tuh do, an' whut fo' me tuh do. An' ah'd called 'im back an' ah'd sweah de man wus crazy. But ah done whut he tole me [to bring back my man]. De dog! See, dat walk right off an' left me. He come right back tuh me an' ah ain't had no mo' trouble wit 'im since. Ah wus dressed an' ah start out tuh de party. Well, it wus a big mulatto man an' he came rapped on de do'. He did give his name but ah ain't goin' tell no story, ah cain't remembah 'is name now. He says, "Well, where yo' goin', lady? See yo' dressed." Ah an' mah sistah [were going to the party], but ah'm jis' talkin' 'bout mahself. He wus talkin' tuh me. He says, "Ah lak yore future." Aftah dis, ast 'im tuh come in. Ah say, "Ah'm goin' tuh a party. He says, "Whut party yo' goin' to?" He says, "Ah think ah mostly know wit'out chew tell me." Ah says, "Ah'm goin' down heah in Thomastown." [I said it] jis' lak dat. He say, "Well, yo' drinkin'." Dat wus 'is words. Ah said, "Ah'm drinkin'?" He say, "Yeah." Ah said, "Ah did have 'bout a dime's drink but no mo'." [This was a dime's drink back in 1939, not in 1976, and it was the cheapest moonshine available.] He said, "Well, yo' goin' tuh de party tuhnight. He's daid an' yo' goin' preparin' tuh raise hell.' Said, "But if yo' gived me twenty cents, ah'll tell yo' sompin." Ah say, "Well, whut chew gona tell me?" He says, "Yo' worryin'," says, "yo're not satisfied." HE SAYS, "IT'S A WOMAN BUT SHE'S NOT YORE COMPLEXION, ' SAYS, "YO'S KINDA TEASY, WHUT CHEW CALL CHOCOLATE BROWN, BUT DIS WOMAN IS BLACK." He says, "Whut chew call a [something] or some bnda black woman [something]. Say, "But dis woman tryin' take yore man." Dat whut he said, "Dis woman tryin' uh take yore man." An' he say, "When dis woman tryin' 'uh take yore man, if yo' give me twenty cents, ah tell yo' how tuh git 'im from 'er 'tention." An' he say, "Ah oughta charge mo' den dat, " he said, "but ah's hongry an' ah want somepin uh eat." But he wus a colored man. We wus goin' tuh a barbecue, ah an' dis girl. Ah say, "Well, if yo' come go tuh de party, ah'll buy yo' sompin." He say, "Well, if yo' promise me fo' shuah yo'll buy me somepin uh eat, ah'll pay yo' 'fore yO gits dere. BUT IF YO' DON' PAY ME DE MONEY, WHUT AH TELL YO WON'T DO YO' NO GOOD." Ah said, "Well, come on." He said, "Yo' goin' wit de man an', " he said, "de man love yo' an' yo' love de man, an', '' he say, "jis' lak he come an' familiahize [familiarize] wit chew. He don't stay heah an' life [live] wit chew, do he?" Ah says, "He sho' don't." Ah says, "Me an' 'im quit." Ah said, "He lived down dere wit dem othah wimmins, went crazy 'bout 'em.' He say, "Well, when he step out de [door], jis' lak he step, yo' go out an' yo' git 'is right feet, git 'is right track." Says, "When he step out, don' chew go right behin' 'im. De time [after] he go, git 'is right track." Ah didn't even pay 'tention. Ah put on mah coat, de one dat ah wuz weahin' roun'. He say, "Git it from de toe an' rake it back tuh de heel, an' git somepin kinda slick an', " he say, "whut yo' pick up on dere, take an' tie it up in a hans'cuff." An' he say, "When yo' tie it up in a hans'cuff, yo' git nine straight pins, an' if dere any woman dat chew think he goes wit, whatevah dere name dat chew think is yore enemies, yo' call 'em name by name. An' jes' as yo' call 'em name by name, yo' stick dat pin in dat hans'cuff an' dat dirt till yo' git de nine pins in dere." An' [he] say, "When yo' git 'em in dere, hol' up de haid of yore mattress an' put it [handkerchief with pins] on yore springs, an' let yore mattress fall back down an' sleep on it." AN' SAY, "HE'LL COME TUH YO' MO' SO DEN HE'LL GO TUH DIS OTHAH WOMAN." SAY, "HE MAY GO BACK TUH DIS OTHAH WOMAN BUT HE WON'T MEAN 'ER NO GOOD. HE'LL MEAN YO' DE GOOD." (Then what else did he tell you about - there's something else about getting rid of the women?) About de girl. Well, he jes' left an' heah ah thought that... He says, "Now, if yo' wanta git rid of dis woman, if he go wit yo'..." She lived down on - ah live on [something] Street, 10ol, an' she lived on [something] Street, way down at de [something] Garden. "Yo' wanta git rid of dis woman he goin' wit," say, "but if yo' don't do it, if yo' do lak yo' did de firs' time, it'll backwards an' fo'wards. If yo' wanta git dis woman out of town," say, "yo' go tuh her. She ain't comin' where yo' live, cuz she's scared of yo'." Dat's whut he said. "But chew go tuh 'er home. She goes tuh work evah mawnin'." But he wun't lyin'. She do go tuh work an' ah know it. "Yo' know whut kind a shoes she weahs?" Ah said, "Yah, ah do." Say, "Now, ah got de right feet of his'n. Yo' git de left feet of 'er track an' don't rake it from de toe." "See, " [says informant] ah rake his'n from de toe." [He] say, "Yo' take it from de heel. Take it up an' put in a piece of papah an' ca it tuh a ants nest. "'- Now dis is a diff'ren' story. "yo' see how de ants, " he says, "work all day. Yo've seen dat. See, dey be totin' it in but dey don't tote it out. When dey come out, dey come out aftah ca'in' it through [the hole]." Jis' lak dose ants wit'in dey nest, he don't nevah tote out, he totes in. He says, "Yo' take dis woman's track an' rake it from de back of 'er heel, de left foot, an' ca' it tuh a ants nest. Go till yo' find a ants nest, totin' in an' out, ' [he] says, "if yo' have tuh wait till de summah. If yo' cain't run tuh de south, '' say, "yo' wait till den [warmer weather] an' dey ants totin' in."
[Down the coast from Maryland the "south" was always farther south - author.]
An' he say, "Yo' jis' stan' up dere where yo' see all dem red antses totin' dat dirt intuh de hole, an' yo' has it in a papah or hans'cuff an' jes' sprinkle it down, In de Name of de Fathah, an' de Holy Ghost, whut do yo' want wit mah mam? An' ah want mah man fo' ah need mah man mahself. An' jis' drop it dere an sprinkle it." An' de ants will come pick up dis dirt whut ah bring from anothah place an' dey goin' tote it in dere. An' dat's jis' how she'll tramp [become a tramp, a wanderer]. When ah sprinkle it down dere an' dey tote it, she'll have tuh leave dis town. If yo' wanta git rid of 'er, yo' jis' carry it tuh a ants nest an' yo'll be rid of de woman. He say, "De man goin' stay 'cuz yo's sleepin' on 'is dirt undahhaid [under your head]. But de woman will have tuh leave town. She will leave de town an won't even know how she leave.
(Well, did you do that, then?)
DID AH DO IT? AH'VE GOT 'IM BUT AH AIN'T GOIN' STOLE [STEAL] HIM. AH AIN'T RUN 'ER YET, BECUZ IT AIN'T BEEN BUT A COUPLE OF MONTHS BACK. WELL, YO' KNOW, IT'S WINTAHTIME AN' DE ANTSES AIN'T TOTIN' IN TOO MUCH DIRT. IT'S WINTAH. But ah tried it 'bout puttin' de pins intuh him [his foot tracks]. BUT AH KNOW ONE THING, HE'S QUIT [HER]. BUT AH'LL BE DOGGED IF AH AIN'T GOT 'IM. IF SHE SEE HIM, SHE SEE HIM ON DE FLY, 'CUZ SHE SHORE WON'T KETCH 'IM REG'LAH.
(Well, are you waiting now until the ants come out before you run her?)
AH'M GONA "RUN' 'ER THOUGH. AH'M JES' AS GOOD TUH RUN ER AS AH'M SETTIN' IN DIS CHAIR. She go tuh work evah day right by mah house. All ah gotta do - ah'm gonna grab 'er left-feeted track an' ah'm gona git me a ants nest. She's de onliest one give me trouble wit mah man, an' soon as ah git dat she WOn't give me nO trouble. JIS' AS FUR NO'TH AS AH WANT 'ER TUH GO, SHE GOIN'. AH'M GONA NAME DE CITY WHEN AH'M DROPPIN' DE DIRT AN' WE SEE HOW FUR SHE'LL GO. [This woman had a good story but she hopped around the room and kept repeating and repeating.]
Entry 10717
Ah'll tell yo', whether it's a woman or man, if she leaves yo' an' yo' wanta git her back, why yo' git chew three grains of cor [maize], an' three strands of her hair, an' if dere any way yo' kin git her track, pick up yo' [your] dirt out of each one of her track - three tracks. An' yo' put dat in yore shoe, umdah yore bottom shoe [insole] whut yo' wear. Lift dat [insole] up an' put it udah dere, an' yo' wear dat. An' she'll come back. See, an' when she come back, an' den, if yo' want her tuh stay dere, yo' go an' git chew a bird nest an' yo' put some sulphur an' salt in dat bird nest an' burn it. Make yo' a little fire an' burn it in de chimley so yo' kin git de scent of it, an' she can't leave yo' no way; can't go an' leave him, de man or woman, which one wanta do it.
(Do you wear that corn in your shoe also?)
Put dat cor an' de hair an' dat sand in yore shoe.
Entry 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 10782
Why, if yo' wanta make it lucky, every day yo' sweep yore premises, don' sweep de track from yore place, sweep it towards your place, an' it will mos' invariably bring good business.
Entry 11496
Like dis is de fork of de road disaway [demonstrates] an' yo' cross here. Dey [your enemy] goes dere. Dey goes dere and you cross de other way. Dey kin take up your tracks, see. An' dey cross [put a cross mark in] your track. Ten [tracks]. Cross 'em like dat [demonstrates]. Here's yore track, and jes' pick up some of your track dis way, and take de other one and do dataway. Den dey keeps dat and if it's someone dat yo' really don't scared of, he will call you - come to yore home and call yo', an' den he call yo' an' take dat track - take dat bottle an' (slap, slap) wit de chamber lye in it. Take dat whatchahcall 'em cloth an' tie 'em round yore waist and dey couldn't do yo' no harm to save dere [their] dying life. (How do they cross those tracks out there at the crossroads? Tell me that again. How do they cross them?) Dere's yo' track, meanin' de foot track. How de' [dey] cross it if dey wanta harm yuh? Dere's yore track. Dere's de track one way, dey come dere. Take a stick from dere [demonstrates with an imaginary stick]. (Oh! they put a cross in each of your tracks, a cross mark. I see, make an "x", cross mark. I see.) Dat's de way dey do. Dat's de way it's done. (That's the way you cross the tracks, I see. And then after they cross these tracks, what do they do with them?) Dey takes dat and keep it, you understand. Dey keep dat and don't keer what- somever you - even yo' could be rid of de boss [person crossing your tracks] and he keep dat until he's dead.
Entry 12573
Well, de only thing ah knows 'bout de pennies proposition, dey takes - jes' all dey takes is one cent - an' nail it down by de do' fo' if yo' want plenty custoner tuh come into a sto', anything. Don' nevah sweep a person's tracks out, outa de sto'. Always gathah them inside of de sto'. Dat bring plenty trade, dem pennies [this was during the Great Depression].
Entry 2750
[Here is another example of the glove-shaped hand, but unlike the former rite (1990, p.584) we now have one in a candle atmosphere - New Orleans is near. More important, the following story shows some of the listening prob- lems of collecting, among them - speedy talker, confusing pro- nouns and references to persons, delayed explanation, all sorts of things.] Well, they say if you were living here and they wanted tuh move you and run you away - well ah know of a lady, she fo' every morning fo' 'bout nine mornings - she bought a bran'-new box of salt and she took dis salt and cayenne pepper and she would sprinkle it, yo' know, from de front to de back and fo' that reason it would cause a confusion, you know, in the house and they all wouldn't live so good, you know. An' so she would take it and she would sprinkle all over when everyone, say, Wouldn't be noticing, you know. She would do that and then when they all would leave, she would take. She went out to the graveyard early one morning and she got some graveyard dust offa someone's grave, and she brought this dirt back, yo' know, and she'd taken it and where this landlady lived, slept, she unraveled [took out a few stitches of] her pillah and she put it [graveyard dust] in dis pillah. And she had a glove - [look] like it was a han' - and it [the graveyard dust] was in this. And she stuffed it with this graveyard dirt. And she says she mixed it [the graveyard dust] with a - wherever she got dis rattlesnake dust from, ah don't know, but she musta got it from a rattlesnake or something, and she mixed it with somethin' and she stuffed, sewed it in dis pillah while de landlady was gone. [She starts to say the graveyard dust was mixed with rattlesnake dust. Was it? For snake dust, see No. 690, p.230; also No. 1433, p.468 - "an original and brilliant piece of therapeutic thinking."] So after, for about a couple of weeks this lady suffered from her head laying on dis pillah. She suffered severely from her head, you know, and she didn't know what it was, you know. She begin to git dizzy and feel bad, and so she said she was going to see what caused dese headaches. And everything she could take Wouldn't do her any good and so she went tuh a couple of fortunetellers. And so finally a ole lady tole her, fortuneteller told her, said, "Well, yo' ought to look about yore bed," say, "it look like you can't get along in de house, there's always a confusion and everything." And so she said, "You go look up in your mattress, your pillahs or something." So she didn't pay any attention to it all [atall = at all]. So finally she made up her mind to do that. Took her pillahs out and she un- raveled de pillah and she found dis glove stiff like a hand, yo' hand, and so she opened it and she found all de stuff in dere, those different things. An' she didn't know what de cause of it, you see. And so she was afraid and she got someone to look after it fo' her. Well, she'd taken it to dis lady and ast her, and de lady tole her it was graveyard dust and rattlesnake dust and she wanted tuh - someone wanted to make her move or either kill her or something like that. [The preceding account is one of our many examples of that important element in hoodoo theory and practice - the doctor's ability to analyze and identify immediately the nature and cause of an ailment. To look at a handful of dirt and say that it is a mixture of graveyard dust and rattlesnake dust is quite a trick. Only our former doctor-druggist-chemist could have done as well (see No. 1593, p.498). To say these two dusts in a glove in a pillow caused the headache is quite a - well, even doctors admit this knowledge is a gift. At least, though on a lower level, we can now answer our former question - "Was it?"] An' so dis lady [roomer] in de house, you see, she would every morning [for 9 mornings] she would sprinkle dis here cayenne pepper and dis salt all ovah de house. And so after a while they [landlady] asked - cause dey [landlady and roomer]didn't 'gree, yo' know, 'count de fuss and everything - after while they asked her to move out and she [roomer] said she was going to return it back to this person [landlady].
(Was that here in Alabama?)
Yes.
(Well now, go right ahead.)
Well, after she did that - yo' know, she [landlady] did that to make 'em [her] move or to keep her [landlady's] husband, you see. So she [landlady] kept her
[own] husband. And so this other hoodoo lady [roomer because she used hoodoo]
tole her [landlady] that she would return it back. So she [evicted roomer] comes and gits dis hen's aig - a black hen laid dis egg, and she wrote the name [see later] on it. They were living in a house kinda lak dis [house in which I was interviewing] wit a glass do' in de front, chew know, in de house. So soon, early one mawnin' she comes an' throws dis aig up side de door and broke de glass, yo' know - throw de black hen's aig up there. So when he [landlady's husband] goes out - get up dat mawnin' soon - he didn't know - so when he looked all de egg spattered in front of de do' and de glass was out, yo' see, and he walked ovah it befo' he knew it, yo' see, so he looked on de shell and saw where de name was wrote chew know - her [his wife's] name and his name was wrote on dere. And so she said, "Well, dey did dat to break us up - broke dat aig up side de do' to break us up." So she said - an' so she got lye and swept - yo' know, swept it all out an' cleaned it up, yo' know. An' so dis lady [roomer] wrote her a letter and tole her that "Seven years wouldn't be too long for a raccoon to weah a ruffle-bosomed shirt. That's the way she spoke. (Wait, will you talk a little bit slowly. "Seven years wouldn't be too long for a raccoon to wear a ruffle-bosom shirt?") That means she would get her, yo' know. An' so dat was de words she wrote to her. [I know nothing about this stylish raccoon. He sounds like early American ruffled shirts, but the saying or proverb may come from the stage or radio.l An' so finally she would - yo' know, she would burn candles on dis man. She went got - an' got a candle and every time on a certain hour, noonday an' like dat, she would burn dese candles wit his name wrote on it. Black candles, yo' know, and she wrote it on dere. Well, he couldn't stay here and he couldn't stay there, yo' know. He was jest kept, yo' know, like he was, yo' know, de mind up- set all de time, yo' see. And so he got so that he didn't [live] peacefully wit dis woman, because every morning fo' nine mornings, she would come there and had something like - ah don't know whut kind of dust it was - but it was - when you look at it, it looked something like black peppah, yo' know, powdered peppah. She'd sprinkle it all roun' dere do'step, yo' know, fo' nine mawnings. An' he came there and so she took one little piece of his hair out de top of his head while he was asleep, and she sewed that up, and had that fixed with something and put it in a little red bag and sewed dis little red bag up, an' taken a cord string like and put nine knots in dis cord string and she wore it around her waist.
(What else did she do with that string first? Anything else?)
When she took dat string she rolled it in something, yo' know, in some kinda dust, yo' know. She rolled dis string in some kind of a dust, dipped it in dis dust and jest as yo' tie those knots, jest like dat dust would be in dose knots, too, yo' see, because it would wear off, you know, say, just straight round her Waist, but it would be in dat knot, yo' see. An' nine knots she tied it around her waist wit dis little red bag wit his hair in it. An' she took one of his socks - yo' know, one his left socks, and she carried it and had dis sock dressed, vo' know, and she buried dis sock at de foot of her steps, underneath her steps, she buried his sock so he couldn't stay 'way from there, yo' see. Said that she had him so that he had tuh come there. See. And so yo' see, well, he would get so he wouldn't give her any money and some- thin' like that, and so dis ole hoodoo lady tole her to get him to give her one silver dime, yo' know, of his money. And so he didn't know what she wanted him to give her dis dime fo', but she got a dime out of him. And she went an' she had dis dime dressed until it turn almost black like a penny, and she put a hole in it and she wore it around her laig, yo' know. And that's where so she could git his money, you see. She was trying to git him away from dis yere woman [his wife], yo'see. An' so, see, she didn't know that this other woman had his sock buried at her do'step. She had his sock buried there and she was still continuously burning dose candles. And every time she'd come roun' she had some kind a powder tied up in her hans'cuff that she would sprinkle. He thought it was jest powder whut chew powder yore face. It smelled sweet but it was some kin' of love powder yo see. An' she had a little somethin' like a tablet. She'd offer him meals. She would [drop] that in his tea or his coffee.
(Like a tablet?)
Like a little tablet, yes. It would dissolve, you know, an' you couldn't see the mixture in there. You couldn't see the mixture, you know, and you couldn't taste it, see. Well, he would drink this, see. Well, he would drink this and therefo' he couldn't stay away for she had that in him, yo' see. Well, see, she wanted to git dis other woman [wife] out de way, and that's [the reason] she went there and broke dis aig up side her do'. An' she give him those little tablets in his coffee or tea to drink, see, and he begin to suffer wit his stomach badly, an' all like that, and he began to look frail, and look bad, yo' know, because she said if she didn't have him, he could not do her [his wife] no good. See. An' he begin to look frail and bad, an' so no doctor's medicine didn't do him any good. Every time he'd go tuh a doctor, it would make him worser. Yo' know, when you've hoodooed anybody, doctor's medicine not good fo' you, you know. An' so he went - and every time he'd take a doctor's medicine, it would make him worser. And so an' ole lady came by one day and tole him dat he was fixed, chew know, that he was hoodooed, see, because he never would git well, yo' know. And on a certain kinda moon he would git like - git in a fit chew know, kinda rave. And so the ole lady told him that if he'd pay her a sum of money, she could cure him - yo' know, she could git him outa dis kinda fix: An' so, he finally jest scuffled up de money some kind of way. And so she'd taken and brought some saltpeter an' tole him fo' 'bout nine or ten mawnin's to take a bath every mawnin', every day, in dat saltpeter - bathe in that. An' she went out and got some roots out of de woods, some kin'a calomel roots and every- thing and he had to chew dose roots, yo' know - calomel roots, like white-look- ing roots, and she tole him to chew a piece of dat, chew know. An' he had to chew dose roots and he had to take a bath in saltpeter fo' nine mawnings. She made him up a mixture of medicine, chew know. She put so much of turpentine - looked like coffee, somethin', where you see it would settle at de bottom. Well, he had to shake it up and yo' know he would take that, chew know. And after he would bathe in dat saltpeter, he had to take dat medicine and then chew dat root, chew see. An' den she told him at certain time - if he would chew it often - that would pass from him. See, when he chews dose roots, dat calomel yo' know worked up in him. Well, yo' see, after he'd taken that and she tole him that ninth or de tenth day something would pass from him, yo' see - but sure enuff it did. When hit pass from him, yo' know, like de calomel worked him yo' know, it passed somethin' looked like little worms - passed from him little bita worms. An' she tole him that if those worms hada stayed [in] him, it would form like little frogs, and things like that was goin' form in his intestines, inside, chew know. And it pass from him like little worms. And when it passed out, she showed it to him, iThis whut pass from yo', this whut they was puttin' in yo'." [There is one strange feature about so many of these passages of worms, snakes, or lizards. The patient does not see them until the doctor has made an examination and then shows them, or sometimes merely tells about them. No doc- tor has ever gone so far as to say, "If you see them you will die." For further accounts, see Live Things In You, Pp.227-239, and Index.] See, that would kill him slowly, yo' know, and so he was pinin' up and every- thing. So he passed little worms from him in de tenth day - little worms and little somethin' she said was gon'a form frogs. Whatever this was dis woman put in his coffee for him, yo' see, that was forming in him - that would form in him, see, because she got these little tablets and she got this rattlesnake dust - some dust from under a rattlesnake, wherever she got it from and say - and put it in dere, put it in him, fix him so he would stay with her. [Choppy place in cylinder. The old hoodoo woman told wife] if she could get holt of him, she say, if she could get a holt of him and git a little piece of his shirt, she could, yo' know, could stop dis fit on him. See, every change of moon he'd have these spells. [Here are four similar beliefs about fits from general folklore: (1) "Epilep- tic fits...more frequent and...severe during the increase of the moon...." (2) "If anyone has fits, take off their shirt...while having it, cut out the piece over their chest and boil...when cool...give to the person to drink...." (3) "He was having one of these fits. She pull his shirt off over his head, put it on a pan and set it on fire...took the ashes...to feed him a spoonful before each meal...." (4) "Remove the person's undershirt...after an attack, let it smolder on live coals, mix a teaspoonful of these ashes in a glass of holy water, and say In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost...must be administered three times a day." From FACI, 2ed., p.248.] Well, this ole lady, finally this ole lady died, see - dis ole lady whut was fixing him, yo' know. Well, she died. Well, yo' see, dey found all kinds of stuff, different hoodoo stuff in her place, where dey went tuh see, yo' know, when she died, an' everything. [For finding spells at hoodoo woman's home when she dies, see No. 239, p.66.] Well, this lady, every change of de moon, she still havin' fits. Yo' know, when de person die and fixed yuh, yo' know, yo' don't nevah git ovah it, yo' see. Yo' see, because dey died befo' dey could take it off dem. See. An' she still had those fits after and nobody couldn't take it off because dis was de woman dat put de spell on, see. [See If Evildoer Dies Spell Incurable, p.396.] And so everytime de moon would change she would go crazy-like and see dis man. See. And then when she seen, she didn't want him. Well, finally, this woman went crazy and nobody couldn't do anything for her because she was de one put de spell on her, yo' see, and after she went crazy, well, dey sent her to asylum and after she went tuh de 'sylum, den she died, you see. But de spell was still on dis man, yo' see, after she died. Yo' see, she never did git her mind back. An' so dis man, yo' see - after he come back - he was already heah, and so after she died, it was still on him. He couldn't git it off him because dis ole lady was de one had buried his socks fo' him and he didn't know where. Differ- ent fortunetellers had tole him that she had somethin' of his'n buried somewhere and if he could find it and dig it up, why that could git him bettah, yo' see, because she had got the worms out of him. See. So she had his left sock buried, took his left dirty sock. She fixed it an' buried it underneath de step. And so he would dig all in de yard to try to find where she had buried it. Well, finally, he jest - seemed like he said he had a dream one night to look under his step: They something tole him to look under his steps. [For spirits warning in dreams, see pp.27,116, and Index.] An' so he got up early hisself one morning and went out there an' was digging around under his steps. And when he dug aroun' he struck something like a little can, and when he opened de little can - de top of dat little can, de dust jest flew out, and when he pulled it out he saw one his dirty sock had been buried under there. And in that sock, he opened it, it had some kind of powder and a little rag, and it had nine needles and nine pins sticking in it - nine wit de heads down and nine needles wit de head up. See - in dat sock and so it was sewed up in dat little rag in his sock. And he'd taken dis sock, de whole thing and he carried it tuh a ole man. Yo' see, he carried it tuh a fortuneteller and tole him, say, "Well, dat's whut she had buried, yo' see - why you couldn't stay away from her." An' so, when he'd taken dat and dose little needles - dose needles been in dere so long dey was rusty. An' sos he'd taken dat herself and she washed it in saltpeter - see, she washed dat in saltpeter and he thought she was curing him, but she was making him worser fo' it - 'cause he wanted tuh go back to his wife, yo' see. De woman died dat broke him from his wife. Dat's de one made him move out de house and break up his home, yo' see. An' so he went back then to his wife and try to live with her, see, an' everything. Well, he couldn't live with her because they both died and de spell was on him, yo' see.
