Subject:Turn
Entries
Entry 908
It was mah husband. He said he was hurt in 1907. It was a woman that wanted him to go with 'em and he didn't like 'em so much. He's from Virginia. And he use to drive [an] ice wagon, and when he come in late at night, he say, and the woman had de door knob on de door dressed for him, he say. And jis' as he get upon de porch and went to open de doah, he put his hand on de knob to open the door, he said something Went over his face like a spider web or somepin like that, and he take his hand and wipe it off, and that time he became blind. And he went on then and tell his father about it. And so they began to work on him, but it didn't seem to do any good. And they ast him how did it happen, and he tell them what happen. And so he [the father] said to see the doctor, but de doctor didn't do him no good. And he went to see a root doctor. And he tell him to get a quart of sweet milk for him, and they sent and get de milk. He ast 'em to get a fresh egg, and they get dat. And he said he put it on and boiled it one hour - put de egg in it [the milk] - put de egg in it whole and boil it one hour. He said they took that milk and bathed [often pronounced bath-d] his eyes over in that milk, and they take de egg and made him eat de egg. He say it was so hard he har'ly eat it, but he made him eat it. And he take de milk and bathed his eyes in it one hour, and his sight commence to comin' to him. And after that he took the milk what he bathed his eyes in and carried it to runnin' water some- where, a stream, he said, and he throwed it in there. And he said this woman - they tell him she couldn't stay still. She would be movin' all the time. Af' while she commence to losin' her mind, her mind would go and come. He said about a veek or a veek af' that she moved this place, and af' awhile she move another place, and jis' kep' movin', and de last time he know of her, he says she was in de 'sylum. [Wilmington, N. Car., (272), 192:3; Portsmouth, Va.,1907.]
Entry 910
My father, he got hurt. He 'uz [was] carin' a sore on his ankle an' - it jis' wus small - an' it kep' inflammin' an' he went to de physical doctor. An' he give 'im medicine an' de more he'd put on it, de worser hit got, so he stopped. An' his brother came an' took 'im an' car'ed 'im to a witchcraft. So de witchcraft doctor he fixed 'im some medicine an' tole 'im to nuse [use] dat on it. It wus red an' it smelt funny; in fact I don't know de name of it. So he nused it on dat. An' he tole 'im to bathe it in chamber lye an' salt. An' he bathed it in chamber lye an' salt befo' he put de medicine on it. So he could walk. An' in a few days he isn't gettin' bettah, so he went back to 'im again. An' he give 'im some kin'a salve to put in dat place - it was a hole right in his ankle, right at bone - an' it commence healin' up. So he put de salve in an' it healed up. An' he got so he could walk aroun'. An' dey [doctor] tole 'im he wus hurt an' tole 'im to look under de side of de baid. An' he found somepin down dere. But he [doctor] wouldn't turn nuthin back on 'em; he would jis' show 'im an' tell 'im whut to do to turn it back. An' he tole 'im somepin to do to turn it back an' -
(What did he tell him to do? But first, did your father look for this thing?)
Yes. He found some kin'a little balls sewed up; out of cloth - it wus dirty - it wus five in a sort of bag [a hand] an' hit sewed up an' de top wus tied with a string - it [bag] wus white but hit wus dirty - looked like hit had been toted a long time. An' a bottle of perfume in it [bag]. [This was one of those tiny bottles formerly sold at the lOc store.] He [doctor] tole 'im to git it an' bring it to him. So he got it an' car'ed it to 'im. An' he tole 'im to go back home an' take a half-a-gallon jar an' to do dirty in de jar.
(Water or the stool?)
The stool. An' take it an' care it an' bur' it in [the] people's path, an' de one whut did dat [witchcraft] would walk over it an' would git in de same fix he wus in. An' so he did it. An' dey [it] wus a lady did it, an' so she took de sore on her ankle. An' den [by this sore] dey found out who did it. So de man tole 'im to come back to 'im after he found out who did it. An' he got cured of hissen an' he git so he wus walkin' aroun'.
(Whatever happened to this bag with the balls in it?)
He took de bag an' took an' burn it up, I think de witchcraft. [Wilmington, N. Car., (222), 136: l; between Florence & Sumter, S. Car.,1930.]
Entry 3253
Well, ah tell yo' whut chew kin do tuh break a man up wit a woman. Yo' buy a bran'-new pocket han'chuf, if yo' wanta break up 'im from intahco'se wit 'er. Take yo' a bran'-new pocket han'chuff an' have intahco'se wit 'im. See, ketch it [semen] all in dis new pocket han'chuff an' take it home wit chew. Yo' take dat han'chuff jis' lak dis [demonstrates] an' roll dis to yo'. See dis, evah time. Yo' turn it roun' an' yo' roll it right back to yo'. Den yo' turn an' yo' roll it ag'in. Fold it up, see. Take yo' nine pods of red peppah [9 dried finger peppers - hot peppers] an' put it on dere an' two spoonsfulla table salt. Dig yo' a hole in de fiahplace or cookin' stove. Do dis at twelve a'clock in de night, zackly twelve, an' don't talk tuh nobody, be by yo'self. Dig dat hole an' put it in dere. An' whosomevah build a fire - yo' don' have tuh build no fiah [if there is a fire, use it; if not] build a fiah dere an' burn dat up an' don't even look back, an' if yo' don't do whut chew wan'a do, dat's yorn [man or woman]. Ah had a man ah vuz re'lly crazy about. Ah re'lly loved 'im an' he done rid- ded [got rid of me] me fo' anothah woman. A Mistah John Cook [Mistah indicates a white doctor], ah nevah will fo'git, he tole me fis' whut tuh do an' ah tried it. Ah thought he wuz jis' lyin'. So ah went home an' ah tried it. He quit dis woman. He moved up dere wit Miz Wallace. He worked fo' dem [Wallace family] a long time in de garden. He said, "Honey, ah jis' don' feel satisfied if ah ain't wit chew." An' ah went off an' left 'im mahself, come ovah heah [to Little Rock]. He lef' [the Wallace family] an' he come home tuh me [followed me to Lit- tle Rock] an' he stayed dere.
Entry 3256
Jes' lak yore ole man is about tuh git away from yo', yo' git a new piece of white cloth an' jes' lak yo' know, yo' use a towel at night, an' in- stead of usin' dat, yo' use dat cloth fo' nine mawnin's. Jes' whenevah, yo' know, yo' have any dealin's wit 'im, yo' use dat cloth. If yo' want it tuh be nine days, yo' kin. An' den yo' take it aftah de ninth day an' yo' use it. Well den yo' take some sugah an' spread it out an' put it in dis new cloth an' yo' fold it to yo' an' den yo' sew it [to you] an' then yo' carry [turn] it dis- away an' bring it back [to you] disaway an' sew it. An' den de place he sleeps on, de side he sleep on, yo' put dat new cloth an' dat sugah an' that othah stuff into it, right where he lays.
(You roll that to you and then you fold the ends together?)
Yessuh, always bring it to yo', don' nevah go 'way from yo', an' jes' fold it always to yo', an' when yo' sew, sew it to yo'. An' yo' jes' let it stay right on de side where he sleeps on. Jes' cut de mattress an' put it in dere an' let it stay right on de side where he sleeps on.
Entry 3851
Ah says, if a man got a woman an' also, if he can't rule de woman, he kin jes' take a woman when a woman's periods rise, an' carry it an' find a big red ants' nest an' bury it direct in dat ants' nest. Dat's all he gotta do wit dat, jes' bury it right in dat ants' nest an' walk off. Back up to ten feet an' turn yore face an' go on about chure business, an' evahthin' is okay den.
(What will that do then?)
Keep her home - yes sir, keep 'er undah yore jurisdiction.
Entry 4173
Well, yuh git chew jis' a medium-size bottle dat hold about a gill or somepin lak dat, a little ovah, an' fill it not quite fulla milk. An' den yuh take two or three, three teaspoonful of chamber lye, an' yuh put it in dat, an' take dat bottle an' turn it upside down. An' dat'll keep yore husban' at home.
Entry 4180
Stop dat up an' run yuh crazy, dry yuh up. (This chamber lye?) Yes.
(How do they stop it up?)
Put it in de bottle an' put chure name in dere an' stop it up an' turn it upside down.
Entry 4261
If yo've got a husban' an' he's capable of leavin' home an' stayin' away, yo' wash yore jah [jar] an' yo' let 'im use it. An' den yo' take dat urine an' yo' po' it in de [glass] jah. Put about three teaspoon of sugah in dere, an' three pieces of spice, an' yo' write his name nine times an' jes' fold it up an' put it in dere. Yo' don't do anythin' but write an' put it in dere, an' den yo' shut dat jah up tight, airtight, an' it's no good until dat papah has turned tuh powdah. Dat urine will natch'ly [naturally] powdah dat papah. It'll jes' look lak white lime in de bottom of dat urine. An' den if yore husban' is away, yo' can shake dat urine an' put it undah yore bed on de side yo' layin' on, an' lay on it, an EVAH TIME YO' SHAKE IT HE'S SUPPOSED TUH TURN OVAH. If yo' SHAKE IT DE THIRD TIME HE CAN'T SLEEP, HE'LL GET UP AN' COME HOME EVAHWHERE HE IS.
Entry 4267
Anothah' way dat dey take it an' control of love wit it.
(This chamber lye.)
Kin control love wit it. An' den dey use it tuh draw a person tuh yuh. Tuh draw a pusson tuh yuh, yuh take dat an' put in it nine needles an' nine pins an' nine nails in a bottle, wit dat, jis' stop it [up]. An' drop de nails in head an' tail, de pins head an' tail, an' de needles head an' tail, callin' 'em evah time [you drop], an' make yuh wishes. An' den jis' stop de bottle up tight. Pusson apt tuh be settin' dere all alone, yuh shake dat bottle, yuh know, an' call dere name an' turn it upside down. Any place dey is, if dey ain't got de fare, dey be walkin', comin'." If dey ain't got de fare, dey try tuh be walkin' comin'.
Entry 4318
Well, a man kin take a woman's chamber lye an' he kin put it in a bot- tle, put a little sugah in it. See, about a spoonful of sugah in about three teaspoonful of chamber lye. Den he take dat bottle an' he turn it down where she have tuh walk ovah, go in an' out. Dat's tuh make her come undah his command.
Entry 4339
Some persons cork it in tight bottles an' concrete de top [= cement, tighten top with sealing wax, etc.] an' turn it down, an' let it stay in de groun' so many days, an' yo' will [begin] tuh weakenin' from de bottle. An' if yo' don't find 'at bottle an' let dat urinate out, yo'll fin'lly swell up as wit dropsy an' die.
Entry 4474
If yuh have a person da' chew dislikes an' dey do anythin' tuh yuh wrongfully an' yuh felt like gittin' 'em outa de way, or say yuh fin' out where dey has tuh out tuh demself, git some of dere action whut dey have while it's warm. Take it an' stop it up in a bottle, take it tuh a pine, gen'ly [generally] on de north side of a pine. Have a hole bo'd in de tree an' put dat bottle in dere an' take an' git chew a piece of fat-lightah an' make a peg of it. Drive it in dere as tight an' fast as yo' kin git it an' saw it even - level wit de tree. An' aftah gittin hit in dere, hit nine licks on it, turn yore back an' go on back home. Dat will lock dere bowels. Dey can't do anythin', not lessen dat stoppah or dat peg is pulled outa dat tree.
(You are from South Carolina, aren't you?)
Beaufort.
Entry 4534
I had a half brothah an' he wuz goin' wit a girl in Washington [D. C.]. Her name wuz Cornelia A. An' so he stopped goin' wit [her] an' went tuh goin' wit anothah girl. Den like a crazy he turned dis othah [second] girl down an' went goin' back wit 'er [first girl] again. So he tells mah mothah. I don't know, but he said he had a straw hat. She takes 'is hat an' she put somepin, I don't know, in dere. But anyhow, his whole eyes became jis' as white as dis papah [probably my open Numbers Book on the table], black an' all. He got so he couldn't see a wink. He died in jis' about three months afterwards.
[Snow Hill, Md., (Informant 93).]
Entry 4578
Take dat bow. Hit stands in de back of de man's hat. Take dat bow an' take nine needles an' nine pins an' stick 'em evahwhah in dat bow crossed up yuh possibly kin. An' when yuh git 'em all fixed in dat bow lak it supposed tuh be - naow [now] a woman kin fix dat fo' a man an' run 'im crazy - an' take it an' put it in a bottle. An' put some, fill de bottle half up wit table salt, an' den fill de bottle clean up wit 'er urine an' stop dat bottle up. Turn it upside down an' stick it mos' any kin'a cornah or any kinda drawah or [place] up ovah de head or anywhere, but jes' since it's outa sight in a dark place. An' dat man'll go sta'k [stark] crazy.
Entry 4603
Dey say yuh kin take a man's hat an' take de bow out of a man's hat an' take dat bow an' put it in a bottle of Heart's Own Cologne. An' aftah takin' dat bow an' put it in a bottle of Heart's Own Cologne, yuh take dat bottle den an' put it de right side, not de left but de right, an' stand it on its haid lak dat, an' make yore wishes about it den. An' dat thing will bring a man home. An' dat thing will make a man do things.
Entry 4721
If yuh kin git holt of 'is photograph or anythin', yuh kin git 'im back ag'in.
(Do you know just how they do that?)
Well, yuh git holt a piece of 'is clothin'. Now, if it's a woman dat wants 'im back ag'in, yuh git aholt of a piece of 'is clothes an' yuh dress it in cologne. Yuh take it an' fold it de way [direction] he is. If he is east, no'th, west, or south, yuh take dat piece of clothin', a small piece of it, an' fold it [demonstrates] an' make yore wishes.
(Fold it toward you.)
Towards yuh evah time. Points it de way he is an' fold it back evah time. An' yuh git yuh a couple of needles an' pin it each way, bottom an' top, an yuh split dat needle. Lets 'er wear one in 'er right shoe here, an' give her de othah one an' let 'er hold it in 'er han'. An' she kin walk - an' let 'er go straight tuh runnin' watah an' drop it ovahbo'd. Ketch de wind - she has tuh do dis on de grown [growing] of de moon an' ketch de wind blowin' towards de way she wants 'im tuh come. If she is in New York, ketch de wind blowin' disaway.
