Subject:Wear
Entries
Entry 858
I was goin' to school. It was two girls. Well, I cared for both of 'em but it was one I re'lly liked bettah. De lady's livin' today, the one tha' hurt me. An' she wanted me to marry dis girl because it was her niece, but de other girl I liked her bettah. An' so we were schoolmates. De girl I care more for, well she'd [she was the] one I kep' right up [with] in mah class. An' so afterward it come to pass, the lady, which dis girl was her niece, she sol' wine an' stuff. Well, I liked wine. Well, mah mothah an' her seemed to be purtty good frien's. Why? Becuz she want me to marry her [niece] I reckon, becuz mothah had a little property an' stuff like dat an' I was de only child mah mothah had, you know. So I reckon she t'ought she'd tie me up, but still I loved de othah girl. An' so after school broke up, so de words got out - she says Carrie an' I was gon'a get married. As fer as I could learn, this lady said, "Well, if you don't marry her, why you're not gon'a marry anybody else." "So I was at her house an' should of notice it but I didn't. I didn't notice it. We boys go down dere on Sunday, you know, in de country - you know Sunday's a big time in de country. I goes down there on Sunday an' we run in an' we'd have a little drinks. I nevah did pay fer mine. I didn't pay any 'tention but it seemed very funny. But aftah I got hurt, den I re'lize what had happen I nevah did have to pay fer my drinks. An' it went on fer a period about two mont's. But in de third mont' I commence to drinkin', I begin to go bad - I feel bad. An' so mah mothah called de doctor an' de doctah come an' she ast him what was de mattah with me - which was a country doctor, Dr. Williams, which is livin' today. He did the best he could. [I apologize for my comment at the beginning of No. 646, p.218 - here is the second person to say a kind word about a doctor and his medicine.] An' so it seem like de more his medicine I took de worser I got. So he says to mah mothah one day, he says, "Ida," he says, "I don't know what's de mattah with de boy. I can't do him no good an'," he says, "the best thing tha' I know fer to do, is to send him de hospital." Well, before tha' mothah sent me de hospital, came ole man name of Ole Man Stuckey - he's dead, he's a white fellah called a faith doctor. He came in an' so mothah ast 'im some instruction about mah case. So Mr. Stuckey [Mr. for a white man] looked at me an' he said, "Well, Ida," he say, "tha' boy hurt." He says, "He's hurt." An' she says, "How you mean?" He said, "Well, somebody have put a spell on him." She says, "Mr. Stuckey, what will happen to him?" He said, "Well, you'll have to see some root doctor becuz a medical doctor is no good." So he referred to ole man Frank Bethe, Dunn, North Carolina, which is not quite a hunderd mile from here. I guess it'll run between ninety an' a hunderd. "I guess we kin git dat boy [well] if you kin git dat boy dere," he said, "Ole Man Frank will see him." Dat's de root doctor. [Here is one of the few documented cases - among numerous possible ones - of a person looking about for clients to send to a root doctor, a doctor almost one- hundred miles distant. The woman in No. 10, p.7, also went to Dunn, 24 miles northeast of Fayetteville where she then lived. Does the person sending in patients receive a kickback? As I from personal experience have explained in the Introduction, it is not easy to find or meet a doctor without a go between.] So mah stepfathah had a little ole Buick automobile. He takes dat ole car an' he goes on to Dunn. So, aftah we got in front of the door, stopped de car, Ole Man Frank walks out. He's a ole man who wears his pants backwards - de front part of his pants is backward. Dat's a'showing, de sign dat he's a root doctor, indiff'rent [diff'rent] from anybody else. Not all of 'em will do dat. So it was five of us in de crowd. He walks out, "That fellah there, he's hot [has a spell on him]." That was before I had said anything to him. An' so Ole Man Frank he turnt around to mah stepfathah an' says, "Well, why don't choo buy you some tires?" Mah stepfathah says, "I got purtty good tires." He says, "Wha choo had two punctures for?" Well, we did had two. We run ovah a nail - it was in a board, it was two punctures, but the punctures were all at de same time but two holes. So mah stepfathah he didn't git [didn't understand] - he said, "I haven't had but one puncture." He says, "You have." He says, "No, I haven't stopped but one time to fix tires, I didn't stop no more." He says, "You had two holes in that tube didn't you?" Mah stepfathah says, "Yes." He says, "Well, you all kin march in an' line up." So we lined up. Now, we walked straight on in past the first and second room and stopped in the third [see the three little rooms in my interview of Informant 1532 of Memphis]. An' he had a long bench an' a nice line of chairs on the left-hand side. He says, "You wanta sit on that long bench?" We all sit on de bench. So we went on in an' we did jis' as he said. Well, he wasn't in there at present then. Well, we was in there awhile there came a light. It was a light lit up the room. It come jes' about dark when we got there. I didn't see [a] light - I didn't see no lamp or nuthin. The room lit up an' aftah the room lit up 'an [= than = then] the light went right out. The ole man aftah awhile come in. He walked on down the crowd and looked ovah them [for the culprit] - before I go any further I'll tell you what was said. This ole man had a very nice lookin' daughter. You know exactly how mens will talk about 'em, about womenfolks. When we was comin' up in the car, one of the boys said, the same boy that was drivin' the automobile, a man, he said, "I would like to, for dat girl to be mine. I'd like to be wit her." So, [we] was waiting for Ole Man Frank to appear when we first come in. Ole Man Frank come in and he says, "There's one of you fellahs" - he say, "who was it spoke slack about her?" Nobody didn't say anything. He looked directly at us an' said, "Listen," he say, "I want you to treat mah house with respect." He say, "I didn't think you comin up here for any devilment or disrespectable manner." He says, "I thought youse comin' up here to bring this patient." He say, "Wha' choo wanna come here an'" he said, "you said when you saw mah daughter aroun' the edge of the field there tha' choo wanted to be with 'er." Well, God knows he said so. Well, I said [to myself], "This ole man here knows somepin." [My informant's reaction, contained in the preceding underlined words, is just what Frank wanted - the mysterious light and two punctures also preparing for it. This reminds me of a man interviewed in Petersburg, Virginia; former owner of a traveling medicine-show - himself, a traveling-bag, and great experience. As a part of the tune-up for the sales-pitch, he would call out to an old man in the audience; first having secretly learned his name and local reputation. Pointing at the man, "You, out there, old Uncle Ben Smith! [[Dramatic pause.]] Everybody for miles knows you - knows you're a honest man. But, you don't look too healthy to me. Don't be frightened! I'm going to tell you what's the matter with you. Better, I'm going to give, present you with a free bottle of my medicine, which will cure you before morning. First, however, I'm going to ask you a question. These people know you will give me a truthful answer. Listen carefully. Every night, don't you have to get up and go outside to the bathroom?" The old man shouted, "Amen! AmenI That's the truth! This man knows somepin!"] An' so I sat down there awhile. He'd stopped you from sayin' anything. He said, "You go here and sit in that chair." I sit on the chair. I was sittin' [in] chair I reckon 'bout five minutes. He say, "Kin you read?" I says, "Yes." He handed me a book. He says, "Why don' choo read?" I started to readin'. I didn't know thing - I was asleep: He put ever'body in the room asleep: [If a buzzard can row Doctor Buzzard's boat - see margin-title Doctor Buzzard - don't be too skeptical.] Well, I woke up before anybody - he woke me up first. Ever'body sittin' over there asleep - snorin'. Then he ast me mah trouble. [He did nothing of the sort as we will see.] He says, "I knowed it was a black woman that's put a spell on yah," and he say, "it's two girls you was goin' with, one of them's daughter [niece] an' she jes' put a spell on you." He says, "I know exactly what's the matter with you. [Doctor Frank is merely repeating the information he had received in a letter from the white-man faith-doctor, Ole Man Stuckey. The latter could have sent the letter sometime before he called on the prospective patient - he says, "Ole Man Frank will see him.] He says, "I'm not goin' wake a one up in the house now until I fix you." He says, "You got any money?" I says, "Well, yes, I got a little bit." He says, "I don't want a dime but, '" he said, "I'm goin' fix yeh." [Frank is now preparing to advertise himself in the patient's community.] I says, "Well, Frank [I doubt that!]," I says, "I'll have to pay you, won't I?" We all knowed his name. You could see the big letters all around the wall - F-R-A-N-K B-E-T-H-E, Frank Bethe. He set down. "Well," he say, "I'm goin' fix it for you." He say, "I'll fix what I'm gon'a use." He said, "You jis' take mah money an' carry it on the back of your house, on the east end, an' put it in a piece of paper - don't bury it - a piece of newspaper an' wrap it up," he says, "I'll git it." [He means] back of mah house aftah I get back home - don't live in no Wilmington, I lived with mah mothah. I lived in Castel [North Carolina]. [What Doctor Bethe should have said, "My co-worker, white-man faith doctor, Ole Man Stuckey, will pick it up for me some night."] [A doctor picking up his fee at a distance or through the air is not rare - see No. 13, p.12 and in Index, Doctor fee.] And so I reckon I'd have spells right aroun' eight an' nine o'clock at night. It was gittin' roun' eight or nine o'clock then and I commence havin' a spell, commence gittin' dizzy an' funny an' sort of shakey, jis' like I ever was. [The Spell happens at the same time it was cast - see margin-title 11:30-5:30 Trains.] [This dizziness could explain his being put to sleep - a sudden blackout.] He come an' put his hand ovah mah forehead an' ever'thing's bright [the bright light again] an' I could look up an' talk to him till he say, "Well, I think ever'thing will be all right." And he told me to go home an' put dat money dere. He ast me how far I lived from there [Dunn]. I told him where I lived. He says, "If you live less than a hunderd miles, I kin work for you aftah I send you home. He couldn't work over a hunderd mile wid jore cast - it had to come in the percentage of a hunderd-mile list before that he could reach you case. But - he didn't want to work on you in his house. And so I left him that night. He told me, he said, "Now, you go on home and in the mornin'," he said, "you won't have any more of these spells but," he said, "you'll be weak for ovah a week." He fixed me a bottle before I left there. And so he told me about this bottle he fixed - the bottle of medicine. He told me, he says, "Now, I want you take this at nine o'clock in the morning [reverse magic - opposite to nine o'clock at night]. I wants you to take on Eastern Standard Time [just to be different or mystifying or to allow for extra hour "eight or nine"]. I said, "Well, listen, I don't know if my clock is Eastern Standard Time or not." He say, "Well, I want choo to take the medicine by one o'clock." He say, "You take it nine o'clock by your clock, take it one the next, and three the next [odd hours] and then you'll git all right." And then he said, "I'll wan' choo to come back to see me aftah you put this money in the paper. So aftah I put the money in the paper like he tole me and commence takin' the medicine, I was goin' strong, feelin' good - I didn't have any more shaking spells. So I return back and I saw him and he told me, he say, "Lewis"-he called my name, I nevah told 'im mah name. He say, "Lewis," he say, "you're coming along all right now, aren't chah?" I told 'im, "Yes sir." Do you think you kin get your money?" I says, "Yes sir, I got it." [Several preceding pieces of bad recording, very short ones, confuse the flow of events here. I am copying the text from my original pencil transcription made soon after the cylinder was recorded; an original I will now attach to this final manuscript ready for publication. The money hidden in the newspaper was not the complete fee; it was two things - (1) more atmosphere, this for local advertising about a doctor who could pick up his fee at a distance, and (2) the kickback to Old Man Stuckey who picked it up. The real fee, no price set, to be paid later.] He say, "Well now, you owe me fifteen dollars. You got it?" I told him, 'Yes sir, I got it." I thought he was goin' to charge me about hunderd dollars. I'd been borr'in' money from ever'body in de neighborhood - the man I was workin' fer I done borr'ed fifty dollars from him, and the ole lady [mother] had to mortgage de place. [This borrowing is like the expression I had ever' doctor in town. So he said, "Well, all right, give me fifteen dollars." So I paid him. I say, "Weli, Doc," I say, "look here." I say, "That medicine done me so much good," I said, "what did you put in it?" He says, "Now, if you want me to learn you what to put in this medicine," he said, "I'll have to tell you but," he said, "it'll cost you five more dollars to learn about it." I says, "I'd rather pay you five dollars," says I, "cause I like to have some more of this medicine - you see, this bottle's gone." He says, "Now, if you'll stay up here this afternoon" - he says, "I'm busy." He say, "I like the folks [patients] to be here this part of the day [all healing is done with the rising sun] but, '' says, "if you'll stay up here dis afternoon, he says, "I'll show you the ingredients that I put in the bottle." So I decided. I told 'im yes I'd stay. And so that afternoon, after he got done with his business, him and I went on out in the woods. And so he got a root that's called Eve and Adam. He showed that 'erb which I knowed today - which I could go git a piece now in less than thirty minutes. He showed me the qroundhoa, the sow and the boar, that's a 'erb that grows - not de groundhog that we talk about, I mean dat fix up de weather - female and male. And de nex' 'erb he showed me was de high John de Conker; the nex', low John de Conker. He told me to take those things an' boil 'em for four hours, add one gallon of water to it and boil it till it come down to one quart [magic of diminishing amount]. Take it jes' 'fore sunrise and go out to de east corner of de buildin', sit de bottle down jes' before sunrise, take nine steps backwards, go back an' pick de bottle up, an' ever'thing will be O.K. until the sundown. Jes' a few minutes before the sun leaves the edges of the trees, take it and carry it away - walk nine steps backwards [pick up the bottle], walk direct west nine steps, turn back and your medicine is finish.
(Did he say how this woman had tricked you?)
Yes, sir. He told me she tricked me in drinkin'.
(He didn't tell you what she had put in it?)
Yes, he did, but I've nevah been able to do nuthin to her. But I'll nevah forgit de name he called it. He told me this woman had [gone] down side de back and got a weed that was called mint calZow[?]. That's what he told me. And he said she'd boiled the weed, that mint calZow, into a quart of water down to a pint [magic of diminishing amount] and he said she poured it into one quart of wine. And he said ever'time that I'd go there she'd give me to drink out of dat, and de rest de fellahs out of what she was sellin'. [I have a feeling that Doctor Frank was pleased to be rid of this patient. Once a woman on leaving me threw a fit out in the hall; again, two doctors out- side got into a fight - see Introduction. You don't want too much of this sort of thing. The preceding medicine-show man - my failure to take down the account of his work was one of my great failures - see Introduction.]
Entry 3113
Den ah've heard of ladyfolks, yo' know - pardon [for what informant is about to tell me], ah've heard of ladyfolkses goin' ahead takin' a intahco'se, an' puttin' it onto, intuh a towel, yo' know, jes' whut dey use [for wiping themselves], an' puttin' Hearts Cologne on it an', yo' know, jes' take a piece of it [from the towel], an' wear it undah dere arms, an' dat gain de influence of love, sech as dat, yo' know.
Entry 3114
(Have you ever heard of a woman measuring a man?) [Measuring rites will come later.] Well, yes, ah've heard of it. Said dat dey would take string yo' know, an' measure dere privates, an' keep 'em from havin' a intahco'se wit a woman. (What do they do with that string then, after they do that?) Aftah dey do dat, well dey would tote it aroun' up undah dere lef' arm.
Entry 3115
Ah heard yuh could take a man's sock an' weah it between yore laigs an keep 'im down, an' yuh kin go an' he would not be jealous of yuh. (You use either sock?) Eithah sock, eithah one, jis' since he have worn it. An' a man kin take a woman's stockin' an' weah it undah 'is lef' arm wit de feet turned up, an' he'll ketch 'er in evahthin' dat she start at. If she go tuh slip on 'im an' have othah men, he'll walk right up on 'er.
Entry 3173
(Cut the seat out of his drawers?) Where his private lay, yo' know, whilst he's dressin' yo' know - jis' whutevah side it lay on, cut dat off an weah it aroun' dey waist on dis cord.
(What will that do?)
Dat would keep 'im from foolin' wit anybody...any time he'd git tuh...
Entry 3184
Maybe, say yo' had a woman an' yo' wuz jealous. Yo' couldn't do lak yo' wanted tuh do wit 'er. Evahwhere yo'd go, somewhere she'd squabble an' fuss. Well, now, de way yo' wanta do dat. Jes' lak yo'd have a intahco'se wit 'er or sompin, yo' git a bran'-new towel an' den when yo'all wipe, wipe in de middle of dat towel an' den fold it.
[Informant evidently produced a handkerchief.]
(Show me with the handkerchief.)
Take de towel jes' lak dis, jes' de centah dat chew wipe wit, an' take dat towel an' fold it dis way [demonstrates]. (You fold one-fourth of it [oblong towel] to the middle, away from you; then a fourth of it away from you, bring it to you to the center.) Yes, dis way; to yo' ag'in dis way.
(Then you fold it over again, fold it three times.)
[The towel is folded into 5 oblongs.]
Yes. Well, dat keeps de air from it, see. Well, now yo' take dat an' pin it right aroun' yore wais' dis way, see. Wear dat aroun' yore wais', an' when yo' goin' take a bath or at night take it off, put it where nobody cain't find it or git to it. Put dat aroun' yore wais' an' wear it fo' five days. At de end of dat five days yo' kin bring de woman in de house an' yo' kin do anythin' yo' wanta an' he won't say anythin'.
