Subject:Underclothes
Entries
Entry 3611
Ah heard dat if yo' didn't want chure woman to leave fo' nobody else, dat chew take an' take a string outa her petticoat or 'er bloomahs or somepin lak dat an' git it wet wit some of 'er monthly stuff, an' take an' tie it in nine knots an' wear it roun' yore waist, dat no othah man can't mess wit 'er. Evah time he go dere he'll fall right down dere evah time.
Entry 4362
They take the underclothes and they can cut a piece out of the man from under his arm or from the tail of the shirt and wear it on a person. They sew that up in a piece of red flannel. They take that and satu- rate it, you know, with the same in- gredients, urine and Hearts Cologne. [This, of course, is a hand - pp.519-669.] They say then they can control 'em like that. Or they can take them and throw them away. They can carry them back in the woods and hang 'em up on the west side of a tree where the wind just blows and wears it all the time. They say whenever that blows and wears down from up there, why then the person will die. But chew got a new cord, like this wrappin' twine. You get that right off from the ball, right off from the cord where there's never any been pulled off, and fasten it on that tree or bush or what chew put it on. But you put it so the wind can blow it and the rain beat it. And whenever this cord rots, you see, and that blows away from where it's at, they say the person then'll soon die.
Entry 4556
It's a long time since ah went tuh a [hoodoo] woman, but ah went tuh a Woman ovah heah when ah wuz [having trouble with my husband]. An' she tole me tuh git de seat of 'is undahwears dat be's dirty an' de bow outa his hat, dat little bow dat be's on de inside. She tole me tuh git dat out an' sew hit in de seat of mah bloomahs, an' dat would make him come back an' ca' fo' her [me] mo' den he evah would do'.
Entry 4719
Yuh has some dirty undahweahs. Dey will go take yore undahweahs an dey will burn 'em. Dey have tuh burn 'em tuh ashes. Dey take it an' take 'em [ashes] wit 'em, see, an' blow it away dataway an' dat'll keep yuh on de drag, so when yuh got shoes, yuh need a hat; when yuh got a hat, chew need a coat; when yuh got coats, yuh need a pants. Dat keep yuh on de drag. Now, if yuh kin - if anybody yuh suspect, yuh undahstan', or whosomevah dat did so, yuh see, yuh take yuh dat parchment papah an' yo'd write dere name on dat. Den yuh write chure name roun' dat. See [demonstrates].
(You write the [your] name right around the [in a] circle?)
Yeah, yuh got dem in a circle. Take dat same papah an' burn it tuh a powdah. Put it in a plate an' blow. Yuh blow dat same luck back on 'em [this is return- ing the spell].
Entry 4733
Take dat chicken an' bury 'im alive undahneat' de hearth. An' yuh take, see yuh take all de insides of de chicken out, an' yuh take de person's undah- clothes. Take de person's underclothes, as much of it, yuh know, dat's got'is, whatevah it is, yuh see. Yuh kin take dat, in de seat of it, an' put it in de chicken an' sew 'im up, if he's alive. An' yuh kin put 'im undahneat' de hearth, or any place, or bury 'im, undahstan'. An' whoevah dat person is, when dis chicken dies, yuh'll die, too.
(The chicken is alive?)
Yessuh, a live chicken, an' a roostah. Yuh don't kill 'i. Yuh jis' cut 'im Open an' take it out jis' as quick as yuh kin, an' push de chicken back tuhgethah an' bury 'im in dat hole while he's alive an' kickin'.
(Any kind of a chicken will do?)
Any chicken will do.
Entry 4748
Ah've heard of dat. Yo' take de seat of a person's undahweah an' break a aig in it an' let it stand fo' 24 hours an' dat will stop de man from runnin' aroun'.
Entry 4770
If yuh feel like yuh needs it, all right, jis' take yore undahclothes an' wear 'em nine days an' make yore wishes. Yuh turn 'em wrongside outwards, yuh kin take anything yuh want an' no one cain't do yuh anything at all.
Entry 4771
Ef ah see dat somebody look like dey movin' me out, why den ah'd take mah tablecloth an' mah undahclothes an' put 'em on de wrong side. An' ah go down [to rent office or court], if ah done spected [suspected] dey ruled me out. Ah would change mah undahclothes an' put 'em on de wrongside an' go down, an' ah wouldn't be worried no more. An' ah kin talk wit 'im an' he sees how ah'm back.
Entry 4783
Git some of yore undahclothes an' git de seat of 'em right out where it right 'twixt yore laig. Well, dey kin tie nine knots in 'em an' dey tell [say] de doctor [M.D.] has tuh op- erate on yuh. Dey [these knots] tie nine knots in yore stock [= stuk = gut], in yore intestine, yuh know.
(You mean they get the back part of the seat?)
Yeah de back part.
Entry 4794
(This is to make a woman come back or to make her stay with you. Now what do you do?) Is tuh take a piece of 'er undahclothes, de piece right nex' tuh 'er, an' nail it up side of yore house undah a new piece of lumber, an' tap de nail, de no't [north] side of it nine times, an' it will make de woman come back tuh live. (What do you mean by tapping the north side of the nail?) Well tuh have de lumbah, de piece nailed up, side of no't an' sout' [the piece of siding runs north and south], an' de nail dat's nailed on de no't side is tuh tap it nine times.
Entry 4842
Jis' lak a man go out, yuh see, an' yuh cain't make him stay at home. Well, yuh take his undahsuit an' yuh scrape dat cotton lak dat - yuh see, dat lint. Take dat lint where yuh kin scrape it, see, an' put it in a little bag an' some sugah, an' wear it on de side an' dat'll make 'em stay at home. Wear it on de side nex tuh yore skin, jis' eithah side - ary one. Dat'll make him stay at home an' give yuh 'is money. "
Entry 5494
Take his hair...
(With that little bow.)
[Bow was mentioned before I turned on recording machine.]
Yes, take de hair an' put it in a bottle an' bury it. Yo' buries dat. Bury dat wit some of 'is tracks. See, yo' take an' bury dat wit some of 'is tracks. Dat will make him follah yo' evahwhere, anywhere yo' go. (What else do you put in that bottle?) Some of 'is hair, some of 'is dust out from undah 'is feet, an' den some of de ravels from 'is undahclothes - from undah 'is arm an' yo' know down below.
(Some of the sweat.)
Yo' know, jes' lak dey'd git chure dirty clothes an' ah'd take some of de ravels. An' put it in a bottle, undahstan', an' yo' carry dat an' bury it. Bury it out at chure do'step. He'll follah yo' anywhere.
Entry 6070
[Take a piece of] de petticoat an' [or] de bloomahs an' cut de - a little top of dere hair off. Well, an' git de same thing off a man [his under- clothes]. An' mix it togethah in a soda-watah bottle. An' take it an' carry it to de end of de do'step an' put it - not too deep, jes' a little deepah 'nuff where yo' know dey could not tell it. An' let 'im walk ovah it fo' nine mawnin's. Dey say dat will come to keep 'im at home an' he'll come to love yo' an' can't no othah woman git 'im.
(Wait a minute! You take the hair from the top of a man's head, you say?)
De mole of 'is haid, yes. Den dat from right on yo'self down dere, yo' know, jes' cut about two stran's.
(From a woman?)
Yeah, an' mix it togethah, an' git chew half a bottle of 'logne [cologne] an' so' dress it wit dat. Well, yo' go right - cut 'er bloomahs right in de seat of 'em. Well yo' git it out de seat of de man de same. An' put it togethah. Well, aftah yo' do dat, chew take about a little teaspoon - not a little, jes' a drop, but not so much, an' let it be kinda graveyard dirt. Put it in de bottle an' shake it up. Well, yo' go right to de end of de do'step an' yo' call a person nine times. Well, when yo' call 'em nine times, take it an' stick it right to de front of de do'step - put it down dere yo' know, kinda deep undah where yo' couldn't tell it. An' nine mawnin's - fo' nine mawnin's, well, when yo' git up yo' [call?] 'im [his name] about six [nine] times. Well yo' take it out from dere an' carry it to a cornah right where yo' know he comes out backwards an' forwards - dat same route road - come right to de cornah. [Does informant mean corner of the outside chimney, the old-fashioned country toilet, where he would urinate on this conjure or hand? I do not believe corner of a path or crossroad is meant, where other people would walk over the buried object. Bottle was orig- Inally buried at "corner" of doorstep. This is cornering a man.] Why yo' bury dat an' let it stay dere fo' so many days, certain days. Well, aftah yo' do dat, see, dat'll keep dat man an' woman togethah. See. [A comment of mine made while checking cylinder reads, "Talking too fast."]
Entry 7134
Git de right-foot shoe an' any piece he weah nex' tuh 'im - his undahclothes-lak. When dey go tuh sleep, take dat piece whut he weah nex' tuh 'im, an' put it ovah 'is face. An' take his shoe, de right-foot shoe an' turn it down. He'll continue sleepin' dere until dey go an' take dat from ovah 'is face an' turn 'is shoe back up straight in de night.