(Blowing south?)
Dat's right. Drop dis ovahbo'd an' walk backwards from it about nine steps, turn tuh left an' go on. Make her wishes an' he'll come right - in nine days he'll be dere.
(I didn't quite understand you about putting these needles?)
Yuh see, if yuh fold de clothes, prob'ly fold it dis way. Well aftah yuh git a little pad of it made, git yuh a needle on each side of it. Git chew a pair of keen - anythin' dat's sharp an' split dem needles in two.
(Oh, I see! You cut the whole package in half.)
De needles den will be on each side of it.
(Two halves of the needles will be in each side of the package.)
An' have dem needles so dey won't injure her foot an' let 'er wear it right in 'er shoe. Fasten it in dere in a way dat it won't slide backwards an' for- wards. Take dis half an' fold it in yore han' an' when it gits warm, when yuh go tuh de watah wit it - an' throw it ovahbo'd. Ketch de wind blowin' from de Way dat yuh want 'im tuh come home.
Entry 4738
[In] fac' [fact] ah have known it tuh be a fac'. Ah've known people tuh say so dat were very superstitious of dat so't [sort] of thing. Dey say dat dey git a piece of yore - some piece of yore clothes dat chew wear close tuh yore body. Take dem an' bury 'em undah yore do'steps so many days, an' go tuh a crossroad in de mawnin' an' turn roun' nine times, an' aftah den dey say yuh cain't stay dere. Jis' diff'ren' so't of invisible things will appeah dere an' jis' evently [eventually] drive yuh away.
(They would bury this piece of clothing under the person's own step?)
Bury it undah dere step. Jes' sneak up in de night an' bury it undah de step, undah whos'evah steps yuh wanta move.
Entry 4768
Why dey turns dere clothes befo' dey go tuh bed, whatsomevah dat piece dey gon'a wear nex' tuh dem. Why when dey gits up in de mornin', dey jis' picks up dat garment an' puts it on. Dat undah garment, jis' put it right on 'em, jis' like dey find [it].
(They put that on wrongside out for luck.)
Entry 4769
If a person steal somepin from yuh an' yuh figure dat he got it, if yuh kin git 'is sock or 'is shirt - dat's true, ah know. Yuh git eithah one of 'em, if yuh kin git it. Yuh turn it wrongside out an' regardless tuh where it is, if: it's tuh mah house or wheresomevah it is, jis' turn it wrongsides. out an' put it up undah de baid an' he'll bring it back. But chew got'a git whut he wear - jis' git whut he wears.
Entry 4774
An' den ag'in yuh kin read about De Lord is mah shepherd an' anyone's away an' yuh wan' 'em tuh come back. Yuh pull off yuh clothes at night an' turn 'em on de wrong- side an' say, "De Lord is mah shep- herd fo' three mawnin's, an' dey'll come back.
Entry 4882
Weah de socks till dey git dirty, yuh know. Some people's feet sweats, what ah mean, yuh know. Well, till dey git dirty anyhow. Take dem socks an' put 'em in a pail a watah, dey says. Den don' wash 'em till dey soaks an' git dat dirt. An' take dem dirty suds an' put 'em in a bottle. Well, dere some mo' tuh go wit it. Put dat in a bot- tle. Den down undah yuh arm, yuhknow where yuh perspirate undah yuh arm, take dat an' yuh socks an' yuh rub. Git all dat watah tuhgethah. Yuh rub undah de shirtsleeve of yuh arm an' yuh socks. Den yuh put dat watah in a bottle an' dig undah yuh steps, an' put it undah de steps an' turn dat bottle bottom upwards. Well, dey do dat tuh keep yuh, jis' like if a person wants tuh keep yuh from goin' anywhere. Yuh kin go anywhere but chew comin' dere. Yuh goin' be always hangin' - if yuh go anywhere yuh goin' hurry back. Yuh can't stay away from home, yuh gotta come back.
Entry 4959
If yuh wanta make love wit anyone - yuh love dem an' yuh wanta git dem somehow or 'nothah, yuh see. Yuh git one foot of dose socks, one foot of 'em, an' yuh take an' yuh tie it in de top, as near de centah as yuh kin. Aftah tyin' it in de centah, den yuh turn it dataway an' yuh tie three knots on dis end - fo' on dat end. Dat's seven ain't it? Seven - have to be odd. Den yuh take an' come on back tuh yore home an' take 'em an' put 'em down, say, "By de he'p of God ah'm gon'a be wit chuh." An' yuh shall git 'em.
(Where do you put them down?)
Put 'em right down anywhere in yore home. Nowhere else but in yore home.
Entry 5055
Now de woman is gone, she's gone. She jis' pick up 'erself an' gone out. She boun' tuh leave somepin in dere. Now, dat's whut she lef' in dere - dat be a cloth, a blood cloth. Well, yuh might ketch it. She might leave dat. Well, yuh ketch dat an' yuh kin take dat an' bury dat. Now, dat stockin' when she leaves, yuh take dat stockin'. Don' pin it up lak by de laig, yuh pin it up by de toe, yuh undahstan'. Yuh git chew a bran'- new - a pack of bran'-new safety pins, but don' take an' let dat git away from yuh. Jis' keep dat perfec' [perfect] fo' dat. Take it an' shove it [pin] back dere, right in de stockin' foot.
(Where do you hang it up?)
In yore dressah or in yore chiffahrobe [chifforobe], or whutsomevah yuh got. Yuh got'a hang it in dere, but hang it upside down. Now de name. Write her name nine times. Now yuh take an' yuh write de name an' yuh put dat in a bottle. Write de name nine times comin' tuh yuh all de time, not goin' from yuh, comin' tuh yuh nine times. Yuh fol' dat an' yuh put dat in a bottle. Yuh git chew some lodestone an' put dat in dere in dat clear watah, an' carry dat tuh a rivah or bayou. Ah don' care where yuh carry it; tuh de creek or anywhere. Don't set it up, turn dat down. When yuh turn dat down, dat bottle goin' turn lak dis [demonstrates]. Turn comin' tuh yuh. De mouth of it will turn comin' tuh yuh all de time. It's be comin' tuh yuh an' it'll be goin'. In nine days yuh'll see 'em right dere. [Algiers, La., (193, 2993:2.]
Entry 5272
He turned it bottomside upwards in de house when his wife lef'. Well, his wife lef' 'im one Monday mawnin' an' he turnt dat shoe up dat Monday aftahnoon when he came in, an' in about 24 hours aftah he turnt dat shoe up she came back; but now tuh whut [else] he done wit dat shoe....
(Which shoe was it?)
It wuz de lef' shoe, ah think.
(How did he turn it upside down?)
He turned de sides right upwards lak dat, lak dey's comin' intuh de house. She came right back.
[While recording stopped, informant says something about a corner.]
(Which corner did he turn it up in?)
In de right corner, as yo' comin' in de do'.
Entry 5282
Yo' kin take a person's shoes, if yo' in love wit 'em, an' call dere name three times. An' turn it undah de bed where yo' sleep at, an' sleep ovah it an' dat person'll come tuh yo'. (You turn that other person's shoes up- side down under your own bed?) Mah own shoes. Jes' lak if ah wuz in love wit a man an' ah wanted tuh see him. Ah turn mah shoes - jes' right foot, turn it down undah de baid where ah sleep an' call de name three times. An' dey'd come. DO DAT EVAH NIGHT UNTIL DEY COME.
Entry 5283
I've heard of people takin' saltpetah and molasses and putting it in a shoe and turn it upside down, turn around seven times and make a wish, and whatever that is it will come against the one that owns the shoe.
Entry 5555
Dey take chure track up, jis' lak if dey would do sompin tuh yuh tuh set yuh down an' make yuh suffah, an' cain't do nut'in tuh he'p yuhself. Dey take yuh track lak dis, see [demonstrates] - lak dat right from in de middle ["hollow" of track]. An' take up jis' about - ah know dat is de truth - take up de dirt, yuh know, an' dey put 'em on a piece of papah. Dey take de othah one disaway [demonstrates]. (They take one track - they pull it towards them and one they pull away from them.) Dat's de way de' do. An' dey take dat an' dey put it tuhgethah. An' den dey git tuh put it tuhgethah, dey goes tuh work an' dey take a little pot salt [com- Ron name for ordinary salt in a pot before salt-shaker days] an' dey put in dere. Dey sew it up in a piece of red flannel or new homespun. An' dey take dat on de young moon, now. On de' young moon de' do dat. An' dey take dat t'in' an' dey'll bury it in de earth. Well, yuh is punished. Yuh go an' cain't do nut'in. It'll git chew in hard luck. Well, den dey kin take dat an' when de tide comin' up, t'row 'em down in de watah - jis' toss 'em in de rivah. An' de rivah runnin' lak dat, go right dere an' t'row it lak dat. Dey cain't stop. T'row it in de rivah an' den yuh wheel aroun' lak dat, an' turn [your] back an' say, "Go on." Yuh kin be all right fer days. Dis mont' yuh'll have sompin, de nex' mont' yuh go 'long an' have headache an' evaht'in'. Yuh'll take dat an' dis an' dis [medicine] till it become....
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 5600
Ah've had 'perience wit a mean husban', yo' see, an' wanted tuh git rid of 'im, jis' couldn't live wit 'im, an' he wouldn't leave. So ah wuz tole - yo' see, a ole lady [doctor] tol' me, she sayed, 'Ah'll tell," she sayed, "when he goes out dis house," she sayed, "yo' go out behin' 'im jis' barely enough tuh keep 'im from seein' yo', an' pick up, git chew a han'ful of dirt out 'is right track - outa his right footprint.' She say, "When he gits outa sight, '' she say, "yo' jis' turn yo' back tuh 'im an' yo' throw dat dirt no'th, an' say, "Go, may de Lord go wit chew." An' ah, did dat an' he went. Dat's all ah did fer dat, too. An' he went an' he nevah has come back. Dat happened right chere in Wilmington.
Entry 5642
[This is a job-stealing rite! There are a number of them in Hoodoo. To obtain a job is an important rite in hoodoo thought.] Fo' instance, yo'd walk on out dere lak yo' attah [after] quittin' a job, a feller not wantin' a job. All right, yo' could take a shovel an' pick dis [other feller's] track up, de right track, an turn it roun'. An' den de nex' mawnin' yo' kin go dere an' ast dis man fo' de [other man's] job. See? Go dere fo' - well, 'bout three mawnin's, somepin lak dat. But on de third mawnin' yo' go, de man [boss] will give yo' de job. (He would take my job away from me and give it to you, if you turned my foot track around?) Yes.
(But you must get my foot track while I am going to the job?)
Dere yo' are [exactly]. Yore right foot track whilst yo' goin' to de job.
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 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 5736
Jis' lak if yo' goin' wit a man - yo' wus goin' wit 'im an' he don't wan' chew, he wan' somebodys else. When he come tuh yore house fo' three days, yo' git 'is track on dat new shingle an' jis' go tuh de front an' turn it roun'. He'll turn back roun' tuh yo' an' give tuh yo' jis' as he ought tuh, come back tuh yuh an' love yuh. (You put this new shingle right under his track and turn right around, but he has to come to your house for three days first.) Yes sir, do it three times, regardless if he done come dere three days. Yo' know, jis' lak if ah wus tuh come heah three days. Jis' so yo' do it three times. (If he comes there once, you go out and do that. Three days - each day you turn one of these tracks around on this new shingle.) [For man turning Woman in her track, also see 1870, p.555.]
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 5747
This is to cross you. You take the right-foot track, you dig that out and turn it over, and fill the hole full of salt and pepper and quicksilver and sulphur and gunpowder. Then you put that foot track back in the hole upside down and tamp it down and make a wish. You do that the same both for a man and a woman, if you want to break them up.
[Berlin, Md., by Ediphone.]
Entry 5749
Dey take yore foot track, take it up, yo' know, jis' lak it is, an' turn it aroun' an' p'int it tuh dem, an' put some of dere watah in dat. Yo' know, make a ball of it. (Make a what of it?) Make a ball - you know, wet it 'nuff tuh ball it up, yo' know, lak a snowball. (Oh! Oh! Make a mud-ball.) Yes, yes, but wet it wit some of yore watah, yore urine.
(I see.)
An' den yo' bury dat undah yore do'step. Dat brings 'em tuh yo'.
(Oh, that brings them to you.)
Yes. (I see. Well, who would do that? Some woman, a woman would do that to bring a man to her?) Or a man eithah. Make no diff'rence.
Entry 5878
Or yo' kin take a stran' of yo' hair an' cut a catfish open an' put it in a catfish an' yo' will, dat will make [you] worry along. Jes' as long as dat catfish wave his tail, dey tell, yo' be goin': (Be going - wandering away.)
Entry 6152
She kin take his stockin's an' turn 'em wrongsides befo' she wash 'em, yo' see, an' den she kin git some of de hairs of 'is haid an' put dat in dose stockin's an' table salt. It's a common thing dis table salt, an' put ut [it] undah de haid of 'er baid - see, fo' nine nights. An' dat'll stop 'im.
(That is if he is running around with other women - make him stay home.)
Yes sir.
Entry 6446
Well, see - jis' lak yo' go tuh de fo'ks of de road. An' dey supposed Th be crossed lak dat [demonstrates]. Well, yo' take dat part of it - dat's de same as buryin' it an' [or] throwin' it in runnin' watah. Yo' take de skin from dey feet, de one's [feet] whut chew wanta do somepin tuh "a, yo' undahstan'. Well, yo' takes it an' yo' scrapes it back. See, jis' lak da [demonstrates]. If yo' from or tuh yo' lak dat. If yo' are cleanin' dere feet, yo'll have dat chance. Yo' take it an' bury it jis' lak ah tole it. An' o takes it tuh de fo'ks of de road an' throws it ovah yore lef' shouldah. An: look back at each one of de fo'ks, an' den go on where yo' goin'. Makes a as nark in de road an' turn aroun'.
(What will that do to them?)
Dat'll make dem go - jis' insance [insane]. An' dey mind nevah will come tuh 'em lak it supposed tuh.