Entry 3233
Dey'll git a new piece of cloth, see, an' dey place undah dere feet an' dey'll cut dat out. See, cut dat out in de shape of yore feet an' write de name of de person on dat an' dat also - an' den yo' write yore name across it, see. An' den yo' use dat fo' nine nights jes' lak if yo' have a connection or anythin' lak dat, dey also use dat. An' dey'll wear it in dere shoes, or dey'll bury it at a lonely crossroad.
(They write the name how? Like this?)
Yes, cross and den cross. See, dey write de person's name up and down de foot of de cloth [the cloth foot], see; an' den dey write dere name across dat. Yeah.
(And how did you say they use that now?)
An' den dey use dat jes' lak if yo' an' I are frien's, see, an' yo' an' I have connection togethah. Why we use dat, see, fer nine nights.
(I see. And what is this supposed to do now?)
An' den yo' take dat an' yo' take it to a crossroads where dere are wagon ruts at de crossroad, an' yo' bury it right dere in de middle of dat an' dat also will keep yo' lovable towards 'em.
(A woman uses that for men.)
Entry 3237
She say if yore husban' is runnin' aroun' aftah any othah women, she say whenevah yo' an' im jis' 'ave connection, have yo' a new piece of homespun dat is nevah been use, an' take a hot ahn [iron], jis' press dat in dere 'y [where] it wet, press it [semen] right dry into dat piece of new homespun. She say yo' leave it undah yer pillah [pillow] fer nine mawnin's, an' de ninth mawnin' tie it aroun' yer wais' an' weah it dere fer nine mawnin's. She say he'll nevah run aroun' aftah nobody else no mo'.
Entry 3247
Say fuh ninstan' [instance], if mah husban' had some othah woman dat he's runnin' aroun' wit an' won' do de right thin', stay shet [shut] at home. In havin' dealin' wit 'im, ah kin git a towel dat's long enough tuh reach aroun' me, an right in de middle of dat towel ah kin use it on 'im [wipe him], an' den pin it aroun' me, an' wear it fer sixteen days. Dat will break dat othah place up [break up the affair with the other woman].
(Wear it for sixteen days, then what do you do with it?)
Den yo' wash it aftah yo' wear it de sixteen days. But chew have tuh wear dat aroun' jew.
Entry 3248
Jes' lak mah wife figures dat ah'm messin' wit anothah woman an' she wants tuh stop me. She'll go ahead when we done have connection an' she'll take an' wipe me when ah - den she'll take de rag, an' take de rag an' wear it in 'er pocket. An' when ah go to anothah woman, jes' lak ah go to anothah woman, ah would nevah have any nature fo' de othah woman. Ah would have no nature fo' no woman but mah ole lady, or if dis wuz mah woman - sompin lak dat.
Entry 3252
If he is away from home dataway, yo' see dose red peppah pod, split de peppah open an' hull it out well - only one. Durin' de times he's sleepin', yo' take de scissors an' cut a little piece of hair off of dat, way down below. Put it in dat peppah, sew it up in a little band, an' wear it aroun' yore waist dat way. She may talk to men but huh mind will have no dealin's wit: 'em, yo' see.
Entry 3261
[AS YOU KNOW, THE READER WHO HAS MORE THAN DIPPED INTO HOODOO, I AM FREQUENTLY USED AS A GUINEA PIG. THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLE IS A LITTLE UNUSUAL!] I will tell yo' - of co'se yo' could - maybe if yo' have to - now, yo' know what yo' do? It's a sure sign - yo' could try it. Now, lak if me [a man] an' yo wus a woman - listen good! - yo' an' me lie in de bed an' go to bed. Now, well, yo' know she'd use de hair. Soak it in watah. Well, she give yo' one rag an' he take one. Well, while yo' [who?]. Yo' undahstan', don' chew [the woman] wipe wit dat, undahstan'. Listen good! Yo' wipe wit de one what yo' have.
(Well, what would she use then?)
No, what you use.
(I see. [I see that I am still the guinea pig.])
An' yo' cut a piece out right dere an' wear dat in yore shoe. I betcha she do dat evah day.
(I see - that's to hold her [or him].)
Entry 3262
An' den [in] othah words, let 'im have a intahco'se wit 'er an' she not have an' interco'se wit him. An' take dat rag whut wuz used an' stick it in de toes of her shoes an' she has 'im locked dat way [he cannot have another woman].
Entry 3263
(What do they do?)
He'd have dealin's wit 'er - jis' take a piece of lint cotton.
(Lint?)
Lint.
(A piece of lint cotton, yes.)
[Lint cotton years ago used to be raw cotton after it was ginned - seeds re- moved by a cotton gin.l An' jis' use it. An' he'll git dat, yo' know, an' take it an' put it 'tveen de big toe an' dat othah toe an' put 'is sock on ovah it. An' as long as he wears dat dere, she can't have no other man. (Where?) Put it between dem two toes. (Oh! then he wears his sock over lint cotton [used as bedcloth] between his big toe and that other toe. Which foot? Or both feet?) This here foot [demonstrates].
(Right hand.)
Ary [either] one.
(Either foot.)
Yes, sir, eithah foot.
(I see.)
"Tween de big toe an' de next toe to dat, 'tween 'em like dat.
(I see. And that will keep other men away?)
Yes sir. No sir, dat won't keep 'em away, but dat will keep 'er from playin' wit othah men. She can't have anothah man.
(I see.)
Entry 3272
If yo' have a man an' he don't give yo' money lak he should, yo' buy yo's a bran'-new pocket han'schuff an' yo's fool wit 'im when yo' use him an' have a intahco'se an' yo' take de pocket han'- schuff an' put a silvah quatah in de pocket han'- schuff. Fold de pocket han'schuff to yo' - lay it in dere an' fold de pocket han'schuff to yo' an' weah it in de shoe, an' he kin be mean to yo' but he'll give yo' his money.
(You wear that in either shoe?)
Eithah shoe, it don't make any diff'rence.
Entry 3377
Well, jes' lak yo' has a husban' an' yo' don' wan' 'im tuh make no co'se [intercourse] wit no othah woman, yo' go somewhere an' yo' steal a dish- rag - doesn't use yore own dishrag, yo' steal some othah woman's dishrag. An' why latah in de night when yo' wit 'i, make lak [pretend] yo' also wit 'im an' yore not. See, yo' git yores an' not his'n. Well, yo' take yo' a piece of money an' tie it up in a rag an' yo' wipe 'im off wit dat same dishrag. Well, ah would tote it an' ah wouldn't throw it away. An' he couldn't have no othah woman den but chew [me].
(You say he doesn't wipe with that rag at all?)
No sir. Yo' wipe him, see. Yo' don't wipe yores atall. He won't undahstan' whut chure doin', see. Yo' don't make connection wit 'i - may pertend yo' do's. (And you put a piece of money in that rag and TIE IT UP IN A CORNER. WHY DO YOU PUT THAT MONEY IN THAT RAG?) Yes - well, de rag will keep him down. See, dat's money, an' dat makes yo' git de money.
Entry 3389
Gits her a bran'-new piece of cloth an' she use dat nine times fo' a dishrag. She use dat nine times wit 'im, an' she take dat piece of cloth an she put it in her bosom, an' she wear it all de time. Now, when she wear it he can't do nuthin.
(She doesn't actually use it as a dishrag?)
No.
(Just for wiping?)
Yeah, jes' fo' a dishrag.
Entry 3402
I don't want 'im to have nobody but me. An' I will have dealings wit 'im at night. [I do] not come, but I take dat piece, aftah I git up an' wipe wlt it, an' jis' cut dem pieces out an' put 'em into mah shoes an' wear it.
(In both shoes?)
Both mah shoes.
Entry 3470
She kin measure him down dere, take an' measure hisself when he 'sleep. An' she kin take a ribbon an' put jes' how long it is, she kin put dat many knots in it an' wear it aroun' 'er lef' laig. An' he cain't do nuthin but wit dat woman.
Entry 3473
When he go tuh sleep a woman take a string an' measure de length of 'i [his body] from de haid to de foot, an' tie jis' as many knots in it as yo' are tall, see, an' tie it aroun' 'er waist. Den she measure yo' othahwise, straight down, jis' de length dat [penis] is. She tie it in a knot an' tie it roun' 'er ankle an' wear it. One roun' one ankle an' one roun' de othah one - den dat roun' 'er waist. [This ambiguous statement sounds like 3 places the cause of my close questioning that soon follows.] Yo' cain't have no nature fo' no othah woman. (With THE FIRST STRING SHE MEASURES FROM THE HEAD TO THE FOOT? And tie as many knots?) As yo' [he] is high - de height of 'em, see. Yo' kin take dat string an' measure his height by dat string.
(You have to put a knot at each foot?)
No, yo' jis' take de string jis' how many foot yo' is an' put dem little knots in dere. Don't make no diff'rence whereabouts yo' put 'em, jis' yo' tie 'em in dere.
(Where does she wear that string then?)
She wear it roun' 'er waist.
(WHAT DOES SHE DO WITH THE OTHER STRING?)
Take de othah string an' measure othahwise, yo' undahstan' - de privates, yes- suh.
(The second piece of string, and she only ties one knot in that?)
"Cordin' tuh how long he is, jis' de length of it.
(For how long?)
Ah dunno, jis' as many knots - yo' see jis' lak if it's seven inches lak dat, yo' puts seven knots in it.
(Where does she wear that?)
Aroun' 'er ankle, eithah one. Or she have tuh put it roun' both 'er ankles, one on each foot.
(SHE'S GOT THESE TWO STRINGS THEN?)
Yessuh.
(She only uses the string for measurements?)
Yessuh. (You say the man can do the same thing to the woman.)
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 3494
When he's layin' asleep take an' measure his privates wit a cord. Take de length of it an' take de roun' of it. An' take it an' tie a knot dere on it an' wear it aroun' 'er below 'er knee. An' dat will stop 'im from runnin' aftah othah women.
Entry 3495
Ah tried dis mahself, yo' know. Now, havin' a intahco'se, yo' takes string, any- ching dat be's long enough an' measure hisself to de...
(You measure him?)
Yeah, wit de string. An' yo' take dis string an' wear it up above yore knee, an' he kin not have anothah person, no othah one but yo'.
Entry 3496
If yo' wanted 'im ag'in, yo' could take a piece of new yellah domestic an' use de intahco'se, use it nine times, an' take an' cut out a piece about as big as a quarter [25 cent piece] an' put it in yore left-foot shoe an' wear it in dere, an' yo'll come tuh conker 'im lak yo' want 'im, if yo' wanted 'im. Yo' could take, say fo' in- stance - yo' could take a piece of cloth an' nuse [use] it an' tie a love knot in it. Take a teaspoon fulla sugan an' put in dere an' tie a love knot an' put it in yore mattress, an' dat'll make him be closer to yo' an' no one else.
(What kind of cloth do you take did you say?)
Yallah domestic - new, dat nevah been nused. An' yo' nuse dat nine times, an' when yo' have it, YO' NOT SUPPOSED TUH HAVE NO INTAHCO'SE WIT 'IM YO'SELF, YO' KETCH HIS'N. An' den yo' take an' put hit undah yore bed in yore mattress where yo' sleep on it. An' dat'll make him close to yo'. De man kin do it if he wants a woman. He kin take his new pocket han'ke'chuf an' nuse dat, han'ke'chuf dat ain't nevah been used, an' take it an' nuse it all de time an' tote it in 'is pocket, an' dat woman, she cain't have nuthin tuh do wit nobody but 'im.
(How does he use that handkerchief?)
He jes' nuse it in wipin' 'isself. See, it's a bran'-new han'ke'chuf, a white linen han'ke'chuf dat ain't nevah been nused. An' he take dat han'ke'chuf, see she jes' ain't payin' no 'tenshun, he jes' take, yo' know, an' dry hisself off. An' den he take an' put it in 'is pocket an' wear it.
Entry 3500
She be wit 'im an' she jis' takes, yo' know, his discharge [on a cloth] an' she folds it up or ties it up [which makes the 1 knot] an' wears it in 'er right-foot shoe; an' [or] she'll take some of 'er, yo' know, her period, an' she feeds 'im dat; or eithah some of 'er water an' give him dat. Dat breaks 'em up.
(That breaks him up with this other girl, you say.)
An' [or] take some of 'is hair an' put it in a bottle an' keep it wit 'er. Dat breaks 'em up.
Entry 3509
Well, if it's a man - if a woman wanta trick a man where he can't have anyone else. Well, she have intahco'se wit 'im an' den she use a cloth, she dries 'im. She takes de cloth an' she folds it see, an' ties it an' she wear dat as she would a sanitary piece, see. An' quite natch'l [natural] he'll come in an' he'll raise, until he git ready tuh git in de baid. When he git in de baid an' git tuh crawl on dis woman, it will fall. [Sumter, S. Car. (1364), 2405:8.]
Entry 3523
Well, de way yo' know dat I undahstan' it, jes' lak if yo' have intahco'se, yo' undahstan'. Well dey'd take dat, dat same piece. Well dey'd be careful an' try to git de edge of it, yo' see. Well dey got some of yores, pref'rence. An' ketch yore urine, yo' know, an' git deres what wuz on dere. An' dey jis' tie a little string on it an' tie three knots in it, an' put dat aroun' dere waist an' wear it fer nine days.
(What will happen?)
Well dat controls yo' to dem.
Entry 3524
In case ah wanta make love to a woman - now ah go to dis woman an' make love to her an' git part of 'er "nature", de same as mah "nature", an' tie a string into three knots an' put it up ovah her do', or undah her front do'step where she have to walk ovah it. Ah make love to her. She only once walk ovah it three steps forwards an' I take it up 'fore she walk back ovah it. Ah have her trapped.
(What do you do with her nature and your nature?)
Take dat an' keep it, wear it roun' yore waist three weeks. (Well, what do you do with this string? You make three knots in the string or what?) In a string or eithah in a rag.
(What do you do with the string I mean? Is anything done to the string?)
De string - dat's it, bury it.
(How do you use that string?)
Fold it - wrap it up into a small piece of papah. Yo' take a string an' tie it - use de nature lak yo' an' a woman have "purgements" togethah, an' yo' take de string an' tie three knots in it.
(You wipe with the string.)
[Here we have a definite statement of the folklore belief about what happens in coitus; both man and woman have purgements together. To purge means to cleanse, to purify the impure or undesirable. I am certain my informant equates purgement with ejaculation or emission, not with something impure. A man's pur- gement is semen, a collection of so-called seeds. A real seed, of course, is complete in itself, needing only a soil or place in which to grow, and nurishment. These latter says folklore are what the woman's purgement supplies, a suitable liquid for the growth and development of man's so-called seed. It never occurred to folklore and earlier medicine that a man's so-called seed was incomplete; that it became a true seed only by uniting with a woman's ovum or egg. Before uniting, the single successful semen and ovum had been single separate cells; but after union they became one new cell, which immediately split into two cells and many others. What the woman purges according to folklore is part of 'er "nature", de same as mah "nature". She certainly does not ejaculate ovah to meet the ejacu- lated semen.]
Entry 3564
Yo' goin' wit dis woman an' she want yo' all to herself, wit all yore affection to her, why she jis' git a little string of some kine - some kinda fine cord or even a piece of thread. When yo' an' 'er go to bed, measure - put one knot in de end, an' she measure yo', yore instrument, see, tie dat knot. Well, aftah she measure yo', den she tie a knot dere. Den [after] yo' - all's up [yo' all is up], an' yo' is gone, or somepin, she put jis' as many knots in dere: if she wan' chew to stay wit 'er a lifetime, jis' put nine knots, see, in dat space of yore instrument, yo' undahstan'.
(Nine knots [including those] between those two end knots?)
Yeah, nine knots in dere, an' take dat right in dere, an' if it's not long enough, put anothah piece on it an' pin it aroun' 'er waist. As long as it stay dere, why yo'll fall fo' her all de time. Regardless of who yo' have any affec- tion about, why yore mind will be on 'er.
Entry 3576
She'll take a cotton string, an' she said she use dat cotton string evah time she have dealin's wit 'er husban'; an' jis' how many times, she'd tie a knot in it. An' den she wear it roun' 'er waist fo so many days, an' den she take it an' put it undah de leak of a house an' bury it dere. An' den he wouldn't run aroun', he'd stay home.
(Do you know how many days she wore that?)
She said she wore it three days.
(That kept him from running around with other women?)
Yes.
Entry 3595
An' dere's anothah way to tie yo' up. Take - a woman kin fool wit yo' an' git de measure of yore stick, an' put nine knots in it, an' wear it aroun' 'er laig, an' yo' can't have no connection. Yo' may try to have connection wit de party, but evah time dey start, yo'll have de ambition but...
Entry 3597
A wumman could take a string an' tie nine knots in it an' when he goes wit 'er she could measure his privates wit it. (After she has tied nine knots.) Yessir, she could measure his privates wit de string aftah she tied de nine knots in it, an' take dis string an' wear it roun' 'er waist three days. An' aftah she wear it roun' 'er waist three days, take it an' burn it up, an' he couldn't have no intahco'se wit nobody but 'er.