Entry 8976
Yo' use dem needles an' nails - well, nails. Ah'll put nails an needles togethah. Fo' instance, yo' have a case in court. Yo' have, probably three or fo' witnesses against yo' an' yo' afraid dat when dey appear dat dere testimony will convict yo'. Now, nine mornings befo' de day of de trial, yo' go to de market an' yo' get yo' a beef tongue. Yo' get de beef tongue an' yo' come back home an' yo' split it down de middle. Yo' take dese witness' name, also yore witness, an' yo' write dere name down, nine times, an' place it inside of the tongue. Get yo' this No.8 thread - yo' get black an' white an' yo' take a needle an' yo' sew dis up in dere, an' as yo' sew dat, yo' curse it. As yo' sewin' yo' cursin'. (Which do you sew with, the black or the white?) Well, it's known as No.8 thread. It can be white or black. (Oh, I see.) But like if it was a negro an' have white witnesses against 'im, yo'd use white an' black thread. See, like mixed. (What if it's a colored man and he had negro witnesses against, him, then what?) Well, he would use black thread. Yo' take this black thread an' sew it an' cuss at 'im. Sew an' cuss at 'im. Evah time yo' sew it, cuss 'im. Sew dat up. Den yo' take nine needles an' drive dem in dere an' curse it all de time. Aftah yo' take nine needles, yo' take nine tenpenny nails an' jug in dere, all de way up to dere. Just take dat an'...
(You drive the nails into the tongue?)
Yeah, drive dem in dis tongue, all.de way through dis tongue.
(I didn't get that word. Do you jerk them or jump them in?)
Yo' push 'em in.
(Oh! All right. I didn't understand what you said.)
[I am trying not to offend! Remember the hermaphrodite in New Orleans and my use of the word sporting-woman - see p.1685,5 lines from bottom, fol.] Yeah, yo' push 'em an' den aftah yo' take dat an' yo' dig a hole. Dig a hole deep enough fo' yo' to git say around abount 25 pounds or 50 pounds of ice. An' yo' put de ice at de bottom an' put dis tongue in between an' freeze dat tongue fo' nine days an' nine nights. An' de day of de trial - whenevah yo' think de ice will run out, yo' just go back an' yo' put ice on it. Yo' keep dat tongue froze. As long as yo' keep dat tongue froze just as hard, yo' know like when yo' freeze sompin it git real hard - as long as yo' have dat tongue froze, it will work. Yo' keep de tongue froze. De morning dat yo' are goin' to trial, get up - just like yo' get up out of yore bed, don't make it up, leave it. Take yore undahclothes, yo' turn dem on de wrong side, even yore socks. Put on yore shoes an' clothes an' yo' come on out. Den yo' go to court. If dat tongue is froze when yo' go to court, to trial an' get up on de stand, dey'll call de witness to de stand, it'll freeze his tongue. He can't talk like he wants to. He'll git up dere an' he'll make some mistakes. He'll git up dere an' he'll talk, he'll be talkin' against yo', but de way dat he'll talk, it'll be in yore favor. See. He'll sort of stutter an' can't get de thing right like he wants, yo' know. Dey will throw it [case] out then.
Entry 9002
Well, if de individual is in de courthouse - yo' know dat simple rock candy - dat rock candy if yo' can get it, to get to de individual dat is locked up in jail, having 'im overnight to put dat rock candy all around de bunk dat he sleeps in or de bed. See. Taking some of dis perfume dey call Coty's.
(Coty's, yes. [I spell the word!]
C-o-t-y?) Absolutely. [In other words, do not use a cheap perfume, use a well-known brand.] Saturating his underclothes well with it - shirt also. Next mawn- in' puttin' on de clothes on de wrongside - shirt also. In three hours he will be acquitted from de case.
(I see.)
Entry 9322
(What are you going to do this for? What is the purpose of this thing?) Dat's tuh make 'em commit suicide. Yo' take 'er undahclothes an' her name, an' put it down nine ways. Yo' jes' write de writin' out till yo' cain't undahstan' it. [The writing becomes illeg- ible.] Yo' don't know whatsomevah it is. Den yo' kin take an' put it in a aig, see, an' throw dat ovahbo'd. Dat make dere mind, dey jes' go an' commit suicide. (You put this underclothing and this name - written on a piece of paper nine times - and put that all into an egg and throw that overboard. Then she will commit suicide in nine days.) [This rite is similar to preceding one, the piece of underclothing being very small.]
Entry 9732
If yo' want tuh kill a woman or a woman wants tuh kill yuh, she could take six rusty nails an' git a piece of yore undahclothes, an' [or] ole stockin'. Takes it an' drop it intuh a quart jah an' screw de top on it. An' left about three holes in it, where jes' a li'l' sand kin drop in dere. An' bury it undah yore steps, if yo' aren't scared. An' den yo' walk in an' out an' back an' fo'wards [over it]. Jes' as de sand drop in dere, yo' [inside the quart jar] gits sick. Well, yo' git tuh de play [place] yo' won' be no mo' good tuh yuhself or nobody else. An' de mo' sand drop in dere de mo' closah yo' gits tuh yuh grave. Jes' kill yuh, yo' know.
Entry 10577
(I don't understand what you mean. Tell me the whole thing.)
You take your underclothes. You ketch that bat and tame him, you know, and put that - your underclothes - in his mouth and let him go. And wherevah he go and travel, you gotta travel right on behind. (What do you - you put some underclothes in his mouth, you say?) Yeah, you take and cut the seat of somebody's underclothes out and let him swallow; if he can't swallow it, take a stick and push it down. And just let him go on.
(I see.)
Entry 11066
But dere's somepin dat ah have tried fo' mahself dat's very true. Once ah wus in love with a girl an' ah wus jest crazy about her an' she didn't like me - didn't seem to. So at night when ah would go in - she wus staying in one room an' ah wus in de other. One mornin' she went out an' left some of her things in dere, an' ah took a piece of her underskirt an': sew it right in de seat of mah cloths, mah underclothes, an' ah wore it fo', ah wore dat suit fo' a year. An' [meanwhile] she left an' she came back. She tole me, says, "Yo' done sompin tuh me?" Ah says, "No, ah haven't did anything tuh yo'." She says, "Yo' have so." She says, "Some way ah'm jest gittin' so crazy about chew ah don't know whut in de world tuh do." Say, "Ah can't stay off, ah can't stay heah, '' say, "but whatevah yo' did... Ah tole her, "Not anything." So, fo' several days later ah tried it, an' ah take de thing out. See dat's uhut mah mother told me dis, if ah ever wanted tuh do a thing like dat. An' ah'd taken it out an' burned it up, an' right now she's jest as crazy about me. Dat's been seven years ago.
Entry 484
To keep a hag from ridin' a person, sleep in black - ole black - or ole black undershirt or even is worth while a black shirtwaist. Put on that and he can't come. [Charleston, S. Car., (512), 585: l. For black coat over outside door to keep out witches, see FACI,2ed., p.889.] [I should note here that hag riding was practically unknown in Adams County, Illinois; a community largely of German extraction. The word hag does not appear in the exhaustive index of the first edition of FACI.]
Entry 1779
Making a little box lak a coffin, to do evil with. Well, yo' make a little box lak a coffin an' yo' call yoreself buryin' a person. Yo' would git some of de hair or git dat [foot] track an' go an' git some things that belong to them an' put it in dis little box an' yo'd bury it. Dat buryin' dere luck an' everything. Yo' done bury it. Lak if ah'm goin' well an' yo' wanta bury me, "Well, ah'm gonna bury her." Well, yo'd git somethin' of mine - if yo' could git a piece outa mah underclothes an' put it into dat, dat would bury mah luck.
Entry 4743
Ah heard tell of dat, too. Well, jis' if yuh kin git any piece of a part dat he wear, lak undahclothes, yuh know, an' yuh cut de piece right out 'is undahweah down nex' tuh 'is privates, or sompin lak dat, an' den yuh take it an bury it undahneat' chure steps, an' he'll have tuh return home.
Entry 4848
Yuh kin go tuh work - anyone kin go tuh work an' take yore undahclothes. Yuh see de idea, jis' lak yuh pull off yore undahclothes. Well, a woman wants tuh make yuh love her, yuh see de idea. If dey cuts a piece.out dat back heah, yuh know, well de' kin take dat an' carry it on off to someone, [doctor] yuh see. Dey'll [the doctor will] go tuh work an' fix a li'le Heart Cologne an' so fo' [forth] tuhgethah, yuh see. Den dey give it back tuh 'er.
Entry 5086
Tuh put on yore sock wrong side outward would help yuh tuh git a job. Ah reckon if yuh'd put on yore underclothes right side out would help yuh tuh git a job. [Wilmington, N. Car., (312), 241:2.] [This is the fifth subsection of SWEAT, one of the functions of the physical human body. As previously explained, clothing such as shoes is placed here only because of the magic and power of human perspiration.]
Entry 6872
If a woman's goin' have a baby, well now if she [some woman] kin git tuh huh tuh take any huh - anythin' from huh, yuh know, an' she kin go bury it, den she'll have dis woman - it'll kill huh.
(You mean a piece of her clothing or anything like that?)
Anythin' - a piece a huh undahclothin' nex' tuh huh skin.
Entry 7084
Lay down wit 'im. All right, she ain't goin' tuh sleep yo' undahstan'. She pull off 'er undahweah right nex' tuh 'er private, see, an' jis' hang it right up ovah 'is haid. He goin' sleep right dere till she come back an' wake 'im up.
Entry 7093
Well, take yore undahweah whut chew weah daily. Jis' lak yo' got on yore undahweah now an' he jis' ovah dere sleep. Yo' hang 'em up ovah dere haid. Jis' put it right ovah dere haid lak dat. Den yo' turn ovah, lak yo' goin' wake 'em up. YO' CAIN'T WAKE 'EM UP LESSEN' YO' TECH 'EM.