(This happened right here in Mobile?)
Yes.
(All right, go right ahead now.)
Well, he'd gone back to his wife, yo' see, after a certain length of time - so many years, yo' see. An', yo' know, he begged her pardon for the way he did her and de woman. She knew dis woman had broke up her home, yo' know, what she did, because afterwards she found out what she had sprinkled all around in her home, yo' know, fo' de confusion and fo' him tuh mistreat her, yo' see. Well, he'd gone back to try to live with her again, yo' see. And so his wife was afraid and so she thought she would have him fixed her- self. After this woman had him that way, she thought she would go an' git some- one to do him the same way, see. So she goes to a fortuneteller and dey tell her that the only way she could do anything with him was to have him dressed. See, was to have him dressed so that - if she don't, he would leave her again because dis spell was still on him and de woman was dead and every change of de moon, he would leave her. See, he had dis spell on him, and said de woman was dead and she was de one had to git it off him. Well, sure enough, every change of de moon he would leave her but she wanted tuh have him dressed. So this fortuneteller wouldn't tell her whut to do, but she sent her to some- body else. So she went - say she jest tell de fortune but de lady had to go to an ole hoodoo. So she goes out in de woods to an ole hoodoo lady and dis ole lady tole her that yes, she could dress him and fix him so that he couldn't leave her. He would have to stay right there, you know, he couldn't leave her. And so she tole her to git her a sum of money and bring it back and she would dress it. [In the preceding paragraph: (1) Some fortunetellers do all types of hoodoo work, or put another way, some hoodoos and doctors tell fortunes; other fortune- tellers, like this one, refer patients to a hoodoo doctor or a specialist. Even I the, Author Becomes a Specialist, on page 278. Is there another example of hoodoos imitating modern medical practice? Yes and no. Specialization in heal- ing is as old as primitive medicine-man and witch-doctor. Temple incubation Was a speciality of early Greek healers, ancestors of present-day Doctors of Medi- cine. (2) "out in de woods." Here is the old witch of fairy tales and reality. For this isolation as well as personal appearance, see pp.294-301, especially Nos. 849 and 859. (3) For dressing the money, see one man's remarkable version of this rite - Trickery by Doctor. Cast it into Oblivion, p.268. However, not all dressing of money is trickery.] Well, she did that. She went to this ole lady, and dis ole lady tole her that every three hours - she give her some kind of something like incense to burn. Tole her to burn this incense every three hours, and sulphur. Tole her to burn incense and sulphur and write his name on a white candle and roll it in some sugar. See, she said sugar, seemed like that would make everything sweet fo' him, yo' see. Salt is for confusion, chew know and sugar is for sweet. See, that's the way it works. Tole her to roll dis candle in sugar and write his name backwards on dere, yo' see, and stick it in a little saucer and put it in de cor- ner of her room. See. And jest 'bout time de spell come on him, fo' her to burn it. See. An' dat would make it sweet and de spell wouldn't be on him. An' so tole her to take dat candle and burn it and then to burn dis here sulphur every three hours in her home - this here sulphur and this incense. The incense is sweet too. That makes a sweet smell in yore home. Well, she did that. An' she tole her whenever he take a bath - see, next time he'd take a bath - tuh bring a little of his bathwater. Put it in a little cup or something, stop it up and bring it tuh her - what he bathe in. Well, she fixed his water. He didn't know, yo' know, she was goin' tuh pore de water out after he'd taken a bath. She took some water in de cup, some of his dirty water, and she carried it to dis lady. She stopped it up in a little bottle and carried dis dirty water to dis ole woman. Well, dis ole woman, she took his bathwater that he bathed in and she mixed it with something else in a bottle and shook it up and tole her to take dis bottle and bring it back and stand it up in de corner of her room where ain't no one kin see, and everytime he'd go out de do', she goes an' watch his feet and git his left track and bring de dirt back to her. Yo' know, jest take her han' and rake dat track back and wrap it up in some paper and keep it in her purse. Well, every time he would leave dat would make him come back. See, when you git his tracks dat'll make him come back. Well, whenever he would leave out, sure enough she went and got his track. See, she got dat track and she wrapped it up in de paper and had it in her purse and she had dis water in her room, yo' know. An' so, every three hours in de day she would burn dis here stuff, yo' know [this candle and incense and sulphur]. It acted all right for a good long while but see, every once a while, it would die down - it would die down and den she had to go an' do it again. Dis acted all right for a little while, till he begin to git in a rage agin, yo' see. So dis lady tole her that on the way she had to get something in him. See, she had to fix him in that way. Yo' see. [The preceding paragraph reveals one of the great principles of magic, perhaps the greatest after intention - magic power is not permanent. Our best examples of this are those magic objects closest to the believer's heart and mind - the hands. Among their many characteristics, these helpers: (1) have degrees of power (p.576), (2), observe a time limit (p.577), (3) must be fed (p.578f.), and (4) need recharging, which sometimes requires a doctor or a specialist, a hand- maker. A hand lives and helps only because a spirit dwells in it. Even when all amenities and regulations have been kept and the indwelling spirit is contended, it can be killed - chased from its temporary home - by the spirit of a stronger hand. Killing happens often in a gambling game where every man carries a hand. So, here is another rule of magic - a weaker spirit cannot function in the presence of a stronger spirit. But the owner of the weaker hand can kill the spirit or power of the stronger hand - page 641 and Index.] Well, she thought she was fixing hi - instead of fixing him fo' good, she was fixing him fo' bad looked like, don't you see, because whut dis woman give her, de mixture in his food, see. She wouldn't eat what he eat, yo' see, because she Was putting it in his stuff and sprinkling it on his meat. You see she would put it on de meat that he would eat. An' so when he taste it - de different taste in de meal yo' know and wanted her to taste, she proclaimed that she didn't like that kind of meat. Yo' know, she'd make excuse to keep from eatin' it herself. See. And see, every time he'd eat dis meat hit would make him sicker, see. But she put it on his meat. Dis woman give it to her and told her to put it on there and so he found dis here dirt in her purse, yo' see. He opened de pa- per - he went in her purse and he found dis dirt in dere, see, but she didn't know that he found the dirt. He kept the dirt fo' to carry it tuh see what it was. See. An' so he carried dis dirt to see whut it was. And dey told him it was his tracks - one dem hoodoos, another one, tole him it was his tracks, and says, this woman is giving him something in his food. Well, see, he would eat this food, yo' see, and he got so that he would dry up - dried up jest as little as he could be. It was whut she was feeding him off of.
(Put them [his foot tracks] in the grave?)
Yes. An' she tole him - dis hoodoo lady tole him that it wouldn't be long 'fore dey be burying her by she burying dese tracks. And so dis hoodoo woman gave him something. Yo' know, he didn't know that this woman was dressing dis other one fo' him, see, an' so when he goes back to her, something she puts on him, well he got it on her, see, by being close together, got it on her and she come with something like a itch, yo' know, all over her. [For an amazing example of this common trick, see No. 10, p.7.] She had an itch all over her and she'd go to doctors an' everything and de more they would treat her fo' dis itch, de worser it would git. And so it kept itching till all between her fingers got sore - see, all between her fingers become broke out like you would have pellegra yo' know, all that itch. But it would git between her fingers and all her nails and it got between her toenails. See. An' she broke out in sores, sores all be- tween her nails an' everything tull they had to bathe her hands and wrap 'em up in a piece yo' know. And all between her body - all down there between her body, she broke out in sores and everything, yo' see. And so she thought about this letter dis woman wrote an' tole her that seven years wouldn't be too long for a raccoon to wear a ruffled-bosom shirt. See, that whut she meant, she was goin' tuh kill her - see, tuh get dis man, see. An' she had dis man dressed fo' her. See. Well, after she broke out in sores and everything like dat, well, see, he had done buried her tracks to de graveyard, you see. Well, finally dey couldn't cure her and she broke dese sores all out and it come on de inside eatin' her up. Whut she had got inside her, it would just ete her on through, ete her up. An' she died. Finally she did bury her. See. An' so this woman told her dat, see, and dey all remembered whut she said - that she would do that to get her. An' after she do that - after she [roomer] got this man, yo' see, then this man disliked her. After he had done killed his wife and hoodooed her, well, he disliked her, see. He turned against her then, and so after he turned against her, he say, jest like she killed his wife, he would turn that right back on her and do her de same way, and she told him that he couldn't do it. See. An' so he said, "Surely could." Well, after dis man tried to fix her she would go an' git cured, see, bathing in dat saltpeter and salt, see, and that would keep everything off of her. And she wouldn't eat anything from him, see. An' so finally, he brought her some ice cream and she ate the ice cream. She didn't think anything Would hurt her, see. An' she ate de ice cream and after she ate de ice cream, dis man tole her he would get her. See, 'cause he had done went back to dis ole [hoodoo] lady dat killed his wife, to fix her. An' dat ole lady put de stuff in de ice cream - gave it to him and he put it in de ice cream.... [The hoodoo woman told the wife to] "Get a piece of his shirt-tail and his bathwater." Yo' got whut she got, yo' know, from him. She had tole her to take that bathwater and she put dat piece of shirt-tail in dis bottle, see, and she sticks nine needles and pins in it and shook it up and told her to take that and go in one fo' corner of de house and bury that.
(One of the four corners of her house.)
Outside - not under the steps - de fourth corner of her house and bury it and then jest, as she burying it, she had to say some kind of hoodoo and put a evil curse on. Cause she knew that the water had him fixed - his bathwater - and he had to go cross de water. So finally he takes a notion to leave - to leave her, see. And so she said, well, to cross water - well, that would make all that go back [on person fixing his bathwater]. So he left here and so he went an' got on a ship and went away cross de water. He was leaving across de water to git dat off him. Said that this woman know that he was going away, said she'd rather fo' him to leave and not come back. The one he went back to - de woman died.
(The woman killed his wife and then he killed this woman. That the idea?)
No, de woman got killed - dat de one he was running around wit. He couldn't git de spell off him an' so he goes back and makes up with his wife. See. This woman was living in the house and broke his wife and him up, yo' see, and tore up de home and the wife left and that give her a chance. See, she put dis stuff in her pillah, and so then after the woman got out, de wife turned it back on her. See. An' so she [roomer] lost her mind an' everything and de ole woman dat fixed de wife, she died, see, and dey couldn't git de spell off [the wife]. See. And dis woman [roomer] went crazy and dey sent her away and she died. Then he finally makes up his mind to go back to his wife, yo' see, to git a reconcilia- tion with her, yo' know, tuh beg her pardon, after so many years. Well, you see after he went back with his wife - she knew that this woman had done her that and broke up her home - well she didn't care for him much. But he wanted - but he had dis spell on him - dey both [women - roomer and hoodoo woman] died and dey couldn't git de spell off him. And every change of de moon he'd have these spells, see, because dis woman throwed dis egg and put dis spell on him. He had these spells and so the wife said that she would go have him fixed so she could keep him. So she goes tuh have his fixed, yo' see, and dis woman tole his wife to git his bathwater, see; and then git dis candle and roll it in sugar - see, that was to make him sweet.
(Well, now, whose track was buried out in the grave?)
Oh, it was this woman's track that was buried out in de grave.
(Which woman, the first one?)
The first woman - she was de one.
(There are only two women in the story?)
That was all - one man - two womens and one man. De wife and de woman and dis man. (The woman who was trying to take him away died in the asylum. Then the wife died too, didn't she?) Well, later - after - but he went back to the wife. See. And after de wife didn't care fo' him, see, then she fixed him so he wouldn't have these spells - she tried to git these spells off him, so she would git de candle and roll it in sugar an' everything. An' so then she seen she didn't care for him and then [he] goes and has her tracks buried in de graveyard, see. Dis man fixed her.
(What was he fixing her for?)
Cause she didn't want him. (Was she trying to kill him or was he trying to kill her? Or was he trying to make her take him back or what?) Well, he wanted her to take him back. Well, after she took him back, you see he would git dem spells on the change of de moon and he would leave again. He wouldn't act right. See.
(When did he cross water?)
Well, he crossed water when de woman tole him dat de only way he would git dis spell off him, he would have to cross de water. See.
(The spell his wife put on him or the spell the other woman put on him?)
It's de spell the other woman put on him.
(The part that was in the beginning of the story?)
Yes, that goes in the beginning of it. You see, de wife is de one that burned de candles on him and tried to git de spell off him. So he goes and gits his wife track - he's de one - de hoodoo woman told him to bury it in de graveyard, and he went and buried it out dere like she told him.
(That's what killed her?)
That whut killed her and that's whut made her think of de letter that she re- ceived a long time ago. See, dis ole lady was working on 'em both. See, she was pretending to be friends to each one of 'em, but she wasn't. [For doctor "pretending to be friends to each one of 'em," see two excellent examples, No. 780, p.257, and No. 782, p.258.] See, dis same ole lady died, yo' see, who was pretending to be friends to both of them, but she wasn't. Yeah, he had to cross water to git rid of his sins, because she had his water and everything buried in de fourth corner of her house. So, that itch when she broke out like that, that whut killed her. And he couldn't git those spells off at de change of de moon - he would go crazy and everything. They both [women] got out of dere [died] and dat's when dis [hoodoo] woman [told] him he would cross water. See, he took a voyage away cross water - see, he left to get rid of this. And de last that they heard from him, dey said he was gittin' better of those spells.
intended household discord attributed to salt/cayenne sprinkling. No clinical diagnosis, proven causation or definite aggressor/victim identity is inferred. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
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Entry 5601
An' 'e [he] taken dat piece of pastebo'd an' cut it in de shape of yo' shoe.
(You cut the pasteboard in the shape of your shoe?)
In de shape of yo' shoes, yes. An' den yo' take dat dirt out chure track an' put it in [on] dere, an' yo' take new piece of cloth an' yo' stitch it all de way roun', an' throw it right off [throw it away]. (And what will that do?) Run yo' - run 'im away. (You cut a piece of pasteboard out. And what else do you do with that pasteboard, now?) Not enything. Yo' make it de shape of yo' shoe an' yo' git dis track. Yo' take dat dirt an' put it into [onto] dat track [pasteboard].
(You put it onto that pasteboard you mean?)
On dat pastebo'd. Den yo' git a bran'-new piece of cord string dat nevah been used. An' den yo' sews it tuhgethah, an' dat will run 'im off.
(What foot do you have to get?)
De lef' foot.
throwing the stitched pasteboard-and-track-material object right off. No river, shoulder, distance or destination is specified for this throw. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Read full source (printed page 2892) · Read full source (printed page 2893)
Entry 5681
Dey could go on down den an' dey could take yore track an' put it in a tater [potato].
(You mean an Irish potato?)
No sir, a potatuh, a sweet potatuh. Take yore track an' put it in a sweet potatuh an' stop it back up an' put a peg in dat tatuh an' throw it in de rivah, an' yondah yo' go. (That's to send you away?) Send joo right on away.
(Do they take both tracks or what?)
Take de lef' track, an' ag'in dey could take yore right.
Entry 8788
[Here we are concerned with the great magic rite of wrapping, folding, rolling, turning, and twisting something to you or from you. I have added infor- mant's foot-track rite to show the "from you" aspect of the action.] Concernin' de moon, yo' wants tuh pick de new moon, growin' early, when de moon is in its infancy. Den yo', when yo' cravin' fo' luck, write chure name on a piece of papah, see, an' yo' begin tuh fold it. Roll it tuhwards yo', yo' undahstan'. An' yo' roll it tuhwards yo' an' den yo' wrap anothah piece of papah askin' or expressin' yore desire. Ask dem tuh be good enough tuh accomplish whut chews aftah. An' yo' wrap dat in a sepa- rate paper towards yo' den. Den yo' make a wish on de third papah. Roll it tuhwards yo', fold it up all de time. Yo' understan'.
(You make this wish on the third piece of paper. You write that down.)
Den yo' take dis piece of papah wit yore wish on it an' yo' bury it at chure front do', see. Bury it exactly at de centah of de steps so dat yo' could always walk ovah it, even if yo' not thinkin' of it at dat time. Yo' do dat especially fo' three mawnin's in succession, one right behin' de othah. Try to arrange tuh have tuh do all dis in de time of de new moon. Dat's de end of dat person.
(What do you do with those other two pieces of paper then?)
Dese two pieces of papah dat yo' have first written, yo' wrap dem up tuhgethah den in anothah piece of papah. Fold dat outer papah towards yo' ag'in at de same time. Den yo' repeat de 37th Psalm three times, an' each mawnin' yo' undahstan', but in de meantime yo' weah dat in yore right pocket. Keep dose two writin's in yore pocket, whilst de othah one is layin' at chure front door. (Then, how long are you supposed to wear those papers and keep that other paper under the steps?) Let dose papahs stay dere until dey have exhausted. Only yo' kin every mawnin' make yore urinate an' pour it right where yo' have dat buried.
(And what do you do all this for?)
Fo' good luck, tuh accomplish, tuh be successful in anythin' dat chew Want.
[Foot-track or "from you" rite begins:]
Dey will take dat, dis foot track an' dey will try to git every bit of it; yo' undahstan', don't leave any of it. Git dat an' put dat in a piece of papah - yes, papah. Wrap it up in three wrappin's, an' if dey wants to run yo' away, dey will take dat an' put it in de nearest runnin' stream of watah an' throw it ovah- bo'd an' den dey go ahead.
(What do you mean, wrap it in three wrappings - just one, two, three?)
Yo' wrap dat from yuh. An' den dey'll wrap it in three different papahs, see. Dat same wrappings. An' den take dat an' throw it ovahbo'd. An' dey do dat, too, in de new moon.
(And they get this dirt out of how many tracks or any particular track?)
Out of yore right track. (And do they take these three pieces of paper altogether, one, or just throw them separately into the water?)
[I knew what was done. This is merely a search for further details.]
No sir, put dem togethah, wrap 'em up. Dat is, ah mean dey wrap all dese three tuhgethah. An' every one of dem dey wrap, dey will wrap 'em goin' from dem. An' when dey wrap de last one, dey wrap it goin' from dem. An' den dey throw dat in a stream dat is goin' from de do' [throw downstream]. Dey don't throw it de way dat [stream is coming]. Dey always throw it behin' de stream. Yo' see, dey throw it so dat wrappah - so it goin' from yo', not comin' to yuh. Yo' undahstan' whut ah mean?
(I understand.) [St. Petersburg, Fla., (1051), 1705:6.]
[Closely connected with the preceding section NAME is the present section LETTERS AND HANDWRITING, the letter part of the latter title being concerned with the names of the writer and the person to whom the letter was written. Here in the written word we have magic action second only to the spoken word. As usual in hoodoo or witchcraft or magic, nothing belongs exclusively in one action, condition or location. Both letters and handwriting, therefore, are scattered throughout the complete text.]
burial of the written wish at the center of the front steps in the first rite. Preserve new-moon timing and three mornings; do not merge burial with the later from-you track rite. repeating the specifically named37th Psalm three times each morning in the first rite. No psalm text, translation, verse interpretation or outside scripture is supplied or consulted. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Read full source (printed page 3588) · Read full source (printed page 3589)
Entry 232
Well, now dat's done fo' hosses [horses] an' fo' humans, too. Fo' ninstance, say if yo' wanta buy a hoss - a nice fine hoss, fat an' all an' yo' Wanta buy 'im an' de man wants too much fo' him or he don't wanta sell him to yo'. Well, yo' take - git chew a brand new piece of homespun an' start from his hip-bone an' make one knot, an' go up. Ev'ry time yo' come up to ev'ry joint, yo' make a knot, an' yo' take an' bury it in dat hoss's track an' he'll become tuh be lame - crippled an' he lay down an' he can't git up. Well, de man maybe Wanted de hoss, but he take most any kinda price - well, he take it den.
Entry 624
She told me that her husband was running with a woman and she said that it was revealed in her to whup his tracks - jis' take a stick like a whup. See, jis' like he track down a plow row, see plowed-up land, and jis' whup his track and say, "Go, go, go." And she declares dat dis man moved shortly. Says he come right by her doah and said, "I's leavin' this plantation," said, "I ain't gon'a stay here no longah."
(Who revealed this to her?)
She said it was God.
Entry 1921
Tell yo' re'lly fac' about it. Ah know a little 'bout graveyard dirt. Ah knew dis much, suh, dat graveyard dirt kin put chew in bad luck.