Entry 6498
Husks, take dat offa yuh foot. Yo' kin weah it. Put it in a bottle, yo' see, an' turn de bottle up dere in bed, if yo' wanted tuh see dat party. Yo' undahstan', turn it bottomside upwards, yo' understand, an' dey shore comin'. She can't git away.
(I see, that's to make them come to you?)
Come real quick.
Entry 6606
Snakes, any kinda snakes, any kinda insex [insects], if dere somebody yo' wanta put snakes an' scorpions in an' kill 'em. Yo' kin take de snake an' kill it, any kinda snake yo' wanta be in a person. Yo' kill dis snake an' aftah yo' kill dis snake yo' name de person whosom- evah yo' wanta kill. Yo' would name 'em. An' fo' nine days yo'd go dere an' turn 'im ovah. He'd be dead. Yo' turn 'im ovah callin' de person's name fo' nine days. An' de ninth day yo' go dere an' take dat thin' an' parch 'im up, yo' know, an' jis' make a dust outa it. An' if yo' wanta put it in whiskey or amythin', or pat it in some tea or anythin' lak dat, yo' put de dust in yo' knoy vtut cheo make from dat dead snake, or scorpion or spidah or anythin', an' den yo' give it to den. It won't hurt nobody but dem dat chew called dere name. An' den when de ninth day's up dey'll take sick, an' den yo' know, dem dere snakes an' scorpions ll be livin' in dem people, whut yo' give dat dust to - in nine days tine.
Entry 6656
Whilst doin' dat, somebody gota go tuh de country an' git a he an' a she moccasin snake.
(Moccasin snake?)
Moccasin snake an' lays 'em head tuh tails, puts 'em down undah - buries 'em in de north cornah.
(North corner of what?)
Of de fence - right down undah de fence, undah a sill lak dis an' den...:
(Do they bury this under a sill or under a fence out in the yard?)
Out in de yard. It's nobody dat knows it dere but dem. It lays dere nine mawnin's an' dey'll begin to molt. Yo' go dere de nex' nine mawnin's an' turn 'em ovah, an' let 'em lay dere anothah nine mawnin's. After dat is ovah, dem nine maw- nin's, evah time dey touch 'em dey makes a oath. Dey goes dere den an' gits de snakes an' cuts de head off an' puts dem heads tuhgethah an' put 'em up ovah de do'sill an' let 'em dry - make an oath - lay 'em up there an' let 'em dry. Then they gets dry good, they crumbles them up right fine an' gets a powder - beats 'em up fine. Then they take 'em an' put 'em in a bag. Well, enybody they want, they go an' gets de dust of de snake head an' sprinkle it in whatever they gives 'em - they gives a party of some kind, an' they wants to go tuh, they gives it to 'em in somethin' to drink.
(What will that do to them then?)
Kill'em. [Richmond, Va., (?), 380:2. A similar method for killing with graveyard dirt is given by same informant in 300: l&3.]
Entry 6659
Ah heard dat yo' could take de hair an' take it an' put it in - jis' urap it up or tie it up in a cloth or somepin an' weah it on yo' some place. Weah it on de firs' piece yo' weah [wear next to skin] an' dey say dat will cuz yo' tuh come back tuh 'em. An' den ag'in yo' could take de hair an' put it in a bottle an' stop it up. An' put it in runnin' watah an' den it would turn tuh a snake. An' when it turn tuh a snake it would kill yo'.
Entry 6850
[Whatever is found buried, burn it as a general rule; but to turn it back on the spellcaster:] Les' [lest] yo' wan'a turn it back on people, why yo' put it in lye, Red Devil Lye, an' burn dat. Dat turns it back on dem. Make yore wishes.
Entry 7063
Take yer broom an' jis' lak yo' turn it upside down an' go out chure house an' stay all night, yer wife or nuthin nevah know nuthin 'bout it.
Entry 7131
Yo' want anothah woman. Jis' lak yo' runnin' a roomin' house an' got roomahs in dere an' yo' an' yore wife in bed- room goin' tuh bed, an' yo' wanna git up an' go in de othah room an' don' wan er to wake up. Yo' take 'er shoe an' put it right undah de bed an turn it upside down, lak mah hat [demonstrates] right undah 'er where she's layin' dere. An' she can't wake up until yo' go wake her up yo'self. Yo' kin go out, kin dress an' stay out till daylight, an' den come back home an wake her up. Dat woman, she won' wake up till den.
Entry 7132
(What do they do about that?) Dey [women] take his 'ef' shoe an' turn it bottom up, put it right up undah 'is head - yo' see, lak up undah de bed. Well, yo' take dat lef' shoe of his'n an' yo' turn it right up undah 'is bed bottom upwards, an' he'll sleep dere until yo' come back.
(I see. If the woman wants to go out and run around?)
Yes, sir.
Entry 7138
Ah tell yo' whut a woman kin do. Jis' lak if 'er an' 'er husban' gone tuh baid an' she wanta step out, she'll git up an' she'll take his shoe, turn 'em bottomside upwards in undah de foot of de baid. See, he cain't wake up until she come back an' turn dem shoes ovah. Den a man kin - he kin, jis' lak if he wan's tuh go out an' leave her dere asleep, all he's gotta do, jis' git up yo' know an' take his pants off or some of 'is drawahs, yo' know it's dirty, an' hang: 'em ovah de top of de baid ovah 'er haid dere, an go on off about 'is business. An' she won't wake up until he come back an' move dem things.
Entry 7147
Turn de shoes bottoms upwards - his shoes. (Where?) Well, jis' lak he's pulled dem off an' gone tuh bed, she take 'em an' turn 'em bottoms up - turn de' sole up an' de top down. Say dat'll make him sleep until she come back.
Entry 7151
Jis' take de shoe an' turn it down...den take an' turn his pockets wrongside out.
Entry 7236
[Playing cards is hoodoo's greatest method for revealing your past, present and future fortune. These professional manipulators of cards are usually called a reader or fortuneteller, though both latter terms may include crystal ball, pan of water, all sorts of special gifts, etc. The present rite, however merely starts with cards to discover the sex of a thief. For similar methods of divina- tion, See PLAYING CARDS, p.195f., and PLAYING CARDS SPECIAL, p.196f., both a part of DIAGNOSIS, Pp.165-217.] Yo' git chew a deck a [of] cahds [cards] playin' cahds, pu' [put] dem out dere lak in gamblin', an' yo' kin tell if it's a man or a woman. See, yo' cut [demon- strates], yo' shuffle dem cahds; yo' turn dem around an' den yo' shuffle de. Yo' cut dem three times an' yo' turn de face up. If it's a man, it goin' tuh be a jack; if it's a woman, it goin' tuh be a queen dat chew turn up, yo' see. A queen is fσ' a woman, lak dat. Now, if she is a colahed puson - it's a colahed woman - it goin' tuh be spade, queen a [of] spades; an' if it's a white woman, it goin' tuh be a queen a [of] di'monds, see. If it's a bright woman, it: s de queen a[of] hearts. See. De same wit de jack an' de king. See. Well, all right. An' aftah yo' cut dem cards an' find out how [who] it is, yo' take yo' dis S-lax [see later] powdah.
(What? Where do you get that?)
Yo' buy it at de drug sto'. It's HOODOO STUFF. Doctor Thomas [proprietor of the drug store] got it down dere.
(What do you call it?)
S-Lax powdah.
(Ex-lax?)
Yeah, it's a powdah.
(Not Ex-lax?)
No, not Ex-Zax. Dat's a candy. Dat's fo' - dat's candy. It's Ex-Zax powdah.
(And what is it called, this powder?)
Ex-lax powdah.
(All right.)
[Author gives up, resigns, etc.]
An' yo' buy it at Doctor Thomas Drug sto'.
(Doctor Thomas' Drug Store?)
Yeah, right down heah on Ramport Street. Yo' take dat stuff. An' aftah yo' take dat powdah - yo' take dat powdah an' yo' puts it on a lamp, yo' see, an' yo' burn it. Yo' see, yo' burn it ovah dere in a li'le pan, see. Well, aftah yo' burn it in a pan, yo' take dat an' yo' puts it - yo' take a red candle - not no black candle - see, yo' want dat back, a red candle, an' yo' burn dat. Yo' burn dat candle an' dat woman - yo' put [that] woman [her name] on de papah, yo' see. Yo' burn it ovah dat [lamp] an' ah betchah dat stuff'll come back tuh yuh.
(That they [she] stole.)
Yeah.
(What do you mean by "woman on that paper?")
[I want to be certain about this. My preceding understanding was wrong.]
Yo' see, yo' jis' put 'woman" - jis' write [the word] 'woman" on de papah. If it's a woman dat stole it [according to the preceding playing cards rite of divination] yo' write "woman" on dere. Yo' don' know 'er name. But if yo' know 'er name - it's bettah fo' yo' tuh know 'er name. If yo' know de puson's name, yo' put de name dere, an' yo' got 'er.
(I see. Where do you put that paper?)
Yo' put dat papah undah de li'le pan wit de candle on topa [top of] it an' yo' burn it. An' yo' goin' tuh burn dat stuff back tuh yuh.
(I see. What do you do with that powder?)
De powdah - yo' git de powdah at de drug sto'. See, yo' mix de powdah in wit dat stuff, yo' see.
(With what stuff?)
Mix de powdah an' burn it, yo' see, ovah de lamp. Yo' see, yo' burn dat pow- dah, see, in de pan. Den yo' stick de candle right up in de centah of dis [panl an' put 'er name right undah dat, yo' undahstan', an' yo' goin' tuh burn dat stuff back. [This burning brings dat stuff back.]
Entry 7267
Ah heard dat if a fellah shoot a man down an' de fellah wanted tuh git away, why dey run dere an' grab de fellah dat he shot, if he's daid, an' turn 'im ovah on 'is face an' de man couldn't git away, he would lingah around some- whah. (His friends would turn the man over, turn the corpse over on its face.) De man dat was daid - an' den dat would have de man tuh lingah round somewhah an' he'd come back.
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 7280
Lak ah go out dere an' kill a fellah. Well, if ah kin manage tuh push 'im from me or step 'cross 'im three times an' walk 'way from him wit mah back to him, dat de law will nevah fin' me. (Well, how do you mean you step across him? Here's the body now. Now, how do you step across there?) See [demonstrates], if he would fall when ah shootin' 'im - if he'd a-fall to me, if ah'd manage to git to him an' turn 'im backwards an' let 'im fall on 'is back - an' ah come to him an' walk 'cross [him] lak dis [demonstrates] de first time, lak heah an' back ag'in, den ah walk away from 'im. (You walk over him once and back over him. You step across him three times and then you turn your back. Do you back away from him or just walk?) Yo' walk off from 'im. Step back an' back off nine steps dat way an' den yo' turn yore back, an' go on away from 'im, an' if yo' kin keep from lookin' back, de law will nevah git chew.
Entry 7375
Well, yes, if a man kill a man. If he jump - if dis man now, when he kill 'im, he jump backward, come backwards ovah him, lak yo' step back ovah him befo' de breath leaves 'im or at de time dat he's breathin', an' if he kin git jes' a distance away, he will git away. An' if he don't - jes' lak if he go away an' don't do dat, an' if yo' jes' ketch a man on suspicion figurin' dat's 'im an' if de man ain't, if he ain't a bad 'un, yo' know, sompin lak dat, an' den if he's gone, if dere's any blood dat's in dat dirt, if it's two years or three, yo' bring dat fellah back dere. An' if he's de man did it, dat place will git dark an' darkah when yo' bring 'im back dere to dat place.
(That place where the man died?)
Oh, yes. Jes' lak yo's an officah, yo' take dat dirt wit yuh an' yo' find dat fellah, yo' know de color of de dirt. Jes' lay it right, yo' present dat dirt when yo' git to whah [where] dat person at, dat dirt will turn dark as 'is face.
(That dirt will get darker and darker.)
Entry 7392
If a person git killed an' yo' want dis person tuh come back, dis per- son will have tuh fall on his face [see p.324lf. and elsewhere.] Den ah heard ag'in dat chew kin take de dead person's hat. Jes' lak yo' be killed an' somebody find de hat, turn it on de wrong side. Turn de right - no, turn de left-hand sleeve of dis person's garment - coat, shirt or undahshirt an' fold it. An' wherevah or who dis party wus whut killed dis per- son, if dey's away, dey gotta return ~ dey can't stay away.
(You turn this left sleeve of his coat inside out or roll it up?)
Roll it - jes' lak on de left now, ah'm usin' mah left hand. If yo' killed me or ah killed yo', well yo' want me tuh come an' ah'm gone. Well yo' jes' turn mah shirt, or eithah mah hat. Turns 'is hat on de wrongside an' turn de bow. Yo' know how dere be's a bow in dat hat. Well now, when yo' roll it, yo' have to roll it tuh yo' wit de bow comin' tuh yo', seams an' all jes' comin' on tuh yo'. He'll have tuh come back, he can't stay away.
Entry 7401
Mah gran'fathah said, he was in slav'ry yo' see, he said dat when a person done kill a person dey goes an' gits dis person's shoes an' dey take 'um an' put 'em full of foddah an' den dey take some dis heah lye dey use to run an' make soap outa. Ah don't know whethah yo' remembah it or not. (The old-fashioned lye.) Yes sir, used to run it outa ashes. Put hit in dere an' dey turn dat shoe bottom sides upwards dey said, an' in five days evah who did it would come back.
(Do you do one of the shoes that way or both of them?)
Jes' one of 'em. Dat left shoe.
Entry 7411
All right, dey kin take dat - dat man kill a man out dere an' he git away. An' dey wan' 'im to come back an' de law cain't bring 'im back. Dey take dat coffin, dat corpse, an' dey turns it a diff'ren' way in de house an' dey turn it in de direction dat he [murderer] went. An' de direction he went, dat de direction he comin' back. Dat body is turned dat direction. An' dey take some - write his name on some papah an' put it in dere, an' dey write it in de Name of de Lawd [Lord], but dey write it in vain [see later], an' say on dere, 'Lord, sen' dis man back. Turn 'im back, him what have killed mah brothah or mah husban', an' let de law git 'im." Well, he'll come back. Write his name on a piece of papah an' put it in dat casket, an' do it in de Name of de Lawd an' yo' do it in Vain.
