Subject:Underwear
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Entry 4761
Well, ah've heard ag'in, if yuh've got a man away an' yuh want 'im tuh come back tuh yuh, an' he leaves some of 'is clothes dere, said yuh take clothes tuh make him be on 'is haid. Put de clothes - put 'is undahweah an' 'is shirt, put de haid of it down towards 'is feet [dem- onstrates]. (On the bed?) Yessuh, yuh've gotta lay on dere yuh see. Put it down dere tuhwards 'is feet. Dey take his undah- weah an' take de bottom part - take de laigs of it an' put 'em up tuhwards de haid of de baid, an' let de body go down tuhwards it. Den yuh take his socks an' yuh take one an' bring it 'cross dis way an' let it be tuh de front of de baid.
(The head of the bed?)
No suh, de front. Yuh see - listen. Heah's whut ah mean. Now, yuh layin down dat way.
(Here's the bed. This is the head and that's the foot?)
Yessuh, now yuh lie dat sock dat way.
(Which is the foot and which way does the other part of the sock point?)
De foot part of de sock goes at de haid.
(That points to the head of the bed?)
De toe goes tuh de haid of de baid. Den heah comes de othah, de mouth of de sock, yuh know, where yuh put chure foot in. Let it be out tuh de front [demon- strates].
(One sock crosses the other.)
Yessuh. An' den aftah doin' dat. Let's see - man's sock, undahweah an' de top-shirt. Dat, she might lay in it, an' de rest of 'em yuh lay on top of 'em. Don't put a thing on top of 'em but a sheet. Den befo' yo' git in baid, make yore wishes. Put one needle up an' de othah one cross at de haid [demonstrates], 'tween de haid. Lak dis is de haid of de baid, put it down in dere, in between in dere. Don't let it git down by yore haid, but let it be up above.
(At the top of the head of the bed, you cross two needles.)
Yessuh. An' so yuh lay on dose things, an' ah think she said, in nine days he would come home.
Entry 886
Yo' kin take dey underwear right in de seat an' take it out somewhere an' bury it an' dat'll give yo' pain all ovah, especially in all de joints - jis' pain an' continue hurtin' all de time. De reason ah'm tellin' yo' dis becuz ah had de same thing happen tuh me yeah befo' last, an' ah'd written a man a lettah an' mailed him one dollah in it an' he straighten it out fo' me.
(What did he do - send you something or tell what to do?)
He didn't send me nuthin - didn't tell me whut to do. Jis' wrote an' tole me, says, "Yore case will be okay. An' in fo' or five days dat misery wus gone.
(Did you write very far away from here to get that done?)
Yessuh, a pretty good piece - I wrote to Patterson, Arkansas.
Entry 1786
They take your underpiece. Take a little piece of board and cut out a Strip like a coffin and take that piece. And if they got a pitchure, they take that, too. And place all them in that little coffin and carry it to a cemetery, and git right on top of a grave where somebody was buried, and then call your name and bury that in the top of that grave. And when that piece of board rot away, the persons who they named it after, they'll commence dryin' up and gettin' littler and smaller until that board rot; and when that board rot they'll die.
Entry 3290
Now yo' take a woman, she'll take a man's nature dataway. She'll go to work - jes' lak yo' fool wit a woman. Well, now when yo' gits through fool- in' wit 'er, she'll take a piece of 'er undahwear an' wipe dis man wit it. Well, aftah she wipe him wit it, she'll take it den an she'll carry it, fold it up an' she'll put it undah 'er bed laig. Well, now she'll keep it in a secret place where nobody passes. Well, as long as hit dataway, she keep it dataway, he can't have no nature fo' nobody regard- less, but 'er.
Entry 3551
Ah've heard of fellahs takin' part of dere wives' undahweah, takin' an' tied it in nine knots. Well, he could take dat an' keep it in 'is back pocket all de time. An' anywhere he go, no mattah where, she go she be wit 'im. She can't have anything to do wit anothah man, seemed lak she'd jes' be sickly all de time - always sick, she can't do any- thing.
Entry 3852
If a woman wants yo' an' yo' don't want 'er, she'll make yo' follah 'er anywhere in de worl'. Git a piece of yore undahweah an' git some of 'er stuff [menstrual blood] an' put on it, an' she'll weah it right undah heah [demonstrates].
(In her left armpit.) [Wilmington, N. Car., (228),222+85.]
Entry 4567
Dey take dat dere little bow out of a man's hat an' weah dat intuh de seat of 'er undahweah an' cause 'im tuh stay right undah 'em. He wouldn't git out of 'er eyesight.
Entry 4641
Take de bow outa yore hat, de woman kin. Take de bow outa a man's hat an' git some of 'is hair an' take de seat outa his drawers an' weah hit. Only way she kin do tuh keep 'im, yuh know, feed 'im. Take fo' instance, her monthlies yo' know.
(What did she do with this bow? Did you say? How will she wear those things?)
She weah dem undah - right 'tween 'er laigs. Put 'em in a sack an' weah dem 'tween 'er laigs.
Entry 4716
Take an' cut yore sleeve whut chew sweat undahneat' chure arms. She'll take dat an' she'll mix it wit 'er undahweah - yo' see, wit de seat of 'er undah- weah yo' know an' ties it up, see. An' she'll weah it, see. Dat's one way.
(To bring him back.)
He be worried about her all de time.
Entry 4729
If dey's workin' wit chure wife, dey kin git chew back, becuz if dey git any of yore ole socks or undahweah pieces, why she kin have dem tuh bring yuh back home. Yuh jis' cain't he'p yuh'self.