(How would you do that?)
Well, if yo' take a sewin' thimble an' yo' go tuh de graveyard an' de very freshest grave dat's buried, anyone dat's buried yo' understand, an' yo' git nine thimbles of dirt off de grave an' yo' carry 'em back. Well, de re'lly fac' about it, yo' git nine triin's of de person right track an' yo' kin put it into a sifter together an' yo' mix it. Put it in de sifter jes' lak yo' were goin' tuh sift meal or anything of de kind dataway, an' yo' kin take an' spread it anywhere across de crossroad or anywhere wherein dis person walks at, an' dat puts dem in tough with bad luck - see, jes' from hand tuh mouth. See, dat person makin' five dollahs a day an' spendin' ten.
(That puts them to walking you say?)
Puts dem tuh walkin', but chew gits dat an' put it into a sifter.
(And you sift it out there at the crossroads?)
Dat's right.
(And that give them bad luck of some sort?)
Oh yeah, puts'em in bad luck. Re'lly fac' about it - round an' round dey goin'.
Entry 1924
Well, I've heard dat people could go where you make a step on de groun an' git de dirt outa de holler of your right foot. Would take it an' dig a hole in a fresh graveyard a foot an' a half deep an' bury dat dirt; an' take some of de graveyard dirt an' put it back in one of your tracks. An' dey say you'll be- come to have a pain in your leg an' you'll never git over dat.
Entry 4952
Dey tell me dat yuh kin take a woman's stockin' - take a woman's stock- in', carry hit an' tie it undah a baidspring wit three hard knot in it, until de third mawnin'. An' de third mawnin' git up an' take de stockin', an' if yuh got a straight path go from yuh do' out - out chure back do' where yuh travel de mos', an' bury it in de earth. Dat'll run a woman distracted. If yuh care anythin' fo' her an' don't care fo' no one else tuh have her, an' keep dem from havin' 'er, dat'll keep 'er, drive dem away from dere.
(Now, do you tie those knots one on each day or three at once.)
[This could be a leading question but see one knot each morning - No.4961.]
Tie one - like jis' if yuh put it in dere tuhday, one today; one tomorrah an' one de nex' day. De fo'th mawnin', loosen it. An' de fifth mawnin' bury it in de track yuh travel de most.
Entry 5391
Dey say if yo' kin have a foot track - a person kin have a footprint. Yo' kin take de footprint of a person. Well, ah think dey say it's yure right foot. An' jes' take de print up jes' lak yo' would take up a print an' carry it home an' bury it undah yure do'steps. If it's yure enemy, he'll come tuh yo' fo' bread. Dat's whut ah heard.
Entry 5413
Take de right track an' bury it in yore fiahplace or undah de bricks. In a few days dey'll be back an' can't go away.
Entry 5435
Take dat track an' yo' put it in a gourd. Yo' know, jis' cut de end of it, yo' know, off, an' yo' put dat track in de gourd, an' den yo' put a stop- pah in dere real tight an' throw it in de branch. Jis' lak dat gourd go, dat's dey way he'll go.
(That's the way this person will go?)
Dat's right.
Entry 5436
Well, people - jis' lak dey see yore feet track, yo' know an' know it's yore track. Dey kin pick yore track up yo' see an' put it in dere pocket or any- thin', an' go an' git 'em a gourd an' bo' 'em a hole in it. [Then put track in gourd and stop it up.] An' den throw dat gourd in de rivah or anywhere in run- nin' watah, yo' know, an' dey kin run yo' crazy lak dat an' make yo' hitch-hike all de time. Yo' know, yo' cain't stay in one place long as dat gourd keep goin' down de stream. [It is evident that track went into gourd, but I want a statement from infor- mant.]
(What do they do with that foot track, put it in the pocket?)
No, dey put it in de gourd an' throw it in de'rivah or anywhere dere runnin' watah.
(They take either foot track?)
Dey take yore foot track.
(Well, why do they put it in the gourd?)
Why dey put in de gourd? Dey have to put it in de gourd on account, yo' know, sompin dat will stay floatin' on top of de watah, yo' know.
Entry 5478
Ah heah 'em say, jis' lak if some people stayin' in de house an' dey don' lak yo' an' yo' want 'em tuh fall out, yo' take some gunpowdah. Yo' git dere track an' take some gunpowdah, an' mix it wit dat track an' put it up undah dere step, an' set it afiah an' let it blow up. In de night, jis' lak if dey be 'sleep, set it afiah an' let it blow up. An' iis' lak hit blow up dis mawnin dey'll have a fuss in dat house.
Entry 5575
[Name of the Lord is also used in other foot-track rites.]
It's diff'ren' things whut chew kin do wit a person's foot track. Whut chew ganta know, tuh bring peace to him or tuh drive yo' [him] 'way? (To drive them away first.) Well, now if yo' wanta drive him away, de way yo'd do dat. De Lord said de evildoer shall not stay. Yo'll find dat in de Psalms of David: 'All evildoers shall be done away wit." An' de way yo' do bat, yo' do dat in de Name of de Lord. Pick up 'is track an' bury it about a foot deep an' he'll shore leave.
Entry 5610
Dey could sprinkle cayenne peppah in de foot track.
(What would that do?)
Dat would have 'em a tendency to roam - a tendency to roam away from de place where dey were.
(I see. If someone sprinkled cayenne pepper in my foot track, I would roam.) Yes, sir.
Entry 5649
Git dere foot track an' put it into a snuffbox an' put it ovah de do' an' drive dem.
(What do you mean driving?)
Dat drivin' yo' 'way from home.
Entry 5654
Dey take yore foot track up in a spoon an' put it in a sack an' den throw it ovahbo'd. Dat will hahm [harm] yo'.
(What will that do to me?)
Dat will drown yo'.
(Which track do they take up?)
Take up de lef' feet.
Entry 5668
If somebody comin' round yo' an' doin' yo' harm, or wupin lak dat, an' yo' wan' tuh git rid of 'em, when dey goin' out de do' sweep dey tracks out behin' 'em.
Entry 5710
Dey take de track an' put it in runnin' watah an' cuz yo' tuh go away. Den dey kin take it an' put it in a li'le box an' nail de side of a boxcar. An' fur as dis train will go, yo'll keep goin' - yo'll nevah turn back.
(They take either track?)
Eithah track.
Entry 5724
Well, a man tole me, dat if anybody did yo' anything, dat chew wanta git rid of 'em, de man, fo' yo' tuh go an' take up 'is footstep, his track, be- hin' 'im. Take it an' bo' a hole intuh a tree an' put dat track intuh de tree, an' cork it up an' dat will run dis man away from yo' - run dis man away from bone.
(Either track, do you take?)
De right track.
Entry 5734
If dey come tuh yore house an' yo' don' wan' de person tuh yore house, take de track 'neath de shoe. Yo' take dey track up an' yo' turn it aroun' away from yore house an' - ah know dat true - dey stay 'way from yore house.
Entry 5760
Dey tell me now, tuh keep a person, if yo' really wants tuh keep a Person - jis' lak if any cement or clay or somepin lak dat aroun' joo, an' yo' travel aroun' in it till yo' make a track in dat. Dey tell me yo' jis' kin take up dat track, if yo' wan'a person tuh be roun' joo all de time. Carry it an' fix it in some way yo' kin keep it up side yore wall. Jis' as long as dat track stay ap side of de wall, dat somebody will keep ahangin' aroun'.
(How do you mean, up side of the wall?)
Well, jist tack it up side of de wall, or eithah stick it up side of de wall.
Entry 9352
If it's anything an' yo' wanta make 'em move out de house, dat [foot] track business is one thing. Bust rotten aigs on his do' [also] make 'im move.
Entry 11516
Pick up person's going-east foot track, sew up in a bag, bury it, "cause you to run away." [EARLY NOTATION OF MINE READS: "PURPOSE UNUSUAL, PROB- ABLY NOT USE." HOW COULD A PERSON BURIED, RUN AWAY? IT TOOK ME A LONG TIME TO REALIZE THAT SYMBOLISM IS ALMOST EVERYTHING, BUT INTENTION IS THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS, THE BE ALL AND END ALL. THERE ARE MANY EXAMPLES OF BURIAL TO RUN PER- SON AWAY, THE VERY NEXT RITE FOR EXAMPLE.] [Mobile 890:5.]
Entry 11517
They could pick the whole track up just like you walking easy, but just after you have gone by not too long, you see, when you put your feet down, 'cause the heat from your [bare] feet will go in the dirt. And just after you put your feet down, they can pick up that track and go bury it in the graveyard and that will cause you to drift.
Entry 11588
Wear a dime [silver] or a copy [copper?] either around yore waist or around de laig to prevent anybody from tricking 'em: taking up dere tracks or putting down somepin or burying somepin under dere.
Entry 11480
"They say they go out an' pick up their left track an' go down to the river and when they git near there they say they walk backwards an' they say they throw [it] in over their shoulder." [Wilmington 235:2+85.]
Entry 11484
"Take your foot track...put a little salt with that...shut that up tight in a bottle...make you come back." [Charleston 640:3.]
Entry 11504
"Gunpowder and bluestone and de track too, dat fer de roamin'...put it in de chimley, let de smoke go over dat fer 9 days." [Charleston 611:1.]
Entry 11518
"You take the measure of the foot track and carry it to the grave- yard...bury it; you bound to Zinger, to perish." [New Orleans 1346:4.]
Entry 11520
"Took up de foot track and put it in a bottle...git graveyard dirt from de foot of de grave...cork it tight...put it in de rivah. Dat's for like yo' goin' [= to send you away]." [Charleston 633:1.]
Entry 11530
"Take the right-foot track an' git you some sulphur an' some gunpowder, put it on a shingle, stick a match to it, that's if you wan'a run 'em away from bome." [Wilmington 204:1+85.]
Entry 11563
"Write person's name on a piece of paper, put it with his foot track into an old sock, throw overboard, "put him to travelin'." [Norfolk 459:1 from Doctor Paul Bowes, who said it was from the 6th and 7th Books of Moses. This or these latter books do not always include the same material and sometimes they are not called Books of Moses. So I have been told. These witchcraft books loose their power if they are shown to anyone.]
Entry 11567
"They take this dirt out of 9 of your tracks, and take it and tie it up in a little piece of cloth, and keep it fer 9 days. And they kin carry it and throw it in a river: if it swims upstream, why you go crazy; and if it float down de stream, why, you know, it won't harm you much." [Wilmington 91:1+85.]
Entry 11571
"I'll tell you w'at they tell me. They kin git a-hold your foot track [the left one] and git choo nine grains of salt and put nine drops spirits tur- pentine and put it under your doorstep. [This is my original pencil transcrip- tion made soon after rite was collected. What happens I forgot to add; surely nothing pleasant.] [Wilmington 215:4+85.]
Entry 11574
"Take a man's track and turn it just the other way, opposite to the Way it was going when you picked it up [by shovel, shingle, etc.], and regard- less of where he's going, he'll turn around and go on away from dat place [back the way he came]." [Norfolk 479:2.]
Entry 11576
"Take my wife for example: if I don't want her to go away from home, I would get a shingle and follow behind her and run this shingle right under her foot track and turn it back towards home." [Mt. Vernon, Md., by hand.]
Entry 11577
Woman took husband's foot track to root doctor who dressed it. Then she took it home and buried it under the door. [Wilmington 83:5+85.]
Entry 12630
If you throw red pepper in departing person's tracks, he will stay away or cannot hurt you. [Richmond 293:6.]
Entry 11505
"Pick up his track and puts some salt in it, gunpowder, red pepper. You tie it up [in a piece of cloth] and put it on a string and set it afire... [swing it at least once about head and let loose] turn it loose in de air where that it busts and scatter it. He goin' leave here." [Charleston 548:2.]
Entry 11507
"If you wanted a person to move from a place [they say] that you get their shoes and put 'em to the back of the chimney - just put the whole track of the shoe on de back of de chimney...make a track in de back of de chimney... [and after the fire has burned away these impressions] that person will disappear from that place, they couldn't stay there." [Elizabeth City 411:1.]
Entry 11523
"They take that out of you right track...git some graveyard dust and a little sulphur and a little salt and a little pepper, put it in a bag...and if they want to run you crazy, they take and throw it in running water." [Wil- mington 148:3+85.]
Entry 11525
"I knowed a man, he got mad and measured a person's track, and he wrapped it up in paper, burnt it up, then took the ashes and put it in a gun, put on a cap, fired that gun and said, I hope that you is a thousand miles from home. He never came back no more. THAT'S WHAT I USED TO HEAR THESE OLD CUN- JURES SAY - WE [AS CHILDREN IN CIVIL WAR TIMES] SIT BACK IN THE CORNER, WE WASN'T ALLOWED TO ASK NO QUESTIONS." [Fredericksburg by Ediphone.]
Entry 11572
"If you don't want anybody to come to your house...get their track, take it up in a paper, put it with some sulphur, some salt, burn it in a pan, and take the ashes and throw it northward and say: Don't come no more." [Fred- ericksburg by Ediphone.]
Entry 5392
Well, now if dey picked chure track up goin' de same direction dat chew goin', an' take it an' 'vide [divide] it up in a li'le vial, wrap it right nice in some cloth, an' take it tuh runnin' watah an' throw it ovah dey shouldah, an' let it run on - an' dat watah runnin' east - why yo'll keep a-goin'. But if dey git in front de track an' snap it back tuhwards de heel, an' brings it back an' preserves it, tighten it up tight an' bury it undah de steps, why dat'll bring yo' back an' yo'll stay dere. (This water must be running east, you say, and you throw it over either shoulder?) Yassuh, throw it ovah yore right shouldah.
Entry 5507
If yo' wan' anybody leave home an' wan'a send 'em away fo' good, jis' git de dirt undah de lef' foot an' mix it wit cayenne peppah an' carry it tuh a stream of watah. An' git some of de hair, if yo' kin; but if yo' cain't, jis' git de track. An' yo' take dat an' cayenne peppah an' go tuh a stream of watah, a runnin' sorean of watah, an' throw it in de stream of watah. An' dey'll go jis' de way d atah will go.
Entry 5614
Ah hear of 'em usin' red peppah an' stuff lak dat yo' know. [They] says dey mix it in dere track. An' says dey go an' dey take de track from yo' an' - start at de heel an' go tuh de toe, an' put it in runnin' watah. Say dey'll keep awalkin'. Nevah come back. (In other words you would get some of the dirt out of my foot track as I was walking away. You take it from the heel to the toe, and you mix it with red peppah and throw that into running water. That will keep me walking. Do you take either track?) It don't make any diff'rence.
Entry 5701
Yo' gits a person's foot track. Yo' drag it back three times - gits it from de top of de right track, an' drag it back tuh yo' three times. Gits some from each time, an' carry it tuh run- nin' watah an' throw it in dere. An' yo' kin run dat person away from town an' he'll be gone fo'evah.
Entry 5763
Dey says tuh git holt of yore foot track. Dey would git chure left- foot track. Dey'd start at de toe an' bring it back tuh de heel, an' den dey would take dat track an' carry it tuh de rivah, if dey wanted tuh run yo' away. An' dey would throw dat ovah de lef' shouldah in de rivah, an' walk off an' not look back.
Entry 666
They claim they'll make it from bones, dried bones from people. They call it goofer dust at home. They sprinkle a little goofer dust in your tracks and you're sure goin' wrong.
Entry 780
Well, you see, mah husband, he wus a kinda like dis he wus jealous of me; and he wanted to run aroun' hisself, but always, if I even smiled at a man, he wanted to 'cuse me out wid dat man. And so he come to me and he'd beat me and he'd abuse me, he wouldn't - it seemed like he jis' didn't care. I tole 'im I was gon'a leave 'im and I mean' it. And he saw me talkin' to a fortune-teller man dat come to de house one day, and he sayed, "Whu' yah doin', gittin' yore fortune told?" I say, "No," I say, "he jis' come dere and wanted money for him to tell my fortune," I sayed, 'but I didn't," I sayed, '''cause I didn't have de money." I jis' tole 'im dat. So - and it went on like dat, he kept seein' de man dere. But one day he had a talk with de man. So de fortune-teller man, he would tell 'im whut he wanted to know and tell me de same t'ing: He seem to tell Bernice about me and tell me about Bernice; see, jis' breakin' peace.
(Just working one against the other.)
Yes sir. He wouldn't care, jis' so he gittin' de money - he wouldn't care. He'd tell on you jis' as quick as he would on me, and he'd tell you about me as quick as he would tell me about choo. And he tole me dat de best t ing for me to do - he said, to put a little salt and sulphah in mah shoe, and to get away from Bernice as quick as I could. And he tole Bernice sumepin 'nother. But anyhow, Bernice startin' gittin' meaner and meaner. And he must of tole 'im sumepin 'nother to do to make me stay wit 'im, aftah he saw I wus gon'a leave 'im, becuz one day he came home he gave me a quarter - I tole 'im I wanted to go to a show. He say, "Well, '' he say, "take dat, a nickel of it and git me a box of powdered sage." Dat's whut he tole me to do. And I thought it was sumepin mighty funny, becuz he had never ast de sage befo'. So when de fortune-teller man come back I tole 'im. And he say, "Joo git dis sage," he sayed, "but don' choo give it to 'im." And he said to take dis sage and a raw sweet patatah. He sayed, "Cut de sweet patatah in half and scrape some out of both sides de sweet patatah and put it on a little piece of papah, and put a pinch of dis sage in dere and a pinch of sulphah, and wrap it up and put it in de middle of your shoe, on both of 'em." I cut de patatah in half, den de piece heah, I scrape it and put it [the scrapings] in a piece of papah, den I puts some sulphah in dere and some sage, and I fold dat up and put it in one shoe; while off de othah side of de patatah, I do de same t'ing and put it in mah othah shoe. And I did dat.
(What did you do to the sweet potato?)
You throw it away. You mustn't eat any of it or nothin'. You have to bury it or eithah throw it away where nobody can find it. And so I did dat. And Bernice ast me did I get de sage. I say, "No," I say, ''and that isn't all," I say, "I'm not gon'a get it," I say, "becuz you're not gon'a be able to fix me," I say, "if I can help it." He sayes, "Huh, I wasn't gon'a fix yah." And so dat night I picked 'im.
(Started a quarrel with him.)
When he came home I picked 'im. I sayed, "Bernice, you played up nice to me," so he would tell me, becuz I know if I picked 'im I could git anyt'ing I wanted out of 'im. And he tole me. He sayed dat de man tole 'im to git some of mah hair and some sage and some sulphah and some dirt out de graveyard, and mix all of it up in a box, he sayed, and carry dat in his pocket and dat would make me stay wit 'im; you see, cuz he'd have some of my hair and some dirt from de grave- yard and a piece of lodestone. He tole 'im to git 'im a little tiny piece of lodestone and - lodestone is suppose to draw yeh - he say dat would make me stay wit 'im, jes' draw me to 'im. He wouldn't tell me who tole 'im dough [though]. And I tole de man [fortune-teller] about it and he played like he didn't know nuthin' about it. Well, he tole me to take some of mah hair, and take some dirt out of Bernice's tracks, out of both of his tracks, and put 'em in a can, and some sulphah and some sage, he sayed, and to keep dat with me. And he tole me to take some salt and sprinkle it all aroun' mah baid and put some in mah shoe and keep it in mah shoe. And I did dat and I certainly have got along good since I've been doin' dat.
(How long ago did this happen?)
Jis' about two months ago [December 1936].
(Are you still with your husband?)
No, sir.
(You were able to get away from him?)
Yes, sir. And another thing. He tole me dat if I didn't make mah get-a-way from Bernice - he tole me dis on a Sunday night - he tole me if I didn't make mah get-a-way from Bernice by Wednesday, he sayed dat Bernice wus gon'a kill me. And he saw Bernice right up de street dat same Sunday night and tole Bernice dat I wus gon'a leave 'im by Wednesday. And Bernice came right on back and tole me. He sayes, "Make your break Wednesday night if you wanna," he say, "I'll see yah in hell first." Dat's whut he tole me. And so dat Monday I lef' while Bernice was workin'. I lef' becuz I know dat all dat Wednesday he would be watchin'. And he kep' comin' back by de house, even on Monday, to see was I goin', but I managed to slip away. I haven't been back wit 'im since.
(Did he come after you, after you left?)
Oh, yes sir. He tried his best to get me to go back but I'm not. And I wear salt in mah shoe now to keep 'im from harmin' me. [The informant, a girl about 18, had just related the childhood experience given elsewhere.]
Entry 867
[A picture of a handbill will be found among the illustrations. In the Introduction I explain my experience with handbills in Baltimore. My Mojo Expert of Memphis in Interview section is puzzled because I did not advertise.] Here on Madison Avenue in the same block and - so one morning I'd gone to the store and I'd taken a awful pain in my foot and I had to hop, and I hobbled back home and ah told my daughter, ah say, "You go and tell Mrs. Dawson, I can't come up dere this morning, '' I say, ''because somethin' happen to mah foot before I got up there." And you know before the day was gone my feet was this way [demonstrates].
(Swollen?)
Swole. Well, I couldn't wear a shoe, a bedroom slipper or nothin', and I hobbled round there for most of the week. But one day I was settin' on de porch and see de wind blow somethin' - some advertisin' papers [handbill] up near de gate and I called my daughter to come and get dem so I could read dem and see what they was. [See illustrations of handbills given to me.] When she brought dem - went and got dem and I see where it was a man out to Merrimac Avenue and he was from New York, so de paper said, and he say he want ever'body that was sick to come and get well. Well, I got her to get her boy friend to take me out dere and he'd taken me out dere. He called himself Professor Purvis. And we'd gone out there and he look at my feet and legs and he said, "Oh," he said, "you are in bad shape." He says, "Where did you get this from?" I said, "Well, what is it?" "You walked over something," he said, "a enemy put down fer yuh and you didn't have - you wasn't wise to the fact." He say, "It's a woman this man is dealing with and it seems like he likes you better," and he say, "that she is stopping you from going to the house - to the store." And he says, "You've taken [this] thing between your house and the store?" I said, "I sure did." He said, "Well, I tell you," he say, "that's purtty serious," he say, "but I will work on you," he say, "but ah works peculiar - ah don't give you anything, but ah give something to wear." And he gave me a little piece of something like silver and he say, "When I work on anyone and cure them, it always goes back where it come from." Well, I'd gone on [home]. He say, "Now, in a few days you goin' be so dizzy you can't get up, but stay in bed." Well, sure 'nuff, I was. And so when I commence to getting dizzy, well [that meant] this swelling going out of my feet and veins, because I couldn't even walk - had to get my daughter pull me around in a chair. And so after then, purtty soon I heard talk of a woman being very sick. Well, her friend asked me where did I go and I told her where to go, but they never could catch him at home. Well, they'd gone to North Carolina and got an old man and brought him up there and this old man told her - her friend told me because she lived upstairs over me - she might of known about her puttin' this out on me. But I didn't see this [what was] put out fer me because he said he was goin' to get that one night himself. He said it was in a bottle and it was put down fer me and I asked him what was it. He say, "It's your tracks with some pins in it." He say, "Dere's nine pins and your tracks is in there." and he say, "that's to give great effect," he say, "and then there's some graveyard dirt too," he say, "that took great effect on yuh," and says, "but I'll get that one night myself." I never did see it. He say he got it and I got well, but the other woman was taken sick. And this man from North Carolina came and her own friend told me, that when he come in and she was going on so, he said, "What's the matter?" He says, "Nothin' the matter with yuh but just reapin' what you sows." He says, "You sowed somethin' to somebody that hadn't did anything to you and they was just sharp enough to turn it back on you," and say, "I can't do you no good, when you beginnin' to reap I can't cure you." Say, "You just reapin'" and they say he took his bag and went on back to North Carolina. He didn't do anything for her and she died. And she was one of my lodge members, too.