(What do you mean in vain?)
Yo' gotta use a curse word, yo' see, an' den he'll be back in nine days. He'll return.
(I see.)
Entry 7466
If a man killed somebody an' run away, yo' will take de daid one an lay 'im on 'is face. An' yo' git three fresh aigs an' put one in each han'. Put one in each one of 'is han's an' lay one undah heah, right up undah his chin heah. Lay 'im on 'is face, de daid one. Dat's if yo' cain't identify de fellah, yo' lay de dead one on 'is face an' put one dem fresh aigs in each han' an' lay de one right undah his neck heah undah his face. If dat man, if he won' come back dere, he be put where he kin be seen.
Entry 7472
Turn the murdered man on his face an' leave him on his face until the next day. [If the man fell on his face, leave him face down until following day. In former days and until recently in isolated communities, the body was buried the day after death.]
Entry 7474
Jes' lak yo' kill some of mah fren's. Ah dunno [don't know] who done it, but ah got-a idea dat sech-an'-sech-a-one done it. Ah'll take de dead per- son an' turn 'im on 'is face an' de man who done it [I interrupt]. (Where are you going to turn him on his face? Where?) Turn 'im on 'is face in de coffin. Co'se yo' don't want it tuh be public. Yo' kin git de undahtakah to turn dis person on 'is face when he go tuh bury 'im. Covah 'im on up, an' aftah dat de fellah who done it will go tuh lingahin'. He'll go to lingahin' an' he'll nevah stop till he die an' follah shortly aftah. An' if dere fo' or five in de crowd dat kill.dis man - fo' or five in de crowd dat kill 'im - all who in dat crowd will certainly follah [because they did not help victim or report the crime, etc.].
Entry 7641
Dey go out tuh de fo'ks of de road, an' ah think dey speaks fo' times [recite an incantation of some sort] an' turns tuh de lef'. An' dey goes tuh de graveyard an' dey gits some graveyard dust from de left, from de head of de grave, an' put it in a li'le bag an' weah it in dey pocket- book. (What is that supposed to do?) Dat supposed tuh give yo' luck. (That will give you luck, I see. You go out to this crossroad and speak four times?) Yes, sir.
(What time do they go out there, any particular time or just any old time?)
Naw, five an' six o'clock in de mawnin' an' twelve o'clock at night, an prob'ly three o'clock in de mawnin'. [This means midnight or after, or before daybreak - the usual dark hour.]
(I see, and from the crossroads then they go to the cemetery.)
Yes, sir.
Entry 7707
Yo' kin go tuh de grave an' turn de haidbo'd from de grave an' take dat
[dirt], go to a person - jes' lak if yo' want a sweetheart or anything [a man to]
quit wit a woman - an' carry it an' put it dere, an' tell dis person tuh make dis man stop goin' dere. An' why if he evah go dere at night or anythin', go tuh sleep, dis [dead] person will worry him so dat he couldn't go back nohow.
(You put that board in the house?)
Yassuh, [no] put de dirt undah de house. Den yo' change de bo'd an' git de dirt, de graveyard dirt, an' carry it tuh de house. Why he couldn't go back dere.
Entry 7978
Yo' takes a photograph, see, an' writes on de back of de photograph yore name, her name cross it. Don't write 'em straight. Yo' write chure name down an' yo' come back an' write her name on top of it. Yo' go to de grave- yard an' take yo' two han'- fulla dirt an' sprinkle it ovah dis picture, an' fold dis photograph up an' puts it in a envelope an' sprinkle dat dirt in de envelope, jes' 'nuff tuh put in dere an' fold it up an' puts it in de box. An' in seven days, regardless tuh where she is or who she is, she cain't be still - she'll return. She gotta come.
Entry 8047
Yo' kin [take] a person's bone outa his laig, a li'le small one of 'is bones. Take a strand of 'is hair, live person's hair, whoevah yo' want, an' wrap it aroun' dat bone. An' yo' take dat bone, if yo' don' want tuh bury it, yo' kin put it in a close [or dark] corner wit de hair aroun' it, yo' know, an' whutevah yo' wish fo' - if yo' wish dose person tuh die or whutevah yo' wish fo', den at [after] de six week dat wish will come true. Wit de hair Wrapped aroun' dat bone, becuz if yo' wrap dat hair roun' de bone, it won't be long fo' dat DEAD BONE WILL TURN DAT STRAN' OF HAIR WHITE. Yo' kin notice it. It will turn dat stran' of hair white.
Entry 8060
I know what I can do to bring a girl back, if she wants to leave, so long as I got her photograph. I can take her photograph and bring her back. Well, I'd take the photograph, you see, and I'd put it bottom upward, you know, crossways underneath the head of the bed. I can take the photograph and put it under the head of the bed, bottom upwards, and put the head at the west and feet at the east [photo faces east as does a corpse], you see, and put dat dere for nine days. So when dat nine days are up and that starts to rus' [rust], you take that up and put it in your pocket. Wear in your hip pocket and she'll come back. She won't do nuthin till that rus'es, you see. When you put it, it rus'es crossways, you see, on the springs you know. It rus' with the springs. I don't know [how] it come to bring her back, but it will do it jes' as soon as that starts to rus'. And you take that out and put it in your pocket. The actual pitchure itself had to be against the springs, but it have to be a tintype. You see [demonstrates] the face is up this way and you turn it down [face to springs], you see, and let the head be to the west and the feet to the east [normal position for burial of corpse]. That's according to the direction as she went. If she went east, you do that; if she went west, you put the head den [to the east], jis' ever way she went. You put that [on the springs] underneath your pilloW. And WHEN THE NINE DAYS IS UP, THAT THING WILL TURN COMPLETELY AROUND, THAT PICTURE WILL. When the nine days is up and that thing [picture] turns around, she'll come home.
Entry 8088
They say they kin take a tintype of a man or a woman that you're in love with an' turn it upside down in a dark corner an' keep it in the dark. Eventually they will pine away to nuthin an' their thoughts will be on you always.
Entry 8095
Yo' kin take a man's pichure or a man kin take a woman's pichure. If yo' wan' de person tuh stay aroun', yo' kin turn it up an' dey'll be aroun' if yo' walk on tuh 'em. If yo want 'em tuh come rushin' right tuh yo' at once, turn it down. Dat puts 'em on dere haid, dey can't stay away. Den yo' kin take de pichure ag'in an' punch de eyes out, put a "x" in de mouth, an' bury it on de face of it, but punch de eyes out an' dat'll run 'em blind.
Entry 8101
Jis' lak mah wife wuz tuh leave me an' go tuh New York or somewhere, an' ah wanted 'er back, an' ah could git 'er photograph, an' could take it an' bring 'er back tuh me, an' all lak dat.
(Well, do you know what they would do with that?)
Dey say dey would take dat photograph an' turn it tuh go from de way she leave home; jis' backward, back. Ah tell how she, de way she leave. Dey could take dat photograph an' turn it, put de face towards de way she went an' de back to- Wards home, an' de face of dat pichure would draw 'er back tuh me.
(That's all they had to do?)
Yessuh, dey jis' take dat.
Entry 8189
De photograph dey turnt it upside down in a dark room, night er day. Light a lamp, turn [down] a lamp an' make a slow light, yo' know, by de photo- graph. Dat git chew worried an' yo' come home. Dat gotta take tuh bring yo' home. [To turn a photo upside down in a dark room before lighting the lamp confuses the spirit of the photo.]
Entry 8191
Take his photograph an' turn it on it's face an' dat will bring 'im back tuh yuh. Yo' know, if anyone is gone from yuh, husban' or people lak dat, friends. Dey gone an' yo' don' know where. Say turn it on de face. Turn dat pichure on de face an' keep it in de middle of yure baid mattress, don' chew undahstan'. An' dey say dat'll bring 'im back home tuh yuh.
Entry 8199
Well, ah learnt dat chew kin take a person's photo an' if yo' wants to do dem any harm, sech as killin', dat maybe yo' kin take it an' hold it ovah a lookin'-glass twixt - aftah de sun raise one hour, an' take an' carry it back tuh yure mantelpiece an' put it ovah yore mantelpiece. Turn de glass down ovah it. An' dey say in nine mawnin's he'll be a daid person.
(What kind of a glass do you turn over it?)
A lookin'-glass.
Entry 8207
Well, yo' take - git chew dis name on a tintype an' turn dat bottom upwards, an' bury it undah jis' six inches of soil [symbolical of 6 feet]. An back off ten steps, ah mean nine steps befo' yo' turn yuh back tuh it. An' den walk away an' don't evah look back tuh it ag'in. (And what will that do?) Well, dey claim dat if dey tryin' tuh do somepin tuh yuh, say anything dat dey want did, it will happen dat way. (Well, will that do anything particular to you, burying the photograph that way, that tintype?) It won't even kill yuh or anything, jis' make yuh be through wit 'em so ah undahstand.
(I see.)
Entry 8396
Yo' kin take a photograph of me, yo', anybody, an' yo' kin draw dat photograph dere an' yo' will natchly [naturally] run a person wild. (What would you do with that photograph?) Well, ah tell yo' whut chew do wit it. De way ah undahstand, yo' kin take dat photograph an' yo' kin turn it down fo' nine days, see, an' put it through a solution.
(What kind of a solution?)
Well, a chamber lye solution, an' yo' kin run a person wild - not wild, whut ah mean, but yo' kin have 'em all upset.
(About what?)
Oh, well, about anything. (Now wait a minute, when you do my photograph, do you run me crazy or do you make me crazy about someone. I mean be definite about it.) Dat would make me crazy about de particular one dat worked it.
Entry 8401
I've heard that you can take a person's photograph an' soak it in warm water and vinegar for sev- eral hours, so much so that the paint leaves the photograph. And take it out- doors and put it in some old outhouse, and turn the face to the wall, and leave it there for twenty-eight hours. Then bring it back and put it where it was at first, and bad luck will happen to this person.
Entry 8404
Take a pichure an' yo' kin turn it up- side down, de photograph, an' yo' kin turn it upside down on de wall, so dey says, an' yo' run de person crazy wit de haid down.
Entry 8431
De reason ah know dat, a woman, she tell me dis. Her husban' went away an' leave her an' she want 'im tuh come back home. An' she had a pichure of his'n an' she take a glass of watah an' set it in a dark corner in de house an' turn de pichure down ovah it an' call his name. An' when dem nine mawnin's wuz up, he came home. (Did she just call his name once?) Three times. (How did she call his name?) She call his name three time. (Just that one time when she put that picture over there?) When she put dat watah, de glass of watah in a dark cornah, turn de pichure down ovah it an' she call 'is name three times.
Entry 8590
If a man leaves home, leaves his wife and he wants - she wants him back. Well, she will take his name an' she will write it nine times backwards. See, she take his last name and bring that first. And de woman dat he is goin' wit, well, she'll write her name on top of his name, an' she'll get her some he lodestone. (He lodestone?) He lodestone. See, they got two kinds. They got the she an' they got de he. Get de he lodestone an' yo' put it in a coal-oil lamp. An' yo' take an' attach it into dat wick. An' yo' keep dat lamp burnin' all day, but yo' turn dat lamp down low. An' yo' see yo' got his name burning in dat he lodestone, an' dat draws him right back tuh yo'. (And whose name - did you write that woman's name he is running around with, or the wife's name?) No, yo' write de woman's name when he is runnin' wit an' his name.
(I see, that'll bring him back. Bring him back.)
Entry 8614
De landlord - just like as if de landlord say he didn't want yo' to move, just say he was dunnin' yo' about money, yo' didn't have it. Yo' take a piece of white paper. [Long pause.] (Yes.) An' yo' put dat landlord's name down dis way nine times [demonstrates]. (One name right under the other?) Yes, sir. De same name, just put it down nine times. Den yo' take dat papah dataway [demonstrates].
(Turn the paper around, yes.)
An' go through dere three times.
(With what, his name?)
His name. (His name again, just his name again, three times. Altogether it's nine times.)
[Not 9 times but 3 times, informant corrects.]
Nine times thisaway an' three times thisaway [demonstrates].
(Making a cross, all right.)
Makin' a cross. An' just take dat an' put it undah a rug, or anythin' dat's in de house, where's [where it is] concealed. Just let it stay right dere.
(With the names down that way?)
De name's upside down like dat [demonstrates].
(I see.)
It's a chance dat he'll come dere an' collect next door an' pass yo' up.
Entry 8708
Yo' have to know their name. Yo' could take their name an' write it on a new shingle an' turn it ovah an' bury it at yore door, an' dey'll come back an' put it dere. (I see, if they stole this article from you.)
Entry 8712
Yo' git up at sunrise, befo' yo' speak to anyone at all, wash yore face or anything, jes' as de risin' of de sun, dey go out to de step like de sun risin dis way, an' yo' call dere name three times. An' after yo' call dere name three times, don't make none other step towards dat way. Jes' turn right aroun' an' come on back. Say, an' after yo' come back yo' kin speak to anyone yo' want to, wash yore face an' anything if yo' want tuh.
(You called their name out there didn't you?)
Yeah, call dere name three time, which person yo' wants tuh come back home. See, jes' lak mah name is Walter. Jes' call mah name, jes' plainly, de full name three times. An' dey do dat fo' nine mawnin's. An' den de mawnin' yo' hear from 'em, yo' begin about de fifth until 'bout de 15th, yo' hear from 'em some Way or 'nother by friends. Somebody bring yo' some kinda message.
Entry 8714
Well, yo' take her name an' yo' write her name down three times. Yo' write yore name three times. Yo' want her now, yo' want her. (Now where would I write my name?) Yo' write her name here first [demonstrates]. Put chure name heah [underneath]. Yo' Yo' write her name heah an' put chure name in dere. Yo' write it three of each, three of each. An' yo' take den an' yo' sprinkle a li'le salt an' a li'le sugah on dis, white sugah. De sugah tuh sweeten it. Salt saves it an' sugah sweetens it. An' sprinkle dat. Yo' put dat on top of a heater an' yo' let dat brown. When yo' let dat brown, her mind will come to yo'. Dat sveetness of dat sugah will sweeten her mind tuhwards yo'. Yo' git 'er. Well, now, if yo' wanta jes', say, carry her off from where she stayin' or make confusion ovah dere first, yo' put red peppah, sulphur an' gunpowdah on dere. Put 'er husban' name or whosomevah man she got, yo' put dat on dere. Dat's tuh confuse dem. Den when yo' confuse 'em, yo' got 'em. Den yo' put dat sugah on dere to sweeten, an' dat salt to save 'er fo' yo'. Yo' put dat on dere tuh bring 'er tuh yo'.