Entry 848
[Among other doctors with special names are: Dog Face or Dog Head (I describe in Introduction my efforts to find him in his tin-can-covered shed on a public dump) - Humpadee [= Humpty-Dumpty] of Richmond - Ready Money - Turkey Gobbler - Zorro - Doctor Buzzard - and others. "Mama Mary on Bowling Green Road [[north out of Richmond either helped or defended]] woman killed man - cut from under left arm, underwear - 5 or 6 needles and some cotton and part of towel they had used in intercourse - needles stuck in this underclothes and towel - put in bottle - and hair from privates - hole in cork - drips out - he died - Richmond, Va., (389), 336:3. Informant described as: "389 - b. Richmond - gum chewer" - gum chewer perhaps reason why I did not transcribe story - Numbers Book 340-442.]
Entry 11104
"She kin take his underclothes an' wash 'em with hers an' he'll come back to her an' never leave her." [Vicksburg 1059:1.]
Entry 975
I get out of bed. I broke down so blue over the condition. I said tuh him to git away from the house. I had sent the children away with de jar in case he might have raised sand and [have become] superstitious [suspicious] that I had it. So I said to him, "Ah'm goin' tuh the drug store, I'm so sick, an' git me some medicine. Ah'm going on Clay Street and git me some whiskey." Had no idea or I had no intention of getting it, but that was to get away from the house. So ah went to where I had told the children to go. I get a top and put on the jar and come on back home and locked it in the chifforobe of the front room. The next morning ah went about mah work, didn't show him any superstitious[ness = suspicion = any indication I had the iarl, and around one 'clock ah left home with the jar and ah taken it off and ah went to a woman's house, 商 and ah said to her, ah said, "Please tell me what is this and what is it fo?" She took the jar gracefully in her hands and she shook it this way [demonstrates]. She laid it on de floor [demonstrates]. She pick it up agin an' she shook it and she looked through it this way [demonstrates]. She laid it back on de floor [demonstrates]. She gits up from me and she goes into a extra bedroom.
(Her extra bedroom.)
[The doctor is putting on one of many possible acts. The case is so difficult she must read for it - consult the spirits. Information in fortune-telling comes from spirits.] She came back with a deck of cards and she begin to shuffle the cards jis' holding her hand - the cards was holded in her hands. She said tuh me -
(She held a handful of cards.)
He held her hands fulla cards this way [demonstrates].
(Two hands of cards.)
She had the cards in both of her hands an' she said to me, she said, "It's a man that's doing this." [This is one of a fortune-teller's stock statements for a woman client or patient.] She says, "How could a man have such a mean heart to do his wife like he's doing." She says, "That's your husband that's doing these mean things to you." She says, '"Yo're sick, too," she says, "the-son-of-a-bitch ought to be dead in hell fer taking such advantage of his wife when she has put forth every effort to make him happy." She taken the deck of cards down and holding them into two hands an' she held 'em in one hand, an' she went an' she got a bottle - this bottle.
(That bottle you have in your hand.)
This bottle that I've got in my hand. She filled it with a liquid oil and the color was nut-brown. She says to me, she say, "Ah want chew tuh go home this afternoon." Mah eyes were so they seemed to have a skin over them that ah couldn't see - they were very sore. When I went to look around ah had to turn all around - ah couldn't roll mah eyes because they hurt so bad and mah face ache and I couldn't close my hands. I washed an' ironed and I got to the place where I couldn't hold mah irons in my hand. She says to me, she says, "In this bottle" - when she came back to me after getting up with the cards and going into another room - she says, "You take this and you.see my hand?" I says, "Yes." She say, "Tonight when you go home, git chew a teacup of warm water - let it be real hot boiling water." She say, "Yo' po' that much of it [oil - demonstrates] in the: cup of boilin' water and then po' it into a wash basin." She says, "Take any ord'nary clean rag and, '' she says, '''noint chure face." She says, "Start this Way with the rag, with your hand open, jis' with the rag you know, to help your [almost closed] hand." She says, "Let it come gracefully over your shoulders [demonstrates]."
(Now wait, you come down the left side first?)
Yes, from the left side first. (With your open hand - with the rag on your open hand - over your face, down over your left shoulder and down your left arm.) Right on out to the end of mah fingers. Taken mah left hand and did the same way, going out mah right hand. (You take your right hand and go down your left arm - then you take your left hand and go down your right arm out to the fingertips.) That's right. After doing that, she says, take the remains.
(Do you do that just once?)
Jis' once. After doing that take the remains of the water, start beyond mah knee - mah knees were swole up - one swole up about like that [demonstrates].
(Huge.)
Then ah'd taken it from just above mah knee and squeeze the water and then put de bottom of mah feet in the remains of it. (I don't quite understand - after you finished with your hands, then you do what?) Pull mah dress up and put mah feet in de basin and taken de same rag an', yo' know, run mah hand into de basin, pulls it up and jes' squeeze the water with mah hand and let it run down mah laigs.
(Which leg do you begin with?)
Mah left laig - mah left laig first like I did with mah left arm.
(Up your leg to your knee?)
No, ah went down - start from ovah mah kneecap and go down. [She had already implied this but I wanted her definite statement, "Ah went down."]
(Then what do you do?)
Then after I did that -
(You squeeze that water out you say?)
The rag - an' let de water run down mah laig. Then ah'd taken that feet out of the basin and taken mah left hand and did the same thing on mah right feet. Ah didn't dry them - jes' sit by de fire. Then she says, "Take - (Now wait a minute - you take the right hand and you put it down in the water and fill the rag full of water. Then you squeeze that water over your left knee and let it run down into the pan.) That's right. (Then you put your right foot into the pan and take your left hand and you dip that down and wet the rag and then you squeeze it out over your knee and let the Water run down your right leg.) That's correct. After doin' that, she says, "Yo' take the remains of that water and go to your front do' - go through your front [room] - keep [walking] right out of the middle room - ah was in de middle room, and go through to your front part [yard outside] of the house and throw it over your front gate," she said, "an' Tuesday morning, ' that was Monday night, she say, "Tuesday morning you git up very early and git chew tin tub and git chew enough water" - she didn't measure it - says, "Jes' git chew enough water that chew kin start from yo' back steps" - and says, "Po' the remains of that liquid," that she gave, that brown-nut liquid, "in the Water. Don't put any soap or anything in it." She says, "Start at chure back steps and go through yore house, scrubbing de floors and keep on out through de front porch - on down the front steps - and what remains left of de water, she said tuh, "Throw it on de gate and let it run out," she says, "an' go around de house and come in," She says, "Wednesday night."
(You go round the house and come in the back door.)
Come in the back door. She says, "Wednesday night," she says, "have a ten-cent box of saltpeter" - says, "git chure bath water ready an' don't use any soap and git in thare and git a bath all ovah from your neck down, and let de water stand befo' de fire or behin' the stove-heater."
(You mean, you bathe from the neck down.)
No, ah bathe mah left side first.
(Oh, you bathe with this the way you did the other thing.)
Jes' all over agin - den ah taken mah hand an' squirted it over mah back this way - the same hand. Then ah'd take this hand and squeeze it over mah back and let it go down mah back that way.
(Well now - after you had washed your arms or after you had washed your legs?)
Ah mean that was after ah had did all the mopping and all the washing of the legs - this come along de last bath dat ah had. When ah had the last bath, it Was Wednesday night, coming up from Monday. Ah'd taken the water after ah had bathed and stood befo' de fire an' got dry. Ah put mah clothes on and ah po'd the water out of the tub into a smaller basin - that's so that ah could carry it through the house. An' ah throwed it ovah. An' she said to me, "Make de remarks when yo' po' it over de gate, 'Let me have peace, success and luck - mah sickness and disease all pass away. I did that. After ah had did that - the next following morning I got up - I felt well as ever - ah didn't have any of the trouble - mah eyes Was not sore - ah didn't cry that day - I use'lly would cry, jes' cry, jes' wash down in tears and hold mah head down. She says to me, she says, "Yo'll find a new spot - a spot on your floor that had a lot of new nails drove in de flo'." She say, "When you wash the house," as I have first related of the mopping, she says, "that will take the dressing off of those nails" - said, "that was to make yo' hold your head down and not look up to be happy when you were home." She says, "Your husband has one of your stockings and that he'd taken it to someone and they had dressed it fo' him - that was to keep you down in yo' laig and vo' feet." Said, "He has a piece of yore underclothes which was one of yore sanitary guards." That was to cause me to have the trouble ah had in the lower part of mah stomach, and ah would have a very bad sick headache, an' mah eyes would begin tuh hurt.... Now that ends that story. (Well, I just want to get something absolutely certain. I want you to 'tell me about the other bath - that last bath you had.) That last bath. Well, de last bath ah took, ah'd taken it on a Wednesday night. I had a teakettle, an old fashioned kittle - that's what I used to warm mah water in to keep on the stove. I po'ed the kittle of hot water in the tub. I had taken de whole dime box of saltpeter and po'ed it in de tub. Then, I mixed it around with a rag to absorb de saltpeter. I gits in de tub of hot water. I'd taken mah right hand and begin bathing mah left side first [demonstrates].
(From your shoulder down to your.)
From mah shoulder down to mah feet. (This time all the way down to your feet. All de way down to my feet.
(That was your left side.)
All de way down to mah feet ah'd taken mah left hand and I began from heah bathing mahself all de way down to mah feets.- on mah right side. Then when ah got through with that ah'd taken mah right hand an' begin putting the rag ovah mah back this way.
(Qver your left shoulder.)
Ovah mah left shoulder - that the water would go down the back. An' ah did de same thing with mah left hand over mah right shoulder - that the Water would go over mah back.
(So the water would go down your back.)
Yes.
(Then after you got that down over your back, then what did you do?)