(Well, couldn't he ever git rid of that?)
No, unless somebody wuz jes' smart enough [a two-header], yo' know, tuh tell him how tuh git relief.
Entry 3604
Dey say yo' kin take a new piece of material an' - if yo' have intah- co'se wit a man lak dat, an' tie nine knots in it, wear it roun' yore waist nine days an' buries it - dey say, why den dat man can't have no othah woman but yo'. [For new material, see also Nos.3543-3548.]
Entry 3708
The follow- ing informant gives 4 separate cures:] Dey say yo' kin take in measurin' a man - well now, in yore husban', if yo' don't want 'im tuh fool wit somebody, why yo' could take an' measure him when he's sleep, if yo' git a chance. Or eithah, yo' fix 'im to pay no 'tenshun - have connection wit 'im fo' a chance tuh measure 'im wit a piece of cord string, dis little cord string dat come off a wrappin'. An' take an' measure 'im wit dat - jes' de length of it. An' den yo' kin take an' tie nine knots in it, an' yo' kin wear it in yore shoe, or if yo' kin, put it down undah de innah sole of yore shoe, an' he can't have anythin' tuh do wit anybody else. Den yo' kin take a piece of new homespun. Jes' lak yo' be playin' an' yo' have a piece of new homespun about de bed, or sompin yo' wus sewin', an' dey kin use dat aftah dey git through. Put it undah yore mattress an' double it up in a piece of papah an' put it undah yore mattress an' he ain't goin' bothah 'bout anyone. An' den if a person gits where dey kin't bothah wit anybody an' wants it taken off dem, dey kin go an' steal a dishcloth - steal someone's dishcloth. An' if dey got greasy dishwatah dere, dey jis' skim off dat grease wit dat dishcloth an' squeeze it up in dere. An' den yo' kin take dat dishcloth an' use it an' wash it off yoreself an' dat will kill it out. An' den yo' kin take an' git some cedar - these cedar leaves. Don't chew know, yo've seen dese cedars in de cemetery. An' take sulphur an' sprinkle it ovah dem, an' put a little fiah undah it, an' yo' kin kinda stand ovah dat an' let dat smoke go ovah yo', an' dat'll kill it. (That will kill it, if his nature has been taken away from him - restore his nature. But you don't have to get that cedar from the cemetery, you can get it any place?) Yes, anywhere. Yo' ain't gotta git it from de cemetery. [Yet, informant prefers graveyard.]
Entry 3779
De same as dey would have a connection wit 'i, an' take dat cloth an tie it into nine knots, an' wear it in de toe of dere shoe, but now whut else dey would do wit it ah don't know.
(That is to take away a man's nature?) Take his nature from him. [Informant continues but I turn off machine until he begins something of promise:] (You went to a fellow, you say?) Yes. (Was he one of these wise people?) Yes sir, an' he tole me some things tuh do. (What did he tell you to do?)
He tole me tuh go on back an' evah mawnin' when ah rise from de bed, go on an' git me a towel. In othah words tuh buy me nine new towels an' evah mawnin' take one dose towels an' wash good wit it, an' when ah git through wit it, throw it away an' don't use it any mo'. Fo' nine mawnin's. So ah did dat an' it kinda brought me back.
(You did that and it brought back your nature?)
Yes sir.
(Well, now, you didn't wash with anything special? You just dry with that?)
Jes' a common towel. (And you think that this woman fixed you up by tying those knots in that towel?) Yes sir.
Entry 3800
A woman kin have a intahco'se wit a man an' git some of 'is stuff, aftah he be's wit 'er, an' take it an' tie it up in a pocket han'ke'chuf, an put some silvah money in dere an' tote it roun' in 'er pock- etbook an' say yo' cain't have no interco'se wit no othah woman - nobody but 'er. Say yo' git up a heart an' evah- thing an' de time fo' 'im tuh git tuh have intahco'se wit de woman, say when he go tuh git on 'er, he'll fall, he cain't raise up. (She just takes the handkerchief with that stuff on it and the silver and wears the whole thing?) Dat's all, yessuh.
Entry 3801
Git a bran'-new silvah dime from dis man whut chew goes wit, an' yo' git chew a large piece of white cloth an' tie it up in dis cloth. An' whenevah yo'd have intahco'se wit dat man, yo' used dis cloth wit dis same dime in it. When yo'd git through usin' it, yo'd put it in yore pillah an' let it stay in dere length of time, an' den yo' take it outa de pillah an' wear it down between yore laigs, see or eithah in yore nation sack. [For nation sack, see interview THE 'NATION SACK' WOMAN, p.1449, introductory comment.]
(What will that do then?)
Dat'll make de man come back.
Entry 3841
In case of a man an' 'is wife separatin', well yo' kin set down some- time an' pinch de end of yore fingah or anywhere enough tuh git blood, enough tuh write wit. Git chew a pen an' use it [blood] as a ink, an' write chure name an' 'is name an' weah it right ovah heah, ovah yore lef' side, ovah yore heart. He'll come back.
Entry 3911
I've heard dis-like, it seems purtty bad. I don't guess it would suit yore occasion. Now I heard talk of lotsa men an' girls dat I really been roun', an' said dat dey really did it, an' a boy couldn't go no place wit'out dey'd be right - yo' know, she couldn't go anywhere wit'out 'er husban' or man or fellah or whutsoevah it might be, be right where she wus. Yo' know, jis' like sometime a woman have periods, she would go to de stores an' buy some kin'a red meat, choo know, dat produce a lot of blood - sompin like livah or steak or sompin like dat. An' she said dat she'd taken dis steak [or liver] an' beat it up an' taken one dem things [menstrual cloth], yo' know, from roun' 'er concern, an' wrap dat thing up in dere, an' wore it jes about a half of day an' taken it right off. An' when 'er husban' come in she, yo' know, cooked it fo' 'i. An' he went on an' et [ate] it. An' she said dat she cain't even git rid of 'im, an' she don't wan'a stay wit 'im, or cain't git rid of 'im. Yo' know, some witchcraft tole her about it. An' she says [saz not sez] it really happens fo' a fac' [fact]. An' I do know dat he's stays tuh wery lovin'. But anothah man stay wit 'er right now. But 'er husban' cain't stay away from dere. He's goin' dere to care [carry] 'er some money dis aftahnoon. He tole me so. He gon'a bring 'er some money fer 'er an' 'er baby.
Entry 3919
[HERE IS VERSION ONE OF THE RITE:]
Well, she goin' bring 'im home an' make 'im stay dere wit 'er. She'll take dat [sanitary] cloth an' take dem needles, dem nine needles an' cross 'em, take a silvah dime from 'i血m if she kin git it, an' take a piece of 'is hair outa his haid an' tie it, an' sew it all up in dat cloth togethah, an' cross it - crosses dose needles lak dat [demonstrates] - dat way. [The crossing of needles or pins in a cloth is a frequent magic act. Each needle or pin is stuck into the cloth so that it crosses over one or more needle or pin.] Well, aftah she do dat, she takes it an' puts it in 'er pocket. If it's nec- essary she wears it all de time.
Entry 3927
Anyway, she lef' me. She wus good to me. I an' huh wus livin' togeth- ah good, an' it seems to me dat she lef' me becuz I couldn't get no money togeth- ah. (I see.) It seems like she lef' me becuz I couldn't get no money. An' I wanted mah ole lady becuz I loveded us. An' I went to dis same fellah on Messanine[?] an' Williard. Keeler[?] [Healer?] dey call 'im.
(What name?)
Messanine[?].
(I see. All right.)
[Useless to ask him to spell it.]
Well, anyway, when I went to him, I ast 'im what should I do to get mah ole lady becuz I like-ted 'er, an' she had been good to me. So he tole me. He said, "You get - try to get one of 'er pieces."
(What kind of pieces?)
Dat's one of 'er pieces dat she wears, yo' know, evah month. So I got a girl frien' of mine to get a piece - a girl frien's of 'er, too. I tole de girl, I didn't want to hahm 'er. She say, "Yo' don't wanta hahm [harm] 'er." I say, "No, I'm not gon'a hahm 'er." I say, "I wouldn't ha'm 'er, I want to do somepin to make peace, cuz I love mah ole lady." Anyways, she got dis piece fo' me. So, I took it an' I wrahpped it up in a cloth, clean cloth.
(Did he tell you to do this?)
Yes, sir.
(What did he tell you to do?)
He tole me to get dis cloth of hers an' wrop it up in a clean piece an' den sprinkle some powdah, jes' any kin'a sweet-smellin' powdah to kill odor, an' put it in mah left pocket an' wear it - jes' take it evahwhere I go, yo' know. An he guarantee me I'll git mah ole lady" - jes' evahwhere I heard talk of she's at an' soon she goin' commence followin' me places she know I be. Well, I did dat, an' I wasn't a week befo' me an' mah ole lady was back.
Entry 4143
Jis' lak now, if ah wuz tuh walk out heah an' urinate on de groun' - jis' say ah make watah, urinate on de groun' - any place lak dat, don' use de lavatory. Yo' kin take dat an' put it in yore pocket, an' tie it up in sompin in yore pocket, an' a woman will love yo' an' have yo' regardless of 'er husban' [no matter] how good he is tuh 'er, an' quit 'im even fo' yo'. [Here again we have one of the many examples of the immorality of witchcraft; this woman, because of the spell upon her, being unresponsible for her actions. Any evil she does can be blamed upon a magic compulsion. This is fatalism, the mind having no choice. Why do spells never compel a person to do good? Self- ishness flourishes in witchcraft. No.wonder an intelligent civilized person no longer believes in its false wishful thinking!]
Entry 4144
Dey say yo' [a woman] kin take a man's wee-wee, ah mean 'is wet, an yo' know, watch 'im as he wets, dey say, an' go dere an' git dat an' put it into a rag an' den yo' wear it on yo'. Put it in a rag an' wear it right dere. Sew it up an' wear it. What will dat do? Dat'll keep 'im from goin' wit any othah woman but chew. So dey say.
(YOU TAKE UP THAT DIRT WHERE HE'S WEE-WEED AND YOU WEAR IT DOWN BELOW?)
Yassuh, put it into a rag.
Entry 4145
Dey watah yo' know where dey pee on de groun'. Say yo' kin take a man's watah lak dat or a woman's - eithah side. Yo' kin take dere watah lak dat an' take up dat dirt down dere an' put it in a little ball, bag or somepin. Den yo' wear it on yo' an' evah night, well fo' 'bout nine maw- nin's dey say yo' pee on it yo' know. Take yore pee an' pee on dat sand in dat bag of de man's. Say dat will make 'em stay wit yo'. Dey jis' cain't leave yo'. Yo' wear it fo' a length of time den yo' take it off. Den yo' go back an' git it an' wear it ag'in.
Entry 4156
If dey wanna go ag'in - tuh keep 'em from goin' ag'in, yuh'll have tuh clip a piece from she [demonstrates].
(From the top of her head.)
An' a piece from she private an' put it in de bottle wit nine needles, an' take yuh chamber lye an' some German Heart Cologne, an' mix it tuhgethah an' hol' dat in yuh pocket fer de fus' [first] nine mawn- in's. An' den take it an' po' it in one of yuh suits, an' she will nevah go tuh dat pocket tuh take it out. An' SHE'LL STAY DERE FOREVAH AN' FOREVAH.
(I see. That keeps her.)
Entry 4157
A woman kin take yuh hair an' a little of hers an' bring yuh tuh 'er by soakin' it in chamber lye, an' den tote it in 'er - sew it up in some of 'er clothes so's it not lost an' nobody will nevah see it. Tote dat an' go on. He be wit 'er.
Entry 4187
Me, fo' mahself, dis whut wuz tol' me tuh do: tuh git two needles, two bran'-new needles, an' put urine in de bottle, mine. Put it in a li'le bottle 'bout dat long, jis' big enough tuh hol' dem needles, yuh know, an' - ah kin go an' git dat an' show it tuh yuh where it's right dere now in mah trunk, ah kin show yuh - dat [2 needles and urine in bottle] an' some red peppah an' some salt an' some spice. An' put it all in a bottle an' stop it up tight, an' wear it on yuh. Dey said da' chew go tuh any man or any woman an' secure a job, see. Well dat somepin tuh git money.
(WHO TOLD YOU THIS?)
SOME OLE FORTUNETELLAH FELLAH DAT HANG AROUN' MAH HOUSE RIGHT - SEE AH LIVE UP DE HILL DERE.
(DID IT HELP YOU?)
NAW, AH DON'T SEE DAT IT BENEFIT ME ANYTHING.
Entry 4363
[The wearing of urine (see p.503f.)and bathing or washing hands with it (see p.660f.) 1s fairly common and some of these rites are scattered throughout the text of HooDoO. Here follow a few more:] Ah heard mah grandmothah say dey could take a person's chamber lye an' stop it up an' cause 'em not tuh make watah. Jes' lak ah'd be goin' wit a man an' ah love him. Well, when he'd make his watah - yuh know ah wouldn't do it, but ah hear some people say dat chew could take it while it wuz hot an' wear it.
(Well, how would you wear it?)
Wear it in a sack aroun' yuh waist, near yuh, yuh know.
(Near your own privates?)
Yeah.
(And then what would that do?)
Make him love yuh. [Three widely separated periods following her yuh (see original transcription of MS) show that I stopped recording here, but restarted machine to add as a question the substance of what informant had said: that a menstrual cloth could be soaked with his urine.]
(You just soak this cloth that you wear?)
Uh-huh.
Entry 4364
Ah heard a woman kin go tuh de chamber [on] mawnin's an' git some of yuh chamber lye an' hers, an' mix it tuhgethah an' hur' choo wit it [only in the sense of keeping the man's love; hurt here meaning tricking]. Take it an' tie it up in sumpin an' wear it. It won' hur' choo unless she burn it.
Entry 4365
Tuh influence de boss - well, yuh supposed tuh use some Hearts Perfume on yuh. Use some Hearts Perfume goin' down [the body] - put some on yuh han's an' put [rub] it ovah yuh don' chew see. An' dere is. a love powdah, dey call it, dat chew use tuh influence. Now dey say dat de Cashmere Boquet Powdah is a very good powdah. But chew use dat Hearts Perfuome an' a little chamber lye tuhgethah. See, put dat tuhgethah an' sprinkle it all ovah yuh an' dey say dat's very lucky.
(If you are going down to get a job.)
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 4518
Or dey kin take de sweatban' [whole or piece?] out chure hat an' wear it indey shoe. Wear it evah day in yuh right shoes an' he'll have tuh come back.
Entry 4519
Yuh kin take a man's hatban' [sweatband] an' use his hatband, weah it in de bottom of yore shoe, jes' a piece of it, an' 'is mine will always stay aroun' dat fiah [fire]. He nevah is contented nowhere. When he's where yuh at, dat's 'is contentedness time. (The outside or the inside band?) De sweatban'. Take hit an' fold it tuh yuh, split it, an' put it in de bottom of yuh shoe an' evahwhere yuh go, he rearin' tuh go.
Entry 4520
If yuh have a girl fren' an' yuh love her an' she didn't seems tuh care very much fo' yuh, why yuh could sometime in goin' roun' 'er, an' git a chance tuh git 'er hat. Take de ban' from roun' 'er hat. Take de band from roun' 'er hat an' git a piece she's wearin' close tuh 'er. Take it an' some of 'er hair from a [below]. Yuh kin git chance tuh make a date wit 'er an' git some of 'er hair from roun' 'er. An' take it an' wrap it up in a piece of red flannel an' wear it nex' tuh yuh skin. Why den she come back tuh live wit chew.
(What piece of clothing do you get?)
Git de seat out of 'er drawahs. (And the hair from down below. That will make you have power over her.)
Entry 4537
Ah have heard women say dat if dey git de bow out of a man's hat, dey takes dat bow an' dey wears it right next to dere skin. In othah words, dey put it undah dere arm somewheres. Well. dat man will always follah dem. He will be in love wit dem always.
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 4575
Dey take de hat an' take dat ban' out of it.
(The band or the little bow?)
Yeah de little bow, jes' right heah [demonstrates]. Dat's a ole hat ah been hangin' up dere. Dey take dat little bow an' dey will take it an' cut fo' prongs intuh - dey cut fo' prongs intuh dis heah newspapah, jes' like dat little bow is [this makes an X or a cross]. Dey'll cut it jes like dat an den dey'll wrop dat in dere tight. Well, when dey wrop dat in dere, well, dey'll git some diff'ren' stuff an' put in dere an' dat'll make me go back. See, jes' like if I quit 'er, dat'll make me come back. She'll take it an' put it - take it an' sling it aroun' 'er wais' an' she's got me right off. See.
(By cutting out the four prongs, do you mean cutting all of that - like an X?)
Yeah, jes' an X - jes' like a X like dat.
Entry 4582
Dat bow be's right back dere. Now yuh kin take dat bow out chure hat, ah've heard dat. Yuh take dat bow out dat hat an' yuh kin, whut chew call dress it. Yuh dress dat bow an' yuh kin take dat.
(With what?)