Entry 8727
Yo' kin take a turtle or terrapin an' yo' kin write a person's name on dat turtle dat, yo' know, dat yo' don't want to stay in town. Go write dere name on dat turtle an' turn 'im loose in de water an' every time dat turtle move dey'll move.
Entry 8762
Ah tell whut chew kin do, if yo's outa yore home right now an' ah Wanted yo' tuh come back heah in yore home. Ah don't think yo're treated right, dat somebody has runned yo away. Ah'm goin' write chure name on a tin plate an' mah name, but me an' yo'd be good friends an' bring yo' back in dis home. An' turn dat new tin- plate an' write chure name in it an' den dere's a brass thimble an' three teaspoons. [The name is written on and the thimble and 3 teaspoons are in the right-side-up plate.] An' turn dat plate an' turn it fo' nine mawnin's - turn it roun' nine times fo' nine mawnin's. An' sleep wit it up undah de head of yore bed. He'll come back home. [The right- side-up plate is turned on its bottom and probably turned anti-clockwise, revers- ing time to bring man home.]
Entry 8763
Yo' buy a brand-new tin pan out de stā' an' do' nuse [don't use] it fo' nuthin an' don' set it dwon on nuthin [don't touch the earth theme]. Yo' git it an' come right back home. Yo' gits yo' a pencil an' mark it disaway an' data- way. [I interrupt.] (Just like you were quartering a pie - into four parts.) [If informant did not under- stand guartering, I added four parts.j Yes sir. Yo' put his name heah, put chure name heah, an' den yo' put his name ovah dere an' his name heah... (Wait a minute! In this [I demonstrate on paper] upper left-hand corner as you are looking at it, you put his name. Underneath that you put your name. Then up above in the right hand corner you put your name, and then his name underneath. In other words, his name and your name are opposites.) [See my diagram for quartered pie.] Yes sir.
(All right. Then what do you do with that pan?)
Yo' take it an' turn it bottomside upwards an' walk out de do' backwards, see, an' shove it right underneat' yore do'step. Yo' don't bury it. Jes' put enough sand ovah it, yo' see, to keep anybody from seein' it. It won't be two weeks [2 seven-day periods] befo' he'll be back there. Ah've tried dat mahself.
Entry 8774
Write name nine times on piece of papah, dress it [with perfume or something], turn de name down [up- side down] an' put away in piece of furniture. Keeps a fussy an' disagreeable person quiet.
Entry 8823
Ah'll take yore han'writin', whethah it's chure name or what not, it's chure han'writin'. Ah'll turn de fo' cornahs in, if it's a lettah, turn 'em all in tuh me. Den ah'll fold 'em an' put 'em undah mah shoe.
(Turn these four corners in, then you fold them over once. Just once?)
Yes sir, tuh me all de time.
(Once or twice?)
Yeah, any way fold it tuh yo' all de while [until you have a convenient pack- age].
(Just make a little package. Always fold it to you.)
Yes sir, an' ah weahs it undah mah shoes. Co'se, whethah yo' a woman or man ah'll handle yo'.
(What shoe do you wear that in?)
Yo' weah dat in de right shoe.
Entry 8827
Yes, ah've heard dat if yo' take dat han'writin' an' if yo' cut de fo cornahs - yo' takes de lettah an' yo' takes an' fold it tuhgethah an' yo' takes dose fo' cornahs an' yo' clip dose cornahs off. Yo' takes dose cornahs an' yo' puts 'em right tuhgethah an' cut 'em ag'in. Yo' have tuh cut 'em as many times as yo' got fingahs. An' evah time yo' cut 'em yo' have tuh lay all de points de same way. An' den yo' take dis han'writin' an' yo' takes an' burns it. An' den yo' - whatsomevah, jes' lak yo' take an' hold it ovah sompin an' burn, den yo' takes de li'le ashes or dust from whatsomevah it is, an' yo' goes an' bury it. An' when yo' bury it, yo' bury it in a hole wit a cut jes' lak de lettah supposed [to] be cut. Yo' turn dese points jes' lak yo' have turnt dese points on de lettah. An' den dey say dat dat will make yo' so nervous, when yo' git ready tuh write ag'in, yo' couldn't write atall, couldn't write a scratch.
(In other words, the hole is in sort of the shape of a diamond?)
[A square or oblong with 4 cut off corners is scarcely the shape of a diomona!]
Yeah. (And you have to keep cutting those squares and keep putting those pieces to- gether.) Uh-huh, until yo' cut 'em ten times [for the number see comment later]. Den yo' take dose squares [triangles] an' yo' burn 'em. Den put 'em in de di'mond- square [hole] an' bury 'em.
(That makes you nervous in your hand?)
Yeah. [In this rite we are asked to accept a fantastic number of triangles. We begin with the original 4 triangles by cutting off the 4 corners of the let- ter. These we must cut 10 times, quite an exercise in geometric progression: (lst cut) 4 triangles, (2nd cut) 8, continuing the doubling with 32,64,128, 256,512, 1024, and 2048! Adding these 10 cuttings of triangles we have 4092 of them! And don't forget: each time yo' cut 'em yo' have tuh lay all de points de Same Way!!! Had my informant said 3 cuttings,4,8,16, he would have remained within the realm of possibility; but not 10 cuttings! The ashes from these tri- angles are buried in the diamond-square hole, a hole shaped like the former old- fashioned coffin, the head part with cut-off corners. In the present rite the cut-off corners are also given to the bottom of the coffin symbol. Here again I think informant is mistaken. The coffin symbol should be the shape of the orig- inal envelope.]
Entry 8831
And they knows yore handwritin' - get holt of it, dey can.
(What will they do?)
Well, dey will take dat han'writin' an' dey kin cross-write yore han'writin', yo' see, so ah'm told. Cross-write yore han'writin', jes' like yo' write a lettah straight; well, now, dey'll go 'cross it.
(I'll write it straight?)
Straight, an' dey'll turn it [the paper upside down] an' go across it. (I see, just cross it - just turn the paper around and cross it.) Cross it, see. Dey turn de Papah aroun' an' cross it. Well, when dey cross it, den dey'll fold dat papah differently, yo' see. An' dey'll puts it in a draw, draw it with heat or watah, see. An' aftah drawin' it with heat or watah; de sweat from dat papah is what dey uses, yo' see. Well, if dey use dat sweat, dey got yore han' jes' de same, yo' see. An' dey put it in a bottle an' use it, cause yore han' tuh swell up. Dey put salt, peppah an' alum in it an' dey'll lay it in a place undah de step, an' it will cause yore hand to swell.
Entry 8886
Use de Bible an' git de 50 Psalms [Psalm 50] of David in de Bible an' yo' read it three times. An' yo' git chew a do' key, a large do' key. Aftah yo' read dat Psalms, yo' write dat Psalm down on a piece of papah. An' yo' take dat do' key an' yo' put it on dat Psalm, an' yo' tie it wit string an' yo' read de Psalms. An' aftah yo' read dem Psalms, yo' call dis person name three time an' yo' hold dat do' key; an' if it's de individual name yo' call, dat done took sompin from yo', when yo' read de Psalm, dat do' key goin' turn roun' in dat Bible. Jes' lak yo' turn it in de lock of a do', jes' turn; an' if it ain't de individual whut took it, de do' key goin' tuh stay still. But if it's anyone dat took it an' yo' know dere name, yo' call dere name, dat key is gonna turn in dat Bible. (You write this 5Oth Psalm on a piece of paper and then you wrap that around the key?) No suh, de key is tied intuh de Bible on de 5Oth Psalm aftah yo' write it down. See, yo' write it down so yo' kin read it, an' yo' readin' it three times. An' aftah yo' read - while yo' readin' it, yo' don' call de individual [name]. Aftah yo' read it, den yo' call de individual name an' yo' hold dat key. Hold de Bible an' hold de top end of de key, an' when yo' hold dat key yo' have it tied tight in dat Bible; an' if it's dat individual, dat key's gonna turn in dat Bible jes' lak it would in de do'.
[Since key does not fall, By St. Peter rhyme not used.]
(This key though is put into the Bible where this Psalm is. The only reason that you write that 5Oth Psalm is that - so when the Bible is closed, you can read the 50th Psalm?) Yes.
Entry 8895
Yo' kin take de Bible an' lay it down open. Open tuh David's [Psalms] uh [orl eithah tuh St. Luke. Jes' let it be layin' heah on de table an' yo' be sayin' yore prayahs. Say de Lord's Prayah. An' yo' sayin' yore prayah. Dat's when it fus' [first] start tuh work. An' so yo' sit dere an' yo' call dese names as ah fus' said, By St. Petah, by St. Paul, by de Lord dat made us all; now ah wanta be true in whut ah'm doin'. Says, Now, Lord, ah wants yo' tuh be true. Say, Ah don' wanta beah [bear] no false witness. Ah don' wanta 'cuse [accuse] no one wrong. An' yo' set dere an' yo' call names, an' when yo' git tuh de right person's names, dose Bible leaves jes' go turn ovah jes' lak yo's [you is] turnin' 'em.
(Then you can find out who stole the article by doing that?)
Yes. Sometimes yore mind will jes' come tuh yo', yo' jes' know dat ah'm
[I have] got yore hat.
Entry 8940
Somebody stealin' anything from you an' he passes.through de door - he's gotta, yo' know. Yo' take a axe an' go right over de door, on de inside an' on de outside, cut off little splinters, don't care how small it is. An' go right out into the yard where there's a cart, or a wagon or automobile or anything. If it's a automobile, you've got to jack the wheel up. Then yo' lose it so yo' kin pull it off de axle an' put de two splinters right in there, an' shove it right back on. An' yo' call this thief: Thief, turn your ways backwards. Oh, Thief, yo' shall be turned back. Yo' shall stand up in your track. Yo' shall not walk one inch front nor back until yo' come back an' bring my stolen' goods to me. Say that three times. An' stop asking him to bring it back and walk away. In less time than thirty minutes, yo'll see someone coming.
Entry 8945
If somebody steal sompin from yo' an' yo' want 'em tuh bring it back, yo' take dere names an' write it on a piece of papah an' put it in de wagon, undah [inside] de wagon wheel. Put it in dere an' turn dat wagon wheel ovah nine times. An' dey will be forced tuh bring it back to yo'. Call 'em when yo' turn dat thing - turn dat wheel - call 'em an' tell 'em: Yo' must come back heah tuh me an' bring dat whut chew took away. Yo' must come back an' bring it to me. De Father bids yo' come, de Son bids yo' come, de Holy Ghost bids yo' come, an' yo' must come back an' bring it back in Jesus Name.
(Do you turn that wagon wheel around either way?)
Turn it to yo' nine ways [times - see preceding nine times].
Entry 8953
It wuz a fortunetellah, she went tuh dis man; see, he wuz sentenced tuh be hung. So aft' [after] dat she said, "Dey'll not hang yuh, yo' know. Don't worry about her." [He had killed a woman.] Dat wuz real. So when dey had dis trial, yuh see, dis woman went dere an' she had somepin in a basket. Ah don't know whut it wuz, but anyhow, de whole time de judge wuz talkin', she kep' [kept] turnin' dis concern [unknown object] in de basket; but ah don't know whut it wuz - a piece of close [clothes] or whut. But anyhow, it wuz a rag [a cloth cover] ah know in dis basket. She kep' turnin' it an' kep' turnin' it. So dey give dis guy ten years. She lightened his sentence, kep' tim [kept him] from de electric chair [he means hanging]. Dat happen here in Snow Hill. Dat wus a long time ago. [Since this story was recorded in 1936, the old man's long time ago and sentenced tuh be hung could mean about 19oo. Could this fortuneteller, a woman, have been our well-know Zippie Tull (see ZIPPIE TULL, Pp.923-929, and No.8, p.5f.)? The rag-covered concern in the basket was probably a small hand sifter (see Nos.526-530, p.156f.; No.604, p.204; No.2303, p.648; etc.). This she surely turned backwards, reversing every word spoken by the judge!]
Entry 8963
(How do you use the alligator tongue?)
It do the same part as the beef tongue and from what it was taught to me from Doctor Henry Laemson, it's better.
(You think the alligator tongue is better than the beef tongue?)
Absolutely.
(What do you do with that, then?)
They take that alligator tongue and freeze it hard until it hard as the table. For instance, if it's a - the judge, probably he be named Anderson. I will write Anderson on that beef tongue, just take a hatpin or kind of a... [demonstrates]. [Since he changed from alli- gator to beef, I ask:] (Are you talking about the beef or alligator tongue?) Absolutely, write his name on there. See. Write the district attorney name on that. The tongue ls well froze. The day the case come off, bury that tongue. The party whosomever - if this lady that live in this building here, if it's her son, have her to turn the mattress upside down, the chair upside down, the table upSide dOWN, and IT LOOK LIKE THAT GIVE THE JUDGE NO WILLPOWER TO FIGHT AGAINST THE CASE, NEITHER THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, SEE. They absolutely more than have to nol pros the case, see. So that they won't get any good evidence, see, from none of the witness, even if I'm the witness, statement won't correspond. One may say that they....
Entry 9061
When yo' go tuh dat co'troom, dat co'thouse, dat yo' goes tuh somebody dat yo' knows dat's real wicked. An' go tuh de graveyard an' run yore han' down an' git chew some graveyard dirt. An' as yo' go out, go left-handed, left-handed tuh de jail, de co'thouse, all de Way roun' it, an' jes' throwin' jes' lak yo' do fertilizuh. An' stroll right on tuh de place where yo' start in, an' den back in, an' jes' stop it all right in dere. Well, yo' go in dere, say dat's luck fo' dat. [According to my following question informant demonstrated.]
(YOU THROW IT WITH YOUR LEFT HAND?)
YESSUH AN' GO DE LEFT WAYS ALL DE TIME.