I got out of the tub - stepped out of the tub and stood before the fire and let the water - turned around, yo' know, that the water would dry on me without taken a towel and wipin' it off. When ah become dry ah put mah nightclothes on to git ready fo' bed. Then ah taken the water out of the tub and po'd it into a bucket - that was to carry it through the house instead of carryin' the tub - and ah po'd the water ovah the front gate this way - ovah the top of the gate to let it run down.
(Let it run down the gate.) [This is the magic rite of.transference.]
Then I comes back up the steps an' comes on back in the house. That was Wednesday night. Thursday morning when ah got up - all the trouble, mah swelling from mah knees and my defect from mah eyes [were gone]. [Mobile, Ala., (693), 929:1.] [So complicated is this bathing rite, I will illustrate and support it with the following quotation:] [(No.976 mistakenly put before this bracket is now omitted.) The rite which I now quote from Adams County, Illinois, used among white people can be even made more complicated than the preceding rite from Mobile, Alabama:]
Entry 1059
Dey tell me you kin take a bottle - listen good now - take a bottle with your husband's chamber lye. Just don't let him spit in it - just like he pass de water, don't let him spit in dere, see. And you take a piece of de underclothes - piece of his underclothes and you take one piece of his stocking from heel side, one piece off de middle, one piece to the bottom see, and den put them three in it and then you gets six needles - gold-eye needles and this - some kind of old-time cologne dey call - some kind of old-time cologne dey call - it's real sweet cologne. (Heart's Cologne?) [Informant could not remember. I had to suggest a name to get along with the story.] I'll say. Get dis Heart's Cologne and dey put dat in dere and then they put six needles, and they put six new needles - gold-eye needles see, and you put - then you take it and bury dat late at night. And den dey put 'em down at de head of yer step like dat and when you put 'em down you say, "You son-of-bitch, I want you to come back....
(The head of the bottle is upside down. There is a cork in it though?)
Yas suh, cork in dere too - airtight. Nobody - nothing can get into it. And say, "You son-of-a-bitch, I want you to come." And he won't have no nature for no other woman, just have to come back to you. [While checking transcription against recording I made a note "lowland dialect," meaning that the transcription is approximate.]
Entry 2745
To bring in trade or any kind of congregation, you get what they call the Adam-and-Eve root, place that in the front of your door. Then you go to work and get what they call Louisiana hoodoo dust and put that under yore doorsill. Then you go to work and git what they call the good and evil candle and place that at twelve 'clock in the night in your front door with your door closed and burn it. And with the Eqyptian incense and by reading the 37th division of the Psalms of David, reads as follows, "Fret not yourself because of evildoers, be thou not envious in the works of iniquity and so forth. Why each night if you do that three times a week, you will have trade for thirty days.
(What do you do with this incense?)
Burn it.
(While you are reading the Bible?)
Yes, jest light it - light it iest befo' you start de reading.
(Where do you get this Louisiana dust?)
Wal, yo' kin write to - ah don't know her address - Louisiana - New Orleans, Louisiana.
(And she will send you this dust.)
I know fer mahself from an experience in 1923.
(Where was this experience?)
Heah in Washington, right heah. My first wife, we were living at 217 "E" Street, N. W., Washington, and she said to me on a Saturday - she had been invited out fo' dinnah next do'. She wanted me to go there with her an' I refused. Any- way she went. Sunday - that Sunday - [she] came back home [Saturday] - that Sun- day night she got in bed. On Monday morning between 9:30 and 10 'clock I had to rush her to Garfield's Hospital. And with them taking her to the hospital on that Monday morning, of having several specialists to examine her, to give her a thorough examination from time to time, and each one of them said that her body showed as though it was normal from start to finish. Well, her mother said that it was a spell. Later on, the one that she had taken dinner with begin to talk and tell other people about what she had done. And she said this, that she'd taken the skin of a frog and put it in a pan and cooks it real crisp and powders it up and give it to her in coffee and that was the cause of her sickness and also her death. Dr. Fowler, being at the time the head surgeon of the doctorical staff of the District, he give a thorol examination and said that he couldn't locate or tell what her disease was - even up to her death. I noticed on the night - on Saturday night - like she died Sunday morning, I was there at the hospital all that night. I notice between the skin and her flesh there were the figure of frogs. Her eyes begin to turn yellowish - de white of her eyes and her head. She suffered with very severe pains. After the doctors couldn't find out, even by taken a picture - they said her heart were perfect, her stomach perfect, her liver perfect, kidneys perfect - her whole system. But by the misery being in her head, dey couldn't figure or tell whether it might have been a form of an abscess somewhere on the tissue of the brain. So after her death they asked permission of holding an autopsy on her brain, and when they did that why they said that her brain were normal. Well, it goes on to show me that the fruits of the thing that which she [the other woman] had said that she had done was true. Later on ah begin to seek into such [the truth of hoodoo]. I goes to Alexanderia, Va., to a woman by de name of Cely Coles, and begin to seek information 'long dose lines. An' she says to me, she says, "It's true just what she said she done." That was itl But if you had obtained or had of went to work and taken some sulphur, table salt and alum and made a solution out of it, or made a little drink and give her nine tablespoons- ful, why she would have passed them from her and she would have gotten well.
[To remove 'live things conjured into the body, see pp.227-239 and Index.]
(After you found out these things, what happened after that?)
Well, ah came back. Wasn't anything that I could do then - jest to give it up in de hands of God. But I was glad to know these things. And then later from self experience - for mahself - ah had went to what we call a donkey party.
(What is that?)
That's jest the figure of a donkey made up into a picture of some kind and then you buy a whole lotta tails and then you take chances, see. And de one dat pin dose tails in the proper or nearest the proper place, they get the prize. Ah goes to dis donkey party - it was for the benefit of the St. Paul Baptist Church - an' while being there they were serving refreshments or selling refresh- ments and I bought some of them. An' after I had bought a glass of lemonade and drank it, I goes home and nine days from dat day I had hairy worms in my stomach. Now the cause of that was the oil out of the skin of a frog created those worms. A man ovah heah on tenth street at de time - I were carried to him and he give me medicine fo' that. Later on I found out jest what to do to prohibit those things. It matters not what a person might be hurt with, matters not what chew walk ovah, and if they come to be alive in you, you can take a silver dime or a silver dollar and take a fine file and file off part of it and boil it and take a tea- cupful of it. It will remove it one way or the other [above or below]. [See also, pp.484-493.] Not only that, we have a way to tell, there is a way to tell, even if you have just a weakness, whether you are hurt or not. And the way that is, is by taking a salt mackerel fish and bind it wheresomever that weakness is, with the head up and the tail down, and that misery will then become a terrific terror there. You will know then that it's no need of taking any medical doctor's [Doctor of Medi- cine's] treatment. You will have to seek other sources. Well, ah know at mah home town - Richmond, Virginia - there were an' ole lady by the name of Mary Moody lived on Green Street. That's in the east end.
(I've heard of her.) [Her name is somewhere in the text.]
Mary Moody. In other words there Was a woman lived in my neighborhood by the name of Lucy Williams. I leave Coatesville, Pa., an' I goes home and she becomes jealous or envious of me because I wouldn't go or keep company with none of her daughters. She goes to work, she did, an' taken one of those square halfa pint whiskey bottles used to be [before Prohibition] - Sherwood bottles. Comes to my father's house and my mother used to be fond of her, used to let her do all of her washing at times, and she'd taken a part of my underclothes, the seat of them, and a part of my left sock and carried it off with some different roots. Ah don't know what de roots was, but those different roots she packed in that bottle and she dressed it with still water - poured it in this bottle.
(What do you mean by still water?)
Water that she had let stand fer a certain length of time. And she dressed that nine days before she buried it, and when she buried it, she buried it in the pathway that leads from my mother's house to her well, that I might walk over it. An I become - begin to go over towards my left side and dwindling away to noth- ing without a ache or pain. An' mah father he'd taken me to Mary Moody. Mary Moody wanted her pichure and mah father happened to have one the pichures on a tintype in the home. An' he'd taken that and she said to him, says, "Now, you go back home and plow up your pathway from your house to your well and when you find this bottle," she said, "bring it to me." An' he did so. An' when he did that, why she'd taken it and drew that Lucy Williams pichure from de other one on a sheet and put this bottle behind it and shot it. She said, "Now, when yo' git back home, the same thing that yore son have on him, she will have on her and she cant git rid of it." An' that happened.
(What did she shoot this bottle with?)
With a pistol - a real pistol. (She drew this picture on a piece of paper and put it up before this bottle and shot through the paper and broke the bottle?) Yes.
(How long ago did that happen?)
That's been - that was in 1916. It's a man lives - he lives in Beaver Falls [Pa.] too - 606 Eighth Avenue. He don't keer if you give a policeman his address, he's iest that smart. He takes - he has five spools, spools what thread come off, takes three needles and run through 'em - that little hole in those spools.
(He puts the three needles right through the spools.)
If the street is coming this way in front of his house, he sets one object to that corner, one obiect at this corner, and one where you turn in off the street to go in de front of his door - with the one at each corner is pointing straight up and down the street.
(You mean this spool is pointing straight up and down the street.)
That's right. The one what enters the door pointing in an' out the door, and he has the two at the back the same way that the two at the first two corners are. An' he gits up and calls on de four winds - five waves of de water with the speech that he makes telling these people - it matters not who it is - to keep on passing his door. Dey would come round an' start to his door and their mind change and they walk right on away. Right today he has two stills turning out round about 90 gallons of whiskey each. (Now here's the street going by his house. On the corner of the street here and this corner of the street are the two spools - they are turned this way, the holes are turned this way [parallel to the street passing house]. Then you come to his house and the [third] spool is turned with the holes going this way - toward his house. And then where does he put - he puts these remaining two spools at his back door?) At the back corners of his house, yes. (And the holes in these spools are parallel with that of his house [the third spool]. He just passes these three needles through each of these holes. He doesn't do anything with the needles.) Man in Norfolk, Virginia, he was telling me one day, said that if you want a person to die, dat you take one of those cut nails.