Yuh take dat bow an' yuh kin dress it.
[As we now learn, it is dressed with sweat.]
Jes' lak a woman take a bow outa man's hat. She kin take dat bow yuh see an' den rub it undah her arm, also between 'er laigs [to dress it]. An' when she take dat bow an' do dat, take it an' wrap it up in a piece of red flannel. [This is now a hand, see p.519f.] She kin eithah wear it roun' 'er neck or roun' 'er waist or eithah put it ovah 'er do'. Well, now if she put it ovah 'er do' or wear it anywhere, keep it anywhere in a close place, it'll always keep 'is haid kinda wandahin' - his mind. He'll nevah have no good mind. Jes' keep 'im wan- dahin'. He's heah today an' tuhmorrah 'is mind jes' wanta go. He can't be con- tented nowhere he goes.
Entry 4583
Yuh take dis little bow here an' take some devil's-shoestring dey call it. Take dat devil's-shoestring an' dis bow an' some cinnamon bark an' salt [and] black peppah. An' dey takes dis bow an' put it in de sole of yuh shoe. See, like yuh got a shoe, a woman would do dat. Dat's tuh make her - make yuh stay. Yuh goin' tuh stay right wit 'er. An' she'll take dat an' put it in de sole of 'er shoe an' wear it dere. As long as she got dat thing in dere, yuh can't leave her.
Entry 4589
Take de bow outa dere hat an' trick 'em in any way yuh wanta trick 'em, an' dey kin keep 'em runnin' crazy or somepin lak dat. (What would you do with that bow?) Yuh take de bow an' yuh tie it up in a piece of cloth an' pin it up on yuh clothes nex' tuh yore heart.
Entry 4595
A man's hat - a man's bow outa 'is hat an' yuh kin take Hearts Cologne an' put it in. Yuh see yuh shoe heah has a last [insole] in it, see; an' yuh pull dat last up an' put it undah dere an' po' dis Hearts Cologne on dat bow an' yo' keep it wet. Dat will make him go crazy about chew, too.
Entry 4597
Dat bow - yuh take a bow out of a man's hat an' git chew a bottle of Heart Cologne, an' yuh dip it in de Heart Cologne an' yuh sew a cord string aroun' dat bow an' tie it round yore waist. Dat'll make 'em crazy 'bout chew, jes' love no one but chew.
Entry 4622
Take dat little bow out de hat an' cut it out dere. An' take an' put it in de bottom of dey shoe an' wear it, an' write his: name nine times. An' make him leave, leave his home. He'll jes' walk an' walk.
Entry 4623
Dey take dat bow an' dey put it in a bag. Yuh know, jes' git a piece of cloth an' sew it up, an' dey put dat bow in dere. An' dey git a piece of asafetadee an' a piece of dis John de Conker root an' put dat in dere. An' make a little bag out of it, tie a string on it an' wear it aroun' dere stomach or eithah roun' dere navel, an' yuh'll nevah stay way from 'em - yuh always come back.
Entry 4624
Dey kin git chure hat an' git de bow out of yuh hat, a woman kin, an' take it an' wear it on dere neck. [The bow is] jis' lak a li'le tie. An' take it an' keep it up in a sack, an' dey [the man] can't fool aroun'.
Entry 4649
(The woman would take that?) Dat little bow outa a man's hat, yeah. She kin take it out an' put it in de ban' of 'er dress - yuh know whut ah mean, in de seam of 'er dress an' wear it dere all de time. An' dis man would come tuh be a lovah fo' her, an' wouldn't love anyone else.
Entry 4651
Tuh hold 'em, take de bow or de band of a man's hat. Yuh could take dat an' wear it in de bottom of yore shoe. [To wear a sweatband in the shoe could be a problem.] Jis' lak yuh want a sweetheart or tuh hold a man, jis' when he come tuh yore house yuh jis' take de bow outa his hat an' put it in de bottom of yore shoe an' wear it. An' dat'll hold 'im.
(Either shoe?)
Eithah one of yore shoes - yore own shoes. [Bottom of the shoe usually means in the hallah = palm = center or middle of the shoe, the article worn being con- cealed under the insole; and if no insole, a false one is made from paper or cardboard - even a cigarette paper can cover the hidden object.]
Entry 4665
Yuh kin take dat li'le bow out of a man's hat. Ah've tried dat mahself. Ah jis' tried it on a person tuh see would really [happen]. Ah didn't care nuthin about de fellah. Ah taken an' slip de bow out of 'is hat an' walks wit it two days in mah right shoe an' three in mah left. Dat's five days. Yuh know in six days it's broken [he fell in love with her].
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 4672
Ah heard dat yuh kin take dat little bow an' take it an' sleep on it. An' aftah yuh git through sleepin' on it - yuh heah whut ah say? Yuh take it out an' yuh wrap it up an' yuh put it in yore shoe an' yuh walk on it. Yuh see, yuh walk on it fo' a length of time an' dat makes de man crazy 'bout chew. (You put that in your shoe?) In yore left shoe. [Yuh heah whut ah say? in some form or other occurs often in HOODOO, because I was not supposed to hear well. Call this an unfair ruse, if you like, but I often had trouble with people talking too low or too fast for my comprehension, hand over mouth, mumbling, occasionally stut- tering, dialect, unknown plants and animals, etc.]
Entry 4687
Well, ah've heard dey take dat li'le bow out de hat an' put it in de bottom of yore shoe, an' keep it wet wit chamber lye, yore cham- ber lye, an' jis' wear it in de bottom of yore shoe, twixt de sole an' yore foot. (What will that do?) Dat will keep a man home; he won't leave 'er. She's lyin' onto [she can rely on] him all de time.
(Either shoe?)
No, de left shoe.
Entry 4692
[Take hat bow, buy Hearts Perfume, pour 1/2 out, but don't use for anything else, fill rest of bottle with urine, wear 9 days and keep. (Authors abstract of informant missed by transcriber).]
Entry 4697
Ah heard dat if yuh take dat little bow out of de hat, de wimmins [take it], an' dey take it an' dey wear it aroun' dere waist - on aroun' dem, wheresomevah she may keep it all de time. Dat will cuz de man tuh love her.
Entry 4706
Ah've heard dat chew kin take de bow out of a man's hat an' put it in runnin' watah, an' den wear it in yore shoe an' yuh won't have much trouble git- tin' rid of 'im. Ah heard dat. (You take this bow from his hat and put it in running water?) Yes, an' put it in runnin' watah. Firs', git it, jis' hold it in dere, an' den take it out an' put it in yore shoe an' wear it.
(Do you put it in either shoe?)
Eithah one.
(That's to get rid of him?)
No, dat's tuh make him love yuh. [Is holding it in running water a threat or warning of what could happen to him? Or is it a purification ceremony?]
Entry 4736
An' den if she don't wan'a do dat, she washes 'is shirt. She cuts jis' a half a length outa de shirt in front, right where it dangle down in front, right heah, jis' one end, an' she take dat an' she makes fo' cor- nahs out of it, sew hit an' put dat. Well, jis' as long as dat cloth stan', dat's 'er man.
(Where does she put this piece of cloth now?)
Put it undah de lef' arm or de lef' feet, an' jis' wears it.
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 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 4795
When ah wuz a young girl ah hear 'em talkin' about it.
(You say it was an old woman?)
Yeah, it used tuh be when I wuz a young girl. It's a certain way dey say dat you kin git a piece of dough. Make a flour dough.
(Out of flour, ordinary flour?)
Flour, an' yuh take dat piece of flour dough about dis long an' yuh wear it undah yore lef' arm nine mornings, [then] put it undah yore right arm nine morn- ings an' aftah yuh do dat, den yuh take it an' weah it be- tween yore laigs. (For how long?) Nine mornings. Evah thin' is nine day's work. An' den, dey say, yuh beat it up right fine, jis' lak a powdah, lak peppah or salt, an' den yuh take it an' sprinkle it on somepin tuh eat fer 'im, yuh know, an' dat will make him follah yuh, make him love yuh.
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 4821
Well, he cuts de seat out, out of 'er bloomahs.
(A man does that?)
De man cut de seat out her bloomahs. Den he takes an' put it in de bottom of 'is shoes an' wears it. Dat'll jis' tie her tuh 'im an' she can't git rid of 'im till she git dat thing out dat shoe. He wears it in de bottom of 'is shoe. [Sum- ter. S. Car. (1371), 2429:4.]
Entry 4825
[A string or thread from clothes, also called raveling, is rather rare. Usually the wearer prefers something more substantial. This raveling, not long enough to reach round the waist, would be too fragile and easily broken. A small piece can be worn in a bag or sewed into a garment frequently used.l Same thin' as dat, or yore ole lady or somepin, yuh know. Yuh don' wan' 'er tuh pay attention tuh no one [she] runnin' aroun'. Yuh take a string an' wear it aroun' yore wais', any of 'er clothes. Wear it aroun' yore wais'.
(Take a string from her clothes, did you say?)
From 'er clothes, any kin' of 'er clothin' - jis' a sock or some of 'er bloom- ahs or somepin dat she wear undah, yuh see. Take it an' wear it aroun' yore wais'.
(And she can't run around.)
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 4832
She kin take his undahsuit an' wear it tuh 'er skin. Wear it an' he'll come back. (If he's left her and left his underclothing at her house, she can wear that suit of underclothing next to her skin and he'll come back.) Yes sir.
Entry 4880
Take a lady's sock if yuh like her - dat's fo' love - take it an' put a little salt in it an' a little black peppah, an' weah it undah yore arm, pin it undah yore right arm outside. Dat got a girl evah night fo' a long time.
(That works?)
Yes sir.
Entry 4883
When yuh meet 'im [at the door], put chure sock on, p'int 'em upside down. Stid [instead] a-puttin' de heel tuh de heel, put de heel tuh de foot [toe]. Put yore stockin's on tuh meet 'i. Meet de man whut chew want: de col- lectah, or yore rent man, anyone. Jis' meet 'em an' salute 'em. An' when dey salute 'em an' turn right from de do's - salute an' turn right on back an' go on in. Dey goin' on about dere business an' won' bothah yuh no mo'.
(You put the socks on wrongside outward?)
No, right straight. Don' turn it, jis' put de sock heel tuh de toe, an' de toe tuh de heel.
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 4921
Sleep wit dere stockin's undah yore haid. Take yore socks an' sleep wit 'em undah mah haid. Or take dem an' cut de feet out an' wear dem.
(What will that do?) Dey will follah yuh.
Entry 4936
If a woman would take a man's sock, jis' when he take it off, an' take it an' wear it in 'er hat, say dat would make him wan'a be wit 'er. Jis' lak if a man, yuh know, didn't care nuthin about 'er, an' she wanted dis man. Den if she would git hold of one of 'is socks, she would take his sock an' put it in 'er hat; an' as long as she keeps dis sock in 'er hat, well den dis man would wan' tuh be wit dis woman. But dey say yuh had tuh spe- cially have a dirty sock.
(Either sock, it doesn't make any difference?)
No.
Entry 4974
Well, now, if a man jis' wan' 'er, he take her sock an' wear it roun' 'is waist fo' nine mawnin's. An' de ninth mawnin' he'll take an' he'll uri- nate on it. An' he'll pass nex' tuh de house yuh know, an' drop it chew know. Well, now, see when she wear it she done got [his influence?]. See, she wash it. See, where he sweat in dat stockin', dat cause her tuh git all crazy about 'im. An' she'll follah 'im evahwhere he go out, an' ma'y [marry] 'im if he wanta ma'y her.
Entry 4975
Take a woman's stockin' whut she done dirtied, yuh know, wit sweat on lak dat yuh know.
(You take the woman's stocking?)
Yes, sir, wit de sweat on dere an' put it in de baid where yuh sleept. An' sleep on it an' dat will make her come back tuh yuh. An' tie it roun' yuh an' yuh sweat against it, an' dat will make her come back tuh yuh. (Both stockings?) One - don't need but one, eithah one.
Entry 4989
Yuh take nine needles an' put 'em crossways in de sock, an' put red peppah, garlic an' dese little nets dat yuh buy from de drug sto'.
(Hair nets.)
Yuh take dem an' put 'em in de sock, an' den yuh git some clay dust an' pack it, an' sew dat sock up. Dat's de way yuh fix de sock against matches. Yuh take de same amount of matches. Takes nine matches an' nine needles an' fix 'em in dat sock, an' den sew it up. An' den yuh take dat sock an' jis' throw it up undah de bed, or jis' throw it on up ovah de do'.
(What will happen then?)
Well, dat's tuh bring 'em back. When he do come back, yuh take his cloth an' wear it. Aftah yuh'all have intahco'se, yuh take de cloth an' wear it nine days. An' in de mawnin' aftah yuh wear it nine days, yuh take dat cloth an' wipe his plate out wit it.
(That will hold him there?)
Keep 'im dere.
Entry 4993
Dey take a woman's stockin', bran'-new stockin', aftah she'd wo' [wore] it one time. An' yuh git hol' dof [hold of] it an' put it in runnin' watah. Why she'd leave an' would nevah come back where yuh at. (Either stocking?) Dey take de both stockin's.
Entry 4994
Tuh keep yore husban' wit yuh altuhgethah, take one of 'is dirty socks an' yuh tie it aroun' yore wais', an' wear it nine days an' nine night; but yuh mus' not let 'im ketch yuh wit it. Yuh see, dat's tyin' him up - yuh see, keep- in' 'im dere. (Then what do you do after you keep it around your waist the nine days and nine nights?) Take it off dey say an' yuh kin keep it - jis' keep it. Roll it up an' yuh put it undahneat' yore mattress - in yore mattress.
Entry 5043
Says yuh take a man's ole dirty stockin' an' yuh take it an' pinch out de toe, clip a li'le piece outen de toe an' wear it. An' take de sock an' turn it towards de back of de house - jis' puts in de do' an' let de foot go inside, an' de top of de stockin' go outside. An' de toe whut yo' wear, wear hit wit Heart Cologne.
(What will that do?)
Dat will keep 'im home.
(You put this sock in the doorway?)
In de middle of de do' undah de rug, where nobody cain't see it.
Entry 5046
She kin take yuh lef'-han' sock if she kin git holt [hold of] it. She'll take dat lef'-han' sock an' cut de heel an' de toe outa it. Cut de heel an' toe off an' sew it up. Jis' take it an' sew it up an' git 'er some copperas an' git 'er some red pep- pah an' put it in dere an' sew dat up tuhgethah. An' if she kin git intuh any hole dey have in de wall an' put it in dere, well, he will not stay 'way.
(What does she do with that then?)
[Informant gives another possibility.]
She take dat an' sew it up, an' put it in 'er left shoe.
(What does she put in there - copper, you say?)
Coppah, yes sir.
(What kind of copper?)
Yuh know dis - de reg'lah kinda coppah [copperas] what yuh gives dogs an' cats.
Entry 5059
[She] takes 'is socks an' cut de toe out 'is socks an' weah it undah 'er arms fo' a pad, an' [she] pee on it evah mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's an' put it undahneath 'er arm, an' he won't leave 'er. Wear it undah each one of 'em. She gits de toe of 'is socks, de toe of each sock. If she cain't git but one sock take de heel an' toe. Don't make no diff'ren' how she change it - jis' eithah one.
Entry 5069
Wash de sock yuh know an' git de dirty watah. Put it in a little bot- tle an' mix a little Hearts Own Cologne an' jis' stop it up, an' jis' carry it in yore pocket. An' dey say dat man will follah yuh or woman - which one [whichever one you Want].
Entry 5149
Dey kin take de bindin' in de back right in where yore [a man's] heel rub, cut out a little of dat skin in dere, dat little place of skin. If a woman want a man, dat will keep him. (What will she do with that then, after she took it out of there?) She take dat an' mix it with Adam- an'-Eve root an' wear it with Heart Cologne an' nine grain of spice. Jes' wear it right next to her skin, an' she puts on it a perfume. An' when he be roun' dere an' smell it, yo' know, he don't know whut de contraction [attraction], but he jes' go roun' 'er.
Entry 5180
Yo' take de near sole [insole] outa anybody's shoes, jes' lak if yo want 'em tuh stay home or sompin all de time. Yo' take de left sole. Yo' know dat dere little piece be inside dere shoes, yo' take dat out an' fold it tuh yo'. Put it in a li'le sack. Sew it up an' wear it roun' yore waist.
Entry 5181
An' yo' kin take a new [right] shoe sole [inner sole]. Buy a new pair an' cut it half in two [see later], an' take a indelible pencil an' write chore name from lef' tuh right. Turn it [inner sole] around, write his name from right tuh left, [or backwards, his family name first and his given name in front of that] coming tuh yo'. The [inner] sole is split [lengthwise] so one half can be worn in each of the new shoes. Make wishes [for him to return]. They say that'll bring a person tuh yo, bring 'em undah yore control.
Entry 5190
Dey say dat chew could take a li'le shoe sole an' burn it, an' den scrape it aftah yo' burn it, an' it wus good fo' good luck.
(Just how would they prepare that? Then, after they have got it scraped?)
Well, ah don't know sir, only jes' know dey put it in a little bag an' wear it.