(That's all you did - was to wear this silver?)
Wore that silver, all I did - little piece of silver that I wore a long time. It look white as my old hat here - just as white. But I'd gotten well - whatever he did, ah don't know. He didn't give me anything to take or nothin', jest told me to wear that.
quoted participant cure claim and refusal, followed by narrator-reported uncertain recovery. No verified cure or causal efficacy These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified. A quoted participant specifically claims graveyard dirt; the narrator says she never saw it. This occurrence is retrieved under the broad historical Dirt index without merging it with the separate Graveyard dirt destination. The contents, responsible person and causal cure remain unverified.
Read full source (printed page 305) · Read full source (printed page 306)
Entry 920
("I had a travelin' spell put on me one time," you said?)
Yeah, an' de way dat ah wus told 'at it was done. Dis fellah went an' got mah [foot] track an' he goes to de graveyard an' he took a silver dime jes' like if to buy some graveyard dirt from a person, but he said dat de person would have to be a wicked person yo' see, jes' lak a person dat live a - yo' know, dat live a wicked life an' den have been murdered someway. An' yo' kin go there an' buy some dirt from them. Dey say yo' go down a certain distant in de earth, you see, right by de tombstone an' yo' take a lighter peg - a piece of fat lighter [pine] - an' jes' stick it down dere with dat dime an' [that's] buyin' dat dirt from de dead, you see. An' den, jes' whatsomevah dat yo' want tuh happen, in buyin' dis dirt from dem, well, den yo' could put it in action. Well, dis guy went to work an' got dis graveyard dirt - de way ah wus told - an' he took hit an' mah track an' put it into a bottle an' he corked dis bottle up. Throwed it into de rivah. Well, dat's to git mah mind goin' - yo' see, as de tide comes an' goes, well, dis man tole me dat mah mind would travel ies dat way. Well, ah noticed, ah leaved home. Ah didn't know nuthin whut it wus all about - ah jes' picked up an' leaved. Well, after ah crossed de rivah - de first rivah dat wus between mah home an' where ah wus goin' ovah in Brunswick - well, ah didn't have no more thoughts or no mo' ideas about home den if ah didn't have one. Well, ah went ovah dere [to Brunswick] an' remained dere fo' awhile. Mah mind wus all confused, ah jes' didn't have no pers'nal judgment about nuthin. An' dere wus a friend of mine took me to a man called a doctor - a hoodoo doctor of some kind. Well, he tole me -
(Where was he - in Brunswick?)
Yes sir.
(This was in Brunswick - all right.)
This [doctor] was in Waycross - an' he told him - yo' know, whut they did. Well, he tole me de same thing. He said, dis guy had this thing fixed in order fo' it tuh float so many days. An' whenevah dat thing - he had it fixed in a leaky condition - wherevah it leak in dat water dat dis thing could sink, then ah would go ovahbo'd. They Wanted tuh kill me - git rid of me - but dey didn't want to do it, yo' know, deyself. But dey wanted it fixed so dat ah would do it mahself. Well, ah notice while dis thing wus goin' dat way, all of mah days ah'd nevah be satisfied no place unless ah wus round de rivah. (Well, did this fellah tell you how to get rid of it - did he help you get rid of it?) Shore, he tole me dat he had to git it - he had tuh overtake it somehow. Ah don't know how he went into de rivah to git it, but he ovahtaken it befo' it sunk [see No. 921]. Soon as he did dat den, ah got all right. Took 'im about three weeks, though, befo' ah got straight. Now, dat's a pers'nal experience.
Entry 1221
If a person got chure foot track - you live in de yard, de same yard an' he take yore foot track out - you go back in de house and de same dirty water you wash in de dishpan, you throw it in de bottom of yore shoes and throw it in yore track and back out de gate fer three mawnings. Den dat person will turn loose yore foot track.
(If a person has my foot track? I see, that's to get rid of the spell.)
That's to get rid of the spell.
Entry 1620
Ah tell yo' whut chew kin do. Yo' kin stop a person from comin' where yo' is if yo' go to dere foot track. Yo' git chew some chamber lye an' yo' take some chamber lye an' yo' kin drop nine drops in dey track. Dat'll stop dem from comin' where yo' is if dey's comin' tuh kill you or do anything: Yo' turns 'em aroun' wit dat. Nine drops in each one of dey tracks when dey's walkin' dere walkin' to yore place. Yo' kin stop 'em if dey walk backwards an' forwards right at dat time if yo' know dey track. "Yo' see dere track anywhere, all yo' got'a do is drop dat in dere.
Entry 2127
An' travelin' agin. An' a poah person ain't got nuthin, yo' kin take copper - yo' know, a penny an' bury that in a rich person's track in de fo'ks of de roads an' that makes them come from bad tuh good. Dey'll be successful.
Entry 2379
Like I go out - I could get the dirt but they hardly can pick up the tracks unless you is bare-feeted. Then they can do more with the track, but just your foot track like that with your shoes - they can't get next to your necked [naked] feet.
(I see.)
But if you're bare-feeted and that, they can pick up your tracks good.
(Well, how would they do that, then?)
Well, if they can get behind you - but hardly ever you can get behind anybody to pick up their tracks.
(Why is that?)
Well, some people don't walk bare-feeted for you to pick up their tracks, you see.
(I see.)
But people in the country, you know, mostly walks bare-feeted and they can pick up their tracks, because most of them is bare-feeted sometimes. They'll walk bare-feeted - well, you can pick up their track right in the middle of their feet. But some people's got hollows in their feet where you can't. Flat-feeted folks you can do that because the whole foot goes down, you know. (Well, what would they do with that dirt after they gather it up?) [She will repeat my gather.] Well, they gather that dirt and fix it up, and they'll go to a river or any- thing what's running.
[I will repeat her fix.]
(How do they fix that dirt up?)
[See Introduction for this occasional back and forth exchange.]
Fix - they gets water - they goes and gets something like what they call war water. They can buy that in the drug store, war water. Just mix that up with that in a glass or something so that it will dry, and then when it dry, they'll go to the river and then throw it over their shoulder right down the stream [channel] what's going down the river. That'll make you keep adrifting.
Entry 2427
If yo' wanta be a bootleggah an' sell whiskey, don't evah sweep de tracks out do's; always take de tracks an' sweep dem in de corner of de house an' put cookin' salt in em an' put em in de stove. An' if yo' wanta keep de police from your house, keep from runnin' back an' forth out chure house, go an' git chew a new coffeepot an' git chew some loose salt, table salt, an' yo' full up dat coffeepot, two of 'em, an' put 'em to de back do' an' de front do', "In de Name of de Father, de Son an' de Holy Ghost," an' dat will keep de man from yore house.
(That will keep the officer away?)
Yes sir.
informant-recited invocation accompanying salt-filled pot placement. Preserve the exact Father/Son/Holy Ghost formula without appending words, theological identity or Prayer/Incantation equivalence. stated aim of keeping police away, with interviewer-confirmed officer referent. No housing eviction claim These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 2435
Jes' lak if yo' runnin' a business an' a congregation of people come in an' yo' want 'em tuh come back again - if dey leave - after dey leave, yo' sweep dey tracks, yo' know de dust off dere feet in through a crack or somepin lak dat.
(In the floor?)
Yes.
Entry 2436
When he leaves, when he starts out goin' on out, yo' git a broom an' sweep his tracks jis' as fast as yo' kin right on out on de ground, an' he'll stay away.
Entry 2601
Take a box of table salt an' don' let nobody use it, an' ever' time dat he come to her house, she take dat salt an' throw it behin' him, an' be shure when she throw it behin' him, that ever' time she throw it, she throw it in at least one of his tracks, right or de left, fo' nine times. An' after nine times, he wouldn't even wanta look after her. Dat's what she wanta stop. [To keep any- one away for any purpose.]
Entry 2604
If someone came to yore house an' yo' don't like fo' dem to be dere, whenevah dey leave, yo' jest git up behin' 'em, an' yo' kin either have yore salt an' peppah where dey can't see it. When dey walk out yo' jest throw it all 'long where dey walked at an' then chunk it towards 'em an' tell 'em, "Don't come back any mo'." Course dey don't have tuh hear yo'. Yo' won't be bothered with 'em.
Entry 2605
Dey say dat chew kin take table salt an' black pepper an' jest sprinkle it round in yore house an' jes', every time dey come dere, sprinkle it round in dere house an' in dere tracks, an' it'll git it so dat dey couldn't even stand when dey go by dere - dey come to hate de place.
(That keeps them away.)
Entry 3971
Dere a man, his wife wuz runnin' roun', an' aftah she got de ronin' fit, she didn't want 'im. An' he wuz wondahin' how would he do tuh make her wanta leave 'em off. So he jes' got tuh thinkin' roun' an' he said, "Well, ah'll know whut ah'll do." He says, "Ah'll git even wit 'er. Ah'll put 'er away." So he got a li'le dirt outa her laig track - got dat. Den he got a li'le of 'er monthly periods an' he put dat in a bottle, an' he stopped it up an' he taken dat tuh runnin' watah. He taken it down dere about sundown, right aftah it wuz dark, an' it wuz tied dere. An' as long as dat bottle bobbled [bobbed] on de watah, her mind would go. An' she finely [finally] went until she run crazy. Huh mind run clean away from huh. An' he nevah seen [her] from dat day he did dat until she died.
Entry 5303
Ah heard sompin on dat line. Dey say yo' could take an' git chew Adam- an'-Eve root an' High John de Conkah, see. An' git chew some Hearts Cologne, dis [just a] little - called Hearts Cologne - an' take an' put dis heah root on dis. An' evah time yo' git ready tuh go out wit - git close tuh 'ah [her] enough, in conversation somewhere, an' let 'ah [her] git de scent of dat. An' if she come anywhere about chew, pick up 'ah tracks see, an' put 'em in a bag yo' undahstan'. Take an' put 'em in de sack yo' see an' take an' bury 'em undah de cornah of yore house, an' dat will keep 'ah love. Dat will make hah come dere all de time. Jes' stay right roun' yo'.
Entry 5305
Whut ah know about separatin' yo' husban' from yo' if yo've jis' tied up a man, sompin lak dat. Yo' kin jis' take his right foot track. Yo' see, it's leavin' yo' an' sometime as he go out tuh de do' an' yores when yo' is comin' back away from it. Yo' scoop up 'is right foot track right in de middle, yo' see, an' den yores as yo' turn back tuh go 'way from him. Yo' scoop up yore left foot track. An' yo' take dat an' carry it tuh a red ants' bed - big red ants' bed - an' yo' tell dem red antses, say, "Separate I an' him, I an' So-an'-so, 'In de Name of de Lord, dat we'll nevah have anything tuh do wit each othah any mo'.'" An' ah do know dat tuh be true.
(That is all you do, just put these tracks in that....)
Put dem tracks tuhgethah - jis' take it in yo' a little piece of papah or sompin, yo' know, dat chew won' waste it. An' yo' take it tuh dis red ants bed an' jis' sprinkle it as yo' talkin' tuh 'em.
(That's all you have to do for that?)
Dat's all yo' have to do wit dat.
Entry 5306
[HERE WE HAVE A TRIPLE WALKING-AWAY RITE: foot track itself suggest walking; graveyard dirt under the house drives person away; and ant dirt keeps a person running about like ants.] Dem ants - de dirt outa a ants bed an' a person track an' graveyard track. (Graveyard what?) Graveyard track. (Dirt, you mean?) Yes. Well ah'm talkin' about dirt. An' throw it up undah de house an' dat'll make dat person move - or will run 'em outa town.
Hyatt frames a triple walking-away rite in an editorial note. The informant distinguishes ant-bed dirt and a person's track, says 'graveyard track', and confirms dirt after the interviewer's clarification. The placement under a house and departure claim are reported, without treating every use of 'track' as dirt.
Entry 5307
Well, if ah wus wit a man an' me an' him disagreed an' couldn't git along, why ah'd take his track. Reach an' git it, pull it tuh me. Take it a certain time of de day, not latah den ten a' clock - not latah den ten. At ten a'clock in de day ah'd go tuh a ants bed, take me some gunpowdah an' put it in dat ants bed, an' take a match an' set it afire. Well, when dat scattah, he'd be gone.
(What do you do with his foot track?)
Take dis gunpowdah an' dis track all mixed tuhgethah.
(You didn't tell me that, you see.)
Yes sir, yo' mix it tuhgethah an' yo' set a match tuh it, an' it blow up. Well, jes' lak dat smoke goin', dat fellah goin' de same way.
(You must blow this up in a ants bed?)
Yes sir.
Entry 5310
Tuh separate a man an' his wife or sompin lak dat, dey said yo' take up dere tracks. If yo' want de man tuh come tuhwards yo' an' yo' want de woman tuh go from yo', yo' take de man track from de heel comin' tuh de toes. Pull de heel dat way, see [demonstrates]. An' de woman, yo' take dat sand at de toe an' pull it - take it from yo'. Dat [is] if de man wuz yore husban', an' yo' break him from anothah woman dat way.
(What do you do with that dirt?)
Yo' take it an' put it in a big ants nest. Dat's whut dey tell me, put it in a big ants nest. An' when de ants take it an' bring it out, an' carry it diff'ren' ways, dat's tearin' de min' [mind] apart, cuz one ant's comin' disaway an' de othah one comin' de othah way. Dat will jes' tear dere min' apart.
Entry 5312
It's anothah thing. Yo' could take one dese great-big ants. Yo' kin Spot [easily see] it, yo' know. It ain't none dese little-size ants, [it is] one dese heah run by hitself all de time. Yo' take one dem an' git de middle of somebody's track, if yo' wants tuh run 'im 'way. An' yo' put it intuh a bottle. An' put dat ants in- tuh it an' carry it tuh de rivah, an' throw it ovahbo'd an' it will run 'imcrazy.
(How many ants do you put in that bottle?)
One, jes' one. Yo' ain't goin' see but one. Dere jes' be one by itself all de time.
(What color is it?)
It's kinda brown-spotted lookin' ants, 'bout de colah of dat shade up dere.
Entry 5314
Well, yo' take a person track. Yo' put a person track wit salt, black peppah an' yo' put it down in dat dirt daubah's nest - ah mean dat antses nest. An' dem antses goes - yo' see dem antses goin' in an' out of de nest. Dey be goin' an' totin' dirt an' stuff. Dey be totin' dat stuff an' dey be wavahin' [wavering] jes' lak dat [demonstrates]. It will keep 'em on a wave jes' lak dat goin' an' comin'.
Entry 5315
Yo' kin take a person's track - take yore han' an' ketch it from de toe an' bring it tuh de heel. Put some salt an' red peppah wit it an' some sul- phur. Mix it up very good. Take it tuh a ants nest an' po' it in dere an' make yore wish In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an Holy Ghost, an' dey'll leave.
Entry 5316
Ah git yore lef'-feet track an' yore frien' lef'-feet track, take it tuh a ants nest... Ah would take some red peppah an' some black peppah an' some salt, an' call de person name, an' throw it in dere. An' he'll [the ants will] tote it evah bit out. An' when he git through totin' it evah bit out, why yuh an' yore frien' will have a big row, an' yuh'll have tuh leave yore home.
Entry 5317
Yo' take dis dirt from de track an' mix up some sugah wit it, an' den yo' fin' a ant bed. Yo' evah see dose big red ant beds? Well yo' put it in dat ant bed. Fix dat dirt all up in dat red ant bed an' - ah mean dirt. Well, aftah dose ants is workin' on 'im, dey keep dat party goin', keep 'im goin' from one place tuh anothah. Red ants, now. Not dose black ants. What ah call dese big red ants.
Entry 5319
Now yo' take a red ants bed. Yo' kin take sugah an' a person track an' carry it an' put it in dat ants bed an' make yore wishes. If yo' wanted 'em tuh love yo', dey'll love yo'; an' if yo' want 'em tuh go, yo' kin fix it an' make yore wishes an' dey'll go. Mix it up wit dere track, wit sugah. Dat sugah's gotta eat up [penetrate] all dat sand though whut chew take up, an' see, dem ants will tote dat sugah intuh dat hole. An' when dey eat dat sugah out from dat track, he go, too; if yo' want him tuh go. He [ant] goin' throw dat sand out an' when he throw dat sand out, he [man] gone.
Entry 5327
Git chure track - yes, git chure foot track an' take an' bottle it up. An' den [they] say yo' back back nine steps, an' den turn roun' an' make three wishes. Say an' yo' make dem three wishes, den yo' handle 'em lak yo' want. (You can handle them anyway you want to. What do they do with that bottle?) Dey takes an' puts chure track in dat bottle.
(Yes, but what do they do with the track then in the bottle?)
Back back nine steps.
(No, what will finally happen to that bottle?)
Say dat bottle will turn purpole [purple] an' say dat will start tuh workin' in dere. It'll start tuh workin' in dere. An' say yo' should make nine wishes [instead of former three]. Yo' make nine wishes an' whatsomevah yo' wish, it vill [happen]. Keep bottle sewed up in pillah [pillow].
Entry 5359
If yo' don't want anybody to come to your house, I've heard the old people say you get their track. Take it up in a paper, put it with some sulphur, some salt, burn it in a pan, and take the ashes and throw it northward and say, "Don't come no more." And they say they won't come no more neither.
Entry 5360
If someone comin' tuh yore house an' yo' wanted tuh keep 'em away, well see, yo' kin git dere track an' burn peppah, sulphuh an' some ole shoes. An' go tuhwards de sunset an' say de same thing, In de Name of de Fathah, an' Son, go. Dey'll go. Yeah, yo' won' be bothahed wit dem no mo'.
Entry 5365
Dey takes yore track up an' do somepin wit it, or fix it so yo' be lame or crippled or somepin.
(Do you know how they do that?)
Well, dey takes it an' carry it, bury it undah yore steps.
(Either track or both tracks?)
Well, eithah one of 'em. Dey bury it undah yore steps, an' dey dress de shoes tuh dat 'fect too. Dat cripple yo' up. (What do they put in your shoes to do that?) Dey puts some of yore whut yo' weah nex' tuh yore skin, a little piece dey cut from de clothes yo' know, an' take an' dress it an' put in dere, an' dat will make yo' lame de balance of yore days.
Entry 5361
Dey say if a person gits yore foot track, he has de con- trol of yo', an' wherevah he bury it at, dat's where yo'll dwell. Now, lak if ah git chure foot track an' want chew con- tinue comin' heah, an' ah bury it chere, yo' can't jes' travel.
(I would come to stay here?)
Come to stay an' can't leave out.
Entry 5371
Yo' kin take a person's foot track an' ran 'em away. Well, perhaps some time we cain't find 'em [tracks] an' sometimes it be's so dat we cain't git de dirt from undah 'is track. Yo' might watch an' see jes' he put his feet on de concrete. Yo' kin take a clean pocket han'- ke'ch'ef an' yo' kin go dere an' jes' wipe dat track tuh yo' - wipe dat track tuh yo'. An' den yo' kin take dat han'ke'ch'ef an' yo' kin take it home. Set down wit it an' buy yo' a bran'-new box of red cayenne peppah, an' yo' kin take a teaspoon of dat cayenne peppah an' tie in de - yo' might say in de east corner of dat han'ke'- ch'ef. Dat track is all ovah dat han'ke'ch'ef [because] quite natchly [naturally] yo' wipe it lak dat, see. An' yo' take dat teaspoon of cayenne peppah an' yo'tie hit up in dere wit 'is name wrote. Yo' cross 'is name an' yo' tell 'im tuh go an' yo' put a bad name - yo' put a bad word tuh hit, on dere name. '[Bad name] an' ah wish yo'd go an' don' stay nowhere yo' go in peace." An' tie it up an' carry it tuh de rivah 'fore de sunrise. Throw it in runnin' watah an' he'll leave.
Entry 5375
Dey take de dirt out of a right-foot track, an' yo' take it an' throw it in runnin' watah, an' cuss de person an' tell 'em tuh leave out of town. (Get the dirt from the right foot track?) Yes.
Entry 5376
Ah heard 'em say dat dey kin git chure right-foot track an' run yo' 'way from town. Dey kin take chure right-foot track an' sprinkle some cayenne peppah in dat dirt an' mix it up good. Take it tuh a stream of runnin' watah an' jes' throw it in de watah an' jes' cuss. Make a mean cussword an' pitch dat sand in de watah an' walk off from it an' don't look back at it.
(You pitch it up over your shoulder?)
Dat's it, up ovah de shouldah. Jes' pitch it an' don' even look back at it, jes' walk on off from dere.
Entry 5378
If it's a man - someone yo' love, if yo' kin ketch 'is track an' jes' have a piece of newspapah wit yo', an' de minute chew pick it up, say, Come heah tuh me; yo' dirty son of a bitch. Sompin lak dat, an' put dat track in dere. An' yo' put dirt daubah wit it, an' some kinda sweet stuff lak yo' put in pies an' thin's. Yo' mix all dat tuhgethah an' put it in de mattress an' lay on it. An' ah don' care where he go, he comin back.
(You take up either track?)
Jes' take up de track an' put it in newspapah.
(Either track, it doesn't make any difference?)
Yes, it don't make no diff'rence, eithah track.
(Coming or going, it doesn't make any difference?)
Yes, it don't make no diff'rence jes' since yo' git dat track an' have dat newspapah an' put it in dere right den soon as yo' pick it up. An' yo' fix lak spice.
Entry 5379
An' yo' take woman, or man's foot-track, lak if she were comin' tuh yore home an' yo' didn't wan' 'em or sompin lak dat. An' yo' jes' take dat li'le cloth yo' know, yo' wash dishes. Yo' jes' take dat an' - jes' take dat an' lay it dere an' cut it out lak, kinda lak dat track is. An' yo' go out dere lak yo's firs' start turnin' [spading] yore yard - de firs' track - an' yo' jes' dig a hole right dere an' spread dat air [that there] rag lak dat bottom of dere track. Yo' know, jes' as de track is, an' put de dirt back on it. Why he won' stay dere no mo'. Ah pract'ly [practically] know purtty neah de truth of dat. (You simply take that dishrag and cut it out the shape of his foot, and you just bury this track where it just turns away from your house. Either track?) No, yo' git de first one, eithah track, but let it be firs' track he stepped in when he starts in [into the house or onto the property]. (Then you bury that cloth right in that same track. That is to make him stay away?) Yes.