(How do they do that? Bury them, you say?)
Bury 'em.
(As you told me before?)
Yes.
Entry 4742
Dey take a piece of yuh undahweah an' put it ovah de sill of yuh front do'. No mattah where yuh go yuh always will be comin' back tuh dat house de same as yuh footprints did.
Entry 4745
An' den yuh kin take a man's undahwear dat he wears, an' take it an' jis' ball it up in so - yuh know, jis' tight as yuh kin ball it. An' if he's runnin' aroun' an' yuh want 'im tuh stay at home - an' bury it right at de front do'steps as he come in, an' he'll git tuh de place he jis' won't leave home. An' he git so jealous dat yuh cain't go no place. He stay right wit chew all detime.
Entry 4757
(What do they say about that?)
What dey say about dat?
(Yes.)
All right, dey take - git de seat of yore drawahs, yuh undahstan' yore undah- clothes, an' cut it out an' take it tuh de graveyard an' bury it.
(What will that do?)
Dat'll make yuh couldn't stay dere.
(Couldn't stay where?)
In dat house.
(That will make you move from the house?)
Yes sir, dat's tuh make yuh move from de house.
Entry 4762
If yuh leave home an' she got yore undahclothes, de sweat of yore clothes - co'se she got it. When it's clean, she cain't do nuthin wit it. But if she got de sweat off yore clothes, yore undahsuit, she put it between de two mattress. She spread de suit out an' she lay on it - sleeps on it evah night, yuh see. An' yore sock, yore left-foot sock go dis way an' heel go dis way. An' yuh'll come back home.
(Well, how do you mean your "left-foot sock goes off this way?")
Yuh see, yuh put - yuh turn - yuh put a sock dis way an' de othah one dis way. Yuh see.
(You put one sock this way and?)
An' de othah one dataway, yeah. An' yore undahsuit spreads out jis' lak yuh were layin' in de baid. She sleep on dat.
(Where do you put the socks?)
The sock?
(Where does she put those socks?)
She puts 'em right up, lay 'em right at de bottom of yore foot.
(Oh, she puts them right at the bottom of your feet.)
Of the undahsuit, yes. An' dat'll bring - dat'll bring yuh back home. Yuh'll always be stayin' by home. (She puts one sock this way at the foot of the underwear, and the other one right here?) Dat's right.
(And puts them together like that.)
Entry 4763
Ah've heard a woman say dey, she would jis' give him aplenty tuh eat an' take his clothes, keep his clothes, an' put 'em undahneat' de bed by 'er where she could lay on 'em, or somepin like dat. Keep 'em warm an' he would come back home. (What clothes would she take?) Such a' undahweah, socks.
Entry 4764
If she got 'is bottom piece of 'is pants an' lay 'em in yore bed jis' same as a man layin' down 'sleep. An' say he shore will come back. An' take his undahweah an' put it between de mattress, or lay on 'em evah night 'tween de sheet an' de mattress, an' dey say he shore will come back.
Entry 4765
Anothah thing she do. Take his clothes, eithah his undah piece an' put in de baid iis' lak he got 'en on, undahneat' de mattress, an' call dey name nine times. Wherevah dey may be, dey git troubled an' dey gotta come back home.
Entry 4780
She git 'is undahweah, tie nine knots in it, an' put it undah 'er pil- lah. She kin make him come back. [Wilmington, N. Car., (334), 273:7+85.] [This cylinder, 273:7, appears with informant No.268 on p.215 of HooDoO, beginning, "One time I was cunjured, I was about sixteen years old." Knots do not appear. This is the first conflict of cylinder numbers I have found in HOODOO.]
Entry 4845
Take in right where yuh wear yore undahwear, yuh see - yore shorts. Yuh know sometime it gits sweaty in de seat when yuh wear it. All right, yuh cut a plug outa dat, a roun' plug, an' put dat in de hollah [hollow] part of 'er shoes an' [or] she wear it inside of 'er stockin'.
(What shoe does she put it in?)
Her left one, wear it dere fo' 'bout twelve days.
(That's to make the man love her?)
Dat's right. He'll shore love her.
Entry 4849
Take a man undahwear befo' he wash it. Yuh done cut a piece out of it - de back part of it.
(Where do you cut that piece out?)
Cut de piece right outen de back part.
(You mean the seat of it?)
Dat's right, an' tote it along wit chew, an' yuh kin keep a man down anywhere yuh go.
Entry 7073
De dirty things. Well, yo' kin take yore undahweah, whut chew weah close to yo' - sompin lak dat. Dey say, yore slip, or yore step-ins. An' when he be asleep jis' lay it 'cross 'is face, an' he sleep till yo' come back.
Entry 7407
Yo' turn yer lef' sock on de wrong side an' yer undahweah an' go along an' dey'll [the law] nevah bothah yuh.