(You mean the shoe sole, that thick sole at the bottom?)
Yessuh, yo' parch it lak yo' would peanuts or anythin' lak dat. Well, yo' kin scrape it tull [till] yo' scrape a dust off it.
Entry 5192
Take a person's shoe an' take an' burn it, an' yo' crimp it jis' lak yo' would when yo' take livah sometime. Ah mean yo' may not have nevah did it but Jews does it. Yo' put livah intuh - jis' lak yo' take a shoe yo' put it inside de stove. Now, yo' don't burn it. Yo' put it in- side de stove an' let it burn from de inside of de stove. See, yo' take an' let it burn from de inside of de stove an', den yo' take dis shoes leathah an' yo' git chew some of dis quicksilvah an' drop it all roun' in dat thing. An' den yo' git chew a white of aig wit dis quicksilvah, an' den yo' take dis an' whip it right good an' put dis quicksilvah in dere. See. An' den yo' jis' put it all in dat shoe an' powdah dat shoe all up wit - jis' let it go all up, yo' know. An' den yo' jis' take an' sew hit up, but choo sew it up in a silk cloth. An' den yo' puts a red piece of ribbon aroun' it. See. An' whatevah yo' wanta do wit dat - if yo' fixin' fo' tuh do anybody harm or do anybody good. [If harm], dey'll git tuh walkin'.
(What do you do with it after you put it in the bag? What happens then?)
Tote it in yore pocketbook or tote it...
(You take either shoe? Take one of your own?)
Take de lef' shoe. Always take a lef' shoe.
(Take your own?)
No, don't none of yore own. Yo' got tuh take one of his'n. (What are you going to do this stuff. What are you making this preparation for, now?) Why do you do it? Well now, dat starts 'im walkin'. When yo' fool wit a person's shoe, yo' know, dat's de scent from 'is feet zhoo know. Dat's de nature of 'im, yo' see. (This starts him walking. Well, what do you do with that bag that has this stuff in it?) Jis' take an' tote it, make 'im start walkin'.
Entry 5240
Dey kin take - if yo've wore yore shoes an' got 'em good an' sweaty, dey git chure feet dirt from it an' de scent of yore feet lak dat. An' dey kin take dat an' weah it aroun' 'neath of dere waist an' thing lak dat, an' put some of dis oil of cedah in it, an' make de person follah dem an' ca' [care] mō' [more] fō' dem den dey do any- body else. Jis' lak dey would take dere hair outa dere haid... (You mean they wear it around their waist?). Right nex' tuh dere skin lak dis. An' dey puts it in a bandage an' puts it nex' tuh dere skin, an' put dat oil of cedah tuh it, an' weah it night an' day aroun' dere waist nex' tuh yore skin.
Entry 5301
He kin take de inside sole of a woman's shoe an' burn it - burn it into a powder. Beat it up fine an' git chew some Heart Cologne an' peppermint candy an' melt it, lak yo' use a syrup, melt it, take dem things an' mix up in dat, an' git chew some red peppah an' wear it in yore shoes. Why he will git 'er back.
Entry 5302
If a woman would wear a man's shoes - jes' lak IF MAH WIFE WUS TUH BE PERMITTED TUH WEAR MAH SHOES, dat, DAT WOULD PREVENT ME FROM 'SOCIATIN' ROUN' WIT OTHAH WIMMIN. In othah WOrds, SHE WOULD HAVE if she WOre mah shoes. If she wuz allowed tuh wear mah shoes, why she could manage me mos' any way she wants. In othah words ah'd be subject tuh her powah, if she's allowed tuh wear mah shoes. DERE'S SO MANY SUPERSTITIONS ABOUT DAT, DEY [MEN] WON' ALLOW DERE WIFES TUH WEAR DERE SHoES. [Sumter, S. Car., (1374), 2436:7.] [This is the sixth and last subsection of SWEAT, one of the functions of the physical human body. The following rites once presupposed tracks largely made by bare feet which left sweat and odor in the soil. For this reason, some of these rites will also be found under section MuRDER in volume 4.]
Entry 5325
Dat is about a girl, yo' know. Take dis girl out yondah [yonder] an' yo' wan'a go wit 'er. Yo' kin take huh track an' take a teaspoon fulla de sand outa huh track an' a tea- spoon fulla sulphuh an' a little ball of asafitidy. An' tie it up in a black cloth an' put it in yore pocket, an' weah it in dere fo' 'bout nine mawnin's - eithah seven mawnin's. [They] say she'd come tuh yore house. But yo' jes' keep it in dere de ninth mawnin'. But [they] say aftah seven mawnin's yo'd make good wit 'uh. An' jes' weah dere until de ninth mawnin' an' yo'll have 'uh den.
Entry 5417
(What would you do now, if a woman wanted to bring a man back? What would she do?) She goes an' git 'is track, jis' lak dat.
(Either track?)
Yes, his track - eithah one of 'em [demonstrates]. (From the heel to the toe or the toe to the heel? How are you pulling that dirt back?) From 'is toe right back tuh 'is heel. Den she carries dat, she ties it up wit a little coal out de chimley [= fireplace]. Mix it tuhgethah an' beat it up. She ties it tuh 'er, puts it in nex' tuh 'er skin. Dat's whut chew call a jomoo [usually jomoh]. An' she carries it tuh 'er, an' she weah it roun' 'er wais'. An' [that's] why he'll hang aroun' 'er.
(You said she will put dead coals or live coals?)
She git de live coals an' pees on 'em 'fore she puts 'em out an' let 'em git cold. Den she beats it, irons all dat tuhgethah. Den she weahs it roun' 'er wais'.
Entry 5452
Ah would go an' ah would fin' de foot tracks, an' ah would pick up de dust of de foot track - where de foot track made a print. Ah would go tuh de graveyard an' ah would git some graveyard dust, an' ah would mix it all tuhgethah, see. Den ah would place it in mah shoe an' walk on it. Dat would make yo' come - jis' like yo' hate me, are an enemy against me, undahstan', dat will make yo' come tuh like me.
Entry 5495
Ah says dere wuz once a man an' wife twan't [they were not] gittin' 'long good. Dey wuz gittin' 'long happy at one time an' den dey had some sort of misundahstan'in' an' dey couldn't git 'long tuhgethah. So he wuz studyin' a way how tuh make her love him an' git 'long happy tuh- gethah. So he taken some of de dirt outa her lef' track an' he fixed it up wit Hearts Cologne an' sweet camphor. [Does informant mean sweet niter, or camphor with a sweet in- gredient?] Tuk [took] an' he mixed dat all tuhgethah, an' he got three stran's of her hair out of her haid, an' he fixed it up in a li'le small sort of sompin lak a li'le small package. An' he tied it wit a string an' jes' bind it so it rest right up undah his left, right in de hairs of 'is ahm [arm], so it git de sweat on it. Well, den aftah while dey got 'long very happy.
Entry 5496
Now, ah tell yo' whut chew kin do. If ah taken some man - ah tell yo' yo' kin let a person walk away form yo' or sompin lak dat an' yo' kin take dere lef'-foot track an' pull it back tuh de heel. Yo' pick up jis' as much as yo' kin pinch in yore fingah lak dat [demonstrates] an' if yo' kin ketch 'im 'sleep, see [demonstrates] yo' git chew some hair from right up heah.
(From the top of the head.)
Yassuh. An' yo' take an' yo' put it in a bag, an' yo' weah it aroun' ovah yo' yo' know whut ah mean.
(Right over your private?)
Yeah. Weah it daily an' anythin' in de worl' dat yo' got in yore view tuh worry dat person, it will surely come tuh rest dere. Cain't he'p it. Some thin's [I know are true]. Dat's whut ah have did.
Entry 5497
Git de dirt outen dere track, in de middle of de feet, in de right feet, goin', an' git it outen de left. Den yo' take dat an' git de hair from heah [demonstrates] an' from de back.
(The hair from the top of the head, [and] the back of the neck.)
An' yo' mix dat tuhgethah an' yo' totes dose fo' luck. Totes dose fo' luck tuh git 'im back. Jes' lak if yo' have a husban' an' yo' cain't do anythin' wit 'im, an' den yo' take dat stuff an' put it tuhgethah. Dat'll always keep 'is mind always comin' back home.
(Where do you put this stuff after you get it?)
Well, yo' put it - jes' sew it up in yore dress, or eithah take it an' tie it up an' put it in yore baid mattress or yore pillah where yo' sleep on it.
(That will bring a man back.)
Entry 5502
I have heard that if two men are going to see the same girl, one of the men can take some dirt from this girl's left-foot track and a piece of her hair, and make a pocket-piece of it. He puts that together in a pack- age and wears it in his left pocket. Finally, he will change the girl's mind and she will take to him instead of the other fellow. [Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 5505
Yo' kin take her right foot track. Now, lak yo' tryin' tuh make love an' dis girl doesn't want tuh make it wit yo'. An' jes' lak it seem yo' couldn't make it up wit 'er, an' in kinda speakin' tuh 'er, yo' goin' try tuh make it some- how wit 'er. Well jes' take her right track den an' jes' take yo' a flannen rag, yo' know de red flannen rag, an' jes' git 'er right toe track outa dat toe where dat dig up. Git dat. Git about as much as yo' kin pick up [with your fingers] an' put it in dat flannen an' do [tie] it up. An' git some red peppah an' put it in dat, an' git some of 'er hair. If yo' don't do it jes' den, it may be a month or it may be a yeah yo' gotta work. Git one stran' of 'er hair out 'er haid. Don't git de lef' foot, git de right one. An' when yo' git dat, put it in dis rag an' jis' wrap it up. Sew it up. See. Well, aftah yo' sew it, make a knot. See, right befo' yo' git roun', make nine knots in it; an' de las' one at de end of yore sewin' let it be nine knots. See, jes' make nine knots befo' yo' close up de end. See. An' jes' 'ninte [anoint] it good befo' yo' go tuh sewin' wit dis. Let it be a cloth string or cotton thread string. Well, jes' use spirits of turpentine, jes' ninte [anoint] it good wit dat, an' jes' make de nine knots an' den yo' got evahthin'.
(What do you do with that bag then?)
Jes' tote it in yore right pocket - keep it. An' she'll come tuh yo', BOY. [This is the second time I have been called boy.]
Entry 5529
(Suppose you begin that right from the beginning now. What do you do with this woman's track?) Yo' take dis woman's track, de lef'-foot track. See, yo' mus'n't [must not] ketch it gwine from yo'. Ketch it jes' lak - yo' ketch it comin' tuh yuh, jes' lak ah'm comin' tuh yo' heah, now. Jes' lak yo' call me, say, "Come heah, Jim." Ah goes tuh yo', an' yo' watch de lef' foot yo' see. Well, now, maybe when ah turn mah back an' go on de othah way - yo' know, ah don't know whut chure idea is. Yo' git it lak dis, yo' see. Yo' watchin' me goin' de othah way, yo' see. Yo' ketch it lak dis - go back to de heel [demonstrates].
(From the toe to the heel. Pick it up.)
Yo' pick it up. Den yo' goes tuh work an' goes - don't go tuh a steer. Yo' KNOW WHUT'S A STEER IS? A steer is - he has been a bull but he been cut, yo' Know. An' yo' goes tuh a bull lot. Yo' goes in dere an' aftah yo' goes in de bull lot - make it dere befo' sunrise an' de bull be layin' down yo' know. Yo' stir 'im, make him git up, yo' see. When he git up, he goin' stretch yo' know. Hell, when he stretch he goin' do his business. Well, yo' see, yo' ketch de second turd befo' it hit de groun' - don't let it hit de groun' yo' see - de secon' turd. Jes' as de first one - yo' let de firs' one hit yo' see.
(You grab that?)
Yo' grab dat yo' see. Yo' take dat an' go on off an' put it in a ole tin pin [pan] an' set it on de fiah. An' yo' go tuh work aftah yo' set it on de fiah - dat parch it. Yo' have seen people parch coffee. Yo' set dere an' yo' stir it yo' know an' parch it. An' yo' take dat track, an' yo' take dat bull's stuff, an' go tuh de drug sto'. Go tuh drug sto' an' git chew a bottle of cologne, or eithah de Ten Cent Sto'. Yo' mix dat up wit one of dem track yo' see. Yo' mix dat up tuhgethah an' go git chew a vial: Den yo' goes tuh work yo' see an' yo' gits yuh a li'le bottle - see, 'bout lak dat [demonstrates].
(A small bottle about the size of your middle finger.)
Dat's right, a small bottle. Den yo' goes tuh work an' yo' gits dat Heart Cologne. Git chew a li'le bit of likkah. Heart Cologne, dat trouble. An' git chew a li'le bit of likkah an' a li'le camphor, yo' see. An' yo' put all dat in dere, yo' see, intuh dat bottle. Put dat mixture yo' mix outa dat bull turd an' 'uh track. Put all dat in dat bottle. Yo' see de idea. An' aftah yo' put it intuh dat bottle, yo' shakes it up lak dis yo' see [demonstrates]. Yo' take a stoppah an' yo' puts it intuh a stoppah [into the bottle] an' yo' git chew a piece of silk cloth an' yo' sews dat up. YO' KNOW WOMENFOLKS IS KINDA SHARP, yo' know, an' yo' sews dat up. Den yo' go tuh work an' yo' tote dat right nex tuh yo'. Yo' see, if yo' kin git it in dis li'le fob pocket chere [here], yo know, nex' tuh yore skin anywhere. Yo' totes dat yo' see. Well, yo' feeds dat jes' lak yo' feeds [yourself], 'bout three time a week. Yo' go tuh work an' buy a li'le mo' likkah, yo' know, an' yo' put on dat yo' know. Take a li'le bit mo Heart Cologne an' yo' po' on dat, yo' see. Yo' po' dat right on de rag, yo' un- dahstan'. Well, now, dat's carried. An' evah time yo' go by 'uh, anywhere, yo' say, "Looky heah, honey, how 'bout [so-an'-so]?" "Yes, all right.'" An' jes' git a li'le bit of it, yo' know, right out de top of 'uh heah [demon- strates].
(The top of her hair - top of the head?)
Jes' about three strands. Be sharp enough - be sharp enough aftah 'uh sleep- in'. Yo' see de idea. Go right heah [demonstrates].
(By her privates?)
Yeah. An' take 'bout three strands, de long one right heah, yo' know. Take dat an' mix it all tuhgethah an' put it right in dat bottle. She'll follah 'im anywhere in de worl'.
(And keep her?)
Yessuh. See, ah tried dat. Ah had so much trouble wit womenfolks, dat, yo' know, ah'd...
(Who taught you - who told you that?)
Well, ah tell yo', AH MET A LADY [doctOr] FROM LOUISIANA. SHE WUS TRAVELIN' AN' SHE WUS THROUGH HEAH. So ah been havin' quite a lot of trouble wit wimmins yo' see. Ah used tuh be a woman lovah, yo' know. Ah did love womenfolks, yo' know, an' AH HAD MAH HAID BUMPED BY MANY, yo' see. An' ah tole huh 'bout it N' she tole me whut tuh do. An' ah has tried it - RIGHT TODAY, YO' HOL' DEM AN' PUT "EM UNDAH YORE FOOT. Yo' hol' dem, an' long as yo' kin keep 'em down undah yore foOt, yo' kin gO. But DE MINUTE DEY GIT DE UPPER PULL ON YO', DEY GOT CHEW AN' GONE. Yo' see? Dey got chew an' gone.
Entry 5546
Take yo' measure an' dey kin weah dat measure aroun' 'em.
(How would they take that measure?)
Dey git 'em a cord string or any kinda string an' take dat measure of yorn an' weah it aroun' 'em.
(The measure of this foot track?)
Yessuh. (What will that do then?) Dat keeps 'em down.
Entry 5572
Take de foot track from de end of yore feet. Yo' kin take dat an' put it intuh a cloth. It's all right tuh hold it at home, too. Take it an' put it intuh a cloth an' weah it. Make yo' a bag an' weah it, an' he will always follah yo'. Evah- where yo' go, he'll go wit yo'. Evahthin' yo' [have] a mind tuh do, he's ready tuh do dat. Jis' 'is foot track. Take his left-foot track from de toe back tuh de heel. Take dat an' take it an' fo' nine mawnin's, if yo' don' wanta weah it fo' nine mawnin's, walk through yore house an' throw it ovah yore shouldah, yore lef' one, see, jis' lak dat an' don' look back. An' call dis man three times, an' he'll come tuh yu' if he's in Chicago or any place. Yo' use it dat long. (You throw it over your shoulder and then you pick it up, and throw it over your shoulder again. That the idea? You do that nine times?) Do dat nine times, throw it ovah yore shouldah.
(Nine times each morning?)
Fo' nine mawnin's, once each mawnin' 'fore de sunup fo' nine mawnin's.
Entry 5589
De only thing ah evah heard about dat - ah ain't nevah seen dat tried - but de only thing ah've heard about dat, jes' lak if ah wanted to do sompin to a fellah to gain de influence of 'em. Yo' take jis' de middle of de hollah of 'is track an' put it in a small bag an' tote it fo' so many days.
(How many days?)