Entry 5384
Ah've heard dat chew kin take de track, de lef'-foot track, an' read de 23rd chaptah of Psalms wit dat lef'-foot track. An' yo' take dat track an' yo' put it in front of yo'. See, put it on a piece of papah, a piece of brown papah. An' yo' stan' ovah dat track an' yo' read de 23rd chaptah of Psalms, see. An' in de direction, de way dat person go, at seven a'clock, yo' throw dat dirt lak dat. Dey gone. Den yo' read dat chap- tah ag'in de nex' mawnin' at seven a'clock, yo' see, an' yo' read it at noon. Yo' read it at seven at night de nex' evenin', afternoon [12 noon], yo' see. Dat's tuh drive yore enemies away from yo', if anybody's a enemy tuh yo' or any- thin' of de kind lak dat.
(Do you take that foot track up in any special way?)
Start at de toe an' git chew a shovel or some kinda sompin an' scoop it up lak dat, but take it all up [demonstrates].
(From the toe back to the heel.)
Yes. (After they have come to your house. Then after they have left, take up one of those tracks?) Yeah, take up one of those tracks. Or if dey'd apt tuh passin' or somepin othah - jes' anywhere dey have tuh walk in de dirt.
Entry 5385
Jes' lak if yore wife would leave yo' or sompin othah. Yo' wanted 'er tuh come back. Yo' notice when she's leavin', don't bothah 'er atall. Don' try tuh hurt 'er or somepin othah. Jes' go an' git - watch 'er track. Git 'er right track. Pick it up an' yo' tie dat 'ere [there] dirt up in a rag, an' put it up ovah yore do' an' she'll come back.
Entry 5390
Now, when he go tuh yore house yo' know, lak when he go tuh leave, git some dirt out of 'is lef' track. An' pick up de dirt, take it up tuh yo', an' bury it undah de steps.
(What will that do then?)
Draw 'im back.
(When you pick up those tracks, you bring the dirt back toward you.)
Yessuh.
(These tracks he made as he was leaving your house.)
Yes, de lef' track.
Entry 5394
Ah heard dat yo' kin, if yo' wanta drive a person away, yo' kin git in fron' of dere track an' pull it tuh yo'. Take it up outa de hollah of dey feet, an' carry it home an' put it in a li'le bag, an' wear it on yo' so many days, an' den take it off an' lay it undah de eve [eaves] of yore house. Dat will bring 'im back tuh yo'. If yo' wanta drive him away, yo' git in fron' of de track an' pull it disaway [demonstrates].
(From the heel to the toe.)
Tuh de toe. An' see, if yo' wanta bring 'im back, why yo' git jis' - lak if yo' goin' dataway an' ah'm comin' on behin' yo', ah jis' gits behin' dat track an' sta't [start] from de toe an' pull it back tuh de heel. Well, see, dat turns 'im aroun'. Dat'll change yore min' [mind]. Dat'll make yo' come back. Do wit dat dirt from undah de bottom of yore feet, yo' do wit de same way yo' do, if yo' wuz drivin' 'em away. Yo' wear it somewhare close 'bout chure body. Well, yo' wear it jis' about three days. Den yo' take it an' lay it undah yore do'steps. Put it whare cain't nobody see it, undah de sill of de house or de do'steps, an' dey'll come back.
Entry 5395
Take dere track don't chew know an' stick it - an' put all of it in a bottle. An' den aftah yo' git it in a bottle, yo' stop it up an' take a aig an' write de name - de individual's name on de aig an' bury it in de groun' an' call dem three times. An' take a bah [bar] of Octagon Soap [trade name] an' take off de top wrappah an' de othah [inner] wrappah. An' take yo' a nail an' write de name on de bah of Octagon Soap, an' wrap up dat slick thin' on it [rewrap soap in slick thin', inner wrap- per], don't chew know, an' throw it in runnin' watah an' dat will mun 'em.
(You do all these things together?)
Yes sir, dose tuhgethah.
(You throw all these things at once into running water?)
No sir. Yo' take de aig an' bury de aig roun' yore do'step. An' den git de bah Octagon Soap, don't chew know, an' take de top slip off an' den dat [presum- ably inner wrapper, but I interrupt].
(What do you do with that soap then?)
Take dat soap an' git chew a nail. Write de name of dat individual dat chew wanta run. An' den put dat slick thin' back on dere an' throw it intuh runnin' watah.
(And what do you do with the foot track?)
Take hit an' stick it in a bottle an' throw it in de watah too.
(You do all these things together?)
Yes sir. Hit concludes tuhgethah.
(What do you bury that egg for?)
Bury dat egg tuh make 'em go. [To bury the preceding egg in the ground to send a person away looks more like a rite to hold the person. Yet similar burial rites with the same purpose will be found in Hoodoo. As always, intention is everything. Here the egg belongs to a tripartite rite; the other two parts being definitely send away rites. Is the egg a possible recall rite? If the sender away regrets the sending away, the egg stands ready to bring back the person. We must also note the egg has a double dressing; the name written on it, and the name called 3 times.]
Entry 5396
Dey say yo' kin take dat track - jes' lak dey wanta run yo' away - dey'll pull de track from de heel tuh de toe. An' take dat track an' take a aig, an' bo' a li'le hole in de aig an' dreen de contents of de aig out. An' put dat track in dat shell an' put a li'le bit of papah ovah it. An' go tuh a rivah, a stream or somepin dat's runnin', an' turn dat back an' throw it ovah de shouldah an' use three words dey say. Dey says, "In de Name of de Father, Son an' Holy Ghost, let dis evil one leave." But de 'Father, Son an' HolyGhost' is de word de' speak. An' throw it ovah de shouldah an' walk away an' not look back. An' dey say long as dat aig float, yo'll continue tuh go.
(Do they take either foot track?)
Eithah one or both.
(If they want to bring you to them?)
Dey git in fron' of yore track, yo' see. Let see, yes, an' pull it from de toe tuh de heel. Well, den dey don' throw dat in no rivah. Dey take dat an' fill it full of de track, de aig, an' put sompin aroun' tuh keep it from break- in' - real tight. An' dey bury dat egg undah yore steps or put it in de middle of a loose mattress where yo' sleep. An' yo' can't leave dere. Yo'll go but yo'll come right back.
Entry 5397
Ah tell yo' whut she could do. She could even take dat track an' git a aig an' she could take dat track an' put some sugah in it an' push it down in a aig an' carry it an say three words to it - curse it [with three words] an' throw dat aig on dat sun- rise. An' yo'll go. She'll git rid of yo' jis' lak dat. Ah mean not sunrise, tuh sundown, in some runnin'.watah. Dat's right in runnin' watah. An' she goin' git rid of yo'.
(She can take any track you say?)
No suh, got'a take yore lef' track, de one nex' of yore heart - yo' know on de lef' side. An' put dat track intuh a aig... (Well, does she take that track up when I am leaving her house or coming or what?) Goin' from 'er. She'll rake dat track from 'er. An' den she'll walk on tuh it an' pick it up.
Entry 5403
An' jis' lak if yo' wanta run somebody 'way from a place, if dey done yo' harm or somepin othah. Roun' - yo' don' wan' 'em roun' yo'. Jis' git dere lef' track an' put it in aigshell, in a black hen's aigshell, an' yo' drop it in runnin' watah; an' as long as dat aigshell go, dey'll go.
Entry 5409
Yo' take yore fingahs lak dis an' draw back from de end of de toe, back tuh de heel an' git de track, if yo' kin git de right foot. An' tie it up an' take it tuh a runnin' stream of watah an' - a new piece of home- spun - an' make yore wishes an' throw it ovah yore right shoul- dah. An' walk away an' not look back aftah it. An' dat would make yo' be in love wit 'im right on, make him come back tuh yo'. If he quitted yo' or sompin lak dat, yo' could do dat. (You just get his foot track between your two fingers, your index finger and little finger. Of the right hand.) Yeah. Say dat would draw 'im back. If yo' wanted tuh run 'im or drive [him away], say yo'd take yore lef' han' an' make bad wishes.
Entry 5411
Take dey ole lady's shoe track up, right up in heah. Dey take dat track up right in dere an' carry it tuh de fi'place an' lay it up in dere. Yo' know, in de fi'place up ovah dere, de whole track up dere. An' yo' could go wit 'er, 'cuz she'll lak yo'.
Entry 5412
Well, yo' take it up, if yo' Wanted 'em tuh stay wid chah. Take it up comin' tuh yuh, de lef' feet, an' tie it up in a rag. Take a brick up outa de hearth an' bury it in dere an' dey wouldn't leave yuh.
(And suppose they didn't want you to stay?)
Yo' could take it up goin' from yo' an' go off wit it. Go off lak yo'd go about a mile or sompin an' throw it ovah yore lef' shouldah an' say, "Go, God damn yo'!"
burial beneath a removed hearth brick in the retaining alternative. Do not assert the removed brick is the buried object or borrow a precise substance from adjacent entries. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 5418
Yes, ah have heard dat chew could take de track of a' individual an' yo' put it in a papah. Always, if yo' wan' 'em tuh come tuh yo', fold it tuh yo'; an' if yo' wan' 'em tuh go, fold it from yo'. See. An' bury it. (What will that do then?) Says dat it will bring 'em back. Yo' take de lef'-foot track.
Entry 5420
Heard people say dat yo' could go tuh de fo'ks of de road. Ah've heard dat about chure track too. Say, jis' lak yo'd go long dere, ah could go tuh de fo'ks of de road an' git chure track. Why dey'd use it de same way, jis' stop it up in somepin othah an' lay it up in yore house, anywhere; but long as yo' kept dat track, why yo' have de 'tention [attention] of de person.
Entry 5422
Makes some crosses intuh a crossroads. Make a cross in three forms - see, kinda, ah couldn't explain dat to yo'. (Well, just make it right there. You sit down and make it there and I'll see it.) Jis' lak dis, see [demonstrates]. Now dis de crossroads, an' dey makes it in dis mannah. Right lak dat, kin' of a "Y" shaped. Undahstan' dis way?
(Yes, like a "Y".)
Well, right up - jis' lak [demonstrates] dey come in heah [at the crossroads]. Ah come disaway - dis is de way ah live. An' dis de way - say, dat's where yo' live.
(The two prongs of the "Y" - all right, comin' together, to a meeting.)
Comin' together. An' if dey jis' take yore track from dis place, an' tie it up in a pocket hank'scuff or rag or sompin lak dat, an' tie it in a knot an' put it down undah de cornah of de do'step, yo' have tuh go.
(Go where?)
Go 'way from de city, if yo' wus in de city. (Whose doorstep do you put it under? [Your doorstepl or under the other fel- low's? This track you pick up?) De one yo' got de track off.
Entry 5434
Ah heard if yo' want someone tuh leave heah, yo' know yo' wan'a git rid of someone, an' dey way dey do, dey said dey'd git chure foot track from yore toes - git chure right-foot track from de toes an' bring it tuh yo'. An' yo' put it in a green gourd an' stop it up, an' go tuh runnin' watah, where dere's runnin' watah, an' throw it ovahbo'd. Throw it ovah yore lef' shouldah, ovahbo'd. An' dey say dat will shore run 'em away. Dey'll go somewheres.
Entry 5437
Dey git chore foot track. An' aftah dey git chore foot track, chore lef' one - git chore lef' foot track goin' from 'em. Dey git it goin' from 'em. Now, when dey pick it up, why yore track goin' dat way from 'em, why dey take an' pull it tuh 'em lak dat - pull it back tuh 'em lak dat. An' dey'll mix it wit sugah an' care [carry] it in de cemetery, an' put it right in de grave. Dig right down in de centah an' put it right down in de grave. An' dat daid [dead] spirit will jis' keep yore spirit, jis keep yuh worried up - jis' keep yuh wor- ried. Yuh heah tell of a whole lot of people dyin' in de baid? An' dat'll wor- ry 'em - DAT DAID SPIRIT'LL WORRY YORE SPIRIT UP. AN' MAYBE YORE SPIRIT'LL WAN- DAH OFF WIT DAT DAID SPIRIT, AWAY IN DE NIGHT AN' NEVAH GIT BACK; AN' YUH'LL FIND OUT DAT SOMEBODY IN DE BAID DAID.
Entry 5438
Dey take yore track, yore right track, an' carry it in de graveyard an' name it aftah yo'. Call yore name, yo' know, tuh some of dose whut dey known in de graveyard whut's dead. Put it down side de person grave an' tell 'em tuh take dis track an' take dat person away from heah. [Wilmington, N. Car., (243), 165:14 0r 240:10.]
Entry 5442
Ah've heard of people even takin' up.dere track. Jis' lak yo' walk an dey take yore track an' carry it an' take it an' bury it in de graveyard. Well, yo' be no mo' good tuh yo'self. Jis' lak now, dey'll know yore track where yo' walk along, jis' go an' pick it up, an' take it an' carry it an' bury it in de graveyard. An' yo' won't be no mo' good tuh yo'self.
(Either track, it doesn't make any difference?)
Either track, right or left. Anywhere, jis' since dey know whose track it is.
Entry 5443
Jis' lak a person walkin' in dey foot track, dey pick up de whole track an' put it in a bottle an' bury it in de cemetery. An' dey say, as long as hit stay dat way, dat person can't walk a step:
(Either track or both of them?)
Jes' from de right foot.
Entry 5444
Dey kin take yore foot track up...throw it in de cemetery...dat will give yo' bad luck...put yo' tuh driftin'.
Entry 5445
Heard of 'em jis' takin' up yore track. Dey could take up yore track an' run yo' 'way from home. Dey take dat track an' dey carry it tuh - put it undah- neat' chure step. Go tuh de graveyard an' mix some graveyard dust wit 'em, den dey bury it undahneat' chure steps.
(That is supposed to run you away?)
Dey say dat 'sposed tuh run yo' 'way.
Entry 5446
Dey say if dey git chure lef' track an' put some graveyard dirt in wit dat, an' put it undah de step; dey say dat will cuz zooh tuh be LAME IN YORE LEG, OR MAKE YO' SLEEP A LOT. [Wilmington, N. Car., (205), 112:4+85.}
Entry 5471
Well, yo' kin ketch a person's lef' track gwine away from yo' an' draw it tuh yo'. An' den yo' kin put it in a bottle an' put graveyard dirt wit it an' cayenne peppah, an' a li'le sugah an' some table salt, an' air- tight it an' throw it in runnin' water. An' den if dat bottle drift away, why yo' drift away wit it.
Entry 5472
Jis' lak ef ah wan' chew tuh move, yo' leave heah - jis' move from de place or somepin lak dat, leave out dis town. Well, ah would go behin' joo an' git chure track offa de groun'. See, jis' lak yo' goin' dis way an' ah'm comin' behin' yo'. Well, ah grab up yore right track dat way, yo' know, de dirt, behin' yuh, yo' see [demonstrates].
(From the heel to the toe.)
Yes sir, dat's right. Well, ah puts it intuh a papah or somepin othah so ah kin keep all dat dirt, see. When ah git it ah git it goin' [track going away] jis' lak daE. So - well den, ah goes tuh de cemetery an' gits some graveyard dirt, jis' anywhere, yo' know, about de grave, an' puts it in dere wit dat dirt. Well, ah put me some black peppah intuh it an' salt, see. An' den ah takes an' carry it onto de rivah somewhere, anywhere de watah's runnin'. Well, ah throws it intuh dat stream of water an' say, "Go, yo' devil, yo'." An' so dat night, ah reckon yo'll - yo' know, git goin' some way. Hit'll run yo' off, make yo leave.
Entry 5473
If yo' want 'em tuh go, yo' kin git de track up from yo' - take it from yo'. See, if yo' want 'em tuh go [demonstrates]. (Here's the toe here and here's the heel, then I take it up right like that. Like this?) Start at de hollah of de foot an' take it from dere tuh de toe. See, dat whut ah mean. Yo' want 'em tuh go. Take it jis' dis way, see. An' yo' take dat foot track an' put chew some red peppah an' some salt in dere. Listen, some grave- yard dirt, an' sew dat up an' go tuh de rivah befo' de sunrise. Yo' kin turn yore back an' throw it right where de watah's runnin' right along, an' throw it ovah dis way [demonstrates].
(Over your right shoulder?)
Yes. An' when yo' leave, yo' kin say anythin' - some of de baddest things, an' don't look back, an' walk away an' nevah look back. Dey'll go. An' if yo' wan' 'em tuh stay, yo' take it tuh yo' - if yo' wan' 'em tuh stay. Take it up tuh yo', see. Take dat track an' yo' kin fold it in a piece of news- papah. See, stretch it on out an' write dere name down nine times, an' pin it ovah yore do' an' make yore wish - where dey's comin' in an' out. An' dey's comin' in dere. Dey will continue comin' as long as yo' - until yo' take dat up an' destroy dat. Dat's tuh bring 'em, see, if yo' wanta.
Entry 5477
Jis' lak say, if ah wanted yo' tuh leave town. Yo' an' ah have become tuh be enemies, an' ah'm gonta [going to] make yo' leave town - not gonta put mah han's on yuh. Well, ah'll fool roun' until ah see yo' pass, anywheres where yo' make a imprint of a track on de sand. Well, ah'll go an' scrape up dat track, an' take it an' mix it wit gunpowdah, an' set fiah tuh it an' she'll blow up. An' dey say yo've got'a go.
(Now, how many tracks of mine would you take, both of them?)
Jis' git some of de dirt of yore track. Dey [who?] don't say eithah one, jis' say yore track.
Entry 5480
Take yuh foot track, git chah right foot, an' git choo some sulphah an' some gunpowdah, an' put it in a piece of brown papah. An' strike yuh a match tuh it an' blow it - an' light each cor- nahs of it, de fo' cornahs. It'll blow up. An' yo'll leave town. Anywhere yo're at, choo'll go, keep movin'.
Entry 5486
Ah heard 'em say, jis' lak if dey wanta run a person away, git a li'le of de dirt out dey right feet track an' put it in a gunpowder shell - put a li'le bit in de shell. Take de li'le shots out an' put a li'le bit of dat in dere an' put de li'le shots back in, an' shoot it in de way yo' want 'em tuh go. Say dat will jis' keep 'em goin'.
Entry 5488
Well, dey say yo' could take three dips of earth outa dey right track, an' take a gunshot an' take some of de shots out of it, an' put dat dirt in dere an' covah it back up, an'.shoot it anywhere, object dat chew want 'em tuh go, an' cuss 'em. Tell 'em tuh go.
(You put that into a gun. That's to make them move out?)
Yes.
Entry 5493
Take dat - yo' take yore foot track an' yo' put dat wit sulphur, red peppah an' gunpowdah an' put quicksilvah wit dat. Yo' go tuh de rivah an' go throw it right 'cross yore right shouldah. Go on an' don' look back. Dat will run yo'. Dey say dat will run yuh. Quicksilver may be the real thing, tin foil, or scrapings from back of mirror; the important idea being the five letters q-u-i-c-k.1
(You take, use either foot track. It doesn't make any difference?)
No.
Entry 5494
Take his hair...
(With that little bow.)
[Bow was mentioned before I turned on recording machine.]
Yes, take de hair an' put it in a bottle an' bury it. Yo' buries dat. Bury dat wit some of 'is tracks. See, yo' take an' bury dat wit some of 'is tracks. Dat will make him follah yo' evahwhere, anywhere yo' go. (What else do you put in that bottle?) Some of 'is hair, some of 'is dust out from undah 'is feet, an' den some of de ravels from 'is undahclothes - from undah 'is arm an' yo' know down below.
(Some of the sweat.)
Yo' know, jes' lak dey'd git chure dirty clothes an' ah'd take some of de ravels. An' put it in a bottle, undahstan', an' yo' carry dat an' bury it. Bury it out at chure do'step. He'll follah yo' anywhere.
Entry 5495
Ah says dere wuz once a man an' wife twan't [they were not] gittin' 'long good. Dey wuz gittin' 'long happy at one time an' den dey had some sort of misundahstan'in' an' dey couldn't git 'long tuhgethah. So he wuz studyin' a way how tuh make her love him an' git 'long happy tuh- gethah. So he taken some of de dirt outa her lef' track an' he fixed it up wit Hearts Cologne an' sweet camphor. [Does informant mean sweet niter, or camphor with a sweet in- gredient?] Tuk [took] an' he mixed dat all tuhgethah, an' he got three stran's of her hair out of her haid, an' he fixed it up in a li'le small sort of sompin lak a li'le small package. An' he tied it wit a string an' jes' bind it so it rest right up undah his left, right in de hairs of 'is ahm [arm], so it git de sweat on it. Well, den aftah while dey got 'long very happy.
Entry 5496
Now, ah tell yo' whut chew kin do. If ah taken some man - ah tell yo' yo' kin let a person walk away form yo' or sompin lak dat an' yo' kin take dere lef'-foot track an' pull it back tuh de heel. Yo' pick up jis' as much as yo' kin pinch in yore fingah lak dat [demonstrates] an' if yo' kin ketch 'im 'sleep, see [demonstrates] yo' git chew some hair from right up heah.
(From the top of the head.)
Yassuh. An' yo' take an' yo' put it in a bag, an' yo' weah it aroun' ovah yo' yo' know whut ah mean.
(Right over your private?)
Yeah. Weah it daily an' anythin' in de worl' dat yo' got in yore view tuh worry dat person, it will surely come tuh rest dere. Cain't he'p it. Some thin's [I know are true]. Dat's whut ah have did.
Entry 5497
Git de dirt outen dere track, in de middle of de feet, in de right feet, goin', an' git it outen de left. Den yo' take dat an' git de hair from heah [demonstrates] an' from de back.
(The hair from the top of the head, [and] the back of the neck.)
An' yo' mix dat tuhgethah an' yo' totes dose fo' luck. Totes dose fo' luck tuh git 'im back. Jes' lak if yo' have a husban' an' yo' cain't do anythin' wit 'im, an' den yo' take dat stuff an' put it tuhgethah. Dat'll always keep 'is mind always comin' back home.
(Where do you put this stuff after you get it?)
Well, yo' put it - jes' sew it up in yore dress, or eithah take it an' tie it up an' put it in yore baid mattress or yore pillah where yo' sleep on it.
(That will bring a man back.)
Entry 5498
Well, yo' take a stran' or two of yore hair out chure haid an' dey'll take an' git de bow out de back of yore hat. Yo' take dat hair an' de bow out chure hat an' yo' git a few grains of sand outa yore shoe track - out de streets an' den take an' put it tuhgethah. Sew it up in a little bag an' put it undah yore steps an' yo' cross ovah it. Why dat jes' upsets yore mind altuh- gethah. Dat's de way dey trick yo' dataway.
(Now whose steps would they put this under, mine or...?)
Dey put it undah de steps where yo' come ovah. (Well, now suppose they got all that stuff from me. Would they put it under Ty step or under your step?) Undah de step dat chew goes ovah.
(That is to upset my mind?)
Yassuh.
Entry 5499
Jes' lak if he run aroun' wit a woman, yo' kin take his track - dat's yore husban'. Take his right track an' git de dirt out de hollah of 'is foot, 'is track. Take dat dirt an' put some black peppah intuh it, an' a li'le salt, an' wrap it up in a piece of brown papah, an' bury it undahneat' of yore do'step. Put a li'le of 'is hair in dere. An' he'll stay bne.