(Those square nails?)
Square nails and take and carry it to a green tree on Sunday morning and you stump it [start the nail into the tree] and each morning for nine mornings go there and hit it, and you tap that together, and then the ninth morning, the ninth day you drive it up to the head. After that nine mornings, he said that person going crazy - drifting.
Entry 6044
Yo' [she] kin git some of a man's hair an' she kin take it an' git a piece of 'er undahweah an' put dat hair in dere, an' sew it up an' slip it in'is pocket, an' dat will make him love her ag'in.
Entry 6079
Yo' got a wife an' yo' wanta keep 'er, see. Now, if yo' wanta keep er regardless of wahr she go, she comin' back. Yo' kin git some hair outa her haid, see, an' from 'er stomic [pubic hair]. Put it in a bag an' wahr it in yore umdabr clothes nex' to yore skin, an' don't care wahr she go, brothah, she comin' back.
Entry 6368
Jes' lak yo' wants tuh git in touch wit a woman an' cain't git in touch wit'er, yo' go tuh work an' jes' take yo' two or three stran's of hair out of 'er haid; yo' know, tie 'em an' weah 'en in de seat of yore undahweah - weah it three days. Well, dat gits dat yo' see.
Entry 2081
Some of these little bags they call lucky bags. Yo'll string that an put it aroun' yore neck an' let it fall inside.... (Get that fresh rabbit foot.) [He had called it fresh.] A fresh rabbit, yo' know, an' cut off his foot, an' yo' string it on a cord yo' see, an' yo' tie it on yore waist underneath yore clothes.
(What will that do then?)
Well, dat's good luck.
Entry 2397
If dey wanta be a rastler an' nobody kin throw 'em down, dey'll ketch a blacksnake an' skin him - de black an' green one - an' stuff dat wit sawdust or manure or somethin' to dry it. Den git all dat stuffin' out an' sew dat round in de bindin' or dey underwear - sew it round dere waist. It's purtty hard for man tuh throw 'em down. Ah've tried dat mahself.
Entry 3197
Or you kin take a woman's undahclothes, yo' know whut yo' sit down on, an' yo' cut a plug outa each one, her dress, her princess, her bloomahs an' yo' cut it jes' in a four-cornahed piece, an' yo' fold it up. An' now, jes' as long as dat man weah dat piece in 'is watch pocket, she's got no nature fo' no- body else but 'im.
(I see. A piece out of each of her [3] things?)
Yes, each one of 'er [3] pieces.
(Where she sits?)
Yes, sir.
Entry 3257
Of co'se I don't believe in it now, I'm gonna tell yo' de troof, but I heard a girl said [and] men said. To keep yo' from havin' any intahco'se wit Womenfolks, dat chuh wife or yore girl frien', whoevah dey might be, kin take a part of yore undahweah, see de part dat be down nex' to yore privates. Dey take dat an', yo' know, git some yore - I don't know wha' choo call it, yo' know jis' lak when it comes aftah yo' havin' intahco'se wit degirls, see. Well, dey kin take a clean piece of homespun - not have nuthin on it, jis' clean homespun - an' take it, yo' know, an' dey'll wipe demselves wit it, see. An' den take de part of yore undahweah where he had it, an' put it all in de same piece an' sew it up wit a bran'-new needle an' some new thread an' weah it. Dey weah it, yo' know, in dey [he doesn't know the name here either]. An' dey say, den yo' can't raise no mo' nature fo' no othah woman outside dem. I know two or three boys cain't even do it, nuthin at all. Cain't do nuthin only wid de ole lady - de wife.
Entry 3281
To keep a man away from yore wife, yo' git yore wife's undahshirt - see, like yo' goin' to leave [town]. Yo' git de sweat of 'er shirt. Yo' take de shirt an' yo' wrap dis shirt up an' carry it wit yo'. See, yo' carry dis shirt wit yo'. Yo' take it an' make a package wit it. Undah- stan'? An' yo' take yo' some sugah an' cinna- mon an' oil of clovah [3 ingredients], yo' see, an' yo' mix it up in dat. An yo' put dat in dat package, an' when yo' sleepin' yo' sleep on dat. An' ah bet yo' she won't worry 'bout no man, while yo' are gone.
Entry 3378
Take a string an' measure 'im when, yo' know, de full length. She'll measure 'im wit dat string, wit 'er undahskirt string. If she have a undahskirt on, she'll have a string on dat. She'll take dat undahskirt string an' she'll measure his length. She take it an' tie it in a hard knot to dat same length. Tie it right in a hard knot an' tie it to her waist, an' at night she take dat string an' break it off. She go to her table an' she git a dishrag, an' she take dat dishrag an' wipe it down by dat string. Pull de string through dat dishrag three times an' roll de string up an' throw it behind de door - or hang it up ovah de door. Throw it behin' dere an' dat will tie him up. He nevah kin have any truckin'. (Now she takes this string from her underclothes and she gets his measure. Then she ties one knot in it. And what piece does she bring out of that, then?) De same end - jes' see [demonstrates] lak he's [his] length heah, she tie it right dere. She tie de knot in dat string to jes' de length of 'i. Yes, she break dat off.
(It's his length then that she pulls through the dishrag?)
Pull through de dishrag.
Entry 3461
Othah words, if yo' can't git to her dat way, yo' kin to [with] de undahwear. Take it an' go somewhere an' git choo a male dog. An' whenevah dey [the dog] git in a hard, yo' know, an' den wipe it off. Git choo nine shingle nails - nine little wire nails - an' care [carry] it to a tree. Dig de root, dig down to [into] de ground where yo' find 'em forked roots. Nail it up in dere - tack it up in dere - put dem nine nails in dere an' covah it ovah. Well, dere he's stuck ag'in, he can't git away. But if yo' have sympathy fer 'em an' go an' take it up yore ownself, dey'll come loose; an' if not, YO' GOT TO KILL 'EM BŌF OR KILL ONE OF 'EM to git 'em loose.
Entry 3681
Well, yore wife - jis' lak if yo' goin' off to work an' yo' wan' 'er not to be foolin' aroun' wit no othah man. Well, jis'as - befo' yo' leave dere, yo' git some snail dust - some snail, yo see, what creeps slow-slow across - JIS' GO TO ANY DRUG STO' AN' SAY, "GIVE Prob'ly yo' have to pay about 40c or prob'ly a little bettah. Yo' git dat snail dust an' jis' lak, say when yo' go on 'er dat night when yo' leavin' 'er [to go to work], yo' wants to go to bed wit yore wife befo' leavin'-time, an' yo' fools wit 'er. Befo' yo' fool wit 'er, yo' put some of dis snail dust into yore undahclothes or in yore hair - yo' know, put it in yore hair, see. Yo' put some of dis same sinimint [cinnamon] an' sugah right in de middle of de bed, jis' where yo'll put 'er to lay. An' yo' take dis snail dust an' yo' put it all on yoreself. Well. But she not payin' attention cuz she used to it an' yo' leave 'er. Yo' git on 'er an' yo' fool wit 'er an' she nevah have no feelin' fo' no man in de worl'. Evah time, yo' jis' rolls across 'er mind [she thinks of you]. Jis' look lak she ain't got no feelin' atall [for another man].
Entry 3778
Git chew some stingin' net- tles - know dose thing ah mean. Git chew a root of dose an' boil 'em, an' put some honey, sugar an' salt in dere, an' take it fo' nine mawnin's - nex' nine mawnin's an' dat'll bring it back.
(What kind of salt did you put in that?)
Table salt.
(That will bring his nature back.) [St. Petersburg, Fla., (1043), 1693:5.]
3778. If he's runnin' roun' wit wimmin, she could take his courage away from 'im. Well, she could take his courage by wipin' 'im. Him an' 'er have a connec- tion an' she could take it wit 'er undahcloth, or she could take it wit de dish- rag. Each one of de ways is diff'ren'. Yo' would have to use a diff'ren' remedy on each one of de ways to git dat han' offa yo'. [Informant calls the undercloth and dishrag hands (see pp.519-669), which they are.] If she take it with de dishrag, why yo' kin go out in de woods an' git chew a stingin' nettle root. It got roots on it jes' lak a nut branch, jes' lak nut branch, an' yo' go down until yo' git to de third nut an' yo' take dat nut an' make a tea out of it, an' dat'll knock dat out. (You mean you swallow the tea then and that will bring back the courage, if you have been fixed up with the dishrag.) Den if yo' been fixed up wit 'er undahclothes, den yo' have to take de sandy pea root. An' hit don' have any nuts atall on it. It's jes' a root dat goes off lak dat. Ah've been in dat condition. Well, now yo' take dat stalk up an' den git de root of it, an' jes' clip de whole root off an' den put it in a bottle of watah, about a quart of watah an' take drinks offa dat. Now, dat ain't nuthin - jes' as quick as dis othah one, yo'll have to take drinks offa dat, too.
(This sandy pea root, is that the same as that they call the shame briar?)
Ah 'clare ah don' know, De onliest name ah know is de sandy pea root.
Entry 3853
I've heard dat if a woman leaves home - I mean a man leaves home, an' de woman wants to make him come back. De biggest idea in dealings such as dat, yo' deal wit de pieces yo' wears - de clothes yo' wears. Yo' takes de man's clothes, but yo' must wanta have an' undahpiece dat he wore. Yo' take dat undahshirt or pajama suit or anything dat de man have worn. Yo' takes it - she'll take dat, I heard, an' she will mix dat wit some of 'er personals. Yo' know vhat dat is?