Ah think it's nine days. Brunswick, Ga., (1186), 1999:10.]
Entry 5590
Ah've heard 'em say dat yo' could git de - if dey wan'a fix yo' fo' dere own benefit, to bring 'em to dem, yo' take dere lef' track from de toes. Yo' wan'a take it up wit a shovel or a hoe. Take it from de toe back to de heel. Dey takes dat den an' put it in a li'le bag. An' dey take dat bag an' secure dat fo' nine days. Den dey open it. Dey puts a li'le salt, table salt in dat bag, an' dey carry dat bag wit 'em. Dey weah dat aroun' de waist.
Entry 5593
Dey say yo' git de dirt outen nine tracks an' git a new piece of white homespun cloth an' sew up dem tracks. An' take de dirt outen de hollah of de track - nine tracks. Go drop it in dat sack an' sew it up an' tote it in yore pocketbook or in yore pocket. An' dey say dat dat woman or dat man will follah yo' anywhere.
(Nine tracks one right after the other?)
Yes sir. If a woman don' like a man an' wants him tuh go [that is what she does]. Well, den if he done wanta go, she kin take his track an' put it into a bag an' tote it an' dat'll prove him tuh come back to her.
(She'll get the dirt out of his tracks?)
Yes sir. Don't say de left or de right, but jes' say his tracks. Ah think it wuz nine tracks dat he tuk.
(Somebody told you that?)
Yes sir.
Entry 5598
Jis' sompin othah, some broad [woman] yo' wanta make. Yo' know, meet a broad an' yo' try tuh make a broad, yo' know, an' she don' pay yo' no mind. Yo' know, yo' kin - dere's a way tuh make her, see. (Well, how can you make her do it?) Well, all yo' got'a do is jes' take a li'le of 'er foot, yo' know where she step, take a li'le of de dirt in yore pam [palm] an' put it in de han'ke'chuff, fold it backward [fold it to youl, yo' know, an' put it in yore belt. But de firs', yo' got'a put it down at chure do' an' walk ovah it evah mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's an' name it, see. Aftah nine mawnin's, yo' take it up an' put it in yore belt. An' de ninth mawnin' she jis' goin' tuh be dere. An' she'll be dere, too.
Entry 5638
Yore left track - if yo' goin' down 'er steps, she could rake yore left track to her an' jis' mix a little sugah an' salt wit it, an' yo' jis' keep yore min' on 'er all de time. (What would she do with that track?) Heah it, Weah it in a little bag, an' dat jis' keep yore min'.
Entry 5686
They tell me that they can take the dust from under the right foot and mix that with High John de Conkah and bluestone and alum and aloes, and then use the word, "God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, " will bring him back. And take that then and wrap it in a rag and bury it under their doorstep and let it stay there for nine days. And then take it out and put it in a rag and wear it around her body, and he'll be compelled to come back.
Entry 5694
An' den yo' kin take three of 'is lef' tracks, jis' lak yo' git 'em from de toe. Evah time yo' go, befo' yo' git 'em, yo' call 'is name. An' evah one yo' git yo' call 'is name. An' den yo' take dat track an' go tuh a lightnin'- struck tree an' git two splintahs offen it. Have one shortah den de othah. An' den yo' take dis heah - let yourn be short an' his'n be long. Well yo' lay his'n up on top of yoren. [The symbolism of the 2 splinters is quite revealing!] An' den yo' git a teaspoonful of sugah an' put on dere. An' den yo' sew it up in a piece of cloth an' weah it. Dat'll make 'im love yo'.
Entry 5700
She's livin' not far from me an' ah seen 'er do dis. She would git up evah mawnin' de time she knowed dis man wuz goin' tuh 'is work. An' she'd go on out - ah git tuh de windah dere an' ah look - an' she'd pick up 'is track, three mawnin's. She picked up jis' one track, his lef' track. She picked it up from de heel an' bring it up disaway, from de heel tuh de toe. An' put it in a rag an' put it in 'er bosom an' put some salt in it, becuz she tole me dat's de way she fixed it. An' dis man on de fo'th mawnin' he wuz back tuh 'er house. He wuz stayin' wit 'er but anothah woman wuz goin' tuh take 'im away from 'er an' wuz gittin' 'im back. An' he wondahed how it come he wuz back dere. Ah tole him ah didn't know. Ah didn't tell 'im nuthin, yo' know, she'd bein' doin'. An' she said de nex' evenin' when ah come home, "Ah," she says, "John's back. Ah tole jah ah wuz gon'a git 'im back." Ah said, "Did jah?" She said, "Yeh." Ah says, "Yo's all right. "[
Entry 5735
Dey take dat foot track up an' dey take a piece yo' weah nex' tuh yore skin. An' take dat dirt an' tie it up in dat piece an' let it stay fo' nine mawnin's. An' den take it an' untie it, an' spread it back out, an' turn it whichevah way dey wan'cha to go. Untie de piece an' spread de dirt out lak it wuz.
Entry 5808
Now, yore hair - see now, yo' kin take yore hair. Yo' kin take yore hair - a person kin take yore hair. She kin take yore hair an' she kin take one stran' of it, jis' say one stran', an' double it an' kinda twist it an' put a silk thread aroun' it. Take dat bair an' put it into somepin lak alcohol. Keep it in dat alcohol 24 hours. Take it out an' weah it in yore pocket, an' yo' nevah have no mo' good sense. Yo'll jis' - yore haid will be jis' worryin' yo' all de time. People been callin' dere,
[you] say, "Well, ah got a bad headache. Mah haid worryin' me." Doctors [M.D.'s]
lagu it, but yet - still dey don't know whut it is. Ain't no good to do, unless dey could git dat hair an' do 'way wit it.
Entry 5813
Dey tell me dey take hair out de top of yore haid an' dey mix it wit Hearts Cologne an' den sews it up wit a new piece of homespun an' wears it undah dere arm. Dat's fo' love.
(Which arm do they wear it under?)
That arm there [you are holding up], that's the left arm.) Yes sir.
Entry 5835
Yo' take de hair from de mole, take de hair right out de top, de mole [old] of de hair. Well, yo' take dat hair an' yo' wrap a string around it, or thread, any kinda thread aroun' dat hair, an' yo' put dat hair in a bottle, see, an' yo' po' some cphor in it, see. Well, dat will make it 'live. Shake it up, see. Yo' let dat stay in dere nine days an' yo' take dat out an' yo' wrap in a flannen cloth. Let it stay in dat flannen cloth an' den yo' wear it. Dat is tuh draw yore sveetie to yo' or anybody yo' want lak dat.
(Whose hair do you put in that bottle?)
Fell, if it's de man, he put de woman's hair; an' if it's de woman, she put de 's hair.
(What did you say THAT CAMPHOR does for the hair?)
Entry 5838
Yo' kin take cat hair an' yo' kin make a person love yo'. Well, yo' kin take de cat hair but yo' firs' gotta git a plait of hair, a stran' of hair from de person who yo' Wanta love yo', an' yo' take, burn dem togeth- ah. An' den yo' take some hair grease - dey call it hair grease. Yo' mix dat up togethah, undahstan'. An' den aftah mixin' it up togethah, den yo' tryin' tuh make yore lady fren'. Yo' try tuh git holt of some of 'er sickness, some piece, if 'er clothes dirty, some of 'er sickness, an' tie it up an' wear dat in yore fob [watch] pocket. Dat will cause her tuh love yo'.
Entry 5846
Ah've seen people roun' heah take feathahs or toothpick an' dey dress 'em some way an' den cross 'em in yore hair an' keep yo' wit a severe headache. It's not tuh kill yo' but it keep yo', yo know, a-lingahin' wit a severe headache. (Do you know how they dress them?) No sir, ah'm not positive.
Entry 5852
Ah heard dat dey would take yore hair an' dey could wear it in dere shoes until yore hair would rot. See, when yore hair would rot, it would run yo' in de insane asylum, in de crazy house. (They put that in both shoes?) In one, in de left shoe. An' den some- time yo' take it an' yo' put it in some vinegah, some devil vinegah. Don' fo'- git about de devil vinegah, an' yo' shake it an' use it.
(What will that do if you put this hair in the devil vinegar?)
It will run yo' crazy.
Entry 5932
I say, dey say dey kin take yore hair, see, jes' a clip of yore hair Octa yore head - I think it's on de lef' side, see - an' take it an' bury it wit some soda an' table salt fo' nine days. An' den dig it up an' sew it in a bag an' wear it. An' what- eah dey say dey wanta to it [whatever they tell the bag they want done], why yo lin be wishin' it. Dey say it'll come true - if dey run yo' crazy or make love Tvhatevah dey desire.
Entry 5936
Well, ah've seen dis happen. Lived in West Palm Beach [Florida]. Mah home is in Savannah [Georgia]. Me an' a pal, a boy, we goes down dere durin' de season. Yo' mighta remembah when de boom wus on in Florida. Well, now it wus kinda of a rich girl dere, yo' undahstan', an' he wanted tuh git in wit 'er, git a chance tuh beat 'er out some of 'er dough. AH GUESS YO' UNDERSTAN' WHUT AH'M TALKIN' ABOUT. An' so he wus in love wit 'er yo' understan', an' so he got some of 'er hair an' he goes tuh de Ten Cent Sto' an' git 'im a tall bottle of dis Hearts Cologne an' he take dis ball [curl] outa 'er hair an' puts it in dere an' totes it in 'is pocket. Well, jes' as long as he kept dat hair dere, she would be jes' wil' [wild] about 'im, an' evah time she could git a dime from 'er mothah or 'er fathah, why he got it. Why me an' 'im both got it an' spent it in enjoyment. De girl like tuh went crazy an' ah had to take it 'way from 'im an' throw it away.
Entry 5950
Well, if a woman wants a man tuh go crazy 'bout 'er she'll take dat hair an' she'll sew it in dat newhome- spun an' slip it in de hem of 'er underskirt, dose bottom pieces yo' know, an' wear it in dere. Well, de man will cling to dat woman lak dat.
Entry 5964
Yo' kin take a lady's hair an' make her love yo' all right, if it's lady yo' want an' yo' kin git a chance tuh play wit 'er an' git a stran' of 'er hair. Take it an' wrap it up in some sulphur an' burn it in sompin, but don' burn it up. See, burn it in sulphur, put it in sompin an' burn it. An' take some mo' an' mix all in dat, an' take yore hair an' wrap it up in dat, an' tie it in de cornah of yore pocket han'kechuf an' tote' it in yore pocket. It will draw de woman to yo', so dey tell me. Ah nevah experienced it.
(This hair from the top of her head?)
Yassuh, have tuh git it from de roots.
Entry 5970
Jes' lak if yo' love a man an' yo' wants 'im. Well, if yo' kin git a strand of 'is hair out 'is haid or eithah a strand from below see, an' take it an' put it into - yo' know, jes' put it in sompin dat chew kin tie it in knots. Take it an' tie it aroun' yore waist an' wear it. He'll be wit yo' all de time.
(You said so many knots before.)
Nine knots dey say.
Entry 5976
If she got holda some of yore hair, hit's a powdah dat she could go tuh de drug sto' an' git, dat we call Sweetheart Powdah. An' she could take dat piece af hair an' sew it up in a bag, an' she could wear it on her left side, an' yo ooaldn't stay 'way from 'er tuh save yore life. (Where would she wear it on the left side? Any part of the left side?) Any part - round her waist, or she could pin it intuh one of 'er undahpiece, an'
[or] wear it right nex' tuh 'er heart, don't yo' see.
Entry 5991
Say, fo' instan', if a man's got a woman an' he's got a little compe- tition an' den he git her fingernail or her toenail, an' den he gits some hair from de mole of her haid an' he take this toenails an' hair an' he'll put it in a bag, say, of a piece of red flannel an' sew it an' he'll write this person name nine times. (Whose name does he write?) He writes the individual that he's interested in. Be write dere name nine times one way. Write his name nine times across that name uhich make 18 names altogether. An' then he fold this piece an' he put this bag on top of this piece an' wear it right next to his heart, say, fo' instan', he pin it on de inside of 'is undahshirt.
(What is that supposed to do then?)
Dat's supposed to keep dis woman's mind to him all de while.
(The paper on which the name is written is not put in the bag itself?)
No suh, it's put on de outside.
(Next to his skin?)
Yessuh.
Entry 5992
Git de hair out chure haid an' take it an' sew it up into a piece of cloth an' tie it roun' dere waist. Wear it. Dey kin fix yo' dataway. (Why would they do that?) Well, to keep yo'. Sometime dey do it to make a man love dem. Yes sir, dey puts it in a little white cloth an' den sew it up. [This is a love hand.] Some of 'ems wear it roun' dere neck, soe of 'ems wear it roun' dere waist.
Entry 6013
Dey have hair in dat - dey git a lock of a lady's hair, men usin' dis. An' git a lock of lady's hair an' den dey git dis lodestone an' dey gits nine needles an' Hearts Perfume. Dat's whut ah heard now. An' den dey wrap it, feeds [see p.578] dat thing wit whiskey, an' wrap it in a ball, an' tie dat black string aroun' it.
(What do they wrap it up in?)
Flannel, red flannel, an' den put de black thread aroun' it an' put a string aroun' dat, an' let it hang down in dere bosom or breast an' wear it.
(What is that supposed to do?)
Dat will draw love.
Entry 6014
Yo' kin take a person's hair now, an' yo' kin take yo' nine needles up an' down [demonstrates], an' wrap dat hair between 'em wit black thread. (One needle is pointed that way and one that way.) Dat's right. Head an' tail dey call it. Yo' take dat an' wrap dat an' put chew - git chew a little red flannel bag an' git chew a dime's wut [worth] of lodestone dust an' put in dat, an' put dat in yore pocket. Yo' have de headache de balance of yore days.
Entry 6050
If a man runnin' roun' why she could git some of 'is hair, yo' know from undah 'is arm or sompin lak dat. Take it an' sew it up into a sack an' wear it some- wheres close by 'er. Why dat will keep 'im home.
Entry 6052
Take de hair from undah a person's arm. Jes' lak if yo's mah man, ah would take de hair from undah yore arm an' plait it up undah de hairs undah mah arm, an' wear it. (What will that do then?) Dat'll make yo' love me. (And would you get my hair from any particular arm, or does it make any difference?) Well, yo' kin take it from down heah - de best. Yo' kin git it from down heah an' wear it.
(From the privates. Then where would you wear that, then?)
Where ah wear it.den? Ah jes' take it an' plait it wit mine. Yo' mus' wear it on yo' or eithah wear it on a string roun' yore waist.
Entry 6057
Ah hear dat [they] kin take a piece hair out de man's - chice[?] of a man an' de man is sich of dem. Tell me dey git aholt of de hair.
(Of the head?)
From de head.
(Yes?) [= continue, because informant had stopped.]
An' dey git holt of de hair from down below.
(That's right [= keep talking]. Now, what do they do with that?)
An' den dey take dem two an' put it in a bag, an' ah don't know what dey do's. Dey takes dose two [kinds of hair] an' put 'em in a bag, an' put a dime intuh it. An' put dat same othah root whut ah tell yo' 'bout [pronounced boat].
(John the Conquer?)
Yes. Put some of dat an' dey git dis [informant unable to remember].
(And what else do.you put in there, then?)
Yo' put dis John de Conkah in dere an' den yo' git holt of dere hair - de two hairs - an' den yo' git a dime. An' yo' sew it up in a bag an' yo' wears it aroun' yo'. Yo' eithah put it aroun' yo' waist or wear it aroun' yo' neck. An' den yo' feed it wid dis same - de same cologne ah tell yo' about.
(That Hearts Cologne, you feed it?)
Yo' feed it wid dat. Eveh once in a while yo' feed it wid dat, see.
(And what is that supposed to do?)
Suh?
(What will that do then?)
What'll dat do? Well, if yo' got a husban' or anythin', or any man or any- thin', he gotta dump [give] evahthin' he got tuh yo' - couldn't git aroun' [with other women, gamble away his money, etc.l. He's gotta come home.
(That's to hold him, to keep him.)
Entry 6060
Lak yore fingahnails. An' yo' take a Woman's private, yo' know, de hair off a Woman's private, yo' know. An' dat, yo' kin wear dat in yore shoes, yo' know; an' den she can't git away from yo', ah betcha dat. (You mix your fingernails with her hair from down in there. Your fingernails or her fingernails?) Her fingernails, yo' know, an' 'er private hair.
(I see. What fingernails do you take of hers?)
Any - take any of 'em off, don't make any diff'rence in usin' 'em.
(I see.)
Entry 6068
Dey kin take yore hair from down at chure privates. All right. Now, dis heah is love now. Whut dey drove in de tree is [to make you] crazy. All right, dis is fo' love. All right, yo' take it an' put it in somepin, wrap it up tight, an' put it in de lef' foot of yore shoe an' wear it. An' den yo' takes Hearts Cologne an' dress dat hair fo' nine mawnin's. Den yo' in love jes' as hard as yo' evah wanted tuh git in love.
[Savannah. Ga., (1252).2124:6.]
Entry 6069
Dey take yore [a man's] hair - yo' see, dis hair [demonstrates from his head] [and wear] right across yore [a woman's] private.