Entry 5500
She can take and get a piece of dirt from his left-foot track, and a lock of his hair, and a piece of his underwear, and nine nails, and seven grains of red pepper, and put all of that in one pack- age, wrap very careful, and take it and put it down at the sill of the door, out the door like that, and lean the package back, and he will come back home. [Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 5501
Dey say dey take up yo' shoe track, take up de shoe track right from de door on back. Yo' take ahold of dat an' put dat in a bag. An' yo' take yore toenails, cut yo' toenails off. Yo' see: 'em trim dey toenails off. An' a piece of hair out chure haid, an' cut some of de hair undah de arm an' 'tween yore laigs. An' put all dat tuhgethah. An' yo' sew dat up in a li'le bag an' yo' buries de bag about dat deep in de groun' [demonstrates].
(About that deep, about nine inches.)
Yes sir, about dat deep. Well yo' buries it at de first step dat yo' come to.
(The first step as you come out?)
Yes sir. No sir, bury it at de bottom step when yo' come. Dat's tuh keep 'im undah 'er. Yo' see, when a woman's husban' go out too fast an' he won't try tuh come home, yo' do dat. Dat's tuh keep 'im from runnin' about.
Entry 5502
I have heard that if two men are going to see the same girl, one of the men can take some dirt from this girl's left-foot track and a piece of her hair, and make a pocket-piece of it. He puts that together in a pack- age and wears it in his left pocket. Finally, he will change the girl's mind and she will take to him instead of the other fellow. [Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 5504
Take a man who quarrel and mean in his home. You [the root doctor] take a pinch of dirt out of his right-foot track, take a piece of hair out of the lower part of you[him], get a piece of her [pubic] hair, and then wrap hers round his [pinch of dirt and hair which have been wrapped in paper or a rag], and that'll tie him to her, and he will come to seriously love her as he always did. [Doctor Frank Hall, see vol.1, Intro., P. XxIX and p.573, by hand.]
Entry 5505
Yo' kin take her right foot track. Now, lak yo' tryin' tuh make love an' dis girl doesn't want tuh make it wit yo'. An' jes' lak it seem yo' couldn't make it up wit 'er, an' in kinda speakin' tuh 'er, yo' goin' try tuh make it some- how wit 'er. Well jes' take her right track den an' jes' take yo' a flannen rag, yo' know de red flannen rag, an' jes' git 'er right toe track outa dat toe where dat dig up. Git dat. Git about as much as yo' kin pick up [with your fingers] an' put it in dat flannen an' do [tie] it up. An' git some red peppah an' put it in dat, an' git some of 'er hair. If yo' don't do it jes' den, it may be a month or it may be a yeah yo' gotta work. Git one stran' of 'er hair out 'er haid. Don't git de lef' foot, git de right one. An' when yo' git dat, put it in dis rag an' jis' wrap it up. Sew it up. See. Well, aftah yo' sew it, make a knot. See, right befo' yo' git roun', make nine knots in it; an' de las' one at de end of yore sewin' let it be nine knots. See, jes' make nine knots befo' yo' close up de end. See. An' jes' 'ninte [anoint] it good befo' yo' go tuh sewin' wit dis. Let it be a cloth string or cotton thread string. Well, jes' use spirits of turpentine, jes' ninte [anoint] it good wit dat, an' jes' make de nine knots an' den yo' got evahthin'.
(What do you do with that bag then?)
Jes' tote it in yore right pocket - keep it. An' she'll come tuh yo', BOY. [This is the second time I have been called boy.]
Entry 5508
Well now, if yo' got a man an' yo' wan's tuh drive him away - ah mean, If yo' wan'a git rid of 'im, yo' git some dirt outa his shoe track an' git some Wdr out of haid, out de top of 'is haid, an' tie dat intuh a rag an' throw it ia rummin' stream of watah, goin' downstream, an' dat will carry 'im away.
Entry 5510
De track yo' know. Dey take de track, take it from de heels tuh de toes jes' lak dis [demonstrates]. [If he]' walks dat way [away from you], why yo' take it from de heel, jes' from de heel tuh de toe. Take dat track an' throw it tuh where jes' lak dey walks on [throw it direction he is walking]. Throw it dat way an' dat'll keep 'im goin', yo' see - goin'. Lak if yo' wanted 'em comin', why yo' take it from de toe tuh de heel.
(What would you do with that, then?)
Yo' takes de track den an' yo' throw it off - yo' know, throw it so far goin' from yo' [as far as possible from you] an' dat makes 'em go.
[Informant misunderstood my question, I ask it another way:]
(What if you wanted to bring them back, what would you do with that track?)
Why, if yo' want tuh bring 'em back, why yo' kin take de track from de toe tuh de heel an' keep de track. Take de track in de design lak ah wus tellin' yuh, from 'is toe tuh 'is heel, an' keep it an' he come back. Or eithah a ring outa his shirttail. Jes' cut a roun' ring outa his shirt- tail. Cut a roun' ring outa dat an' yo' kin keep it an' he'll come back. (Just cut a ring out of his shirttail and keep it. That will make him come back.) [In addition to a ring or circle of cloth cut from clothing, squares and oblongs (coffin symbols), perhaps other designs are also cut out.]
Entry 5514
Take de track - yo' know, scoop it up off de ground. Take yore track an' throw it 'cross de house an' it will run yo' crazy. (You can't throw that track across the house. Don't you put it in something?) No sir, take a ash shevel an' take up dat track an' throw de sand 'cross de house [one-story house].
(You don't put it'in anything then?)
No sir, jes' throw it 'cross de house an' it run yo' crazy.
(Either track?)
Yes sir, either track.
Entry 5515
A sock - lak yo' would take any of yore sock an' git chure track an' put it in, up ovah de house an' den yore laigs go bad, give yo' somepin lak de rheumatism. (Would they take either sock to do that?) No suh, dey take de lef' sock, becuz in othah words de lef' sock is fo' any bad luck.
(What do they put in that sock now?)
Dey put chure track. Lak yo' step down heah, well dey jes' pick up yore track an' throw it ovah de house. No suh, ovah yore house.
(But they have put this stuff in your sock first?)
Have tuh put chure track in yore sock. (In other words you would get my track and put it in my sock and thrcw it over your house.) No suh, ah'd git chure track an' yore sock, an' put chure left track in yore sock an' throw it ovah yore house.
(I see, I understand. All right.)
Entry 5516
People wan's people tuh move out of a house, why dey gits de drop on dat fellah when he's walkin' an' watch 'im, yo' see. An' prob'ly [they] take a bottle or maybe tobacco can or snuff- box or somepin an' git de dust out of 'is lef'-foot track dere. Prob'ly walk aroun' dat house an' throw it across it. An' well, dey can't live dere no more.
(Where do they throw it across?)
Throw it across de eaves.
(Right across the roof of the house?)
Yes, sir. As it go ovah, he leaves it open so dat it might scattah as it go across, yo' know. (I see, leave that bottle or can open as you throw it over the house, and scatter the dust over the roof. That will make them leave the house.) Well, dey becomes tuh be dissatisfied wit de house, won' be satisfied until dey move. An' it ain't goin' be very long befo' dey moves.
Entry 5519
Yo' kin take de lef'-foot track an' stop it up in a bottle, an' put in an ole house dat's not any good, yo' see, an' den yo' could make dem come back, if yo' wan' 'em back. (You take this bottle with the foot track in it and put it in an old house. That is supposed to bring the person back?) Dat's right.
Entry 5520
Dey tell me dat dey take dat foot track an' take a hot iron an' put on dat foot track. An' carry dat iron an carry dat iron home an' put dat same iron on top of a cloth. An' fold dat cloth up an' hide it somewhere in de ceilin', or in de roof of de house some place. An' dey says dat will cause dat person to go crazy.
Entry 5535
Well, ah kin take dat foot track if ah jis' - say jis' WAN'A KEEP ANY- yo' see. Ah kin jis' ketch 'er track in a clear place, an' git a nice li'le stick an' measure dat track, an' git a good size bottle. An' ah'll sew dat track up in a red flannen cloth, an' ah will git nine bran'-new needles, see, an' stick it in dat cloth. Stick de needle right up lak dat in dat cloth, see. An' git three rusty nail an' tie it tuh- gethah, an' drop it in dat bottle an' cork it up airtight, an' evahthin' will be okay. Won' have no mo' trouble gittin' along wit chure wife.
(You said you use the stick for something?)
Yes, jis' any piece of li'le stick. Yo' jis' kin take a knife an' run off a li'le piece jis' long 'nuff tuh measure de track lak dat, see. Den yo' take de li'le stick an' yo' break it up, break it up in a li'le pieces, see. An' yo' put it in dat red flannen an' sew it up. Yo' take up dat track yo' know. Yo' take dat track up, see, an' put it in dat flannen jis' where yo' measurin' it. Sew it up an' take dem nine needles [etc.].
Entry 5540
Now, dey kin take dat foot track of yores an' use it jis' lak dey wan'a. Well, dey takes a knife an' a rule an' measure yore foot tracks an' print it on a piece of papah. Den yo' carries de name. Jis' lak yo' say, ah wan'a do as ah wan'a wit dis person. Yo' carry de name three times. Write yore name. (They measure that foot track with the ruler and then take a piece of paper, a piece of paper the length of the foot track.) Dat's right an' den dey take yore name an' dey draws yore name in a box, in a square, in the box, diamond and heart. Dey write yore name. Yore name would be Jones Johnson. Dey put it backwards, yore name would be Johnson Jones, yo' undahstan'. An' dey cast dat in de light in de lamp, an' have yo' do jis' whut dey want yo' tuh do. Dat's right, dat's fer quick wishes.
Entry 5543
(I am going to talk to a girl now who was here the other day, by the name of Mary Magdalene. I am not certain that I have her material on the rec- ords, so to be certain I am going to take it down again. Her number was 679.) (All right, go ahead I want to be ableto hear you.) It's a man - if yo' want him to come back, yo' know, and if he goes out chure house, well yo' pick up the left-foot track, the dirt. Put it into a box and shut it up. And get to de right-foot track and get yo' a pine stick - about this long a stick - and take it and nail underneath of de steps. And take that dirt and bring it into your house, and put it right underneath - place it right underneath of your mattress, if you want him to come back, and he can't get away from you. [THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPH IS VERY COMMON IN HOODOO, SOMETHING IS MISSING. THESE FREQUENT MISSING SOMETHINGS REQUIRE TOTAL CONCENTRATION ON WHAT THE SPEAKER SAYS. FOR THIS REASON I ASK THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:]
(You said something about a pine stick?)
Yes, sir.
(What do you do with that?)
Measure that stick just as long as his right foot. And nail it underneath of your step. [Informant's answer is quite evident in her original statement, but her ex- planation was necessary for the record.]
(I see.)
But the bottom where you measure it - the bottom of it, turn it towards the ground. [That part of the stick touching ground during measurement must when tacked under step face downwards towards ground.l
(I see.)
Underneath the step, tack it up underneath the step. And you place that dirt in your bed mattress where you sleep.
(That's the dirt from the left foot?)
Yes, sir.
(And what do you measure with this stick?)
The right one.
[This is merely checking, not trying to trick informant.]
(The right one, and what is that to do?)
That's to make him stay. (Make him stay. Now, what kind of tracks do you get? His tracks out there, any track?) When he leaves out, yes sir - just right where he steps on de dirt.
(Oh, when he's going away?)
Yes, sir.
(I see.)
Entry 5545
Yeah, yo' kin take up a person's foot track jis' lak yo' kin - yo' know, a person walk along, why yo' kin go dere an' take de measure. Take yo' a string an' measure dey foot, de width an' de length. Yo' kin use both if yo' wan' tuh. Dat's whut dey tell me, dat yo' kin use both of 'em wit a string. Measure de width an' de length wit dis string. An' den yo' go tuh work an' yo' bury it at dere back do'steps. Dat string jis' de length of dey foot, yo' bury it dere an' event'ly [eventually] dey'll jis' leave 'way from dere. Dey cain't rest dere.
(You make both measurements with the same string?)
Wit de same string, see; an' yo' bury dat string.
Entry 5546
Take yo' measure an' dey kin weah dat measure aroun' 'em.
(How would they take that measure?)
Dey git 'em a cord string or any kinda string an' take dat measure of yorn an' weah it aroun' 'em.
(The measure of this foot track?)
Yessuh. (What will that do then?) Dat keeps 'em down.
Entry 5547
Git chew a bran'-new piece of cord string, cord string. Go an' buy yo' a ball a nickel[!] ball of cord string, undahstan'. An' yo' ketch dat track. Yo' watch 'em where dey pass an' yo' go dere an' yo' measure dat from yore toe to yuh heel. Tie dat knot in dere [at the length] an' put it in yore pocket. Den yo' got 'em.
(How do you mean you got them?)
If yo' wanta bring 'em tuh yo' or whut chew wanta do. Tuh stop 'em from walkin' or fix 'em any Way yo' want, well yo' got 'em, yo' see.
Entry 5549
I did [this]. Take it an' measure it, yore foot tracks. Take it an' take a rule an' yo' measure dat foot track.
(Both of them?)
Well, not necess'ry. Try tuh git de right feet. Git de right feet where de heart's on, de side de heart's on - git de right[!] feet. Yo' take dat. Take it an' measure it, den yo' bring it back home. Aftah yo' bring it back home [I interrupt]. (Do you bring it [foot track] back or the measure?)[Informant does not understand my noun use of word measure. Measurement would have been better.] No, yo' take a rule an' measure de foot track. Or prob'ly, yo' may not have a rule, might take a stick an' break it off, measure it. Yo' taken an' yo' bring it [rule or stick] back home. An' yo' git yo' a toadfrog, not a bull frog. Take it an' put 'im in a stove an' parch 'im. An' take some - well, yo' kin take or'nary [ordinary] papah, take a papah bag, if it's nes'ry [necessary] an' cut dat foot step out an' wrap dat up, an' tie it up in de chimley.
(Wrap this frog stuff [powder] in this paper that you cut out?)
Yes, wrap it all up in dat, an' wrap it - don't wrap it from yo', WRAP IT TUH YO', ALL DE WAY WIT YORE LEF' HAN' 'CUZ YO' SUPPOSED TUH BE DOIN' A PIECE OF EVIL WORK. DAT'S ALONG DE LINE LUCIFAH WORRED, DAT'S NOT ALONG DE LINE WHAT CONCEN- TRATED IN WIT WILL POWAH, WHAT SUPPOSED TUH BE DEALIN' WIT' DE ASTRAL FORCE. (Well, now what will that do, when you fix my foot track that way? What will that do to me?) Well, if yo' runnin' off, it make yo' come back.
(Oh, that brings you back.)
Entry 5550
I learnt dat if yo're meetin' me an' ah'm meetin' yo', dat ah pick up yore right track, an' den turn roun' an' pick up mah right track. An' den [I] turn off an' walk off from yo', an' take dat right track an' carry it back [home]. Wrap it up in a piece of new cloth an' take it tuh runnin' watah an' throw it in dere. An' dat would cuz yo' tuh go, jis' keep agoin', yo' know.
(What would you do with your right track then?)
Well, de both of 'em - mine would be wit me yo' know, but ah mix mine wit yores, an' dat would make me stay an' yo' go.
(If you are walking toward me and I'm walking toward you?)
Uh-huh.
(And after you pass me you turn around and get my right track?)
No, Wait jis' a minute. WOULD JOO ALLOW ME TUH SHOW YO' Yo' see, here yo' come, meeting me, an' we jis' meet right up tuhgethah like dat an' dere we're standin'. An' we'll talk. An' well, aftah yo' pass by me or yo'll turn off tuh go some place, ah'll reach down an' git chures an' ah'll git mine.
(Just a little bit out of each one?)
Yas. An' den ah puts 'em tuhgethah. Now, deres anothah idea tuh be put wit dat but still ah haven't happened tuh learn it yet. Yo' put 'em tuhgethah an' den yo' take dem home an' yo' put 'em in dat new cloth yo' see. An' yo' tie dat up, so dey say, an' den dey'll throw it intuh rumnin' watah an' turn off like dat an' go on off. (After you throw it into running water, you turn your back and don't look back at the running water again.)
Entry 5552
Now ah have heard dat if yo' wanted tuh vanish a person, in uddah words, dat's runnin' 'em off, drivin' 'im on. Yo' git up early in de mawnin'. Say ah were goin' dis way, but chew don't go in de direction ah'm goin'. Yo' come from de direction ah'm goin'. An' git a little of de dirt right out de hollah of mah track.
(How do you scoop that up?) From de toe [demon- strates]. (From the toe to the heel.)
Right in de hollah of it. See, yo' take dat sand tuh a runnin' stream, an' throw dat sand in dat runnin' stream, an' repeat de Three Highest Names. Jes' throw dat sand in de runnin' stream.
(What will that do then?)
Dat will run dem off.
Entry 5554
Take up a track an' put it ovah a glass.
(On a glass. What kind of a glass?)
Eny kin' of lookin' glass.
(Oh! It must be a looking glass, a mirror?)
No, a mirrah [mirror] glass. An' yo' ta' kem [take them] back home.
(That all you do to it?)
No, den go tuh work an' take.some sweet cologne [unusual term] an' sprinkle 'em in de track.
(Which track do they get?)
Dey git de right-foot track. Pick it up - shovel it up an' put it on de mirrah, an' take dat cologne an' sprinkle ovah it an' put it tuh one side. An' evah day dey goes in dere an' sprinkle some more cologne fer nine days, an' in de nine days he'll come back.
Entry 5556
Well, ah heard of a - if anybody yo' wants tuh do anythin' tuh an' yo' see 'em walkin', yo' could take a wire nail an' drive it right down in 'is track an' dat'll stop 'im from walkin'.
Entry 5559
She an' ah were talkin' an' she said tuh me, "See dat man on top of dat lumbah pile?" Ah said, "Yes." She said, "Tuhmorrah he'll be gone." Ah said, "How will dat happen?" She say, "Ah'm goin' tuh git 'im tuh go." So she ast 'er how'd she do it. An' she said she'd taken a big rusty nail, an' as he walked along leavin' 'is footsteps, she drove dat nail right down in de centah of dat hollow of 'is feet. (Either foot?) De right feet. He gone. Ah nevah did see him any more.
Entry 5561
Take a ten-penny nail an' tell it whut chew want an' drive it right in de hollow of dey feet when dey leavin' home, drive it up, an' jes' tell it whut chew want it tuh do, call their name, an' say dey'll move way from dere. But ah've nevah tried dat...
(But you must put it in the foot track as they leave...?)
Yeah...
(Either track?)
Aw, de right track. [Wilson, N. Car. (1470), 2652:14.]
Entry 5563
Ah heard dat dey kin take dese heah ten-penny nails an' drive 'em in yore track an' it will kill yo'. Jes' drive nine nails in yore track, both yore tracks, de right foot an' de lef' foot, jes' whichevah way yo' goin'.
Entry 5569
Take yore track up - listen good - an' he kin write chure name in dat track, in dat sand. An' den take dat sand an' put it intuh a cup [can with lid] an' den go tuh de house where chew stay at, an' go roun' dat house three times an' t'row dat cup ovah dat house. An' den go git dat cup an' slacken de lid on it....
(Get that cup and do what?)
Slacken de lid, whereabout, whenevah dey gits tuh a runnin' stream, dat dat lid'll come off an' dat sand'll explode in dat stream. An' when de' t'row dat Smd in dere, whut dey taken outa yore track, why den dat watah carry dat. Dat'll o yore mind tuh wandah.
(That makes your mind wander away.)
Jis' lak dat watah carries it, dat'll cuz yore mind [to do likewise].
(He puts this into a can with a lid on it.)
Entry 5586
Well, if a man a long way from home an' he wanta come back - she have tuh do dis befo' he git off do [though]. Git 'is track from 'is right foot, from de toe back tuh de heel, an' sew hit up in a bran'-new piece of cloth, an' tote it in 'er pocket evahwhere she go. But she mustn't let nobody put dey han's on it. An' he come home back tuh 'er.
Entry 5589
De only thing ah evah heard about dat - ah ain't nevah seen dat tried - but de only thing ah've heard about dat, jes' lak if ah wanted to do sompin to a fellah to gain de influence of 'em. Yo' take jis' de middle of de hollah of 'is track an' put it in a small bag an' tote it fo' so many days.
(How many days?)
Ah think it's nine days.
Entry 5590
Ah've heard 'em say dat yo' could git de - if dey wan'a fix yo' fo' dere own benefit, to bring 'em to dem, yo' take dere lef' track from de toes. Yo' wan'a take it up wit a shovel or a hoe. Take it from de toe back to de heel. Dey takes dat den an' put it in a li'le bag. An' dey take dat bag an' secure dat fo' nine days. Den dey open it. Dey puts a li'le salt, table salt in dat bag, an' dey carry dat bag wit 'em. Dey weah dat aroun' de waist.
Entry 5591
Yassuh, take yore foot track an' tie it up into a cloth an' bury it fo' nine days, an' aftah nine days go back an' dig it up an' put it in runnin' watah.
(What will that do to me?) Dat supposed tuh make yo' go jis' as long as dat goes. (Would either track of mine be all right?)
No, de same track. Dey take yore lef' track.
Entry 5606
An' yo' kin take dat track an' yo' kin take it an' bury it. Bury it undah de jamb of a fence; lak dey'd put a rail fence, jis' put it right uud. 'i one dem jambs. Yo' bury it dere. Well, s'long [so long] as it stay dere dat person'ull [person will] jis' commence tuh pin'in' [pine + ing] away. Yo'll commence tuh pin'in' away. An' de track dat cheW gOt, DAT'LL MAKE DAT FEET EAT OUT RIGHT IN DAT HOLLAH an' DAT 'CASION [OCCASION] YO' DEN TUH SOON BE DEAD. An' a PerSOn won't know whut de cuz of it, yo' see. [I do not know the exact meaning of, jamb of a zigzag rail fence. It could be the place where rails overlap one another, or where the fence is braced with leanto posts, or a right-angle corner where extra bracing was required. See following margin title for further details.]
Entry 5607
An' ag'in dey could take yore lef'-foot track - down at de bottom of it, right in hollah of it - an' dey could take dat an' carry it tuh nine fence cornah, rail fence. (To nine corners where the rail fences meet.) [For this hazy comment, see later.] Dat's right an' dey could take it an' put dat in dere an' dey could run yo' 'way den. (Now wait a minute! They [I pick up informant's dey] dirt and then you put it in one rail fence corner, then you go to another rail fence corner. Do you mean the fence corners where this rail fences goes like that? [I demonstrate, probably by interlocking my fingers without bending them - looking like a row of X's.] You put it in one right after the other in nine of these poles - where these rails meet like that, at right angles? [The angles are much wider than 90°.] What will that do to you?) Dat's right. Dat will run yo' away. [Back before World War I the old pioneer rail fence that snaked or zigzagged along the ground (see ILLUSTRATIONS) had just about disappeared in my part of the country in Illinois and across the Mississippi in Missouri. Twice rail fence is mentioned in FACI, 1st ed., Nos.589 and 7422. Rail fence also occurs several times in Hoodoo, including the margin title preceding this one. Nine corners I interpret as 9 consecutive zigs and zags of the fence, though informant appears to indicate 1 place, not 9 places. Perhaps parallel beliefs found elsewhere will solve the problem.]