Entry 9101
[Here we have a remarkable rite, a rare glimpse at how a hoodoo doctor prepares his client or patient for a possible death sentence. Equally interest- ing, the greatest small book in the World, The Gospel of John, is unable to coml pete with a book of magic! The statement firs', secon', an' third chaptah of Psalms confuses because the word chapter here cannot mean com- plete Psalms,1,2, and 3 not applying to the present situ- ation. Chapters also means verses. I suggest, as in several other cases, inform- ant has Psalm 23 in mind here, especially verses 1,4, and 6.] In case if a fellah wuz seized fo' murdah, sompin lak dat, an' yo' wanted tuh git 'im off lightly. Not say 'zactly bring 'im out altuhgethah, but yo' see, yo' read de firs', secon' an' third chap- tah of Psalms, Let thy heart not be troubled [not from Psalms but from Gospel of John, 14:1, Let not your heart be troubled, King James Version.] But write it off. Yo' write de Psalms off an' weahs 'em in yore shoe, one in each shoe. An' yo' takes de second chaptah of Psalms an' git dat down by yeah [learn it by "ear," by memory]. An' evah night an' evah mawnin' dat yo' lays down an' git up, repeats dat in yore mind. When yo' git ready tuh go tuh de co'thouse, yo' change yore undahsuit, change it on de Wronghan' side, back up nine step backwards an' say de firs' miracle: Christ, Jesus, turnt watah tuh wine. Speak dat in yore mind. Say: Lord, yo' go tuh prepare de way fo' me but yo' come ag'in tuh see me in yo'self. Yo' goes downstā's intuh de co'troom. An' as de judge be tryin' yo', yo' be still 'peatin' [repeating] de secon' Psalm in yore min'. An' when de judge will call yo' in front of 'i, de powah [power], say from de Six an' Seven Books of Moses, dat powah would come an' change de judge min'. If yo' goin' git lifetime, he would change tuh manslaughtah.
[After I turned off machine, informant said something.]
(What did Christ do?)
Change watah into wine. Dat de firs' miracle he done.
Entry 11081
Woman cuts forked piece from his underwear, wears in right shoe; be can't rest until he comes to her. [Mobile 908:1.]
Entry 2186
Git a red onion. You know how a red onion is. Git a red onion and cut it four ways. You cut it like that and then cut it like that [demonstrates].
(The onion is quartered.) [See correction later.]
And then put salt each way.
(Salt in the four ways you cut it.)
Salt in the four ways you cut it.
(You cut it all the way through?)
No, don't all the way through; jis' split [girdle] it so the salt kin git in it. Then take you a string and wrap it right around it [putting the string in the girdled cuts or grooves]; then put it in yer pocket, either pocket choo want to. But befo' you do that, you git up in the mornin' and put cher underwear on wrong side outwards, put yer socks on wrong side outward - put all yer under- clothes on wrong side outward. Then take that onion and fill it [the cuts] full of salt and put it in yer pocket. Have you ever heard people say, "How come you do so-and-so-and-so?" [The questioned person answers] "I knows mah onions." Have you ever heard that said?)
(Yes.)
Well, that's what it is. Then you put some salt in your shoes, git choo some ole Hearts Cologne, then git choo ole John de Conker an' jis' put it on; put some Hearts Cologne on that ole John de Conker, and take that ole Hearts Cologne and put it all over yah. Any man'll give you a job.
Entry 2930
Well, say for n'instance if you are in trouble - anything of that sort.
(Anything.)
If you in trouble, you take a red candle - for n'instance, you take a red candle and you get the judge's name. You get the judge's name and you write his name like I 'fore told you, but it's a diff'rent candle - you write on the red candle. You burn that candle. (You write the name down?) Yes, sir. Down. Now, say for n'instance that you goin' to go to trial - today's the day which is the 13th. All right, you goin' to go to trial, say the 20th. Well, you might get you a subpoena to go to trial - maybe today and get that sub- poena. You got the judge's name. Well, you start from today. You get you a red candle and you burn that candle daily. See, you write that judge's name down on that candle. Now, as you writing his name down on that candle and you burnin' his name, you take and you write the judge's name down nine times on one piece of paper, and you keep that in your right shoe. You wear your underwears on the wrong side until the day of trial. And on the day of trial you still got your paper in the shoe. If that paper should happen to wear out, which some people sweats in the feet aplenty - that wears out, well, then, you write that name over nine times and put it in the right shoe again and keep your underwears on the wrong side. When you leave on the morning of court to go to trial, you turn your bed upside down. You leave the whole house in fact in - you know, the whole house upset. See. And you go ahead on to trial. When you go to trial, it won't be nothing to that. That'll be over with - without lawyer, no money or nothing.
Entry 4568
Take dat an' fix it such a way dat no other woman can't have anything to do wit yuh but her.
(That little bow in the hat?)
Dat little bow in de back of yore hat. Dis is it right heah [demonstrates].
(What will she do with that?)
Well, ah tell yuh whut she do. She'll take it an' weah it down in 'er undah- clothes.
(That will keep you.)
Entry 11260
They kin get your socks and they get your toenails and any kind of little dirt from under your fingernails or toenails. When they get that, if they be around your house, they kin get your clothes. And they take a little piece of your underwear and cut a little piece where you sweats. Well, they take all of that and put it in a bottle. They goes to work and they gets vinegar, and then they go to work and takes your nature [surely means urine here] you know, if they can get your nature; but if they can't get your nature, they'll go to work and get someone to get it for 'em. They will put all that in a bottle and take it and stop it up. So when they stop it up, they'll put pins and needles and all in there. And when they stop it up, you see, well they uses psychology on you.
(I see.)
They'll go to work, some people, and get someone to go round to see you. See. That's the people is on [know what's going on] you know. And then when he [helper] goes to work and gets that stuff, then he'll go to work and start boostin' this fellow [professional hoodoo man]. You know, when they standing around, he say, "I know a man will do so-and-so and so-and-so." See. Well, dey done got you den. Well, if you are weak-minded, you believe that. See. Then they go to work then and you get all upset. You know, by being weak-minded they kin do so-and-so. Then they turn right around up on top of dat and say, "Well, I charge $25 or $30." Well, you know they are right, but someone went around and talked to you. I know a man that will do it. See, a strange man in town. Then, if you is weak-minded, you believe, you'll have confidence in 'em. Well, that's the people.