(The hair from [at] the privates.)
An' wear it around yore waist. Let chure head [hair] hang right heah. Tie it roun' wit a string an' tie it roun' yore waist an' jes' wear it. An' as long as yo' wear dat hair de man'll run yo' down [chase or run after you]. (You mean the woman wears a man's hair from his head, right across her privates, and that will keep him as her lover?) Dat's right, shure will.
Entry 6072
Ah've heard tell of folks who take pins an' needles an' break 'em up y' know, snuff, sugah, an' hair from down in front of yo', an' wear it, wear dere husban's hair in a bag an' pin it to dey clothes right where it be nex' to dere skin. An' dey husban' couldn't object to 'em goin' out wit othah men if dey want to.
(Do they have their husband's hair in that bag?)
Dey [husband] don't know dey got it yo' know.
(Whose hair do they put in there?)
His'n, yessuh - from down heah, see. Steal it yo' know in his sleep.
Entry 6073
De nex' story ah know. A man an' his wife gits ma'ied an' dey live good. Well, yo' know, people git mad 'cuz when dey gittin' 'long good in de home.[ Well, ah'm goin' tell yo', dere's people don' lak dat: "She's gittin' 'long good ovah dere," says, "an' all ah kin do [is to make ends meet]." Co'se ah'm goin' tell yo' de whole business. Well, dis woman ovah yondah she's cryin' an' wantin' 'er husban' tuh come back an' she can't git 'im tuh come back. "Ooh, ah don't know whut to do. Mah husban' won' come back, ah want 'im tuh come back." Well, ah tell yo' a good plan yo' kin do. Ah tried dis an' dey tell me it's good. Yo' kin try it. Well, ah tell yo' whut chew do. Yo' git some hair offa him down dere an' yo' sew it up in a flannel rag, an' yo' tote hit fo' nine mawn- in's, an' evah mawnin' yo' git up an' yo' speak to it an' says, "Ah totes dis an' de hairs of mah husban' will come back to me, ah'll tote dis an' de hairs of mah husban' will come to me, [surely said a third time], In de Name of de Father, Name of de Son an' Name of de Holy Ghost. Amen." Yo' say dose words nine mawn- in's an' tote dat. He'll come on back.
Entry 6078
Take it outa de hollah [hollow = mold] out from de middle of dey haid, an' take dat an' put dat wit dey hair offen dey body an' tie it up. (You mean down below?) Yes, an' tie it up an' wear it fo love. Make dat person love yo'. Qou get this hair from the other person's head and use your own private hair?) Yes.
Entry 6081
Well, dey said yo' kin take yore hair an' some of yore hair down below an' put it togethah, parch it an' put it in - an' a piece of saltpetah. An'dat's to make love. An' sew it up [in a bag] an' wear it nex' to yo', nex' to yo', nex' to yore flesh. An' tie it aroun' yo' - wear it aroun', pin it to yo' some way. An' dat makes de man or wumman love dat person, whoevah dey want.
Entry 6087
Take his hair [from his head], de hair undah his nose, an' de hair from down dere, an' den wear his picture, an he'll come back.
[I do not recall nose hair elsewhere in HOODOO.]
(What would you do with that hair?)
Jes' wear it, wear it all de time.
(From his head, his nose, and down there. Wear it and he'll come back.)
Entry 6092
Oh yes. Yeah. Well, now a woman kin take de hair off a man private down dere, an' take hit an' git her a piece of red flannel an' nine pins, an' sew it up in dat piece of red flan- nel. Dat hair, sew it up in dat piece of red flannel an' wear dat roun' 'er waist fo' nine days. An' if she want dat man tuh stay wit 'er, she'll keep it roun' 'er waist; an' if she want dat man tuh go, den she kin take it an' turn - jes' look attah dat man an' say, "Go, go, ah hope ah nevah see yo' no mo'." An' throw dat hair, an' he'll go an' he'll nevah come back no mo'.
(Where does she throw it?)
Jes' throw it anywhere, jes' so she throw it an' don' look aftah [back at] it. Den he'll nevah come back no mo'.
Entry 6109
Well, ah've heard dat dey kin take a lock of yore hair from yore head, cut it out right about de mole somewhere along in dere, an' take dat lock an' wear dat in dere shoes sometime to make yo', yo' know, care fo' dem - make yo' wanta know where dey is.
Entry 6118
She take his ole shoe, regardless tuh how long de shoe been dere or how ole de shoe is. She take dis shoe an' git some of 'er hair an' put it in dis. shoe an' she wear dat shoe her- self. She will bring 'im back kinda limpin', but he'll stay dere long as she'll continue tuh wear dis ole shoe aroun'. He'll stay home but Soon as she take dis shoe an' put it aside, an' take her hair out, he's gone back [away] ag'in.
(She takes either shoe, it doesn't make any difference?)
Eithah, ain't any diff'rence whut shoe it is.
(Does she wear both of them or just one of them?)
Wear both of 'em, wear both dese shoes.
Entry 6120
A man could take a woman's hair an' wear it in de linin' of 'is shoes, an' if he wants tuh go wit 'er, he could beep 'er.
Entry 6121
Dey git holt tuh yore hair, a woman now tryin' yuh. She'll git holt of yore hair an' she'll wear it in de shoe. Undahstan' now, she wear dat in 'er shoe, if she kin git dat hair out de mole of yore haid. She'll lovin' an' git dat hair out de mole of yore haid an' den she'll wear it in 'er shoe'fo' seven days. An' aftah she wearin' dat shoe seven days, she'll den takes it an' put it in a silk piece of cloth an' put dat dere undah 'er pillah an' den she'll sleep wit dat dere undah 'er pillah. Well, den aftah she sleep wit dat undah 'er pillah nine days, she don't care wha' choo do. Well, she got chew jes' lak she wan' chew. Den yo'll lurk aftah her den.
(Does she wear that in either shoe?)
De right foot.
Entry 6122
An' den, say fo' instance, if dey wants to, someone wants to make yo' love 'em, make yo' lak 'em, think about 'em, yo' undahstan', see; aw well, dey would take dat [hair] an' git some silk thread, yo' undah- stan', an' put it in dat hair an' turn [wrap] it to dem. See, wind it, turn it to me all de time, so dat draws yore attention to me, yo' see. Yo' kin do dat, yo' undahstan'. All dey have to do is dey put dat, dey wear dat in dere shoes, yo' undahstan'. Well, durin' dat time, dat will cause dose people to be thinkin' about chew, yo' undahstan'. Why dat calls dere attention towards yo'.
Entry 6123
Some takes dat. (That little bow from a man's hat?) Yessuh, an' a dime, a new dime, an' strain it wit hair from down heah, if dey kin git it, or eithah out de mole of 'is haid, an' dey sew dat up in a little piece of flannen rag an' put it in de bottom of dere foot an' wear it.
(What do they do that for?)
Dat's fo' tuh keep 'im controlled.
Entry 6127
Yo' take dere hair an' plait it - plait it, yo' know, like dis heah [demonstrates], an' wear it in yore shoe. Yo' kin wear it in yore shoe or yo' kin take it 'tween de sole of yore shoe heah, an' seal it up ag'in tight, an' wear it in yore sole [insole].
(What will that do?)
Dat will kill yore mind, change yore mind.
Entry 6134
A man kin take a stran' of a woman's hair, yo' know, him an' her, she 'bout tuh quit 'im an' he wanta hold 'er, make her love him. Put a stran' of 'er hair in 'is shoe, in de left shoe, an' keep it in dere fo' nine days, in 'is shoe, an' she'll come tuh love him.
Entry 6135
Git 'er hair an' wear 'er hair jes' lak she wears 'is in 'is lef' foot, see, an' git 'im some sulphur an' wear it in dere - not nuthin but jes' de sul- phur. Ain't gotta put no peppah or nuthin 'tall. Wear it in dere fo' twelve days. Where it's goin' tuh be workin', why co'se wear it in dere till it sweat - till it jes' sweat, yo' know, jes' into de bone, an' dat'll keep 'er at home. She won't wanta go nowheres, an' ah've tried dat.
Entry 6136
(What would they do if they got hold of some of my hair?)
Hair? Well, jes' lak if it wuz a woman's hair, an' yo' wanted to be wit dat woman, an' lak yo' an' 'er used to play befo' de time come fo' yo' an' 'er to separate or anything, or any confusion come up. Evah time yo' comb 'er hair, yo' try to git some 'er hair, until yo' git roun' about thirteen stran's. Yo' take dat woman's hair, aftah yo' git thirteen stran's an' yo' plat it up. See, yo' plat up. Yo' take de linin' of yore shoes, raise de linin' of yore left shoe an' yo' put dat.
(You raise that up?)
Yeah, an' put it at de end of yore toe, de tip of yore left aboe, an'yalk on it. Dat woman nevah would leave home. She's always be at home.
Entry 6139
Dey say dat chew could take a woman's hair out of de front part of 'er d an' wear it in yore right shoe, an' dey say dat would make her be in obedi- ence to yo', an' finely [finally] yo' could kinda handle de rule. An' fine- J she will come to love yo'.
Entry 6143
(What else do they do with the hair?)
Well, yo' kin take it an' use it in anothah way. Dey kin take yore hair - dey git it in certain places.
(Where?)
In de mole of yore haid, or in de temple, or down below, an' dey kin wear dat hair in dey foot - de shoe. Put it in dey right shoe. Put it in a little thin piece of cloth, yo' know, flannen cloth an' wrap it, an' yo' git some of dis what chew call van-van an' wet it wit it. An' puts it in de bottom of yore shoe an' put a piece of newspapah on top of dat an' wear daily in yore shoe. Well, dat kinda runs yo' crazy 'bout 'em.
(Hakes you like the person?)
Makes yo' love 'em.
Entry 6145
Ah heard if yo' takes a girl hair an' jes' lak yo' got a roll in yore sleeve lak dat [demonstrates], cut a hole in dere an' stick dat hair in dere an' wear dat hair evah day. Yo'll make her run aftah yo' - fall in love. [The hole is made under the cuff.]
Entry 6148
Dat's one way yo' kin make her - yo' let 'er comb 'er hair good, yo' og, 'cuz yo' know women will leave hair in de comb by de roots. An' yo' take m' put it right in de bottom of yore socks. Open de hair flat yo' know an' put it in de socks an' wear it, an' it will weave into yore socks jes' lak de factory put it in dere. An' yo' got her undah yore control dere. (Do you wear that in both shoes?) Yes sir, yo' kin wear it in de both shoes, if yo' wanta - in both of yore socks, an' it will weave into it, chew know. It'll shure weave into it, cuz ah tried it.
Entry 6149
Jes' lak if yo' got a wife an' if she leave yo' an' if yo's married an yo' do want 'er come back to yo'. If yo' could git aholt of 'er, some of 'er hair, a plait of 'er hair an' sew it up in a cloth. Tie it up in a cloth an' sew it on de inside of de sock an' wear dat sock an' nevah take dat sock off, jes' wear dat sock right dere fo' nine days, say she come back to yo' in de ninth or seventh day, but chew wear it on till de ninth day, an' say yo'll have her an' she'll nevah leave no mo'.
Entry 6151
Yo' kin take a man's hair, or eithah a woman's, an' yo' kin take dere hair an' a chicken feathah outa de top of 'is head.
(A feather off the top of a chicken's head?)
Yes sir, an' wear it in yore stockin's or about roun' yore waist or somewhere. Den yo' - den dat'll make dat man or woman can't do no way, yo' can't go nowhere. (Can't go with other women or other men?) Yes, sir. (You have to take that person's hair and a chicken feather from the top of a chicken's head?) An' de hair from de top of 'is head.
Entry 6170
Ah have heard from people dat chew could go to de fork of de road an' see all kind of scarey things lak dat an' people kin fix yo' lak dat. (How would they fix you like that?) Well, dey kin take - some people take yore hair an' den prick one of yore fingahs till it bleed, git three drops of blood, an' have yo' crazy where yo' jis' walk a lot. (I want you to tell me the details. What would they do with that three drops of blood they got from your finger?) Dey takes it an' put it on yore hair an' dey take it an' sew it up an' dey kin fix yo' dataway where yo' won't even love no woman or anything lak dat.
(Well, what do they do with that hair then, after they put that blood on it?)
Well, dey kin wear it. (Well, now a person would get my hair and then put her blood on my hair and sew it up?) Shure, an' den yo' begin to love nobody but 'er.
Entry 6171
An' den if yo' wants to be in love wit a girl, yo' take de stran's of hair, about three stran's of hair out of 'er head, an' take it an' sew it into de left cornah of yore shirttail an' wear it dere. An' yo' can't git rid of 'er, she'll still love yo'. (In what part of the shirttail, front or back?) In de left corner in de front.
Entry 6177
Yo' take de hair an' put it in a piece of white homespun an' sew it up in dere an' make a band and put it roun' yore waist an' dampen [feed] it wit camphor fo' nine mawnin's In de Name of de Father, de Son an' de Holy Ghost, an' it will bring love in yore home.
Entry 6178
Well, it's anothah thing about de hair. Dey kin take de hair an' gain de influence or love of a woman, by yo' takin' it eithah to a lovedove [love- bird]. Git dat lovedove an' take de feathahs from 'im wit'out 'im bein' bushin' up or anythin' - yo' know, pick dem. Put 'em in de stove an' let 'em parch yo' know good an' dry. Den yo' take some of de hair from de lady - woman. Well, she take all dat an' make a powdah of dat. Well, first she'll put some of dat on yo' an' den she take de rest of it wit dat Adam-an'-Eve root. Den she wear dat in a bag, see. Well, dat will gain de influence of love wit 'er - well, it cause two peo- ples tuh come to git married.
(She put some of her water - urine did you say?)
She put some of her [hair].
(From her head?)
Yes.
(And she puts them with these dove feathers that have been burnt up?)
Yes - yo' know, make a powder of it.
(And put it in this bag and wear it?)
Yeah, aftah she put some on de othah - on de man.
(Where does she put them on him?)
Jes' anywhere on 'is body while he's sleep. Den she take de rest of it an' she wears it in heah jes' in a bag, but she have to take a Adam-an'-Eve root, yo' know, tuh git de rest of de good out of it.
Entry 6263
Eithah a man or woman, eithah one, git holt of yore hair, undahstan', an' weah aroun' dem. Take an' wet it wit dere pee, yo' undahstan', an' weah it tuh a string, weah it aroun' yo'. Yo' wanta git 'er, yo' see, where yo' wanta. (What do you do that for?) Well, yo' do dat tuh keep anybody else from intahferin' wit yo' an' 'er. Urine de bes' stuff in de worl' tuh wet it.
Entry 6269
Dey tell me yo' kin take a woman, she pluck yore hair an' git a plait of it. Ah know dat, ah've know'd of it bein' done. Plait of chure hair right in de mole of yore haid, an' keep it, an' yo'll nevah leave her - yo' can't leave her. (What will she do with it?) She keep it, yes sir. She'll take dat an' weah it. She'll put dat wit a little chamber lye an' she'll wrap it up, [or] sew it up. She'll git some of yore fingahnails.
(Are you telling me the same thing or something different?)
No, she goin' put dat in a sack.
Entry 6276
If yo' want a person tuh be crazy about choo, yo' kin take dere hair an' a roun' piece 'bout dat big [demonstrates] outa dere sock, of each sock. (About the size of a dollar?) No, about de size of aquartah or half [dollar]. Den yo' ball dat hair up tight an' yo' put it in dose two pieces of sock an' yo' sew it up tight. An' aftah yo've done dat, yo' take dat an' yo' soak it in 'is urine nine days. Put it in today, let it stay, an' take it out; put it in tomorrah an' take it out, fo' nine days; an' den yo' weah dat about yore per- son, as close to yore privates as yo' possibly kin, an' dat'll make dat person automatic'ly crazy about choo as long as yo' weah it. An' of co'se if yo' happen tuh lose it or throw it away, dat breaks de spell.
Entry 6277
Now, one shuah way of makin' love dat ah do know. If a man git holt of a woman's hair, he kin urinate on it fo' nine times an' she will stick tuh 'im. Dat's a shuah thing.
(What do you do with that hair then?)
He keep dat wit him all de time.
Entry 6321
Dey could take yuh hair an' tie it up in a rag an' wear it nine days in dat rag, an' throw it in runnin' watah an' dat run yo' crazy.
Entry 6355
Gittin' some of de man hair an' some of de dirt - jes' lak a woman she git some of de man hair an' git some of de dead skin from undah 'er foot, an' veah it roun' 'er wais', an' dat'll keep 'im mo' [more] close tuh 'er. (She takes some of his hair and some of the dead skin from the bottom of her feet and puts it together.) Yessuh.
Entry 6356
Take some of de hair an' some of de [foot] tracks an' weah it roun' yore waist, an' dat'll keep 'em down - some of dey right track. (Who would do that as a rule?) A woman would do dat. (Take some of the man's hair and some of his right foot track to keep him down?) Yassuh.