Entry 9098
Well, jes' lak yo's got a great big case on hand an' yo' can't hardly do nuthin wit dat case. Yo' git all dem, yo' git de judge's name; yo' git de district attorney's name; yo' git all dose p'licemans on dat beat, on yore beat. See, de one dat 'rested [arrested] 'em an' evahthin'. Yo' writes all of dere names down an' yo' take dere names an' yo' weah dere names; see, aftah yo' write 'em down. See, yo' turn all of 'em dis Way. See... [demonstrates].
(So they are headdown.)
Yeah, turn 'em down lak dat, see. An' jes' weah 'em right cross heah, right 'cross de stomach. Dat's all. Yo' ain't got a thing tuh do... [demonstrates]. Put it in a li'le "NATION SACK" [see THE NATION SACK WOMAN, Pp.1449-1459, vol.2] see an' weah it right 'cross de stomach lak dat. An' evah mawnin' soon as yo git up, yo' say de Lord's Prayahs behin' dat an' yo' call all of 'ems name. An' evah night yo' git on yore knees an' say de Lord's Prayah, an' yo' call dere names behin' dat. An' dat's really good.
Entry 9129
[The word Lamed in this rite is the title for lines 89-96 in Psalm 119, which is broken up into a number of named sections. Lamed is not the au- thor's name but a direction. Verse 94 shows why this portion of the Psalm was chosen: I am thine, save me; for I have sought thy precepts. In recent years these courtroom rites, like the present one, could be called fox-hole or shell-hole religion. The Lord is not a Way of life but a last resort. Our rite has another interest, one of the oldest and commonest of all beliefs, the right foot first: Always start a journey right foot first for luck - Folklore from Adams County Illinois, No.12829, p.367, 2nd ed.] Well, yo' take sage leaves an' yo' write twelve names from de Bible, twelve names on each leaf of sage.
(You write one name for each leaf?)
Yes. An' yo' put it in yuh shoe, de right shoe firs'. [I must have been nodding here! Does it mean 6 leaves in the right and then 6 in the left? Or does it mean alternate: one right, next left, etc?] An' den yo' read, yo' read de word of Lamed in de 119 Psalm befo' yo' go [to court]. An' yo' PUT DE RIGHT FOOT IN FORWARD FIRS' an' yo' read dis 119th Psalm, de word of Lamed, an' yo' turn evah thing bottom upwards in de house: chairs, stools, evahthing bottom upwards, an' go on down.
(Before the judge.)
Entry 9162
Yo' know it's twelve disciples an' dere's 12 jurymens. Well, yo' take dese twelve disciples an' yo' put six - write six names on one piece of papah an' six on de othah, an' put dem in yore shoes - each shoe. An' yo' rubs garlic in yore hand, if yo' kin git tuh it. Yo' see an' go intuh de courtroom, or yo' kin turn evahthing. Jes' lak de trial goin' tuh be tuhday. Turn evahthing in yore house from de cups on tuh a chair, turn it upside down, mattress an' evahthing yo' see. He [judge] can't [go] ovah dat. If dey do, yo' ain't goin' git much. See, he don't know how tuh git tuh yo'. See, dis Work 'em upside down. Dey don't [know] how to git up tuh yo'. Yo' see dose 12 disciples, ah can't call 'em by name right now, but any- way it's twelve. It's 12 jurymen. Well, see de disciples are jurymen.
(That's when you go up before the judge.)
Entry 9164
[Preceding rites in this section have given us examples of turning household objects upside down before court. Here is one to establish the margin title:] If it's a bad case when yo' goin' tuh co't, choo turn yuh chairs bottom upward. Yo' turn evahthing bottom up. Upset things in yuh house. Yo' read de seven Psalm [Psalm 7] in de Bible. Aftah yo' read dat, den yo'll take de judge name an' yuh name an' put it in de bottom of yuh shoe. Yo' write it on parchment papah. Write his name, yuh name on topa it, an' put it in de heel of yuh shoe, de right shoe. An' yo' tote dese nine pods of garlic. Yo' have yo' piece of John de Conkah root, an' when yo' git tuh dat [courtroom] do', yo' spit three times. Den yo' walk on intuh de co'troom an' yo' spit tuhwards de judge. Den, if yo' goin' in front of de judge he'll be lenient on yuh. Yo git discharge.
Entry 9165
When yo' git 'rested, befo' de jedge try yuh, yo' take off yore shoes, take off both yore shoes. Take yuh socks off. Turn de bottom of de shoe down. Take de socks an' put all in one. Yo' know, take two de socks an' put all in omg shoe. Yo' jes' take off yuh sock an' roll it up an' den put it in de othah one. Makes a bundle outa it. Tie it ovah wit yuh shoes. Den when de cop come tuh remove yuh, take yuh tuh de judge try yuh, den'yo' put - take yore socks, yo' unfold it a put it in one back pocket, an' one in de othah back poa ket. An' den yo' put on yore shoes witout eny socks. Take de shoestring outa it an' put dat in yore [front?] pocket an' yo' walk on up tuh have yuh trial. Well, de case's [case is] out. It may be a mistrial.
Entry 9169
Ah have a John de Conkah root. Yo' take - ah give yuh a li'le piece of dat. Yo' use jis' - it ain't got a thing tuh do about magic. Put it in yuh mouth, jis' a very li'le bita piece. Walk tuh de co'thouse, talk wit de judge an' evahthing. Yuh case come tuh come up. Yo' talk about a case proposition. On de firs' jam [serious trouble] wit de law dat yo' know dat yo' got a case at de co'thouse. It supposed tuh be very bad in any kind of way. De day befo' de case is supposed tuh be tried, dey show up. Dey say, "Yeah." Anyway dey show up dere at nine o'clock nex' mawnin'. An' yo' wake up dis mawnin' jis' about five o'clock. Evah chair yo' got in yuh home, turn it upside down. Evah chair. Now, jis' lak las' night, jis' about midnight las' night, if yo' got de courage, yo' stay up; 'cuz yo's de one in co't, choo see. Yo' take one of dem chairs an' cross de watah. (Cross what?) Cross de watah. (Cross what water?) Any way [anywhere], jis' So yo' cross de rivah. Any wa watah jis' so yo' cross it. Move dat piece of furniture outa yuh house, an' turn all de chair - rockin' chairs an' evah'thing upside down: Yo' be very cold tuh dat co't. Gotta be verah [very] cool fo' dat, 'cuz yo' know yuhself, from nine o'clock maybe until ten o'clock, dey may call evah'body aroun'. An' yo' continue chewin' dat piece of John de Conkah, dey call it. When it comes tuh yuh time, yo' still lookin' fo' it, dey throw yuh case off de side. Neithah yo' or neithah dem know how he have dem tuh be.
(I see, dismiss the case?)
Yes, dismiss de case. [This crossing of water the night before the trial, is surely a witchcraft prevention tacked onto a court rite. If the arrested person or anything in his house had been bewitched, this journey across running water would break the spell - see Folklore from Adams County Illinois, 2nd ed., p.893f. especially the remarkable story about carrying bewitched child across Mississippi River at Quincy, Illinois, and recrossing the river farther upstream. No.16426, a treasure!]
Entry 9175
And I want the judge to be lenient on my case and so I would get dis- missed. Now, if I was goin' like I would be arrested and I had to go down to the judge, and I was just like I would have to go down to court this morning. I get a subpoena to come to the court this morning, understand. I would take my bed, the bed I sleep in and I would take and turn the mattress over, upside down, and leave the bed upset. And take my chairs in my house and I would turn them up too. Then I would make my wish before I leave my house. I would get me a piece of John de Conkah, understand, and whilst I be coming into the judge's room, I be having my John de Conkah in my mouth, understand. The minute I walk into the door to the judge - to go to the judge's stand, I would spit my John de Conkah.
Entry 9176
Yo' would git up in de mawnin' an' yo' would turn yore clothes - under- Wears - wrongside outwards, an' yo' would turn yore socks wrongside out. An' den yo' would turn to de chap- tah of Psalms, de 25th chaptah of Psalms. It reads lak dis: "Plead mah case [cause] O God, an' stand up fo' thy helpmate, an' so on lak dat chew see. An' yo'll purtty much git dismissed.
(You do that before you go down to see the judge.)
[Psalm 25 does not contain the preceding words. The nearest to them would be those opening Psalm 35: Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me. Similar words are: Plead my cause and deliver me - Psalm 119:154. The helpmate part of informant's quotation does not appear in Psalms.] Ah wuz in jail fo' murdah once, an' it wuzn't no joke 'bout me not bein' guil- ty. Had a ole man [doctor] outa Jacksonville, Fla., an' he come tuh me an' he says, "Well, ah know yo's no risk," said, "but dis chaptah right chere ah'm goin' give yo' tuh read." He say, "Only de 25th eve'y mawnin' 'fore yo' git up, 'fore yo' speak to anybody else, aftah yo' gits up, an' yo' jes' go on an' yo'll be discharged." An' he says, "De ninth mawnin', de mawnin' dat chew bein' tried, ah'll come an' tell yo' whut tuh do." So he come tuh me an' tole me whut tuh do. [I failed to ask what informant was supposed to do on the 9th day, but it was probably to chew John de Conkah root during the trial.] An' ah wuz acquitted wit'out goin' tuh a judge, or even tried. [This is one of those cases settled out of court - see Doctor Washington's amazing account, No.9024, p.3660, v.4.] Dat wuz at Greenville, Fla. An' eve'ybody else could tell yo', by jes' sayin dat. Ah've been down in co't, ah reckon ah've been prob'ly five hundred times
[an obvious hyperbole] an' dat's all ah use.
Entry 9244
In case yo' wanta do anything wit it, yo' go dere an' yo' take two pennies. Yo' take a aig. Yo' still take a aig an' yo' take two pennies an' yo' go dere at twelve a'clock at night. Yo' bust dat aig right across of dat road. See, what- somevah yo' want, if it's evil, by dat bustin' dat aig, yo' pay de mean spirit two cents. Yo' drop dat two cents in dere [the bursted egg]. An' yo' bust dat aig right across de road at twelve a'clock at night, an' turn right an' go backwards an' don' look back.
[You probably walk backwards as long as you can see the forks of the road.]
(And then you make a wish for something that you want done?)
Dat's right.
(You do that down at the forks of the road.)
Dat's right.
Entry 9312
Now ah tell yo' whut ah did heah. Dey say dat if yo' jes' take a black hen, she don't have tuh have no spot on 'em atall, gotta be solid black. Jes' lak if yore wife is goin' wit anothah man yo' see, she won't hardly stay home. Yo' put her name on dis side of de aig, see [demonstrates]. Den yo' turn it tuh yo', turn it ovah, an' put yore name on de othah side of it. An' bury dat right in de middle - it gotta be where she kin penetrate right back an' fo'th ovah it. She may go out fo' about one or two nights, but aftah dat she won't go no mo'. She'll be wantin' tuh stay home an' yo'll be ready tuh go, see.
Entry 9325
Take an aig - advance a aig an' turn it. Jes' if [for example if] a person off [away], yo' kin take a aig an' turn it on a new tinplate. Write de girl name in dat new tin plate nine times an' turn it [egg] fo' nine mawnin's. Turn it nine times fo' nine mawnin's an' dat bring 'em back, wit an aig.
Entry 9395
Take a aig yo' know an' write his name on it, his full name. Write it all de way round about three times, see. An' go tuh 'is house late at night about twelve or one o'clock, an' jis' throw it out an' say, "Go"! Like dat. An' turn aroun' an' don't look back an' go on.
Entry 9454
One of de mos' valuable things, yo' kin take salt an' run evahone out dat house in ten minutes.
(Just how would you do that?)
Jis' take dat broom an' open de back do' an' de front do', jis' lak yo' open dis do' heah, an' take de broom an' turn it bottom upwards, an' put a handfulla salt right in de broom, an' set it wit de broom up an' close de do'. In ten minutes evahone of 'em git restless an' leave dere. Ah run company dat way some- times, when ah have company home an' git sick of 'em. Ah jis' git up an' go in de kitchen, an' take de broom an' set it behin' de do' an' throw salt on top of it, come back dere an' set down. In about ten minutes dey all git restless an' leave - dey go an' leave.
Entry 9468
[CENTER OF A CIRCLE, HERE REPRESENTED BY A PLATE, IS RARE IN HOODOO. For another example, see No.9683, p.3823. Contrariwise, center or middle of a square or oblong (bed, house, grave, room, etc.) is fairly common, the center or fifth point creating a quincunx.] Yo' kin, if yo' got a mean rent-man dat worries yo' an' yo' can't git along wit 'im. Yo' kin gits up in de mawnin' an' git yo' a fresh box of salt - cookin' salt. Teah [tear] it open an' yo' have a tablespoon- ful, an' yo' put a spoonful in yore right hand. Dat plate must be thoroughly clean dough [though]. Put it [spoonful of salt] in yore right hand an' put it in de middle of dat plate. An' yo' bring it right tuh de windah where de sun rise early dat mawnin', an yo' jes' throw it [salt] out de windah, an' come back an' turn de plate down. An' ah don't cay [care] how mean he is, when he git dere he be pleased.
(That is against the rent-man.)
Yes, de rent-man.
Entry 9540
If yo' has a individual in yuh house an' yo' wan' dat individual out, an' yo' can't git him out - or can't git him or her out - why evah time dey go out, yo' turn dat mattress ovah. An' evah time dey go out yo' sprinkle salt on dat mattress an' turn it ovah, an' have dere things changed aroun' from where dey put it. When yo' find it at one place, take an' change it an' put it at anothah place. Dat's a kinda torment to de room. Dey will finely [finally] move away. [St. Petersburg, Fla., (983), 1591:12.] [Normally the word pepper alone means red pepper, usually black pepper being described as black (see examples in the black pepper rites at the beginning of section (4), Nos.9644-9654). Black can be substituted for red in an emergency, but red is more powerful; especially potent, if the container in which it was purchased pictures a red devil. Red of course almost always indicates cayenne pepper, though "finger peppers" - the hot-sauce peppers - are sometimes mentioned.]