Entry 5925
Yo' kin take a stran' of 'er hair - whut chew might say two or three stran's an' wear it in yore handban'. Or yo' kin take whut chew might say, a tassel off 'er undahweah yo' know, an' wear it in de top of yore hat, an' yo'll nevah git rid of 'em.
Entry 1394
I have heard the old people say that you can take a lock of your hair, and a piece of your underwear, and nine nails - five up and four down, and bury it right down at the sill of your door and lean it out from the house. You lean the package out very carefully - you bury it just out of sight. Take your left foot and drag the dirt over it and cover it. If anybody walks over it, that keeps them from trespassing. You won't have any trouble with them any more.
Entry 1810
Well, it's to keep yore husban' at home an' tuh keep him from goin' wit de othah woman, an' tuh keep him from havin' connection wit de othah woman - is tuh go in de woods an' git a cross vine [see No. 765, p.255]. Dat de vine grows up a tree called de cross vine. Yo' take dis cross vine an' yo' carries it home an' yo' take his clothes an' yo' wash 'em, an' his underwear 'specially, an' boil dis underwear wit dis cross vine, an' when he goes to de othah woman he cain't have any connection with her, 'cause dat cross vine keeps him cross from her.
(It crosses them up?)
Crosses dem up.
(Does this cross vine grow around here? What does it look like?)
Yes, lotta 'em call it de cow eats vine. Uh-huh, it grows up a tree an' jes' crosses all up a tree. No othah vine grows up de tree lak dis one.
(Does it have flowers or anything on it?)
Has a yellah bloom on it. Then yo' take this vine an' yo' put it in de stove an' yo' git it real brown an' beats it up into a powder. Yo' take this powders an' put it in his shoes - see, dis powder be [like] dust aroun' an' he cain't see it. An' let him wear dat in his shoe an' he cain't cross wit dis woman. An' fin'lly she will quit him an he'll quit her, because her man will wanta go with her an' dey's in deep love an' dey have connection some way. (You do both these things together, wash his underclothing with this cross vine an' also make a powder of it?) Yes, makes a powders of dis cross vine.
Entry 2847
If you got a wife and your wife has done left you - you understand what I mean - and you want her to come back to you, you see. You take three white candles, take that woman name and put there - put on that [name the] candle. And if you can, get her underwears or slip, anything like that, slip or drawers and put 'em. Put that, spread that out there, you understand. Take your undershirt and turn it wrong-side out and put it on there, and light them three candles. And in nine days - just keep them candles burning there nine days and nine nights, and I guarantee that woman'll come back to you. (You put the name on just one of those candles or do you put on all three of them?) Put all three of 'em - put it underneath all three of them. Put 'em all three together - that where it supposed to be, underneath all of 'em. [A name is under each candle; the spread-out clothing is beneath the metal container holding the candles.]
Entry 2887
When you go before the judge - just before you go before the judge, burn you a white candle. You try to find out the judge's name. Write his name down on the candle nine times, and burn that candle clean down until it's all gone. Then you say your prayers over that candle, "Hail Mary, Hail Mary, Mother of Jesus." Say it nine times. Then you turn your underwear and your undershirt and your socks - turn them wrongside out - and then you go before him. He'll decide - his mind will be changed.
Entry 3283
Take 'is undahweah if he's runnin' roun' or anythin'. Take it an' run it through yore laigs three times an' den he can't have no connection wit no othah woman an' he'll stop runnin' roun'. (You run it through your legs?) Yeah, run it through yore laigs three times.
Entry 3482
She kin have him follahin' 'er. Take de seat of 'is underwear an' take an' cut 'er a di'mond out of dat - jes' cut a little place in de seat dat's in de shape of a di'mond. She'll have a connection wit 'i an' git some of 'is discharge an' roll it real tight in dat di'mond dat she cut. Take a little piece of 'is hair an' bind it aroun' dere, take a new thread an' bind it - jes' wrap it aroun' dere an' place it in 'er shoe. She tear de linin' in 'er shoe to git in dere. An' he'll stick aroun' 'er lak baby sticks aroun' 'is mothah when he wants a tit. He won't leave 'er. Sometime I believe my ole lady got me dat way. Yes siree, he ain't goin' aftah nobody an' she can't drive him away.
Entry 3624
Yo' have tuh take his nature fo' it, yo' understan', dat he wouldn't want othah wimmins. Yo' have tuh take his nature fo' it. Well, now to take his nature yo' would have tuh - where his privates lay on 'is clothes. Undahstan', his drawahs. Well, yo' scrape dat lint from dose drawahs - scrape de lint from dose drawahs, see. An' den yo' take dat lint an' sew it up intuh a nice white piece, see. An' den yo' got 'is nature, see. An' den yo' jis' take dat evah nine days an' dip it in urinate. Jis' dip it in yore urinate, yore own urinate. An' as yo' takin' dat yo' take de measure of 'im. See, yo' take de measure of 'is privates where dey lay at, an' dat's whut yo' scrape out - dat lint right in de seat of dat.
(What do you do with that string?)
Well, now, yo' know whut chew do wit dat string, if yo' take a notion tuh measure wit dat string [instead of measuring the drawers place] - co'se yo' kin measure wit chure fingahs. But yo' put nine knots in dat string. Yo' put nine knots in it an' yo' sew it up intuh dis white piece wit de lint. De lint is in dere. An' den yo' dip it intuh dis watah, intuh yore urinate an' yo' got 'im:
(Where do you keep that then?)