(No.)
Her monthly personals.
(Her monthly personals. All right.)
Her monthly personals, yo' understan', an' she will take his shirt an' she will wrap it, yo' know, aroun' some of 'er personals. See! An' den she will take dat an' she will dig a hole jes' about undah de centah about where de bed sets [a quincunx]. Dat will be up and undah dere house - see, right in de soil. See, dig a hole down dere an' she'll bury dose two pieces togethah an' it's im- possible fo' him to stay away.
Entry 3872
She was - yo' know, she'd git someone firs' to git somepin about 'im, some of 'is clothes, his garments, some of 'is undahgarments - yo' know, of de clothes. Yo' know, cut a piece of it an' git some of 'er frien's to git dat. She'd take it an' do what she wanted. [She'd] git some of 'er monthlies, yo' know, an' put on it. An' den she'd bury it undah- neat' de do'step or whutsomevah. An' well, den when he'd come in dere, he'd jis' be crazy about dat woman. He'll come right back jis' like dat.
Entry 4299
Ah tell yuh whut she could do tuh make him come back tuh 'er. If she got any of 'is undahclothes, if he left any of 'is undahclothes dere, she would take his undahshirt an' 'is drawahs an' wash 'em, see. Wash 'em in some cleah watah. Don't put no soap in it, jis' take de cleah watah an' rinse it off. Take dis watah yuh undahstan', from 'is undahclothes an' put it in a bottle. Bury it undah 'er front steps, yuh undahstan', an' go dere fo' nine mawnin's an' pee on dis bot- tle. Ah'll guarantee yuh [he] won't fool wit no othah woman an' yo'll [he'll] come back dere an' go on in wit 'er [live with her again].
(You leave this bottle standing upright like that?)
No, turn it up.
(Turn it upside down?)
Turn dat upside down wit de watah offa yuh clothes in dere, yuh undahstan'.
turning the bottle upside down after rejecting upright orientation. Keep the full upright→No→upside-down exchange; upright is rejected, not an alternative instruction. washing/rinsing the man’s underclothes with clear water and no soap. Do not restate it as soap washing or discard the collected rinse-water purpose. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 4515
If a man lef' home an' yuh kin fine [find] any one of de hats dat he have wore, or any of 'is undahclothes, yuh take it an' cut chew a piece off it. A woman kin do dat, cut a piece off it, an' tie: it up in a red little cloth. Put a white piece of cloth ovah it an' sew it up an' tote it in yuh pocket. An' by an' by dis man will come back home an' he won't know how he come back home. Jes' come right on back to yuh.
Entry 4517
If a man is away from home an' de woman want 'im tuh come back, she kin use de band"out 'is hat. Sew it in 'er undahclothes an' wear it @p undah 'er right arm. See, if he away, she kin bring 'im back wit de right or de left [arm], but anywheres where she sweat on it, why he can't git away from 'er. Dat's whut ah heard.
Entry 4666
Ah kin tell yo' 'bout mahself, ah have used it. Mah husban' wuz a man, he wuz runnin' about. Mah husban' used to make gud on evah job dat he got on, an' ah couldn't see where his money went tuh. He wuzn't givin' me not a thing. All ah could see, he would buy a little groceries. He'd say he wuz gittin' two week's groceries an' dey wouldn't last a week. An' ah took de bow outa his hat - ah stole it out dere an' put it undah de bottom of mah foot, an' den put mah stock- in' on. An' aftah den, when ah put dat in dere, ah took 'is dirty drawahs an' cut de seat out of it, an' ah buried it undah de step where he walked in at. He nevah did stay home, an' aftah ah did dat - ah did dat jes' lak today, an' ah didn't know whut it 'twas fo' him tuh come in de early part of de night. His early part would be one aclock; if not dat, all night. Aftah ah done dat lak today, he went ag'in. When he come in de night, he nevah took time hardly tuh eat. He went out dat night. So aftah dinnah - he commence comin' in den, an' ah jes' got tired of 'im stayin' home. He stayed home so much an' he wuz so nice to me - he'd bring me his check den to have it cashed; if not dat, he'd tell me tuh meet 'im tuh de Union Station, goin' wit 'im an' havin' 'is check cashed. An' he done so nice an' we stayed home so much, dat ah couldn't turn. Ah went back an' dug it up fo' him tuh go some, an' took de bow out from undah mah shoe. Dat's whut ah done.
(What shoe did you wear it in?)
In mah right shoe.
(Didn't do anything else with it? Anything?)
Didn't do anything else to it.
Entry 4714
She used it tuh bring 'er man back. Heah's whut she does. She eithah take a piece of undahshirt where he sweats undah heah, undah de lef' arm. An' she takes dat an' balls it up in a knot an' dress it wit Hearts Cologne an' buries it undah de step. An' usely [usually] he comes back.
Entry 4727
A woman will take some of de man's undahclothes an' some of 'is halr offa his haid, an' put it in a bottle an' bury it somewhere aroun' dere 'bout de house. If she wan' 'im, dat's tuh keep 'im at 'er house mos' all de time.
Entry 4741
Well, yuh see, if yuh leave yore undahsuit dere an' yuh jis' pulled it off an' she have nevah washed it, well she kin take dat an' she kin take deundah- suit an' eithah do dis. She kin git de undahsuit. An' yuh see where it is sewed up in de seat, see where, right where it fits right tight on yuh. She kin take dat an' cut de seat out of it, an' hang it right up ovah de do' where yuh bin goin' in an' comin' out. An' in nine mawnin's time yuh'll be right back dere wit 'er.
Entry 4747
Jis' lak a woman got a husban' runnin' roun', or yuh got a woman run- nin' roun' an' yuh wanta stop 'er. Yuh know wha' chew kin do wit dey socks or dey undahclothes. Yuh kin take de socks or eithah dey undahclothes wha' dey wore nex' tuh 'um an' bury dem. Put dat salt on it. Put a boil aig in it. Take a boiled aig an' put in dere an' dat salt.
(Leave the shell on or off?)
Leave de shell on - jis' a boil aig hot. Wrap it right up in dat clothes, see, an' bury it down undahneat' de front steps. MAN, DAT'S ONE OF DE WORST THINGS YUH EVAH. IT WEAKENS DOWN YUH MIND, YUH THINK YUH GOIN' DIE. Dey gits sick, jis' weaken down. Don't have no mo' strength atall. Dat's if a man is runnin' roun' an' yuh cain't stop 'em, see. An' yuh kin take it up, if yuh wanta ease de pain; but if dey start in ag'in, put it right back down an' dey git right back down ag'in. (That is if they are running around.)
Entry 4772
Co'se sometime it be a hard proposition, but still yuh kin win. When- somevah yuh goes fo' a job, yuh have yore clothes, yore undahwears turn on de wrong side. Den when yuh speak tuh 'im, yuh have a match-stick, anythin' lak dat, in yore mouth, an' yuh talkin' tuh 'em. He won' turn yuh down. He'll tell yuh, "if it's any way dat ah kin put chew tuh work, " an' If it's possible why yuh'll git a job.
Entry 4782
When anyone leave home, jis' lak de man leave home an' gone, de woman she'll take his, some of 'is clothes, his drawahs whut he's had, his undahweah, an' tie it nine knots tuh her, an' take an' put it in some secret place undah de house, or undah de sill undah de house, or in de bedroom flat down undah de dressah, an' he cain't stay away. He got'a come, he got'a come. Ah know dat.
Entry 4788
Now, if ah an' mah husban' git tuh disagree an' he leave me. Jis' lak he leave his undahclothes dere or somepin dirty, well, ah tell yuh whut ah'll do wit dat. Ah'll take dat an' - ah'll take dat an' fold it jis' lak, jis' lak it be yore shorts. Mos'ly [mostly] mens weah shorts. If yuh leave dat dirty dere, ah'll take it an' weah it between mah laigs an' in nine day's time he be back dere - bring 'im right back.
Entry 4803
If yuh got a woman an' yuh done lose - she done quit yuh an' yuh wanta git 'er back. Yuh git a dirty piece of hers of any kinda wear - her shimmy, drawers, or anythin' dat she got dirty. Yuh take dat piece an' yuh cut a hole in dat, an' yuh put dat in yore money case, an' she got'a keep up wit yuh de longest day she live. She'll nevah be wit'out chew. She'll always be wit chew.
Entry 4804
Yuh take yore soil undahwear, yuh know. Yuh take de seat of 'is undah- wear, de soil undahwear. An' take dat. An' tell me dey take dat an' dey kin wear it. Jis' take it an' jis' put it in a piece of red flannel, an' den sew tuh dey undahclothes, or put it in a string. Jis' wear it or pin in dere clothes. Dey said dat stop 'em [him] from goin' out too.
Entry 4835
Dey take de undahpiece, de piece da' choo weah, yore bloomahs, yore near piece da' choo weah close tuh yuh, undahshirt, an' put it in a tree in de woods, an' nail a spike nail tuh it, yuh know, an' dat'll run yuh crazy.
Entry 4853
Yuh see, yore bath watah is pahtic'lah [particular] things. Den yore undah-pieces clothes, keerful who Wash dat. Dey kin take dat an' rub undah heah, yo' know, an...
(Under your arms and the lower part of your body?)
Yes sir. An' yuh - dey kin take dat an: wash in de basin wit a little watah. An' dey kin take dat an' put it in a bottle, an' den dig a hole anywhere and PUT CHEW RIGHT DERE. If she love yuh, yuh nevah kin go from dere; an' nobody can't do yuh no harm.