Entry 5609
Ah know dis happened in Tampa. Take dis foot track of a person dat chew disliked. An' yo' kin git it an' yo' kin put it intuh a piece of red flan- nel. An' yo' kin carry it tuh a rivah of runnin' watah, an' throw it ovah yore lef'- han' shouldah an' say, "Go," an' make a curse word. An' dat person shall leave.
(You get what track?)
De left one, always de left if dey do anything.
(Why always the left?)
Don't know why de lef' but dey says de lef'.
Entry 5611
Yo' kin take up a person track an' put it in a bag, an' put red peppah in dere on yore track, an' dat'll make yo' lose yore mind, almos' run yo' crazy.
Entry 5616
They dit up the whole left-foot track and put it in a bottle. Take it and throw it in the river. They can put a little water in or a little cayenne pepper, if you want, make a wish, throw it in the river - and throw it away. You wish them to stand still or to drown, you wish them good or wish them bad, anything you want to.
Entry 5617
Take a fellah's track. Git right 'long behin' 'im an' take his track, if he be walkin', movin'. Yo' know right whilst he's movin', git 'is track from right behin' 'im. An' dey say dey'll take dat track den an' dey'll go git some black peppah, red peppah, turpentine, Sloan Linament - anything real hot whut'll burn yo' know. Says dey'll put it in dis track den an' dey'll take it den an' go tuh a runnin' stream of watah. Dey'll stan' wit dere lef' shouldah tuh dis stream of watah, an' dey'll throw it ovah de lef' shouldah an' den dey'll walk away. Well, dey say den dat track as it floats down de stream, say dat'll take, carry yo' on off - will run yo' away from home, jis' make yo' go on where- evah dat goes. Yo' jis' go on off till yo' die.
(How many tracks of mine do they take - or just one?)
Jis' takes one track - eithah one.
Entry 5618
Take dere tracks an' take a pinch, three pinches an' git chew nine grains of red peppah an' nine grains of black peppah an' nine peas of black- eyed peas, an' put it in a bottle an' throw it ovahbo'd, an' don' look back. Says she'll 'peah [appear] 'way from dere. (Here's the track like that. You take three pinches out of that track - either track, the right track or theleft?) De right track.
Entry 5633
If someone gone away an' dey wuz persuaded away by some person dat's tryin' to do yo' harm in de family or somepin of de kin', an' dey git dis person out an' tell 'em to leave home, ah wouldn't stay dere; an' den, yo' 'see, dey're tryin' to do yo' harm. Dey would git dis person off, an' den dey would give 'em somepin to keep 'em away from yo'. Ah've heard dat.
(What do they give them?)
Dey say dey would fix up somepin in dere food, some kin', lak women have, an' put it in dere food. An' den to bring 'em back, a lady tol' me dis, she wuz a ole lady, she's daid now, she tol' me dis to bring 'em back. She said if yo' wan' 'em, desire dem back home an' couldn't git 'em back, said if dey did come to see yo', if dey happen to come to see yo', yo' git some salt an' red peppah an' some sulphur, an' sprinkle it in dere tracks when dey leave ag'in, so dey come back ag'in dey wouldn't go back any mo'. If dey leavin', dat'll bring 'em back.
Entry 5638
Yore left track - if yo' goin' down 'er steps, she could rake yore left track to her an' jis' mix a little sugah an' salt wit it, an' yo' jis' keep yore min' on 'er all de time. (What would she do with that track?) Heah it, Weah it in a little bag, an' dat jis' keep yore min'.
Entry 5643
Ah learnt dat if yo' wants tuh drive a person away wit dere track, git 'em - jis' like yo' see a person walkin' up de street, de firs' track he put down, keep yore eyes on 'em an' go an' pick de firs' track up. Git chew a siftah whut have nevah been used befo' an' sift it through dat. Take it in yore home an' at mawnin', jis' as early as yo' possibly kin git up, jis' take it an' walk out an' look right straight up, an' throw part of it to de east an' part to de no'th, part to de s'uth an' part to de west. Dat will keep 'im goin'.
(Sending you away with your track.)
Entry 5646
Dey kin go an' see yore track an' begin at de toe an' pick it up completely to de heel, right undah de middle. Don't let any of it fall off, evah bit of it. An' put it in a silk piece of cloth, a piece of silk ole or new. Don't make [no difference] jis' so long as it's silk. An' go to de rivah, drop in de middle of dat rivah. Don't say a word but jis' make yore wish, jis' like yo' say, "Go, yo' devil! Yo' go!" Turn yore back de moment yo' drop it an' don't look back. Come on away an' dey'll go.
Entry 5650
Well, ah'll tell yuh whut dey do. Dey takes dere track an' den dey pats some kinda stuff wit it, see. An' dey take dat track an' den dey take it an' dey'll throw it eithah ovahbo'd or dey buries it, see. Or dey put it in a dirty sock an' dey'll bury it, see. An' dat will prohibit yuh from goin' if yuh vanta go some place.
(Keep you from going where?)
Wherevah yuh wanta go. Jis' like providin' if yuh got somebody an' dey love yuh, see. An' dey kin prevent yuh from goin', why dey takes dat track, see. An' dey'll fix it an' dey bury it. An' dat will keep yuh from goin' away.
(What sort of powder did they put in that track, did you say?)
Dey puts some ingredients in it, see.
(What do they put in it?)
Dey puts spice, sugar, or salt, eithah one, an' dey bury it.
Entry 5652
Like dat yo' git mad wid a fellah like dat, yo' ketch 'im goin'. Ah think he mus' be goin' east, yeah. An' yo' gits nine pinches outa his right track, dey tells me, an' yo' takes it an' yo' puts it in a bottle or anything an' stop it up. An' yo' spit in it nine mawnin's. An' de en' de nine mawnin's so' carry it down to de rivah, see, an' throw it ovahbo'd. An' tell me dey'll go away from home an' won't nevah come back no mo'.
Entry 5653
Dey kin take yore foot track up. Jis' go out an' jis' lak yo' stan' in de sand, take it up wit a silvah spoon. Jis' take it up real lightly an put it in a bottle, an' stop it up an' throw it in runnin' watah an' it will carry yo' away.
(Either track?)
No suh, have tuh be yore lef' track.
Entry 5661
Dey take yore track, if yo's goin' some place, an' dey wan' chew tuh come back. Whey dey git chure track - why jis' take it an' bring it tuh yo'. Jis' take it an' put sugah wit it, an jis' put jis' as much sugan as dere is track. An' stick it down undah yore do' or in yore house some place, why yo'd have tuh come.
Entry 5691
You can take a pinch of dirt out of the hollow of anyone's right-foot track, and take a pinch out of the heel, and one out of the toe. Then, go up to the foot of a grave, take a pinch out of the foot of the grave and mix it with one of them parts [from the foot track], and then bury it at the foot of the grave. And take up another pinch of the head [of the grave] and mix it with another part [of track dirt] and bury that at the head of the grave. And take up another pinch at the [grave] center and mixit with the last part [of track dirt], carry it and throw it in strong running Water. And make your wishes, wish you would go away. That'll run any of them away. [From Doctor Frank Harris, out in country, near Suffolk, Nansemond Co., Va., by hand. For this man, see INTRO., v.1, p. XXIX, line 24f., and elsewhere.]
Entry 5697
Takin' yore track, jis' find yore track. An' dey'll take de soil jis' where yo' track, take it up an' put it intuh a envelope, or intuh anything dat would come tuh be air- tight. An' dey keep dat fo' three days. An' den aftah de three days, why dey take it an' bury it - bury yore track. An' dey claim in dat way, why dey kin make yo' think well of 'em, make yo' stay wit 'em an' be nice tuh 'em. If yo' be cruel, why it'll cuz yo' tuh come tuh love dem, stay wit 'em.
(Where would you bury this track?)
Why dey would bury it somewhere roun' dere dwellin' - where dey be livin', where dey wan' dat person tuh stay. (Do they take up just one track or both of them or does it make any differ- ence?) Well, dey would always lak tuh have de right track, de right track.
Entry 5698
Mah gran'mothah said dat yo' could take dat track up an' wrap it up, an' yo' could tote it roun' in yore pocket fo' 'bout three days, an' throw it in a stream of watah. As long as dat watah runnin' why yo'll be crazy, an' as long as dat watah runnin' yo' be goin' places. Yo' won' stay in one place, yo' be goin' jis' keep goin'; jis' keep yo' upset an' worried until dat watah stop. In othah words, long as de watah run yo' upset.
(You take either track?)
No sir, yo' take de lef' track.
Entry 5700
She's livin' not far from me an' ah seen 'er do dis. She would git up evah mawnin' de time she knowed dis man wuz goin' tuh 'is work. An' she'd go on out - ah git tuh de windah dere an' ah look - an' she'd pick up 'is track, three mawnin's. She picked up jis' one track, his lef' track. She picked it up from de heel an' bring it up disaway, from de heel tuh de toe. An' put it in a rag an' put it in 'er bosom an' put some salt in it, becuz she tole me dat's de way she fixed it. An' dis man on de fo'th mawnin' he wuz back tuh 'er house. He wuz stayin' wit 'er but anothah woman wuz goin' tuh take 'im away from 'er an' wuz gittin' 'im back. An' he wondahed how it come he wuz back dere. Ah tole him ah didn't know. Ah didn't tell 'im nuthin, yo' know, she'd bein' doin'. An' she said de nex' evenin' when ah come home, "Ah," she says, "John's back. Ah tole jah ah wuz gon'a git 'im back." Ah said, "Did jah?" She said, "Yeh." Ah says, "Yo's all right. "[
Entry 5705
Well, if a person make yo' mad an' yo' wan' 'em tuh leave dat town, yo git 'is left track, an' if yo' come tuh a railroad anywhere, yo' take an' git some of dat dirt where dat train run out, an' throw it on dat train, an'say, "Go, yo' son-of-a-bitch." An' jis' as long as train will run, Be'll try tuh ketch up wit it. Don' care where. Yo' chunk it right on top de train. An' jis' as long as dat train will go, don' care if outa de state, he'll try tuh ketch it. When dat train stop he'll stop.
Entry 5712
Well, dey kin take yo' foot track an' dey kin put it in a box.
(Which foot track do they take, either one?)
Take eithah one of 'em an' put it in a box, an' shet yo' foot track up in dat box an' carry yo' foot track away, an' bury it in some great big ole wood in some tree an' let it stay dere. An' yo'll git tuh de place where yo' can't walk. Yo'll nevah have no mo' good atall, yo' won' be no good tuh yo'self. Paralyze yo', yo' can't walk atall.
Entry 5713
Yo' wants whut could ah do tuh make yo' move out dis house. Well, all right, ah'll tell yo'. Now, ah could git some of yore track. Yo' make a track on de groun'. An' ah'm gona take dat track up an' ah'm gona put dat track in a sack or tie it up in a rag. An' ah'm gona ca'y [carry it out, way out in de woods, an' ah'm gona hang it up; an' ah'm not gona look back at it. An' yo' gona move.
(Where are you going to hang that?)
Hang it 'way up in de tree, out in de woods.
(Will you take either one of my tracks or just one track?)
Jis' take eithah one of 'em, jis' one.
(That will make me move.)
Entry 5718
De cocklebur.
(That's a bush, isn't it, with stickers on it? What do they do with that?)
Say yo' kin hang anything up in dat tree an' if yo' want me tuh go, ah'm gone. Dey say, all yo' gotta do if yo's mad wid me, yo' take my track an' put it in a cup or a bottle, wit some red peppah an' hang it up in dat tree. (What kind of a tree.) A cocklebur. Evah time when de win' blows, see dat cup will go roun' an' roun' dat way an' come back dataway [unwind the other way]; an' when dat string rotten an' broke, den ah'm gone.
(How high is that cocklebur tree?)
Ooh some of it real high an' some of 'em - de young 'un ain't so high. (It has those little stickers on it, hasn't it, those little burs? The cock- lebur?) Dat's right. [Cocklebur appears twice in FACI, 1st ed., but the present rite is the first and only time I ever heard of a cocklebur tree! Does he mean chestnut, buckeye, sweet gum, or what?]
Entry 5719
Take yo' track an' rake it from de toe back tuh de heel. Dey take dat sand an' dey tie it up in a rag an' it hangs dere fer so many days. Have it tied up in a tree or a ceilin'. Hangs it in de centah dere. Dey puts nine stick pins in it, two needles. Go across lak dat [demonstrates], pins lak dis; jis' put de needles up an' down, right across dere. Now, dat's tuh run yo' away from dere. Do yo' harm so dat yo' can't git along wit nobody dere. (Now they take up that track, they get six [nine] pins. and two needles. And what do they do with those?) Take an' put de pins dis way [demonstrates].
(Put the pins one way.)
Put de pins dis way an' dis way, an' de middle pin goin' cross dem two needles right 'cross dere.
(I see, they make a cross. Then what do they do with those things?)
Tie de things up.
(I see, they tie that foot track and these needles and pins in a rag.)
Dat's de one dat... [I interrupt. Informant was about to say, "Dat's de one dat keep yo' confus- ed."]
(Then what do they do with that rag?)
Take an' tie it up an' put it at de cornah of yo' baid. [Previously inform- ant said center of ceiling. Bed or ceiling causes confusion in home.] Dey takes de track an' yo' tie dat dirt up in a tree, tuh a limb tuh a tree. Dat's tuhmake yo' leave.
(What foot track do they take?)
De lef' foot track.
(What do they tie it up in?)
Piece of rag, jis' in any kinda rag. (What do they do with that foot track with those needles and pins in? What do they do with that?) Tie it undah yore baid. Dat's tuh keep yo' confused. Yo' an' yore family are confused.
Entry 5720
Yes sir, yo' take nine pins; new pins, see.
(Straight pins.)
[Ordinary pins in Hoodoo are frequently called straight.]
An' three of 'em wit de point dataway [demonstrates], three wit de point dat- away, an' three wit de point dataway. Wrap 'em kinda [demonstrates]. (Just like - a crossing-like - like a big "x".) An' jis' wrap 'em up an' stick anywhere yo' wanta stick 'em, yo' undahstan', an' yo' stick dem pins dere fo' nine days. If yo' wanta jis' do 'way wit de fellah or evah who i'tis [it is], jis' let dem pin stay dere 9 days. An' aftah dem nine days, yo' go an' git dem pins an' stick 'em right down at de foot of de tree. Whosomevah yo' put 'em on, yo' undahstan', an' dat will disappeah dem.
(Where do you stick those pins the first time though?)
Jis' stick 'em right in a tree.
(No, the first time you stick them, before you put them away?)
Stick 'em in a tree, stick 'em in lak dat, chew know. (Well, how do I know that I'm going to get the right fellow by using these pins?) [Informant merely has the person in mind, which is sufficient; but instead of saying I have him in mind or mentally name him, informant now creates the newrite by crossing two of the pins in the person's track.] Well, if yo' know who i'tis, yo' kin git 'im. Yo' kin git 'im by takin' two of dem pins an' watchin'. Yo' know 'im. Jis' go tuh 'is track wheresomevah he make it, an' Jis' take two of dem pins an' cross it.
(Cross them in the track?)
Yeah. An' den take dem up an' wrap 'em tuhgethah. An' when yo' do dat yo' vill known den dat [you have the right man]. An' dem pins, yo' take dem pins from up heah [on the tree] an' put 'em down heah [on the tree]. Yo'll jis' wat' chureself [watch yourself].
(Now, these two pins are taken out of these nine pins?)
Dat's right. (You cross them in his track, and pick them up and put these nine pins together and stick them in the tree. Then they stay there nine days and you take them and bury them in the foot of the tree. And that sends him away. Does it run him away or kill him or what?) Run 'im away. He'll nevah come back no mo', an' won' give yo' any trouble. [Before informant removed 2 pins to cross in victim's track, the 9 pins were stuck into a piece of cloth to look like a man walking (this being a walking or sending away rite), each line being tripled i and forming the spokes in a 3-spoke wheel or the third of a circle. By /crossing these separate 3 pins as a group over a common center we obtain a 6-spoke wheel Xfound elsewhere in Hoodoo.]
Entry 5721
(Have you ever heard of a person getting hold of your foot track and doing something with that to harm you?) Well, dey kin.
(What could they do with that?)
Well, dey kin take dat, take dat wit gunpowdah, an' while yo' are sleepin', call yo' an' yo' answah. Dat's yo'. Dey got yore spirit den. See, dey got chure spirit. See dat's all dey want. An' den dey kin take it tuh a tree, say a gum tree, an' dey kin split dat gum tree an' tack it up in dere.
(What do they tack up in there?)
Dey kin tack or eithah kin splice [split] it [tree]. Put dat right in.
(What do they put in?)
Put de track - put de track in dere. See, de tree will burn.
(What do they do with that gunpowder?)
Dat gunpowdah will keep it hot. Keep yo' hot. Yo' can't stay no one place. Yo' nevah be contented. [In the present rite a part of the victim's spirit, his foot track, has already been caught and mixed with gunpowder in a bottle - see PART OF SPIRIT EQUALS WHOLE SPIRIT, p.2lf. For good measure informant now catches spirit re- maining in victim's body by calling his name and closing bottle when he answers (see TO CATCH A SPIRIT, p.24f.). Whether these two wholes or two parts of the spirit unite in the bottle, or the gunpowder keeps them dancing apart, I do not know. Evildoer pours contents of bottle into a split made in gum tree and re- moves wedge. The word gum adds to the confusion.]
Entry 5729
Jis' lak now if yo' wanta take dey feet track, lak de girl, lak yo' leavin' heah now, dey slip on out de do' an' git chure feet track, an' carry it back in de house an' put it in a box. Go tuh de graveyard roun' about twelve or one a'clock - between twelve an' one. Git tuh some grave where dey dyg a fresh grave, see. An' yo' take it [dirt] an' mix it in wit it [track], an' some table salt.
(Begin right from the beginning. What are you going to do, now?)
Jis' lak yo' be leavin' heah now, [you] step on de groun' an' make a feet track. Take de feet track up on it - in a piece of papah, shingle or anythin' lak dat.
(Either one or both foot tracks?)
From de heel tuh de toe. Den go at one a'clock or twelve a'clock at night - go on tuh de graveyard. Git thirteen han'ful dirt out, if ah ain't mistaken, of a fresh grave. Den when yo' fix tuh leave, yo' see, yo' leave dat one cent in dat grave, in dat hole where yo' dug in de top of it. Den yo' go an' git chew a box of table salt an' mix dat in it. Den yo' go tuh de store an' git chew a box of dat cayenne peppah an' yo' mix dat in it. Den yo' go tuh de drug sto' or some place where yo' buy de sulphuh - aftah yo' git chure box of salt - an' yo mix all of dat in it. Den yo' take it an' yo' go out in woods, somewhere close, where yo' carry dat an' augah [auger] yo' a hole in a tree wit a augah. An' git chew a cork stoppah, yo' undahstan', dat chew drive in dere. Push it in - stove de dirt in de hole, den take de stoppah an' drive it up in dere. IN THREE DAYS HE'LL FALL DEAD.
(What happens?)
He'll eithah die or leave town.
Entry 5730
Ah tell yo' about de foot track as fur as ah knows. Yo' drags dat track from de toe an' drag it back wit dem two fingers, until yo' thoroughly gits back to de heel. [Demon- strates.] (You take the right hand and the index finger and the little finger. Make them as a shovel and drag it back towards the heel. And you begin with that track - your thumb must touch the heel and then where those two fingers rest, you draw them back like that.) Right in de centah of de track. Yo' takes dat track an' yo' buy yo' a bottle of ink, an' yo' mix jis' enough of dat in dat track tuh make a li'le, yo' know, a dough of it yo' might say. Den yo' go tuh a growin' tree on de sundown side an' bo' a hole right down at de foot of it. Put dat in it, pack it up, an' go back dere fo' three days evah mawnin' an' give it [peg] one tap. De third mawnin' yo' have it [peg] in wit [even with] de tree. Den take some of dat same ink an' stain all roun' dat place, an' go on about chure business. Dat man nevah go out in peace. Dat will jis' run 'im com- plete 'way from dere.
Entry 5733
Yo' kin take a woman, if yo' wants dat woman, yo' let 'er jis' walk on de groun'. An' yo' could dig undah dat track an' turn dat track aroun', an' dat woman will come tuh dat house pleased tuh do anythin'. She's jis' lookin' at dat house all de time, comin' right dere. Can't keep 'em away from dere. (How do you turn that track around?) Jis' git a piece of - lak a shingle or a tin or somepin or othah, an' jis' git mdah dat track an' turn it aroun' pointin' back towards dat house.
Entry 5735
Dey take dat foot track up an' dey take a piece yo' weah nex' tuh yore skin. An' take dat dirt an' tie it up in dat piece an' let it stay fo' nine mawnin's. An' den take it an' untie it, an' spread it back out, an' turn it whichevah way dey wan'cha to go. Untie de piece an' spread de dirt out lak it wuz.
Entry 5740
If yo' wanted tuh git rid of a person, whenevah yo' would see dere track befo' it wuz ovahnight - yo'd have tuh do it wit a track not goin' ovah a day or it wouldn't do no good. But overnight, jis' befo' it's been inside de twelve hours, take de track right out of de middle, right undah de hollah of dere feet, some of dat dirt. Take it an' carry it in de night, an' dump it intuh run- nin' watah an' dey go - dat person will leave. Yo' nevah will have no trouble wit'em.
Entry 5741
Go 'long an' pick up yore track while it's warm an' put it in a bottle. Put a little sugah in dere an' stop it up, an' den throw it in runnin' watah. Yo'll run jis' as dat bottle goin', watah runnin'.
Entry 5743
Or else yo' take his track - take de dust outen dey track an' put it tuhgethah an' separate 'em when yo' git where yo' goin' an' put it down. Dem party bound to separate, dey cain't stay tuhgethah. (How do you mean, take the dust from their track?) Jis' lak yo' take de dust outen dat toe an' carry it on back if yo' don't want 'em 'gethah. Take it at de toe an' carry it all de way back tuh de heel. Pick it up. Dat'll separate 'em. An' take his dust outen 'is shoe track an' put it one place an' hers in anothah. Dat'll sep- arate 'em. Dey cain't stay tuhgethah.
Entry 5746
Git dem foot tracks. Ah use dat once. Ah had put mine in a jar, in a fruit jar. Ah turn dat jar down an' buried it undah mah house an' jis' lak ah wuz totin' yore'n, dat's de way it wuz done. Take dem foot steps up an' put 'em in a fruit jar an' put it down. Turn de jar down, tighten it tight an' turn it down dataway an' bury it.
(What will that do?)
Conkah 'im. Dat's conkahin' 'im.
Entry 5748
In case yore lovah is gone 'way from yuh ag'in an' yo' wanta bring 'im back, yo' kin take yore foot track de way he's gone. Take de track an' pull it back towards yo', an' put it in some of yore urination an' put it in a bottle an' stop it up. An' dat will bring 'im back, an' she kin keep im. (Where do you keep this bottle then?) Oh, yo' know de do'step, if yo' have a steps. Put it undah de do'steps. If not, put it somewhere where he could walk ovah it.
(How many tracks do you take, just one track?)