Wear it right round yore wais' an' let it hang right down straight 'tween yore laigs. Dat's whare yo' keep it at.
Entry 4305
She kin take dose, take his socks or undahweah an' some of 'er urinate an' bur' it. Dat will bring 'em back. Or eithah de hatban' or any of 'is close weahin' dat touch 'is skin.
Entry 4806
Take yore underweah an' yuh kin - yuh know, lak if it's dirty, jis' roll dat tuh yuh. Yuh know, roll it tuh yuh three times an' make yuh wishes tuh keep 'im wit yuh. Dey say dat will keep 'im wit yuh. (Whose underwear do you roll?) Roll de man undahweah.
Entry 4827
Dis is yore room [the rented room in which I was interviewingl: Well, if ah wus tuh pick up one of yore, YORE HAT [MY BLACK HAT ON INTERVIEWING TABLE], or a pair of yore socks or sompin, an' walk out wit it. Well all ah got'a do - now dis heah is true, yuh know. All yuh got'a do, yuh pull off yore undahweahs - yuh got'a use dem. Yuh ball dem things up. Well, jis' befo yuh go tuh bed yuh make yore watah on dese, on dat undahsuit. Yuh ball it tight, wrap it nine times. An' as yuh wrap it nine times, dat person dat chew have a idea dat stole dose goods, yuh call dere name, see. An' when yuh call dere name, yuh take an' lay dis in a cornah, [and] wit yore laigs [demonstrates].
(You lay it in a corner and stamp your feet on it.)
An' as yuh stomp - dat's all de stuff yuh got'a do. An' evah who did it, dey'll come an' bring it back - come an' tell yuh 'bout it.
(They will bring back whatever they took from me.)
Yes sir, evahwhere dey wus, down tuh - anything, dey comin' tuh tell yuh. Now, dere wus a man workin' wit mah husban' de othah day, an' he stole three paint brushes from Mr. Beasley, a man dat run a paint shop. Well, he carried it back, but he don't know how he carried it back. But he carried it back.
(You did this to him?)
[Informant I describe in note as small-time worker.]
He carried it back.
Entry 4829
Take a woman undahweah, if her an' her ole man been fussin' an' been havin' confusion an' she don't want 'i. She kin take some of 'is undahweah whut he weahs nex'tuh 'is HYATT skin, SHE BRING ' EM TUH YUH. [Informant thinks author a doctor trying to learn new tricks.] Yuh kin take 'em. Well, yuh take dat undahweah an' yuh burn it intuh ashes. When yuh burn it intuh ashes yuh git some Solly's Corn Whiskey.
(Sally's - Solly's [Solomon's!] Corn Whiskey?)
Yes. An' yuh take - if yuh kin git any of de herb roots, John de Conkah or any dem kinda roots, an' jis' cut it up fine an' mix it in dere. Carry it right back an' put it down anywhere. Jis' sprinkle it right on de front porch or any part of de house yuh got'a walk ovah.
(What will that do then?)
When yuh git 'is undahweah yuh take it an' burn it [I interrupt].
(What will that do after you sprinkle the stuff?)
He cain't stay dere.
(She's driving him away?)
Drivin' 'im away.
Entry 4830
De story about de woman?
(About the man, to make him come home.)
Yuh could git 'is underweah. Well, take 'em in de fron' an' wash, yuh know, in jis' a li'le watah, an' put it in a bottle. If yuh kin git some of 'is hayah [hair], put it in dere wit it an' stop it up wit some Heart Cologne. (With it, what will that do then?) Bring 'im back.
Entry 4831
Well, de reason ah know dat, mah wife lef' me one time, at Lunavista [see later] Ga., an' she came down South [to Florida] wit a man. An' a fellah tole me, says - a ole man come along an' he says, "Look lak yuh's a bachelah." [He] stopped dere [at my place] an' got some watah, yuh know, [and] says, "Look lak yuh a bachelah." Ah says, "Well, ah is now, but ah had a wife. She run off wit anothah man a few days ago." He says, "Well, ah'll tell yuh how tuh make her come back." Ah says, "Well, ah'd lak tuh know it." Say, "Ah'd give yuh five or ten dollahs tuh know how tuh bring 'er back." He sayed, "Well, yuh go tuh work - did she lef' any of 'er undahpiece anywheres atall?" Ah tole 'im, "Yes." Ah says, "Got some bloomahs an' some princess an' one thin' anothah heah." He says, "Well, her bloomahs de main thin'." He says, "Yuh go tuh work an git chew holt of some alcohol an' wet [feed] it, dat bloomah, '' he says, "an' put it on nex' tuh yore skin an' wear it one day, " he said, "an' pull it off an' put it to de haid of yore baid, tuh yore haid where yuh sleep yoreself. She'll be back home in 48 hours." An' ah be doggone if she didn't come back. Dat experience wit me. Now ah tried dat mahself.
(Where did this happen in Georgia?)
At Lunavista[?] Ga., 42 miles from Savannah. [I tried Buenavista without success. Unless the village post office of Buena- vista has disappeared, I would say that informant means Ludowici (loo-do-wis-i), county seat of Long County, about 42 miles south of Savannah. If we remember that many lowlanders pronounce the letter "w" as 'v and the final "i" as "a"' (as with Cincinnati), we have something like ludavisa with possibilities. The great- est possibiZity in my experience happened in 1924, when our household cook[white] in Oxford, England, came in to tell my wife the phonogram had not been delivered. Tactfully my wife said, "Show me, " and started for the kitchen. She was shown the familiar earthenwear crock bearing the label pate de foie gras.]
(Well, now how did you wear those bloomers?)