Entry 4917
Take a woman's stockin' while it's dirty - not a clean one, while it's dirty. Yuh take it an' yuh ball it up an' yuh puts it right up ovah de do'. Dat [is] if she leave yuh, yuh puts it ovah de do' an' she'll come back home. Or eithah dey could cut de seat of 'er undahclothes out an' put it ovah de do' an' she'll nevah leave. An' [or] yo' could take de mole of 'er hair [head], cut de hair out an' plait it. Put it intuh a vial an' put Hearts Cologne on it - feed it. [To put Hearts Cologne on is to feed it.] Tote it in yore pocket an' she'll nevah leave yuh - she'll stay wit yuh.
Entry 4932
Now, if yuh wanta take an' kill a man, yuh take one [of] 'is dirty socks an' dirty undersuit an' carry 'em tuh de graveyard an' bury it. Dat's tuh kill 'im.
Entry 5194
Git holt of yore shoes, shoes or yore socks yo' know, an' jis'...
(What are they supposed to do with those?)
Supposed tuh git yore shoes an' yore socks, eithah one, an' mixes some of yorr undahclothes wit 'em, an' dese pins an' needles, an' buries 'em. Dat'll cuz yore feet tuh swell.
[Norfolk, Va., (453) 427:5.]
Entry 5812
[Version 1]: Yo' kin take yore hair, take my hair, an' de man's hair Lat, yo' know from down here, yo' know, an' wrap it togethah an' a ravel out from ondah his arm - yo' know, right nex' to where he wear 'is clothes.
(In his armpits.)
Jis' a ravelin'. Take dose two hairs, yo' know, an' wrap 'em togethah, an' den yo' git a ravel from out de seat of 'is pants - out de seat of 'is undahweah. An' wrap all dat togethah - jis' wrap evah bit of it togethah, an' go to a ant's nest an' dig in dat ant's nest. Yo' know, if he's not treatin' yo' right, dig in dat ant's nest an' put dat in dat ant's nest. An' jis' as long as he - jis' as long as he live, he'll be worried. He'd jis' be worried, he worry hisself almos' to death. [Version 2]: Git some of 'is hair an', yo' know, twist it togethah, an' git de ravels from 'is undahclothes an' git de ravel from down here in de seat of 'is undahclothes. An' yo' roll dat - tie it hard, yo' know. Roll it jis' as hard as yo' kin, yo' know. Go to a ant's bed an' open it.
(Well, you've got these things before.)
[I am telling her she is repeating.]
Yes, sir. An' open it an' den yo' put it down in dere, yo' see an' dat jis' keeps 'em fussin', fightin' an' quarrelin', until dey [separate]. [The two rites. are similar but the purposes are different.]
Entry 5983
Dey say dey kin take a bran'-new nail an' some of de hair out chure clothes, some dis way off yore laig - out chure undahweah, yo' undahstan' - an' dey kin wrap it aroun' a bran'-new nail an' stick it right in de centah of de floor [often under carpet or rug], an' yo'll surely stay as long as dey want chew to stay. [Center of the floor is the fifth point of a quin- cunx.] (Well, you told me a certain number of hairs.) Nine - nine stran's. [That preceding hair off yore Laig, changed to out chure undahweah, would have been rare. Armpit hair is used in Hoodoo, but I do not recall any leg hair. Or does informant mean pubic hair?)
Entry 6372
Yo' kin take a woman's hair an' a piece of 'er undah- weah an' a piece of new cloth, an' sew it up tight an' weah it in yore pocket, an' dey says she'll love yo'. Else [otherwise] she'll be extra mean tuh yo'.
Entry 6747
If someone is tryin' to harm yo', yo' take yore undahsuit an' turn it grongside out an' yo' weah it [that way]. An' yo' take some parsley, an' put it in each shoe. An' dey can't harm yo'.
Entry 7078
Why yo' would take yore bloomahs or eithah yore shimmy an' yo' would put dat on yore husban's face - put it ovah 'is head. Den yo' would back out de do' an' as yo' back out, yo' would repeat, "Stay sound asleep," fo' nine times backin' out.
Entry 7086
Now, yo' take quite natchel if right tuhnight mah wife wanta make a date, yeah, out yondah. Ah wus sleepin' heah. If ah know how tuh tie her down, from - tuh keep 'er from gwine yo' know. Money an' likkah an' - dat ruin' 'em yo' know. If yo' find a woman drink likkah an' loves money, dey'll go - put chew tuh sleep an' go. Well, all right, she kin commence. She kin ketch me layin' in de sleep. She kin go tuh work an' take her undahclothes, jis' 'er bloomahs an' spread it ovah mah haid, an' ah'll sleep heah 'itll she come back. De house could burn down an' ah nevah Wake up. NOW, DAT'S JIS' A LITTLE SIMPLE "TRICK: Ah have see women try dat. De husban' didn't know anythin' atall about it, yo' see.
Entry 7097
Well, a boy wuz goin' wit me, but 'im an' 'is buddy boy slept tuh- gethah. Well, any time ah wanta have intahco'se wit 'im, sompin lak dat, if ah kin be in de baid wit 'im, ain't but one thing yo' gota do. All yo' gota do, take yore step-ins an' take de seat an' put it cross 'is nose. He'll nevah take 'em off till yo' take 'em off ag'in.
Entry 7103
An' den too, ah know a man de way he did 'is wife, when he'd wanta go off tuh see 'is sweetheart, yo' know. He'd go tuh work an' he'd weah 'is undah- clothes yo' see, fo' prob'ly a Week, an' 'im an' 'is wife would go tuh bed an' she wouldn't even know when he git outa de bed. He'd go tuh work an' he'd take his han's an' put 'em undah 'is arm an' roun' in 'is private, an' put it cross 'er nose lak dat. An' take dem drawahs an' put ovah 'er face. An' he could go an' stay till day de nex' mawnin', an' she wouldn't wake up until he come an' move 'is undahclothes off 'er bed. Ah've known dat tuh be true.
Entry 7104
Ah've been heah evah since de llth of Septembah anl ah declare dat's all dey do do's. Take yore step-ins or yore bloomahs an' put undah de pillah or spread it ovah dere face, an' dey'll nevah wake up until de nex' mawnin'.
(You put it either over the man's face or under his pillow, one or the other.)
Entry 7105
Put 'er undahclothes undah 'is pillahslip, or bloomahs or sompin lak dat intuh 'is pillahslip, undah 'is pillah where he sleep on, or eithah hang up ovah de head of de bed, makes 'im sleep.
Entry 7135
If a woman's gittin' ready tuh go out, if she got sense, she'll lay on de bed wit 'er husban'. She pulls off 'er clothes an' while he's not lookin', she'll take and place her undah- weah undah 'is head. She'll take an' place her undahweah undah 'is head, an' he'll lay dere an' go tuh sleep an' he'll nevah wake up. Den she'll take his lef' shoe an' TURN IT DOWN IN UNDAH DE BED, AN' SHE KIN GO TUH HELL AN' COME BACK.
(And she must put the underclothes under his pillow - under his head?)
Her undahclothes undah 'is head.
(Under the pillow or under his head?)
Undah 'is head. Put 'er undahclothes undah 'is head. It kin be, as long as it's undah 'is head, she kin even put it undah de sheet. Yo' know, she put it somewhere where he can't see it.
(Oh, I see.)
Entry 7155
Home at night? Take yore shoes, turn one tuh de head an' de othah back tuh de foot; yo' know, jis' de opposite ways, yo' see, wit sugah in each one of dem shoe, an' sleep lak dat. Tie one knot in 'uh undahskirt or 'er chemise, whatevah she has, an' sleep until she returns. She jis' has tuh keep it on, de one she has on. (Put one shoe with the toe pointing to the head and one to the foot. You put the shoes upside down, together, or one at the foot and one at the head?) Upside down, one at de head an' one at de foot. Set 'em nex' tuh each othah right in a row, right foot at de head of de man; one fo' de head an' one fo' de foot.
Entry 7182
She could take her step-ins an' hang 'em up ovah de head of de bed. Wash 'em an' hang 'em up ovah de head of de bed an' put 'is han' down in a cold pan of watah. He'll sleep dere until she come back. (She must wash those things first?) No sir, jis' hang 'em. An' den she kin take her undah- Weah an' spread 'em ovah 'is face, an' put 'is han' in a cold pan of watah an' he'll tell evahthin' he done dat night.
Entry 7210
(All right.) = [Ready to start.]
Ah had a pair of socks an' ah had a undahsuit. Ah came from mah work an' ah rolled it up, ah couldn't git in mah room, an' ah jis' shoved in between de screen an' de do'. An' ah left. When ah come back, mah undahsuit an' mah socks wuz gone. An' ah do know whut taken place wit me aftah dat, an' ah do know whut ah wuz told through fortune- tellahs.
(All right, tell me all about it.)
De fortunetellah told me dat ah were hurt in some a mah clothes. She did not say whut kinda clothes, but it fell back tuh mah remembrance dat if ah wuz hurt, it must have been mah undahsuit an' mah socks. (Well, how did you know you were hurt? Why did you go to this fortuneteller? Did something happen to.you? Were you sick or something before you went to the fortuneteller?) No, sir, ah wuzn't sick den. Ah wuz not sick den.
(What did you go to that fortuneteller for?)