Entry 9679
Well, den ah goes tuh work den an' ah worked a few plans. A fellah followed me an' ah tried it tuh see would it work. De fellah - ah wen' tuh work an' ah took dis heah sul- phuh an' ah took dis heah potash an' dis cookin' salt, an' put it in dis box an' where dis man place of business was. Ah went down dere an' turnt roun' nine times an' made a oath - cuss, cussed dis fellah. In three day's time dis fellah was out of dat place an' done moved. Had tuh move, he couldn't stay down dere. He had tuh move.
(What did you do with that box when you turned around nine times?)
Dat box? Ah took de box an' throwed it away. Ah had it in mah han' when ah wus turnin' roun' do [though]. But ah took de box an' throwed it away an' nobody knows whut it was all about.
Entry 9730
Lak somebody have did somepin tuh someone an' dey wanted tuh change it onto dem - turn it back ontuh dem. Dey kin take three nails, rusty nail, an' put in dat bottle a chamber lye. An' let it set dere fo' nine mawnin's an' den take an' throw it intuh runnin' watah.
(This will turn the spell back on the person that put it on them?)
Yes sir.
(Whose chamber lye do you use?)
Yo' kin use yore chamber lye. See, if yo' wanted tuh take it off yoreself, use yores.
(That is if you tricked me, I would use my own chamber lye?)
Yes sir. [Informant would not throw his own stopped-up urine into running water, he throws emptied bottle.]
Entry 9873
Yo'll take dat toadfrog an' yo'll dry 'im, yo' see, an' dere's two ways yo' dry dem toadfrogs. Den yo' go tuh work an' yo' let it be lak - makes a powdah outa it, yo' see, an' yo' sprinkle dat. Dat's fo' gittin' outa a home, too [making a person move]. Den, yo' kin ketch a toadfrog an' don' kill 'im, if yo' wants tuh send a person away ag'in. Ketch a toadfrog an' don' kill 'im, an' den let 'im go off an' die. Yo'll cut 'im at a place whah [where] yo' kin put dese names in dere; lak yore name or some- body yo' have wanta send 'em 'way from dere. Yo' see, yo'll go tuh work an' yo'll cut dat toadfrog, an' it's a way dat dey kin put dat papah up in dat toadfrog an' turn 'im a-loose an' let 'im go, an': jis' [the way] as he goes dem people'll go.
Entry 9914
If ah be in de baid sick - ah hear'd dat if yo' be in de baid sick an' yo' are poisoned, yo' ketch a live frog an' wherevah de misery is, yo' put dat frog dere an' dat frog turn green, but if yo' are not poisoned, why he won't. [To understand this remark- able frog-turning-green rite, let us examine a similar rite previously given, the hoodoo woman from Bergen Junction (reference later). Here the victim, having exchanged shoes with another man, wore them to work next day: Dat night he wasn't able to walk home. He was hoppin'. His laig was hurtin' all up, clean up tuh 'is knee. An' yo' kin hear 'im hollerin'. Ah hear 'im my ownself...two blocks. De doctor [M.D.] he come. De doctor couldn't do no good. Dey had to go git...big [prob- ably both in size and importance] hoodoo woman stay out from Bergen Junction... she come dere and she put her han' on 'im jes' lak dis heah [demonstrates] an' drag it over 'is face - we all standing dere lookin' at 'em - bring 'er han' right down ovah 'is face jes' lak dat an' carried it straight on down, right ovah dat laig. An' she done dat three times, an'...two toadyfrogs hopped outa dat man's laig, an' dat man got all right. Come out [the frogs came out] back dere where de two places 'bout tuh come to a haid - where it done, you know, formed a corruption. Here we have one of those head-down-to-feet rites that drives di- sease or evil out of the body through the feet, often the big toe, into or on to the ground. How a sleight-of-hand artist would have performed this trick I do not know, but I can suggest a possible method. The hoodoo woman, probably saying she worked In the Name of the Lord, opened her right hand, turned it about to show it empty, and laid it on top of the man's head In the Name of the Father. Then slowly the open palm went down over the man's face, neck, shoulder, side of body to hip, thigh, knee, leg, foot and finally rested open palm on the ground. There may have been verbal mumbo jumbo along the descent. Next our hoodoo oper- ator saying she would now use more force, closed her hand loosely and began at the man's head again; this time In the Name of the Son. Her half-closed hand going down this time pressed heavier against the man's body. A third time and In the Name of the Holy Ghost, she laid her hand on the man's head, but now hand was a closed fist pressing heavily on its downward journey over the man's body. When she opened her fist on the ground it was empty but two frogs, young ones probably the size of hulled peanuts were jumping about. (Yes, I have seen many of these small frogs.) She then pointed out de two places 'bout tuh come to a haid, where it done, you know, formed a corruption. Surely the corruption on the man's leg was the misdirection permitting the release of the frogs. (For this hoodoo woman from Bergen Junction, see No.1263, p.441, v.1.) The reader will now understand how in our present rite the non-green frog suddenly could turn green. And finally the reader should notice how the present informant quickly changes from if ah be in de baid sick to if you be in de baid sick. This change occurs frequently in HOODOO. After all I was a total stranger to my in- formants, many of whom considered me a hoodoo doctor! Reference for green-frog rite: Brunswick, Ga., (1219), 2061:8.]
Entry 9943
Yo' got a enemy an' yo' don't want 'em an' [or] yo' jis' lak a man come in an' take yuh wife. Now, it's two ways tuh do it. Yo' ketch a toadfrog dat hops an' yo' take a brass pin an' scratch 'er left laig. An' yo' git a raw [not spun or twisted] thread. Tie yuh 9 knots in it. Scratch de left laig an' ketch 9 drops of blood, see. All right, yo' tie it [thread with blood] on de hind right laig an' yo' meet de sun before it rises in de mawnin' [you do this before sunrise]. An' make a wish, call dis person's name an' turn yer haid toward de rivah [the Mississippi] an' tell 'uh [her] tuh go. Call it three times jis' lak it's Mary, say: Mary go! Mary go! Mary go! Well, de way dat frog go [after you turn him loose] dat's de way whoevah it is vill go.
Entry 10099
Dat black cat by de watah's got tuh be at twelve 'clock at night. An' if dey ain't good, dey can't stay dere. Cain't stay dere. Ain't no way fer yuh tuh stay dere. Yuh take dat black cat bone. Yuh take dat black cat an' yuh boil all de meat off 'is bone. Dey says yuh goes tuh a runnin' stream of watah an' put dat cat bones in dat place an' do dat business. Well, ah believe dat's a mistake. Dat's mah belief. But chew take dat black cat bone an' yo' boil dat black cat down, an' when all de meat fall off de bone, yo' take dat black cat up [from the pot] an' yo' wash dem bones off wit cleah watah. Aftah yuh wash dem bones off in cleah watah, yuh take evah bone, evah bone dat Was in de cat, an' put 'em in yore mouth. An' de right bone is goin' tuh turn yuh blind as a bat. Dat's de bone.
(That's the bone you use.)
Entry 10119
Ah've had a fren' of mine - ah've seen dat. Ah've had a frien' of mine kill a cat, black cat. Jis' taken an' put 'im in de watah live - jis' put in de watah live an' let 'im cook all tuh pieces. But dat's de devil [devil's work]. Let 'im cook all tuh pieces an' put a lid ovah 'im, [keep] dat down. Let 'im cook all tuh pieces when he's live. He took dat cat, when he cook all tuh pieces, he took de right hin' laig of 'is bone den an' throw it in de watah. Hit'll run up [stream]. It shore do. Hit'll run up an' den come back, an' stop an' turn aroun' [and surely bows to you!]. Dat's de lucky bone. But chew don' fin' [find] dat done evah day.
(The right hind leg.)
Dat bone by de j'int [joint].
Entry 10120
Ah heard dat yo' kin kill a black cat an' git de right han' back laig, an' suck de marrah out 'is back laig, an' go tuh five fo'k of de road nine mawn- in's, an' yo' kin do anything yo' wanta do wit anybody. Yo' kin turn any kinda nachure [nature] yo' kin turn tricks, yo' kin do things.
(You go to five what?)
Five fo'k of a road - jis' a road runnin' dis way an' a road dat way, jis' five fo'k.
(Five roads coming together?)
Yes sir, jis' lak five points out chere; yo' know, de Timl bleville highway, dat's a five fo'k road, see. Well, yo' go down dere nine mavn- in's at nine a'clock. (You can do anything then?) Yes sir.
Entry 10174
To run crazv. stand pic- ture upside down behind bed, face to wall, light candle, red, burn "plum out" - make wish.
Entry 10219
Say, now a woman and she has a husband, and she doesn't want him to have anything to do with any other woman in the sex line. She goes to the store and she buys a brand-new big [white] pocket han'ke'ch'ef. (What kind of a pocket handker- chief?) A brand-new white pocket han'ke'- ch'ef. She takes that back home to the bed and tonight she fool with him. She will use that to wipe him on, don't cha know. And she won't use that on herself. All right. She wait until he's gone and then she'll take that and she bury it in a small jar, don't cha know, right in front of the steps where he'll have to walk over that whensomever he comes. He kin go wherever he wants and be with whoever he wants to, but he can't have nothing to do with 'em.
(Well, suppose a man did that [to a woman]?)
That just reversing it. Reversed it. When she bury it, she'll bury it on the bottom [of jar]. He'll take it and bury it on de top, on end [turn it upside down so that handkerchief will be against reversed top of jar].
(Well, how do you mean she buries it on the bottom - bottom of what?)
Bottom of the jar. Put it in the jar, see, and she gotta set the jar down and bury it. Well, he'll go there, why he just take it and put it outside of that, the way she had - upside down, the bottle up.
(I see, that fixes her, sees that she can't get away.)
I mean that she can't get away. See, the only way she kin get away is when the top rots off and the rag rots up.
Entry 10264
If yo' wanta keep in love wit a man, yo' jes' turn de right foot of yore shoes down underneat' de bed an' he'll have tuh stick wit yo'. He can't go out himself wit womenfolks.
(Whose shoes do you turn down? The woman would turn hers down?)
Dat's right, down under de bed.
Entry 10470
Take a sifter - takes a sifter and turn it down on its face [open side of sifter down] an' 'fore he leaves he's gotta count every hole in dat sifter. (The hag.)
Entry 10489
Take a new sifter and turn it aroun' nine times from you and call dere name, and then turn the handle from you this way, and then turn the sifter part that way, and they will never come back to your house no more.
(You turn the sifter toward them?)
Turn it away from you, turn it nine times away from you.
(Then do you lay that sifter down or what?)
After you does that why you takes and lays it down, but you turns the sifter part this way and the handle thisaway [demonstrates]. The handle back towards the house, the sifter part away from the house.)
Entry 10490
[An unusual variation]: "Put down sifter [at night], you will find a bug in the morning. You then take a needle and count the holes in the sifter
[you are playing the witch's part!] and before you have finished, some- one will come in and ask you to turn him loose."
Entry 10500
Because you will tell it by de diff'rent - you have diff'rent feelings. See, I know this because I've been hurt. [He whispers something.] [Several times whispering else- where meant "I don't want to talk too loud, someone might hear me." (I see. You can tell the differ- ence.) [If you have been tricked, your feelings are different. Informant starts a selling-yourself-to-the-devil story.] And then I remember this thing. You go to de fork of de road, but de road have to have four forks. See, four. [This is sometimes called a 4-way road.]
(Four?)
Yes, sir, and you go there at midnight. And when you go there, you turn round three times and just - and then I heard a man say, well he say he did it. Well, he musta did somepin because he could do anything he wanted look like. And he went there and he said he sold - told de devil, say, "Devil take me. I sell mah soul to you." Now for knowing; I don't know that, but I've heard that.
(I see. That's all right. What time did he go out there?)
Twelve o'clock.
(At noon?)
At night, twelve o'clock at night; but you have to be in de four fork of de road.
Entry 10543
Dey say dey kin go out to de fo'k of de road fo' nine mawnin's an' yo' kin go out dere each mawnin', in case yo' wants tuh play a guitar, or yo' kin do anything yo' wanta. Yo' go out fo' nine mawnin's an' de ninth mawnin' when yo' go, say yo' turn around three times an' look ovah yore left [shoulder] say sompin will meet chew. Yo' don't know whut 'tis but sompin will meet chew an' den yo' kin do anything yo' wants tuh.
Entry 10675
Why yo' take de axe an' de cyclone con in', an' yo' stick it in de groun' an' dat'll turn it.
Entry 10775
(Ever hear of using a broom?)
You can take a broom, like if you got - there's a person you dislike. You take a broom and after you sweep with the broom, take the corner and the wall where that person sleep. See, where that person sleep, you take that broom, see, like that's your bed [points to bed in hotel room where I was interviewing]. And take that broom, just make it a habitual habit being unnoticed to me. Just set it up behind my bed, but in that broom you fasten my name. Write my name on a piece of paper, white paper, and put it down in that broom well, and fasten it so it won't come out easily.
(You put it down in the broom.)
In the broom.
(In the brush part.)
In the brush part of the broom, where it stay in there a long time, where it won't come out. And I'll betcha I won't be contented and I can't keep no clothes to save my life.
[I turn off machine but he says something about being upset.]
(Keeps you upset?)
Certainly, and I can't keep no clothes to save my life. And unless you get somebody [hoodoo doctor] to work on it, find out from somebody, go to somebody that I know, and [ask her] if she know what that [is] the person have; and they tell you something, well it'll keep you upsetted and without clothes as long as you live, unless that's taken out of there.
(You say, you put that broom behind the bed?)
Behind the bed.
(You put it up there with the brush part down?)
With the brush part up.
(Oh, the brush part up.)
The handle down but the brush part up.
(Oh, I see. Well, why did you do that?)
Well, because if you put it down, you're not against the person, see. If you put it up, you against 'eni - you against a person, see. See, if the brush part of the broom is up, that's against a person if it's behind the bed. If it's down, you don't have no hypnotic powers nowheres, nothing seems to work against him by having the broom down. You wants it against a person with the broom up where the sun goes acrost it each day. Every time the sun go across it, the sun crosses over that broom. If you has it down, well, it don't happen like that, you see.