Jis' put it on jis' lak she put it on; yo' know, right nex' tuh yore skin. Yes sir, jis' lak yo' put on yore pair of slips - shorts.
(Oh, you put them on just like she wore them?)
Yes sir, one day. Den wet it in alcohol an' roll it up an' put it underneat' yore haid of de baid an' yo' jis' [where you] sleep. She come back in 48 hours - right back home.
(That did the work?)
Yes sir. [A similar story to this one, though not an example of transvestism, will be found in FACI (1st ed., 9416, p.506, 2nd ed., where?).] Here the deserted man does not wear the bloomers of his departed wife. Instead, he washes them out, writes a wish for her return, folds the wish up and puts it in the bloomers, and hangs them up to dry.]
Entry 4833
(What about the socks now?)
De socks, de stockin's or piece of yore garments. Now, ah've seen dis real. Split de green pine with a chisel an' a glut, a chisel an' a glut. Dat is, de glut is a piece of wood wide enough dat chew could lay it straight up an' down lak dat. [A glut is a wedgeshaped piece of wood or steel.] Nail dat together [after you put a piece of clothes in the split and remove chisel].
(What do you put in that?)
[What do you put in that split before nailing it together?]
Now, ah don't know whut he put in it, but he put dat in de tree. We got [found] de tree.
(Put what in the tree?)
De sock, an' de woman's stockin's - jis' whosomevah dey workin' ag'in, an' a piece of dere undah garment close tuh yore skin. Yuh know, de arm-holes or de seat of dey drawahs, if it's a man; if it's woman, de seat of hers. Nail dat intuh de tree wit a ten-penny nail an' let it [split] grow up [together]. Dat runs yuh crazy an' make yuh sick.
Entry 4839
Take a scissors an' cut a piece of a man's undahshirt, undah heah, undah 'is arm, eithah arm, an' cut a small piece out of de crutch [crotch] of 'is drawahs an' pin dat tuhgethah an' lay it undah de haid of yer mattress. An' if he's a man dat run out an' don' lak tuh stay at home wit 'is wife, he'll begin tuh start tuh stayin' home evah night an she cain't make him go lessen [unless] she go wit 'i. [New Orleans, La., (1566) 2870.
Entry 4840
Take a piece of yore garment dat yuh wear nex' tuh de skin. All right, take a piece of yore undahshirt, place it wit dat piece of garment dat chew have. Yuh undahstan', fasten it [them] tuhgethah, so dat it will stay tuh- gethah - jis' stay tuhgethah. See, yuh an' 'er is man an' wife. Yuh all is supposed tuh stay tuhgethah. See, den keep dat secret. Don't let 'er know yuh got it, yuh undahstan'. Yuh see, don't let 'er know yuh got it, see. An' dat, yuh undahstan', will cuz 'er attention tuh turn tuh yuh.
Entry 4847
Or dey kin take de seat out dere undahwear an' wear it aroun' yore waist an' let it drop down - a woman kin wear it roun' 'er waist an' let it drop down, an' he'll give yuh evah penny he kin rake an' scrape up - an' she use Hearts Cologne wit it.
(What do you mean by drop down?)
Let it drop down roun' de navel - jis' wear it slack, be down roun' de navel. Dey'll give 'em ever' penny.
Entry 4862
Yuh kin take dere shoes. Yuh kin git de inside sole [the insole], a piece of de inside sole of dere shoes, yuh undahstan'. Or git a piece outa dere shirt, yo' know, outa de back of it, or out de side of it or de undah- weah. Jis' cut a piece, yuh know, right out anywhere out dere unions [union suit], anything, an' wrop it up, yo' undahstan', an' put it in salt an' watah. Let it sits dere in salt an' watah an' let it stay in dere two days. Take it out an' put it in runnin' watah.
(That will run them away?)
Yes sir.
Entry 4868
Well, if she wanta git 'im back, yuh see. Anyway, she gits some of 'is - gits 'is shoe sole or some of 'is undahweah, pants he weah nex' tuh 'is skin. An' git dat. Why den, she take an' jis' make a little, little ball, put a little piece enough tuh stick in a bottle. Jis' a little ball about dat much [demonstrates], jis' a little piece yuh undahstan'. Now, take yuh some thread, black silk thread, fine, an' turn de thread pieces all de time tuh yuh [demonstrates]. Yuh see, wrap aroun' de thread, dat thread tuh yuh - all de time so it is coming yore way. Go tuh a stream of watah an' let de watah be comin' yore way. See, yuh meet dis - see, yuh meet dere. Lak yuh comin' disaway [demonstrates] an' de stream come from disaway tuh meet [you], an' yuh throw de bottle an' it will come back tuh yuh. [If you throw the bottle upstream, it wil] come floating downstream to meet you.]
Entry 4870
If a man got a woman or a wife, or if a woman got a man or husban' an' he leave any of 'is clothes, his undahweah in de house, she kin cut one spot out de undahweahs, or dose clothes where de odor from dat man go. He kin [do the same thing to] bring 'er back. Take it an' work on it, bury it in de yard.
Entry 4876
Yuh take de socks when dey are soiled. Yuh git a person's soiled socks from dere feet when dey are real dirty. Yuh know how dey git when dey are dirty. Yuh git de sock an' yuh git de seats of dere undahweah, knitted undahweah. Or should dey wear any kind of one- piece undahweah, yuh git de seats of dis undahweah an'( dese socks. An' yuh roll 'em up tuhgethah wit de inside soles of de shoes, an' yuh bury dat undah yore steps or eithah put it in some secret place where dis person won't disturb it. Some people put it in de cornah of a mattress. But it's somepin dat chew know yuh are goin' tuh keep becuz, in moving, if yuh don' take dat up, yuh see, dat breaks a person up.