Well, ah went tuh de doctor. Went tuh Natchez Mississippi Hospital in [nine- teen] thirty an' ah stayed ovah dere 'bout thirteen or seventeen days. An' de doctor seemly dey couldn't fin' de complaint, whut wuz de mattah wit me. He said dat ah wuz all right. Well, ah wúz still sick. Well, ah decided in mah mind - ah hear'd de people talkin' about hoodoos an' witchcraft an' fortune- telZahs. It came tuh me in mah mind by a friend of mine, he said, "Why don' chew go an' see such-an'-such a one?' He said, "Dey kin tell yo' things." Well, ah decided tuh go. Well, ah went tuh dem an' dey told me dat ah wuz hurt through clothes. An' ah ast dem, "Well, whut could yo' do fer me? Could yo' cure me?" Dey tole me, "Yeah." Dey believe through de powah of God dat dey could cure me. An' dey made me up a tea. Now, ah don' know whut kinda tea it 'twuz, but any- way dey give dat tuh me fer tuh drink an' ah drinked it an' ah really hadn't rest fer [so many] nights.
Entry 8017
Take de frog an' put 'im in a box, an' take a piece of yore clothes an' put in dis box wit it, de clothes dat's nex' tuh yuh.
(Put his frog in the box and put some of my old clothing in it?)
Yes, put some of yuh ole undahclothes pieces, yo' know dat chew have worn, in de box wit dis frog. An' wrap 'im up airtight an' put 'im somewhere where no air kin git tuh 'im, an' yo'll pine away. (If I wanted to fix you, I would put some of your clothing with this frog?) Uh-huh, some of yuh clothes [not informant's!], an' fix it so de air cain't git tuh it.
Entry 8134
Ah've heard dat a woman could take yer photograph an' wrop it in one of 'er undahpieces an' turn it down on de face, an' as long as it lay dere, why dey say yo' can't do any- thing wit no othah woman but 'er.
Entry 8546
(Give me that parable again now. Tell me the whole thing.)
Just like I come to see you to your house and your fire hearth got a end of brick loosened somewhere. Well, I take a piece of paper and write your name down on it unknowst to yo', an' I slip your name up under that brick, and they say, your wife would leave you. (My wife would leave me and go with you?) Yes, go away. [We must remember here, that name is not enough; there is also the mental intention for woman to leave and come to you.]
(Well, is there any way, you can check that? Cross that up?)
Yes, yo' kin check that, cross it up.
(How would you do that?)
Well, the way yo' do that, yo' get yo' some parsley, and yo' tell her put: 'er underclothing wrongside out, after yo' get de parsley. Yo' put that parsley in de bottom part of her shoe an' put some garlic in de bottom part of her [other] shoe an' make her wear that. That'll check it up. [Wrongside out, parsley and garlic are well-known witchcraft deterrents.]
Entry 9059
If dey tryin' 'im fo' murdah, if she kin git a piece of de man's clothes dat chew killed, any part of his clothes, his undahclothes, dat has his prespira- tion [perspiration] on it, weah it nex' tuh yours. An' keep a Bible an' read de Ten Commandments lak ah tole yo', see. An' den, if yo' got somebody's comin' tuh see yuh, if yo' kin git chure- self a five-cent package[!] of rice, take dat rice an' mix it wit salt, an' go tuh de grave- yard an' git chure sand an' put it in it. Give some tuh dis fellah dat's in jail, in a package; an' de rest of it, yo' take as dey come in, come intuh de co'troom. Yo' have some in yore hand an' count nine, an' as yo' counts at each one of de counts yo' drops some, an' when yo' git tuh de ninth count, drop it all. Jis' do yore hand lak dat [opens hand] an' let it all fall. (Just open your hand and let it all fall. And that's supposed to get you off the trial.)
Entry 11068
Git a pleoe of his underclotbes asn yours and wear it aruund yore waist an' dat'll keep him.[ Waycross, Ga., (1122), 1804:2.]
Entry 11643
It all depends upon what kind of fits they have. (What for example?) Well, if they have what you call epidetic [epi- leptic] fits, of course, you have to take them to the doctor [M.D.] for that. But I tell you what I do know. Like I have a young baby and a woman come in my house be real sick and she hold my baby, she will give my baby what you call a string and he'll begin like that [demonstrates] to draw up, you know, like he Want - his bowels Wan'a move. Now, I'll go back to her and get a piece of her underclothing and tie it around my baby's wrist like that, and he will be all right.
Entry 11850
If you get his hair and some of his underweah, you kin take it and put it all in a sack with some kind of roots. I don't know what. And put it in a corner [outside house] to- wards de rising sun, and go back to it every morning and pour sweet spirits of niter on it every morning [for 9 mornings] and in 9 mornings he'll come in the door. He'll come back home. [A number of these corner-of-the- house rites are scattered through HOODOO.]
Entry 12420
If she got any of his clothes, jes' lak if she got any of his under- weah - if she haven't got any of his own clothes dat she kin use, if she kin git in any place where he has slept. See, jes' lak if he has slept in dat bed, she kin cut a piece of dat mattress. Jes' cut a hole in dat mattress, undahstan', an' git a piece of de cotton, or anything dat goes, yo' know, undah where he has slept. Yo' see, his scent is still dere, undahstan'. Put it in de bottle an' git chew some dis heah 'bernekay. It sompin lak de peoples drink, sometimes fo' gittin' drunk off of it. It's a varnekay wafah [wafer], an' yo' puts it heah with this heah cloth, umdahstan' eithah with de cotton, whichevah one yo' use, an' stop it up in dis bottle, an' puts it in de closet dere. An' within nine days, eithah he or she vill return.
Entry 12984
If he is sleeping, just take his left-foot shoe and turn it down under the bed, right under him where he is sleeping. Or she can pull off an underpiece of hers and hang it up on the bed over his head and he won't wake up. [New Orleans, 1347:10, a widely known rite and other examples in HOODOO.]
Entry 1550
They took some of her underclothes and bury 'em under de front step. We had to send to South Carolina to git a fellah to work on her mind. He said she walk over it nine mornings, dat was the cause of her be like dat. So he told us to git her some siZkroot and boil it with some money, silver money, and let her drink de liquid; and take a brand-new towel, dat nobody ever used, and wear it aroun' 'er waist next to the skin and dat would cure 'er. [Wilmington, N. Car., (226), 220:1; Savannah, Ga.,1929.]
Entry 2294
If they want a man and can't control him, they kin make him shimmy-tail tea. They boil their underclothes and let him drink, and put it in his food and they say they'll have control over him. And they say it's a real fact, too. [Shimmy-tail tea is known every- where.]
Entry 13365
Well, yo' kin use it. Some use it fo' jes' patches, understand, fo' de men. Mostly women use it fo' patches fo' men, prob'ly might put it on dere clothes, understan' in dey inner garment or sompin next to 'em. Well, dis woman always uses her chamber lye, dey say. Washes dis piece in dey chamber lye first an' puts it near 'em in dey underwear or sompin lak dat, sompin dat's closer to 'em. Dat's to keep dem [men] at home, understan', or even if de're [they are] gone away from home, dey use dis heah hide [hidden piece] in an' make 'em return home.
Entry 10288
Use piece of man's underclothes to wipe him and wear it around your waist [Wilmington, 160:2].
The short account names a piece of a man's underclothes; no result or performed event is established.
Entries from source headings
These entries are listed under the following headings in the source volume:
- WET STRING FROM HER UNDERCLOTHES; WITH MONTHLY STUFF - TIE 9 KNOTS — Volume 3, entries 3611. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → KNOTS AND TYING → KNOTS NINE.
- CHICKEN - BURY ALIVE UNDER HEARTH WITH UNDERCLOTHES — Volume 3, entries 4733. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → CLOTHES EXCLUDING HAT, SOCKS AND STOCKINGS, AND SHOES.
- EGG - UNDERCLOTHES — Volume 3, entries 4748. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → CLOTHES EXCLUDING HAT, SOCKS AND STOCKINGS, AND SHOES.
- INSIDE OUT - UNDERCLOTHES - TABLECLOTH — Volume 3, entries 4771. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → CLOTHES EXCLUDING HAT, SOCKS AND STOCKINGS, AND SHOES.
- NEW LUMBER PIECE - RUNNING NORTH; SOUTH ON HOUSE - NAIL 9 TIMES; OVER HER UNDERCLOTHES — Volume 3, entries 4794. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → CLOTHES EXCLUDING HAT, SOCKS AND STOCKINGS, AND SHOES.
- UNDERCLOTHES AGAIN — Volume 3, entries 4842. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → CLOTHES EXCLUDING HAT, SOCKS AND STOCKINGS, AND SHOES.
- (16) HIS RIGHT SHOE UPSIDE DOWN; HIS UNDERCLOTHES OVER HIS FACE — Volume 4, entries 7134. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → FOLK MEDICINE → TO KEEP PERSON ASLEEP.
- CANDY - ROCK CANDY - SCATTER ABOUT JAIL BUNK; NIGHT BEFORE TRIAL - NEXT MORNING - PUT ON; UNDERCLOTHES WRONGSIDE OUT - DRESS SELF WITH; COTY'S PERFUME - BE ACQUITED WITHIN 3 HOURS — Volume 4, entries 9002. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → COURT CASES.
- A DOUBLE 3 RITE OR TRIPLE 3 RITE:; 6 RUSTY NAILS - UNDERCLOTHES OR OLD STOCKING; SCREW UP IN QUART JAR - LEAVE 3 HOLES IN LID; SO THAT A LITTLE SAND CAN DROP IN WHEN BURIED; UNDER DOORSTEP - AS YOU WALK IN AND OUT DOOR; AND SAND DROPS - YOU GET SICK - JES' KILL YUH — Volume 5, entries 9732. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.