Entry 10936
Write de name nine times on a piece of parchment [paper] and you take it to de water and throw it in de water. And den you take a live catfish and take his tail and cut de tail [cut piece of fin off]. And write de nane of dis Person and put it on - cut de tail of de fish and put de paper in de catfish sooth, but it must be done when de fish live. And de tail of de fish and de name dat is wrote on dis piece of parchment nine times and take it to de swift running water and throw it away and dey will leave. (I didn't understand how you do that. You put this in a live catfish?) Yes, get de fish live and you cut de tail off. To cut off piece of tail fin keeps fish from steering itself; in like manner victim wanders about aimlessly.] Den you write de name nine times of de person which you wanta leave - on parch- ment [paper] nine times. Put it in de mouth and take it to de deep water and throw it away, and don't look at it [turn your back]. Let de fish go. And you'll visualize it. Den you'll jest see 'em going.
(What about the tail of the fish?)
Put dat down in de mouth, too.
Entry 10971
(What would you use that egg for?) Yo' fast all day on Thursday to turn [improve] yore mem- ory, dat chew will git de right understanding. You fast de entire day. And den you boil dat aig and remove de shell. After you remove de shell, den you write de 4th and 8th verse, I think it is, [of Psalm lO4] on dis aig. Anyhow you write as much as about ten or twelve verses on dis aig, and put de egg in yo' mouth whole, and dat will turn yore mem- ory, will help you to keep your memory and get some [knowledge] of things which you wanta do. Dat's one thing egg will do. Dat's de only thing I know about de egg, but chew must put de whole egg in de mouth, when you have wrote dis on dis egg: Remove de shell and write dis on dere. De egg must not be broken.
(What do you write that with?)
Ink. Dere's nothing else will write on it but ink, on a boiled egg.
(And what verses of what?)
De 104th Psalm.
Entry 11046
To keep dem [law] from de house? Now, if you Wanta a little liquor kept [for sale] in dis place heah and you don't want no man to come in on yuh nov. You go on your station house and git one of de man's name that you'll find out. Git one, two or three - if you kin [get] nine it's much better. De ore you get de stronger it is. If you can't git but one [name], den work on dat Bne one, but let it be de leading man dat you knows is asking about you - to yoar acn judgment. Work by your own judgment, de judgment of your ear. Git dat man nae and git you a brand-new piece of board and write his name. Put 'en cross de world. Write 'em cross de world to you and write 'em backwards.
(Backwards and forwards.)
And dey can't come in fer de devil. And nail dat onto your step and dey can't be seeing you. Not when you nail dat dere. Git you de heart of a chicken and it got to be a black chicken. Cut de heart out of it. Git dat wishin' bone of de chicken breast and you take dat heart wit your hand on dose letters. Put 'em dere so it can't be rub off - on dat board. (You rub this heart over those letters?) All over dose letters, all up and down like dat. And talk at de same time. Tell 'em dat [what] dat spirit is got- ta to do. You don't want no law to worry me. You wants to be up dere selling whiskey. Ah don't want dat law to worry me. Ah don't want no kin' of law. Ah don't even wants 'em to come heah fo' a drink of liquir or beer. Ah [wants] 'em to pass by and keep on passing by. Kin go right in next door but won't come in chere. Take dat wishing-bone, and be shore dat you go. down in de groun' to your shoul- der and turn it down -人. Don't turn it up -Y
(Turn the wishing bone down, the points down?)
[Here we have rite similar to the forked stick or "Y" in No.11032.]
Turn de two prongs down. And while you have - doin' it, you talk to 'em. An' if you know any de officer's names, don't let any come in dere, de fed'ral offi- cer back, de county man back, de city officer back, de state controller, back. Dat take in all 'em, ain't it? Go on over and over. And if you git dose three class of officers, you know why it is, don't you? De federal, de state control- ler, git de county and git de highway man. Den you go to work.
(Where do you bury that wishing bone?)
Under your step, right under your step. Be sure to go under your house. Den you put dat bone. If you ain't got no front, put it in de middleways of de house. [This center under the house and the 4 corners of the house make our rite a quin- cunx.] Dat almost stop people jack-jacking to the front.
Entry 11142
They use a kind of a weed - jis' like a ole weed, yo' know, jis' growin' around. Well, they'll take this weed an' they cut this weed down. Well, they take that stick an' make a little cross like that. An' then about time that it git about just dark, they'll take that [cross] an' plant it to your back door; set it right up at chore back door. An' then at night round about twelve o'clock, they'd come back an' git it an' pick that stick [cross] up an' turn it over [turn it upside down], an' leave it there to daybreak. An' then they'll come back an' take it. An' then tomorrow you'll be arguin' all day long wit chore wife.
Entry 11331
Ah said, jes' lak someone is gone an' yo' want 'em back home, why yo kin take a dove - git chew two doves. Kill one de doves an' let de othah one be live. Jes' lak, say fo' in- stance, yo' want Charlie tuh come home. Drop three drops of dat blood outa dat dead dove on de wings of dat live dove - on each wing - an' call Charlie's name wit each drop of blood. An' drop three on de next wing an' call Charlie's name. An' turn de live dove aloose an' let him go wit dose six drops of blood on his wings, yo' see. An' dat will bring de person back home whut chew wanted back.
Entry 11624
Jis' like if yo' - like if you are separated from your wife and the man is always getting in trouble about it, you catches a live fish and you write his name on it. And cut that fish open while him alive and sew him up with that name in it, and throw it in the pond where you catch him from. The more the fish go, the more they going.
(What do you do that for, now? If I'm separated from my wife and she's what?)
And uh - you and your wife - this man is always keeping your wife on distur- ban', in confusion all the time, and always with him. Write his name and catch that live fish and cut him open and sew him back up with that name inside of him and turn him loose.
(This other man - that will send the other man far away from your wife?)
Yes, it will run him away.
(When the other man's running after your wife.)
Entry 11633
They do this plenty of 'em if they want to start you to traveling, you know, something like that. Well, they take a strand of hair out your head or if they can't git it they git somebody what close friend to you to get it, you un- derstand if they can't get it themselves. A strand of hair from you, regardless of where it come from. Get something like a fish, you know and they'll thread it into his gills, like that, you understand. Leave the thread stay in there and throw that fish back into the water. Just like that fish go, you'll go, and the death of that fish will be the death of you.
Entry 11652
Well, dat, it's supposed to be - it's jes' 'cordin', yo' use dem two ways, right an' left. Dat is, if yo' wants de re'lly fac' 'bout it, yo' use de right stockin'. Whut chew mean is to tie a person up. (Just tell me one way they use them.) Well, yo' kin take de flax- seeds. It's re'lly de fac' 'bout it, suh, jes' take three flaxseed an' put 'em into a stockin' or sock. If it's a man's socks, an yo' wanta break 'im up wit a woman, yo' take three flaxseeds. Yo' know whut ah'm speakin' of now. Yo' take three flaxseeds an' put it into de toe of a stockin' but dat's gotta be a new stockin' dat nevah has been used. An' den yo'll go tuh work an' yo'll slip it somewhere or 'nothah fo' him tuh put on. Den he wears it one night - wears it even one day an' he takes - when he pulls it off dat night. Well, yo' git it an' turn de stockin' Wrongside outwards an jes' let it remain wrongside outwards an' it 'sposed tuh be anyways undah de bed dere.
(You turn that sock wrongside outwards and put it under the bed.)
Yo' put dat flaxseed in dere, dese three.
[I stop a moment to straighten out the thinking.]
(Well, now, you have already put them in and you've turned the sock wrongside outwards and the three seeds have fallen out?) Yes sir, but fix it de way he'll wear it jes' one day.
(Well, what does that do then?)
Dat's tuh break him up if he's goin' with a woman. {Here again flaxseed are used against witchcraft, that of the other woman whd was holding the man from his wife.]
(Does he wear either sock of his?)
De right sock.
Entry 11674
Go to the forks of a road and yo' can git dat dirt jes' as it turn off at de forks of de road, yo' kin git dat dirt an' yo' kin take it and bring it back an' sprinkle it in a person's shoes an' if dey wearing dat shoe an' yo' want 'em to go, that will keep them going.
(But you must get this dirt from the fork of the road.)
Git it from de turn, that's to make them leave. (It must be the dirt from their track?) Not from their track. Yo' go out to the forks of the road, you git dat dirt.
(Anybody's dirt or any kind of dirt.)
No, yo' git de dirt out of the road, not nobody else's track.
Entry 11688
Well, yo' kin go to de fo'ks of de road an' probably turn aroun' three times an' yo' don' [look back?]. Cos' whatevah yo' have [of victim's] well, yo' know, jis' lak if yo' wanted to do somebody some harm or somepin. Well yo' take whatevah yo' got of theirs an' place it there in de fo'ks of de road, an' there where they're [vic- tim is] goin'. They'll stop, an' they cain't go any further becuz' they'll lin- ger roun' there, yo' know. Well, they'll continue goin' that way all de while until dey die.
Entry 11842
[THE LETTER "H" OF CHANNEL DE WORLD BEGINS HERE and SO dO some extra rites about human hair, a subject already largely concentrated in pages 2937- 3049, volume 4. For various reasons hair, not always the primary element of a rite, is widely scattered throughout HOODOO. The following beliefs about hair start with a few longer rites, which are followed by many brief statements with- out margin titles but with the key words being underlined.] And again they say if you take it [a hair from per- son] and put it [in] some kind of manure or somepin - like if you have a cow or somepin round the lot and they do fresh manure. Say, if you take this hair and bury it in there, and set this manure about in some shady place maybe it won't dry so fast, and say let it stay there. And you take it out of there and put it in a bottle of rye whiskey, a pint bottle of rye whiskey, and say in nine days it will be a snake. I've heard that. (But they don't put that snake in you though? That snake they don't put in you?) Well, if you drink the whiskey, if you drink the whiskey before the thing kin, you know, come to be whole, well hit will come alive in you.
(I see, but you have to put it in this cow manure?)
No, take the hair out it [the manure] if you know right where you put the hair in.
Entry 12176
Take a piece of horsehair and put it in some whiskey and give to a person and it will form snakes in 'em. (Is there any way of getting those snakes out, if you get them in?) Yeah, you kin take some sweet milk and give it to 'em and they will come out of 'em. Drink it and they will come right out.
Entry 12315
Dey's go down to de fo'ks of de road where it'd [it would] fo'k like dis [demonstrates] an' have yo' some thunder-lightning pegs - lighted [lightning] pegs where de thunder knocked a piece off de tree. Take it [piece of wood] an' make pegs - nine pegs. An' drive 'em in de fo'ks of de road an' call on God an' de devil to hear yo' drivin', an' make dem people turn. Dey goin' another way, won't go out dat way. [To change a person's mind at the crossroads is not a rare rite.] (You call upon the person that you don't want to go out that way.) [Man for centuries could not understand primitive man's tools such as arrowheads, and since they were sometimes found under a tree, a lightning-struck one, it became a thunderbolt. That tree could have grown up 1000 years after the arrowhead had been lost! See the woman looking for a thunderbolt to ease her rheumatism, warm up her bones, in Folklore from Adams County Illinois, Ist ed., No.5380, 2nd ed., No.5786. Also see HOODOO, v.1, Nos.635, 2336 & 2337.]
Entry 12497
Take his name an' write it 9 times, an' yores ovah it [the latter usually means turning paper upside down first before writing over the name.] Write it up real good an' wear it in yore shoe. He cain't leave yo'. Yo' write chure name ovah it 9 times jes' lak yo' did the othah one. Wear it in yore shoe, either shoe, umdah de inner sole of de shoe.
Entry 12721
An' anothah thing, yo' ketch a rabbit an' yo' cut his foot off, his left foot, an' turn him loose an' let him go. An' git chew a piece of devil's- shoestrings an' a piece of five-finger root. An' yo' put them three things tol gethah. An' yo' jes' take it an' wrap dat devil's-shoestrings round dat rabbit foot, an' yo' sew it up in a piece of red cloth, an' yo' make a sack out of it, bag-like, an' yo' feed hit on Hearts Col Ogne. An' dat's anothah thing fo' a job - good luck. Long as yo' tote dat yo'll git a job anywhere.
(You get the left foot. Which one? He had two left feet.)
De left front feet.
Entry 12751
Well de first thing would be if yo' wanted a job. An' dat go fo' a job, a favor or money or anything. Dat chew would git chew some of dis root whut de' [they] call rat- tlesnake marster, an' spice. An' yo' take dat root an' yo' chew dat rat- tlesnake marster, but chew have [hold] de spice in yore mouth. An' yo' spit dat when yo' speakin' tuh him. "Fore yo' consult him yo' spit from him an' nevah spit tuh him. Den he cannot turn yo' down even [whether] it's money or job or whut. If he don't place yo den, he will place yo' [later], but don't nevah spit, jes' spit tuh him but [when] chew spit jes' turn away from him, turn yore haid from him an' spit.
Entry 13430
If you been tricked and have dese fainting spells - any kind of spells been put on you. See, dere's a way fer you to do - is fer you to go to de person dat you think put 'em on you. Speak to him about it. Well, you see him den and you tell him how you been tricked and all like dat. Say, dey can't look at you straight to save his life because he put it on yo'. Den after yo' git dat, den you go to swift water, ah've been told. And git dat swift water and bring it back and boil it and put cayen- ne pepper in it. See, cayenne pepper and ginger. See, dat's power - dat's strong. See, dat have a great odor to it. Take dat and boil it and salt, an' carry it to his doorsteps an' yo' kin take yore time. Let it be 'way in de night, way about twelve or one clock an' pour it at his doorstep. An' it will turn de trick right back on it. Yo'll git well and it will go right back on him.
Entry 13442
If yo' got okra dat won' bear, yo' jes' take yo' a switch every mawnin' an' go dere an' whip dat bush lightly an' it start tuh bearin' jes' lak any othah bush. (That okra is the same thing as gumbo, isn't it?) [The two African words refer to the plant, gumbo in the U. S. A. usually means a cooked product.]
(That is to make the thing bear?)
Yes.
[Informant now gives another method for making okra bear.]
Yo' kin take a sifter an' go out dere an' yo' sift it ovah de okra lak dat, an' if it won't bear, it will start bearin'.
(Do you put anything in the sifter or just the empty sifter?)
Jes' de empty sifter.