(Now, you take botn the socks.)
Both de socks. Yuh cut de sock off de foot. Den also de seats of de undah- weah. Co'se if dey have long sleeves yuh git de undaharms too. But yuh mus' nevah wash it. Yuh supposed tuh keep de perspiration in it.
relocating while preserving concealed soiled-clothing materials. Keep breaks a person up unresolved; do not invent death, relationship breakup or another precise result. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 5500
She can take and get a piece of dirt from his left-foot track, and a lock of his hair, and a piece of his underwear, and nine nails, and seven grains of red pepper, and put all of that in one pack- age, wrap very careful, and take it and put it down at the sill of the door, out the door like that, and lean the package back, and he will come back home. [Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 5831
[Similar to the margin title BURIED HAIR, only a few examples of burn- ing hair will be given here. Many other rites are scattered through the text.] Dey take mah hair an' put it wit some sulphur an' brimstone, an' dey put it in some of yore watah an' de sand - some of dat sand out de hollah of yore track, or eithah dey take a piece outa yore sock at de hollah of yore feet [if unable to obtain the foot track]. An' put it together an' if dey want chew tuh go, why dey throw it in a runnin' stream wrapped up, an' as long as hit run, why jes' de furthah yo' will go. An' when- evah it stop, yo' will stop until it start rainin' ag'in - till de stream start washin' it, see. An' if dey wanted yo' tuh stay or wanted yo' tuh kill yo'self, why dey'd take it an' put it in - bo' a hole in a tree an' put it in dere an' put a piece back in dere ovah it tuh hold - keep de air from it. Or, eithah dey would take an' burn it. An' if dey burn it, why whenevah - at a certain time de spell, dat spell would come on yo', a real full spell - kinda out of yore senses, an' yo' stick yore head in de fiah or maybe yo' jump ovah- bo'd an' kill yo'self or sompin. Well, dere wuz a boy ah know, hit wuz a girl he wuz goin' wit, an' he wuz leavin' for de CCC [Civilian Conservation Corps, of the U. S. A.] Camp. An' she'd taken 'is picture an' she put it in a - his picture an' some sulphur an' some brimstone an' some of de hair out 'is haid an' de bow outa his hat, an' dey [wo- men] put dis togethah an' burn it. An' aftah dey burn it, dey taken it out de fiah - jes' burn it, put it in a separate place an' burn it in a little box - an' den dey taken it an' wrapped it up good an' real tight an' wore it in dey clothes, in dere undahclothes. Well, as long as she wore it in 'er undah- clothes why he stayed dere. He couldn't stay 'way from 'er house. An' when she taken off 'er cloth [holding the ashes] an' put it - she'd throw it in de fiah, an' he'd taken an' stuck 'is haid in de fiah. It taken six people tuh hol' 'im out de fiah. An' den he got away an' got in de fiah an' caught afiah. An' whenevah dey could git 'im out, he'd ketch hold of de bed, jes' lak dat [may have demonstrated], dey said. An' he'd ketch de foot of it an' draw it togethah, jes' bend it [the 2 legs of the bed together]. An' he kept on lak dat till he died.
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 7381
Well, suppose you kill me, tisn't but one thing. But do dis now. If you kill me right now - why do you kill any person, woman or man - go to yore house an' get one shirt, or one undahshirt, or one drawers, or a pants, or a sock, anything dat chew wear [wear]. Put it undahneat' dat woman or dat man's head, an' yo' can't go anywhere. Yo'll come back. It'll be far, but yo'll come back in town.
(That's the way they catch you, if you kill somebody.)
Yes, sir, if yo' kill somebody - if yo' jes' shoot 'em, why dey can't get yo' anyway. If yo' kill somebody, yo' can't go. Yo'll go but yo' won't sleep, an' don't care where yo' sleep, yo' goin' to git so tired dat yo' come an' give yore- self up to de law. [The dead man's spirit will not let the murderer sleep. It pesters the killer until he returns and gives himself up to the law.]
Entry 7395
If a man murdah somebody an' git away from home, if yo' could git a piece of 'is garment an' twist - jis' lak yo'd git yore shirt, jis' git 'is shirt an' put sixteen knots in de tail of 'is shirt, an' dey say he couldn't stay 'way, no way tuh escape. He'd have tuh come back an' surrendah himself tuh de officahs.
(You get the shirt of the fellow who did the killing?)
Yessuh, jes' lak ah'd kill someone, yo'd git a garment dat ah been wearin' - jis' lak in a shirt or any of mah undahweah.
(That would bring you back.)
Entry 7954
I've heard them say that they can take coffin nails and then take an individual's, some parts of his clothes, and go way out in the forest somewhere where the sun shines on a tree and nail that, use those nails in driving, and maybe some un- derwear or coat or something or a part of a coat, on that tree and fix it so it can't fall off. And as long as it stays there, on every change of the moon the individual will weaken down, and then finally he gits so he can't have any activity of his limbs atall.
Entry 7960
An' dey make a li'le coffin dataway, git a piece of de woman's stock- ings. Dey git a piece of de woman's undahweah, if it's possible. Dey will take nine needles. Dey will take nine pins. Dey will put red peppah an' dey will put Epsom salts. Dey put oil of verbena an' bury dat undah de party's step. See. An' dey will nevah put de end tuhgethah, dey an' dey husband...
(They do what?)