One track, his right track. Git it - yo' know, bring it back towards yo', as he goes from yo'. See, yo' wanta bring 'im back to yo' [demonstrates].
(Bring the toe back to the heel.)
Entry 5751
If yo' got a girl, yo' know, an' she leave zhoo, ah know how yo' kin git 'er back. Jis' take huh feet tracks, yo' git de right one, put 'em in a jah an' urinate a li'le bit on it, an' jis' stop it up an' keep it right undah de baid. Dat'll bring 'er back. [Wilmington, N. Car., (205), 160:1+85].
Entry 5777
Well, if ah disliked yo' an' didn't wanta be around yo', an' didn't wan' chew tuh be roun' me, why ah take yore track an' jes' pick it up. (Both of them?) Jes' one, yore lef' track. Take it tuh a stream of watah dat's runnin' no'th an' throw it in dere. An' ah throw, ah turn roun' back an' says, "Go from me." Why in nine days dey would leave, have to leave off.
Entry 5778
Yo' kin take his track an' move him from outa town. Take his left-foot track an' git it, bind it up in a piece of red flannel. Take tuh de watah, a stream of watah, run- nin' watah an' throw it in dere. An' tell 'im tuh go, "Ah'm tired of bein' deviled wit chuh." He'll be gone.
Entry 5779
If she wan's tuh run 'im away, well yo' take his track. Start at de toe an' draw it back, de right - draw it back. Carry it tuh runnin' watah an' throw it ovah. Dat will run 'im off. Tell 'im tuh, "Go, ah don't wan' chew tuh come back any mo'." An' he keep agoin'.
Entry 5780
If yo' made a track, a person could take yore track, dey say - well, dey kin take dat, dey cast dat same spirit to dat, in dis way, fer as ah know. Dey say, "Ah have yore track." Yo' mean if dey wan' chew tuh leave town or somepin? Or run yo away or somepin lak dat? Or whut dey wan' chew tuh do? Or keep on goin'? Well, yo' say whut chew want. Say, "In de Name of Jesus Christ, ah have yore track an' now yo' shall do so-an'-so. Yo' can't stay heah. Whutevah ah wan' chew tuh do [yo'll do it]." Well, den, yo' take dat tuh de rivah an' yo' throw it ovah dere. Yo' combine it all in somepin an' take it tuh a runnin' stream of watah an' throw it ovah.
Entry 5781
Me an' 'er wuz good frien's, an' so she wanted tuh take mah husban' an' so she wanted tuh git mah track. 'Stead [instead] of 'er gittin' mah track, well she got hers. An' she took dat an' chunk it in runnin' watah. An' so she went down dere in 3 days, why she went down dere tuh drown 'erself.
Entry 5784
They measure your track with a string and send you out of the neighborhood. And stick it down at the low-water mark. They tie it to a stick and stick it down at the low-water mark. That's to put you on a drift, to send you away from home. When the tide comes in, that covers the stick; and when the tide runs down [out], that's carrying you away from home.
Entry 5788
Now, de way yo' could stop yore foot track, yo' could take some - git chew a little concentrated lye, an' half-a pint of whiskey, an' 'bout a teaspoon fulla camphor, an' put it in dat bottle yo'understan'. An' also write dere name on it an' jis' shake it up an' down until dat.all come tuhgethah - dat papah an' lye an' stuff come tuhgethah. All right. Wheresomevah yo're at, if yo's in a location wheresomevah yo' be at, jis' bury it down right - jis' at de right side of de do'step, right at de right side of yore do'step. Well, den dey couldn't do a thing wit yo'.
(That would keep that person from harming you?)
Dey won't do yo' any harm.
Entry 5791
Go tuh de forks of de road, anybody yo' wanta send dem tuh travel or n 'em away from dere. Goes out dere when de wind be blowin'. Take some of 'is track an' red peppah an' salt, an' throw it an' say, "Go, yo' son-of-a-bitch." Dataway. Or yo' kin throw it in some watah. (Or you can throw it into some water and it will do the same thing. Which way do you throw that stuff?) De way yo' want 'im tuh go.
(Well, what about. the wind blowing?)
De wind will blow it de way he want 'em to go.
Entry 5793
If a man stay away from a house, jes' go ahead an' - if a woman wants a man tuh stay 'way from a house, all she gotta do, jes' go an' take his track. Take his track an' mix his track up in some sulphuh. An' go an' take it an' carry it way off, somewhere in anothah part of de farm an' throw dat stuff - jes' throw it away. An' when yo' throw it, don't look back, jes' go right on - jes' don't look back, an' he ain't comin' back no mo'.
Entry 5795
Aftah yo' leave a foot track in dust, well dey say yo' take dat per- son's foot track up, see, de whole print of dat track. See, yo' git chew a stick or spoon or somepin an' yo' pick it up, an' yo' put it in a 'east [yeast] powdah can. An' dey say yo' go tuh de rivah on de ferry boat, an' dey say let de boat git in de middle of de rivah. An' when yo' think it's in de centah of de rivah, say yo' throw dat can ovah yore lef' shouldah an' make a wish. An' dey say, as long as dat can drift up an' down de rivah, dat yo'll drift; an' when dat can begin tuh seep watah an' fall tuh de bottom, dey say yo' die.
(I see. Well, now, how many tracks? Do they get a special track or what?)
No, dey say yo' take de lef' track.
(Oh, only your left track?)
Only de lef' track.
Entry 6080
Take de hair out from 'twix yore laigs yo' see an' undah yore arn, an' parch it yo' see. All right, den yo' put it in a papah-lak. Yo' want chure ole man tuh stay wit yo'. Put it down on de tracks yo' see, an' when de train run ovah it lak dat, well dat'll stick it togethah an' make yo' an' yore ole man stick togethah. Git de hair out from undah yore arm, eithah arm or eithah in 'twix yore laigs lak dat, an' put it on de stove an' let it brown. Aftah yo' put it on de stove an' let it brown, put it in some papah, an' put it on a track. An' see when de train run ovah it, well dat stick togethah an' dat'll make yo' an' yore ole man stick togethah, if yo'all don' live togethah.
(Whose hair do you get, just your own?)
Jis' mah own. [If this hair belongs to the woman only, then intention is the magic power. Usually his and her hair is needed - see No.6078.] [Memphis, Tenn.,
(942)1525:3.]
Entry 6323
Ah've heard dat chew take de hair an' git a lock of hair an' pat salt an' peppah wit it. How yuh wanta know about de hair? (Well, what are you going to do with that hair now, after you put that salt and pepper with it? To harm them some way? All right.) Dat's whut ah wanta know. Ah wanta know did yo' wanta know tuh harn dem or [hrt them].
(Burt them. Either one.)
Well, yuh put salt an' peppah in dat hair, an' den yuh git dat track an' put wit dat, an' den yuh take it an' sew it in a piece of new Sea Island cloth [see later], Sea Island cloth, an' den yuh throw it in de divah. Dat's if yuh want dem tuh not think anythin' about chew atall - jis' don' vorry wit chew, don't chew know, jis' don't bothah yuh. Do dat an' throw it in de rivah an' run dere min' away from yo'.
(You take either track?)
No, yo' take de left track.
(ou want to put all those details in, in telling your story.)
[Sea Island cloth, made from Sea Island cotton (Gossypium barbadense), was so alled because this cotton with an unusually long and silky fiber Was grown on certain islands off the coast of Georgia and South Carolina, until the boll wee- lll made its culture unprofitable. If I remember correctly, this (and some in- formant under BAT) is the only occurrence of the term in Hoodoo.]
Entry 6324
Dere's three thin's dat yuh could use of dis person dat would cause 'a tuh do dat. Yuh could use his track or 'is hair or any part of 'is clothes dere's any sweat in, an' put it dere, an' 'is mind will jis' begin waverin', an' he won't go crazy nor it won' kill 'im. Yuh wrap it up in a piece of silk cloth a' take it down tuh de runnin' watah an' anchor it dere so it could move about en de watah's runnin'. [For anchoring hair in running water, see elsewhere f text.]
Entry 7268
Ah knowed a fellah - dat's right, he kilt a man. An' he shot de man an' de man fell on his face. An' he run dere an' - aftah de man fell - an' shoved de man on his back, see. An' den he - de woods ah reckon wus jes' about five hunderd yards, yo' know, from where he kilt de man, an' he runned yo' know an' he jumped ovah de fence in de woods, yo' see. An' when dey brought de hounds, yo' know, dere to put on his track, de hounds couldn't run 'im a bit furthah den dis swamp. An' dey ain't got 'im from dat day up until dis [1939]. Dat wus in de time of de World War [I] - it wus comin' on [before 1917].
Entry 7289
Dey say yo kin go through a cow lot, slip through a cow lot where dere manure, an' dat will kill de odor, an' de dogs can't git de trail.
Entry 7293
Jes' lak ah go an' kill someone an' ah wants tuh git away, see. Ah heard dat chew kin go in a cow stall an' put both foots in de cow manure, yo' understan', an' ah done walk on off an' de dog kinnot trail yo'. Don' care where ah go, de dog will come up to de stall - come dere an' stop right dere.
Entry 7300
Well, yo' kin take some spirits of turpentine an' wet chure shoe wit spirits of turpentine or undah yore feet, an' yo' kin - he won't bothah yo'. Eithah yo' kin run through a cow lot where a cow pasture is, an' dey ain't comin no fu'thah an' dat. De dogs cain't track yo'.
Entry 7308
Well, dere so many diff'ren' little things yo' kin do wit graveyard dust. Suppose yo' is in trouble an' yo' killed somebody an' yo' wanted git away. Yo' gits - go to de graveyard an' git some of dat dust. Put some in yore shoes an' put some in yore right pocket, an' dere couldn't no houn's run yo'.
Entry 7487
(What do you do now when this man is killed?)
Get dis niggah's tracks what killed 'im an' put 'em right by dis man's grave, an' turn dis man ovah face on dat track. He can't go.
(He can't run away.)
[The word nigger is used four or five times by black persons in HOoDoo.]
Entry 7935
Yo' kin take a person's track. Jes' lak, fo' instance ah'd walk out de do' dere an' yo' could take a shovel - yo' know, a square part of de shovel. Yo' kin take a square part of de shovel an' pick up a fellah's track. Take it tuh a red ant baid. Yo've seen dese big ole red ants. Take it tuh a red ant baid an' jes' slide it down dere as neah as yo' kin wit'out tearin' it up - on top'a [top of] dat red ant baid. Take yo' nine bran'-new needles, goldeye needles, an' put it [them] in de shape of a coffin. In nine days time dat fellah'll eithah be daid or nobody won't know where he is - in nine days time.
Entry 9205
Put seven marks on it an' git chure lef' track.
[Make 7 crosses like letter "x" - see later.]
(You put seven marks on this egg, chicken egg.)
Chicken egg. Put seven marks on dat an' dey will take it down [I interrupt].
(What about that track? What do they do with that?)
Well, dey'd take it tuh de rivah an' throw it ovah de lef' shouldah. (Well now, they get the egg and get the track. What do you do?: Do you use those separately? Or how do you handle them?) Yo'use dat, Yo' know, jis' wit de track. Dey'd put dat in a sack to- gethah. (This egg and the track?) Yes. Dey take it down tuh de rivah an' throw ovah yore lef' shouldah in de rivah. Dat cuz tuh keep yore trouble. Always on de wandah. Keep yo' dis- satisfied.
(What sort of marks do they make on that chicken egg?)
Well, jis' cross dem. Jis' lak yo' mark heah [demonstrates], take an' make a cross dere [demonstrates].
(Make a cross mark, like an "x".)
[The X cross, a roughly drawn St. Andrew's cross, is normally used. This design can be made by rapidly crossing two diagonal lines. Also usable is the plus-sign cross + called the Greek or St. George's cross, a horizontal line vertically bisected by a line of the same length. To draw a cross in hoodoo crosses a person.] Jis' mark dat egg seven times.
Entry 10706
If a person come in an' yo' don't want dem dere, when he comes in, jest sweep him de way he come in. Sweep out his track jest as he come in, de Way he come in, if yo' don't want him dere. An' finally his conscience will jest lead him [to stay away]. Dat's jest de way yo' do de way ah jest tole yo'. Yo' kin talk nice to him an' say ah haven't got so-an'-so. Well, den if he continue to be comin' after dis, yo' git dat book an' put it under yore head an' read it, an' yo' git relieved from him.
(What is the name of that book?)
It's de Bible de 37th Psalms.
(You just put that Bible under your head?)
Entry 10880
Heah's anothah instan' [instance]. Yo' kin take a black cat an' cut some of de hair from right undah his tail. Well, yo' take some Hearts Cologne or eithah whiskey. Well, yo' bury it. Yo' taked dat cat hair an' yo' sew it up, put it wit dat whiskey. But chew bettah, if yo' kin git any part of her undahweah, or if it's a man, any of his clothes, yo' kin make 'em go like dat. Jes' bring it right back dere an' jes' drop it right in de yard, any place dat he kin walk ovah it. Or eithah yo' kin git some of dere dirt. Jes' watch hin an' whenevah he come out - man or woman - git some of de dirt of one of de shoe where he track ovah an' mix dat. Mix it in wit dat hair. Yo' kin make 'em move out de house like dat. (This cat hair - suppose you are driving me away - you get some of my hair and the cat's hair and put this in some of my clothes and put it out where I can walk over it. That's to drive me away?) Dat's to drive you away. [Brunswick, Ga., (1188), 2002:8.]
[Two cylinders later informant returns to black cat hair:]
Ah always heah 'em say keep dat same black cat hair, keep it round yore place an' keep it wet in vinegah - ah mean in Hearts Cologne or good whiskey - dat black hair. Keep it round yore place. Tell me dat's lucky fo' yore business.
(How do you get that black cat hair?)
Why, yo' ketch a black cat, any black cat, an' jes' cut de hair from undah his tail or his belly part. [Brunswick, Ga., (1188), 2004:11.]
Entry 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 11113
A coconut, jug [punch] one of them eyes out and pour that juice out the coconut and let the coconut dry. Then you go behind him in soft dirt and get his track and put it in that coconut, mix it, get cork stopper and put in stopper and throw it in [river] and just as long as that coconut float, he'll walk [for walking also see No.11114].
(Just one of them?)
Just one of them - left track.
Entry 11268
You kin take up their foot track an' put it in a snuffbox, an' you puts some salt an' peppah in there an' make a wish, an' throw it in the runnin' watah an' then you kin do this [I interrupt].
(What do you do when you reach the water?)
You make a wish for them to leave town [(960), 1544:7].
Entry 11479
Take foot track to running water, near there walk backwards, turn your back, throw over shoulder into stream, runs person crazy. [Vicksburg 1000:1.]
Entry 11481
Foot track in bottle thrown into running water "puts you to traveling."
[Wilmington 272:2+85.]
Entry 11579
Get a person's foot tracks and cause 'em to wander away, and that they don't want nothing atall.
(Well, what would they do with that track?)
They take about nine pinches of it from your right foot and that causes you to gettin' worried, you wanta go. And in nine days, if somebody don't do somepin fer you, you'll just wander - you ain't satisifed no place you go.
(After they get the dirt out of the track, what do they do with that?)
Well, you see when you [they] get those nine pinches of dirt out of the track, they take it and they sew it up in a bag. Well, the person, you know, don't care for you, they'll wear that with them. Well, you can't get it, but if someone gets ahead of you [some- one tries to get it for you], like you go to some witchcraft person [who] is ahead of you, they [culprit] can avoid [him] by throwing it in running water.
Entry 11594
Three right foot tracks as person leaves home, draw dirt back from toe to heel, bottle it, and throw into river to send away. [Memphis 1562:5.]
Entry 11595
Take 3 pinches of foot track - one from the heel, one from the mid- dle, one from the toe - throw into water running east to send away. [Norfolk 451:1.]
Entry 11597
If you drop person's foot track in bag, throw it on a train leaving toun, he sill follow the train. [Wilmington 72:5+85.]
Entry 11620
Put in bag 9 right foot tracks of man, add brimstone, wear around Waist. [Wilmington 115:4.]
Entry 11621
Sew up right foot track with gunpowder and wear bag on your right side. [Wilmington 271:5+85.]
Entry 11622
Measure man's foot track with handkerchief and wear in bag around waist. [Newport News 502:8.]
Entry 11678
Yokin git de graveyard dirt. Yogo tuh de graveyard. Yo' kin go dere any time a-night dat chew wanta, if yo' ain't scared tuh go, an' git chew some of dat dirt: but chew gotta burn some of it, an' keep some of it unburned. Anwhenyo gits in a place, jes [like] ah'm in heah an want chew tuh do business wit me. Ah keeps some wit me all de time, an'ah jes' rubs mah han's when ah wants tuh be lucky. An'ah raps mah hands on de table lak dat [raps on interviewing table] an' ah've nevah gone out broke. Ah've always had a dollah every day of mah life, evah since ah've been usin dis dirt an' burnin' ah've got it. An' den yo' kin take dis graveyard dirt an' yo' kin go tuh de fo'ks of de road an' git dirt; dat's where yo' meet dem two fo'ks of de road. Yo' know whut ah'm talkin' about. Yo' go in dere. Now, yo take yo' a silvah spoon, yo' go to de fo'k of de road an' yo' git chew some dirt an' put wit dis graveyard dirt. Yo' kin conkah all of yore enemies in any way yo' want, if yo' take dis dirt an sprinkle it round dere [their home]. An' yo' kin be partic'lah wit it, ain't gotta let 'em see it; 'cause if yo' let dem see it, yo' know, say yo' doin' sompin wrong. Yo' gotta be partic'lah wit anything yo' do. See, dat's de way ah use graveyard dirt. An' it gotta be burnt, some of it's burnt. When yo' git dat dirt outa de fo'k of de road yo' ain't gotta burn it atall, but yo' put it wit dis graveyard dirt an' yo' kin do anything. Yo' kin conkah all yore enemies in any kind of way. Dat make yo' successful. Yo'ain't got nuthin tuh do tuh keep de law away, but jes' yo' go out an' den yo' go tuh de fo'k of de road. Go on back tuh de fo'k of de road now in dis partic'lah business. Yo' take yo' silvah spoon an' yo' git yo' some dust an yo' ain't gotta put de graveyard dust. Now, jes' about nine or ten steps 'way from yore house an' in front of dere, jes' sprinkle dat dust down, an' count de tracks dat chew make, cause if yo' make a mistake, well, yo' liable tuh have tuh go ag'in 'cause somepin othah liable tuh happen. But it always causin' tuh keep yore enemies cowered at chure feet when yo' git that dust from de fo'k of de road. If yo' got it wit de graveyard dirt it goes bettah wit chew. If yo' ain't got it, well, it's all de same - it'll do it right on. Jes' go tuh de fo'k of de road on de left-han' side.
Entry 11723
Fix it up an' go in de cemetery an' git some dirt an' fixes it up.... (That is all you put in it?) No sir, yo' put sulphur an' put dis table salt an' red peppah, grind it fine, an' yo' take it an' sprinkle it anybody's track - sprinkle it ovah dere - say dey'll leave an' dey won't come back no mo'.
(You call that mixture goofer dust?)
Yes. [This informant gave an unusual account of how to sell self to the devil, No.375, v.1.]
Entry 12476
Well, if a person do sompin an' dey wanta git away an' dey got 'em trail'-lak, say fo' instance, dey put de policemen on dere track or put de bloodhoun's. Dey git bloodhoun's behin' 'em an' trail 'em. Dey git a piece of beef livah an' jes' rub dat blood in de bottom of dere shoes. Dey git 'em some garlic an' chop garlic up an' put it all in de bottom of dere shoes. An' wheresomevah dey makes a track, kin nuthin trail 'em.
Entry 12532
Yo' take a red onion an' if yo' got anyone in yore house, yore hus- ban' or yore wife in dere, an' yo' want 'em tuh go or want tuh git rid of 'em. When dey go out de front do', on dat cross piece dere [saddle?] yo' take dat onion, aftah yo' done rolled it real soft, an' yo' squeeze dat red onion juice on yore steps. Yo' take a red onion in his track goin' out an' squeeze it in his track goin'. An' den, after hit stay dere awhile, why yo' sweep it out. An' he ain't nevah comin' back dere no mo'.
Entry 11519
Man's foot tracks measured and buried so many feet from his door - buried with graveyard dirt. He died. Happened in Arundal Co., Md. [My original transcription soon after belief collected, H. M. H., this note Nov. 23, 1976.]
[Baltimore, Md. 45:3.]
Entry 12784
If you throw salt into unwelcome person's departing tracks, he will never return. [Wilmington 189:5+85.]
Entry 9698
(Do what?)
(You get some sulphur.)
And sprinkle it on your front and back steps, and get some disinterested per- son to get a fresh box of table salt, you know that never been used out of it, and just sprinkle it and someone clean house with it and sweep it out, you bound to move. (I see. You bury the sul- phur under the front steps and back steps, and then you have to have this salt.) Table salt.
(That hasn't been used. What do you do with that salt now?)
Sprinkle it in the house and just like if I, you know, come in or walk out, well then as soon as I walk out, then you sweep my tracks, sole and all out to- gether, and say, "Well, that settles it. You won't come back, again."
Entry 13277
Sulphur sprinkled in person's departing tracks will keep that person away. [Wilmington 156:2+85.]
Entry 11485
Lift up hollow of track, carry back to house, lay with seat of under- wear, bury, 'makes you weak in de limbs." [Washington, D. C. 805:10.]
The short account describes lifting the hollow of a track; the later weakness claim remains attributed.
Entry 11531
"If you was going with someone and they wan'a break you up, well they take your track, they take theirs [the person you are going with] and put those with that gunpowder and mix it and it [is] exploded." [Norfolk 480:4.]
The conditional break-up account says 'take your track, they take theirs'; the bracketed partner identification remains editorial.
Entry 11554
"If a person goes away, you wan' to keep 'em home, you get their foot track an' yo'll measure it...take the [measuring] stick an' stick it down in the groun' under de step...or a dog [can be kept home that way] or anything." [Snow Hill 12:6.]
The conditional account names getting and measuring a foot track for a staying-home aim; bracketed clarifications remain editorial.
Entry 11593
Pick up 3 right foot tracks, 9 grains of red pepper put in these tracks [3 in each track], pray with it [the rite] each morning for 9 mornings, stop up everything in a bottle, but first bore a hole through the cork, tamp it in there, throw into running water, and victim follows. [Memphis 1550:7.]
The compressed account specifies three right-foot tracks; its stated following effect remains an attributed claim.
Entry 11618
Wear right foot track around waist. [Wilmington 264:1.]
The short item names a right-foot track worn around the waist; it supplies no aim or result.
Entry 5785
An old woman told me one time how to keep anybody from coming to your house. I asked her what was it. And she told me, in the summertime when the peach trees put out, to get some little twigs off the sugar [maple] tree; and when the person come to the house you didn't want there, just go after they were gone, and with them twigs whip their tracks all the way out of your house, and they won't ever come there any more. Over thirty years ago [1906]. [This man (28) from the edge of Newport News, Va., I interviewed by Ediphone at Old Point Comfort, Va., in 1936.]
The informant reports an old woman's instruction to whip a departing visitor's tracks. The claimed nonreturn is unverified, and the plant identification is partly editorial.