Nevah git de end tuhgethah, nevah make de ends meet. Don't care if dey both be workin', dey always will be somepin: lak if dey have shoes, dey hayen't got any hat; if dey got a hat, dey haven't got any skirt; if dey got a skirt, dey owe de landlord. Dey'll nevah will be successful.
Entry 8955
Lak if yo' got a co't case an' in de mawnin' when dat individual [you] git up, leave de house be upsetted, leave de chamber lye stay in de house an' de clothes whut dey have on. First dey take a bath. An' yo' git honeysuckle an' bay rum an' den yo' make yo' a bath wit dat. An' yo' take dat bath when yo' fixin' tuh go tuh meet de co't. An' yo' put on clean clothes. An' de ole clothes whut chew put off, yo' nail a nail up at de do' whut chew goin' out, an' yo' turn yore underwears wrongside out an' yo' hang 'em up upside down. An' yo' hang yore pantses up upside down, an' yo' turn yore shoes upside down. An' as yo' go out de do', make yore wish an' don' look back. But leaves de house dere - upset de house as much as yo' kin. Yo' wins dat [case]. Ah have win.
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 9912
Dat is tuh have yuh husban' undah yore feet, treat 'im lak yo' wanta an' yo' kin do as yo' please. Catch dat frog or yo' kin kill 'im alive an' take dat bone out. (What kind of bone?) De laig bone. Yo' takes one of dat left laig. Yo' skin 'in an' yo' take dat backbone an' dey gen'ly [generally] keeps it in watah. We got a case of dat by us right now. Keeps it in watah in a quart preserve jah. An' each in dere wash, gits dat an' wash 'er husband's clothes in it. If it's nothin but a undahshirt an' he wants a clean undahshirt, she does dat. An' dat po' fellah is jis' a footstool.
Entry 10880
Heah's anothah instan' [instance]. Yo' kin take a black cat an' cut some of de hair from right undah his tail. Well, yo' take some Hearts Cologne or eithah whiskey. Well, yo' bury it. Yo' taked dat cat hair an' yo' sew it up, put it wit dat whiskey. But chew bettah, if yo' kin git any part of her undahweah, or if it's a man, any of his clothes, yo' kin make 'em go like dat. Jes' bring it right back dere an' jes' drop it right in de yard, any place dat he kin walk ovah it. Or eithah yo' kin git some of dere dirt. Jes' watch hin an' whenevah he come out - man or woman - git some of de dirt of one of de shoe where he track ovah an' mix dat. Mix it in wit dat hair. Yo' kin make 'em move out de house like dat. (This cat hair - suppose you are driving me away - you get some of my hair and the cat's hair and put this in some of my clothes and put it out where I can walk over it. That's to drive me away?) Dat's to drive you away. [Brunswick, Ga., (1188), 2002:8.]
[Two cylinders later informant returns to black cat hair:]
Ah always heah 'em say keep dat same black cat hair, keep it round yore place an' keep it wet in vinegah - ah mean in Hearts Cologne or good whiskey - dat black hair. Keep it round yore place. Tell me dat's lucky fo' yore business.
(How do you get that black cat hair?)
Why, yo' ketch a black cat, any black cat, an' jes' cut de hair from undah his tail or his belly part. [Brunswick, Ga., (1188), 2004:11.]
Entry 11017
Now, yo' kin take a underweah, a underweah whut yo' got on yore chest like dis heah [evidently opened shirt to show underwear]. Don't ca' if it's a thick one or either a thin one - underweah. An' ah kin take dat, an' three rooster feathah - hen or rooster, any kind. Ain't gotta be but one kinda feathah, dat's de feathah come out de wing. All right yo' promise me yo' gonna [not work in Savannah!]. Dat woman ovah dere, yo' understan', suh. Yo' wanta bring her back jes' lak yo' got life in yore body an' ah got life in mah body. Well, ah kin git dat [done] jes' as easy as anything. Jes' git dem three feathah lak ah telled yo'. Understand, an' git dere undahweah, an go right out in de woods to a green pine sapling. It isn't goin' dirty yo', an' git chew a rusty nail - not no new nail - a rusty nail an' put dat undahweah jes' lak dis heah [demonstrates].
(Put that underwear up against the tree.)
Put dat undahweahs on dat pine saplin'. Yo' understan' whut ah mean? Yo' take dem three feathah an' put 'em lak dat [demonstrates], yo' understan'.
(Put the three feathers on the underwear.)
Put de underweah dere first to de tree - yo' listen whut ah'm speakin' - an' take de three feathahs an' put 'em lak dis heah Idemonstratesl. But yo' stick dat nail 'fore yo' nail dat underweah, understand, where [demonstrates] nail de undershirt up dere an' dem feathah right dere. All right, den chew go back. Don' teli none of her fren's. Dey don't [know] whut chew been doin'. In eight day's time she'll be to yo' residence.
(That's all you have to do to bring that woman back?)
(You put her underwear up there. You put the nail up there an' put [hang]
the underwear on it with the feathers?) The chicken ain't gotta be daid atall. [Pull the feathers out of a live rooster.]
Entry 13339
There's but one thing he can do - he can take his wife, take any piece of her underwear, any piece of her underwear and wrap that up. Just take it and fold it and wrap it up late at night. Before he wraps it, take her name and wrap her name - write her name - make an "x" [a cross] and write her name across that "x" [her name is crossed] and wrap it in her underwear, and wrap it good, and put it anywhere about her bed, with her name written in it. And put it anywhere about her bed Where she don't find it, until he gets back. And she ain't going to be in no sood to fool with no man. She ain't going to be in no mood to fool with no man.