Entry 6363
[Paper is a magic substance in hoodoo: type of (including imitation parchment), color, new, ruled or unruled, shape, etc. Folding and wrapping and tying are magic rites.l If he's got othah woman roun' an' dey ain't got de habit of hittin' it off, she could jes' jes' git a stran' of hair out de mol' [mold] of 'is haid, an' wrop it up in a piece of papah, an' jes' make a sack fo' her tuh weah yo' know, jes' sew it up in some of 'er clothes she's gon'a weah. Why he couldn't leave dere no time, unless he goes tuh 'is business - couldn't stay no longah.
Entry 6364
If yo' have a piece of dere hair yo' kin git 'em back. Ah heard dey takes it an' wrap it in some peppah an' tote it, in red peppah. Bring a per- son back.
Entry 6365
Dey take yore hair, a stran' of yore hair, an' dey cut it an' put a li'le piece of it on 'em an' dey wear it roun' below... A piece of yore hair an' put a piece of dere garment an' wear it down below dere stomach. Yes - an' then - that makin' love. (They put a piece of any kind of gar- ment?) Yes a piece of 'er garment - de seat of 'er bloomers, yessuh. Yes - dat make a man love 'em.
Entry 6370
Well, ah've heard dat chew could take de hair out of a woman's haid an' jes' take a string an' tie dis hair, if yo'd wanta harm 'em [her] some way. Weah it aroun' yore waist, weah it until de hair lose out. Say when de hair lose [is lost], yo' done lost de woman.
Entry 6371
Heard dem say dat chew kin take yore hair an' put it in some powdahs an', an' some Hawthorne [= Hearts Own] Cologne. Said dey take dat an' put dat an' tie it, an' put it in a clothan' tie roun' yore wais'. Dey said dat'll make mens love yo'.
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 6373
Take a man's hair, a strand of his hair out of his haid, an' put it ~ makea belt, chew know - an' put dat hair indat belt an' wear it roun' yore waits [waist]. Dat will make him crazy about chew too. Ah've tried dat too.
Entry 6380
[This may be my only example of the rare term badge, meaning hand, or toby or mojo.] If yo' wanted 'er tuh love yo', why yo' jes' take some of - jes' lak yo'd take a bath an' git some of de dirty skin from undah de bottom of yore feet, de hollah of yer lef' feet. Trim yer fingahnails good an' close an' git some of de dirt from undah dere. Take dem an' parch dem, parch de fingah- nails. Parch dese fingah- nails brown, beat it up, an' git some of 'er hair an' burn it - de hair from 'er haid an' burn it. Mixes it tuhgethah wit Hearts Cologne an' sulphur, an' weah it undah-yer lef' arm as a badge.
(Wear it under your left armpit as a badge.)
An' in seven days she'll eithah come or she'll write yo' a lettah.
Entry 6470
Some folks takes 'em an' parch 'em an' puts 'em in a sack, an' if yo' kin - jis' lak ah wan' chew tuh love me. Ah'll take yore fingahnails an' toe- nails an' parch 'em, an' put 'em sack an' ah'll wear dat roun' mah waist, an' ah'll make yo' cling tuh me. An' den ah kin take yore fingahnails an' toenails an' parch 'em, an' pound 'em up an' make a powdah outa 'em, an' feed yo' wit chure own fingahnails an' yo' own toenails. An' dat will make yo' love me. Den ah kin take yore fingahnails an' toenails an' bury 'em - parch 'em an' bury 'em an' name 'em, an' dat'll run yo' 'way from dere. (Now you say in putting that stuff into a person's food - now if I want this woman to love me I would use her own nails or use my nails on her?) Use yores an' hers mixed, jis' mix 'em.
Entry 6478
Sometime a man lay down to sleep - done tried dis mahself - or eithah a woman it'll work de same way. A man lay down tuh sleep. She say, "Umh! yo' feet cert'ly do smell bad! Why don' choo Wash yo' feet?" "Well, yo' go an' wash 'em fer me." "Looka chure long toenails! Dey about long as a dog claws. Why don' choo cut chure toenails off?" "Cut 'em off fer me." He might not think. Dat woman wash yo' feet, an' take a scissors or somepin an' cut chure toenails off. An' she take dem toenails an' tie dem up in a li'le rag or anythin' an' weah 'em aroun' wit 'er. Yo' always gon'a be cravin' fer 'er, yo'll follah 'er down de street. An' she'll [you'll] do de same thin' tuh yo' [her], if zhoo git 'er toenails. Dis is whut ah experience mahself. Ah had a girl ah thought, re'lly did think somepin of 'er. An' we wus stayin' where dat we could be talkin' wit one 'nothah an' usin' one 'nothah lots of times. An' ah heard of dis, don' choo see. So one Sunday she had a pair of silk stockin'. Ah say, "Yo' gon'a put dem silk stockin' on ole dirty feet?" "Ah ain't got time tuh wash 'em." Ah say, "Ah'll wash yo' feet fer yah." Ah said, "Look'a chure toenail! Long an' cut a hole up through yo' sock. An' An' ah done took de safety razor blade an' trim 'er toenails an' washed 'er feet, an' trim 'er toenails an' took 'em. Trimmin', dey fell on de floor an' ah jis' - aftah she got up, ah went an' took dem trimmin's up an' put 'em in mah pocketbook an' wore dem. An' didn't care where ah wus, dat where she wus."
Entry 6480
Yo' take yore fingahnails an' toenails an' put 'em in a piece of rag or somepin an' tote 'em, an' yo' kin make a person like yo', or even yo' kin make 'em hate chew, but chew have tuh put salt an' black peppah with it, or salt an' red peppah. (You do that to make them hate you?) Yessuh.
(And you tote them then?)
Dat's right, an' make 'em not have nuthin tuh do wit yo' in no way or form or no fashion. Dey can't harm yo', but dey Won't bothad wid joo.
Entry 6602
Well, all right, ah've had de pleasure tuh meetin' a woman travelin through de country, an' five or six diff'ren' people of mah profession tole [her] dat dere wus snakes put intuh 'er. Now, dey wus Wondahin' how did dese snakes git intuh dis woman. Ah claim dat yo' kin take snake dust an' put snakes intuh a person. Yo' kin sprinkle dis dust over some of dere food an' if dey eat, dey claim dat snakes will grow intuh 'em. Ah've had de pleasure of gittin' one from a woman. Ah've taken de hair from de top of 'er head an' burn dis an' let 'er weah dis dus' in 'er lef' shoe, an it made dese snakes disappeah.
Entry 6697
Yo' go tuh a druggist or grocery sto', eithah one, an' yo' git chew some saltpetahs, some ammonia, household ammonia, bluein' [three ingredients]. An' yo' take all dat an' yo' fix dat ingredients tuhgethah, an yo' use it in de watah whut chew bathe in. But in de meantime yo' supposed tuh bathe three times a week: Mondays, Wednesdays an' Fridays. [For this three evenly spaced days a week, see p.830.]
(At any particular time of the day?)
Well, say, six in de mawnin', twelve at noon an' six at night. [For this evenly spaced time-of-day formula, see p.830.]
(Any one of those times or three times?)
Well, yo' kin bathe once but eithah one of dem hours yo' kin, yo' see. An' den yo' take dis saltpetah an' yo' puts it in yore shoe an' yo' weah it. Dat'll perteck [protect] yo' from any kinda home or anybody tryin' tuh do yo' harm. (Well, there's also some of that saltpeter in the bath water, too. Those three things are all in the bath water?) Yessuh.
(Then you save some of that saltpeter and put it in your shoe?)
Put it in yore shoe an' weah it in yore shoe fo' pertekshon [protection].
Entry 6705
Ah've heard of de bat an' ah've heard of de frog. (What about the bat?) Well, dey say dat chew take a bat an' yo' git 'is heart, an' yo' keep de heart fo' tuh weah on yore person. But dere some kinda way dey say dat chew put it in alcohol an' dey keep it; but it supposed tuh be in a small bottle an' dey weah it on dey person. Dey take de rest of de bat an' salt 'im down lak yo' would a hide or sompin, yo' unahstan', until he petrifies. An' when yo' tack dat up in yore house somewhere, he [you] have de bat an' de heart. Dat supposed tuh pertec' [protect] yo' from all enemies an' show yo' special favahs [favors] aroun' yore home.
Entry 6706
Now ah tell yo ag'in, it have tuh be yo' unahstan' [under- stand]. Yo' have tuh git some earth from outa de groun', but yo' gotta be sure dat it's black dust - black earth, yo' see. Well, den yo' need tuh git halfa teaspoonfula dis sulphuh, den yo' have tuh git halfa teaspoonfula black peppah intuh a one-inch bag, yo' see, an' it have tuh be pure yallah homespun cloth. An' den yo' goes tuh work an' yo' puts dose tuhgethah, an' one red peppah. An' den yo' sew it up dere in de flannen [flannel]. Heah's a li'le bag dat yo' totes along in dat, yo' undahstan'. Well, it's no chance of no one playin' yo', anythin'. [This may be primarily a gambling hand, but it protects you against conjur- ation of any kind.]
(I see, eats it up.)
Eats it up, takes it 'way.
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 6831
If yo' gotten any poison - yo' see, anythin' dat wuz poisoned - dey could go tuh a gumwood tree an' git de innahba'k, yo' undahstan', from de sun- rise side, an' boil it in sweet milk. An' give tuh dat person three times a day, a tablespoonful, an' dat would offset some trouble, dat poison.
(You mean if somebody has tricked them?)
[I am asking, is this ordinary or hoodoo poison.]
Yeah, somebody's tricked 'em.
(Cunjured them or something?)
Dat's right. Dere wuz a ole man dat usta [use tol come tuh mah gran'mothah's house an' he would tell 'er a certain person wuz jis' down an' out, chew know, jis' couldn't har'ly [hardly] live, an' dis same remedy dat ah'm tellin' yo' 'bout now, of de sap ba'k from de sun- rise of a gum tree. Boil dat in sweet milk an' give dat person. An' dere's somepin 'bout a blacksnake hide dat yo' git fo' 中商 dat person tuh weah it roun' 'is vaist or anythin'. Give him dat sweet milk an' gum ba'k boiled, yo' undahstan', fo' a medicine. Dat would be de remedy.
Entry 6908
Yo' kin weah cayenne peppah, salt an' sulphur in yore shoes, an' yo' kin walk ovah anythin'.
(If you walked over this stuff they planted for you, it wouldn't hurt you then?)
No sir.
Entry 6958
If anyone wanta try tuh put a spell on yo' - whut chew take an' weah it fo', tuh keep dem from doin' dat - is weah a li'le sulphur in yore pocket evah day an' eat a pinch evah now an' den. See, an' dat will keep dem from puttin' de spell on yo'.
Entry 6971
Said if yo' had a woman an' she wuzn't treatin' yo' right or sompin lak dat, gits yo' a li'le vial, an' git some of [her] urinate an' stop it up, an' carry it. Git some of 'er chamber lye an' stop it up in a li'le vial an' carry it in yore pocket always wit chew, an' dat'll stop de woman runnin' aroun'. [Runnin' aroun' includes after other men. This belief should have been put under chastity-belt rites in margin title URINE - BOTTLED, v.3, p.2383-2384.]
Entry 7116
Now dere's two things about dat. Dey tell me dat she kin take de piece, dat she weah nex' tuh 'er skin, an' put it ovah 'is face an' he'll sleep right dere until she come back. Now, dey tell me dat dey kin take yore shoes an' git right at de foot of de bed, an' tie 'em dis way [demon- strates] toe to toe. Jis' lay dem lak 'e weah dem but...
(Toe to toe.)
Yes sir. (And that will keep him asleep while she is gone out.)
Entry 7332
(You mean the knee from this dead man?)
De cap of de knee.
(How do they do that?)
Well, jes' lak if anybody kill a person, git in trouble an' wanta git away, so dey won't be caught chew know an' dey won't even look fo' dem; an' den, if dey run, happen tuh run 'cross 'em, dey can't handle 'em. All right. Dey kin go by a cemetery an' dey'll dig up a dead person, yo' know, if dey in trouble or sompin. An' dey want dat knee. An' dey:11 take dat knee an' dey'll tote it in dere pocket, see. All right. Befo' dey git dere, git dat knee - 'fo' dey git to dat knee, dey will take turpentine an' will rub it in dere shoes, see. Dat's tuh keep - jes' lak dey got dogs out aftah 'em or sompin, [keep dogs away] till dey git to de graveyard an' git dat knee. Take an' wrap it up or sompin an' put it in dere pocket an' go on 'bout dere business.
Entry 7333
Like if a fellah done kilt a man, regardless of what nationality or what color or whoever he are, he's goin' up befo' de judge - he's goin' fer 'is neck or life sentence. Yo' know some fellah, de fellah - yo' know what ah mean, dat he have kilt. Yo' go, yo' have to take anothah fellah wit yo' to do dis. Yo' take yo' a spade or whatevah yo' kin. Of co'se, yo' kin always git in de cemetery at night. Yo' gotta know where dis party's buried dat he kilt. Yo' dig 'im up till yo' git to his lef' ahrm [arm]. Yo' can't wait too long befo' yo' do dis, yo' gotta git 'im befo' he is spoiled. Yo' git 'is lef' ahrm or eithah his han' - anythin' yo' kin git. Yo' git all of dose fingahnails, de whole five of 'em offa dere. Yo' take 'em an' yo' git yo nine needles an' yo' heat dese needles. Yo' bore a hole in each one of dose fingahnails wit each needle. Yo' take dat an' yo' make a necklace outa hit. Now, dis is fo' de fellah dat did de killin'. Yo' give dis necklace to de fellah to wear when he go up befo' de judge, he's gotta get discharged.
(I see. You dig up that left arm. You mean you don't have to get the [whole]
left arm, just so you get the left hand?) Jes' so yo' kin get de...
(You don't want to get the left arm, just so you get the left hand?)
Git de fingahnails, dat's all yo' want. Yo' don't want de flesh at all, yo' jes' want de nails offa de hand.
Entry 7596
Hear'd 'em says graveyard dirt at fō' 'clock, if yo' go dere. Jes' lak yo' - now yo' [the boss] got a job an' ah wanta git mō' salary. Ah might ast fo mo': salary an' yo' make out lak yo' don' wanta give it tuh me. An' yo's de boss. An' if ah kin git - co'se ah do' [don't] nevah do dat - an' run yore arms down jes' as fur as yo' kin. It don' make any diff'r- ence - some folks say dey be gun folks [evil person who carried a gun}, but it doa' make any diff'rence. Yo' run yore han's down jes' as fur as yo' kin reach lak dat down in de middle of de grave, from de haid tuh 'bout de middle of de grave an' git it. An' git some of dat on 'im [the boss] somehow a [or] 'nothah, why den he mo' 'en apt tuh raise yo' pay an' yo' all be good friends.
Entry 7637
Yo' kin take dat graveyard dirt an' throw it aroun' in yore house an' throw all alongside of de bed, an' rub it on down dere. An' yo' kin take dat graveyard dirt an' yo' kin make a man - ah mean work fo' yo' de balance of 'is life wit dat graveyard dirt. An' take a little of it an' tie it in de cornah of red silk han'ke'- chuf an' tote it on yo'. Jes' tote it on yo' enywhere an' he'll nevah be satis- fied till he back wit chew.... He git away from yo', he ain't satisfied until he git back where he wuz....
Entry 7638
Dirt from man's grave, at face part, pick up with silver spoon, go at just dark or just before day, sprinkle in 4 corners of house, or throw on top of house, to move.
Entry 7670
Well, yo' kin take graveyard dirt. Run yore arm down in de grave tuh yore elbow an' take graveyard dirt. Make yo' a li'le sack. It makes yo' lucky, yo' kin jes' weah it in yore pocket. Dat make yo' lucky.
Entry 7785
(What do you go out to the forks of the road for?)
Yo' go out tuh de fo'k of de road tuh git a kinda root. Yo' git a kinda root de' calls de Conkah root. Aftah yo' git dat conkah root, yo' goes on back tuh de house. Dat's when yuh madam done quit yuh - lak yo' mä'ied [married] an den yuh madam done quit yuh. An' aftah yo' git dat root, why yo' goes on back an' yo' take de root an yo' parch it-lak, yo' undahstand. Yo' make a kinda dust outa it, jis' make a dust an' yo' mix it wit graveyard dust, yo' undahstand. An' den yo' gotta rejoin dat tuhgethah.
(Well, what do you do with that, after you mix all this stuff?)
Aftah yo' fix it, yo' jis' take it in a li'le sack. Take it in a li'le sack an' jis' wash it roun' yuh waist-lak, yo' see.
(I see. That's to bring the woman back?)
Yes.
Entry 7926
Ah heard dat if yo' wanted a sweetheart, lak yore husban' or anythin' - if yo' love him an' yo' want him tuh stay wit yo' - yo' takes de graveyard dirt an' yo' wears it, jes' git chew a li'le bit in a bag. Ah seed [= seen = saw] a lady one time wearin' some of it. An' yo' wears it in a bag an' that will make the man wanta stay wit yo'.
Entry 8024
Says yo' take lak dere's a grave rotten down or sompin othah lak dat, if yo' happen tuh go an' git dat bone, anything, yo' kin dress dat bone wit what- evah yo' wanta dress it wit, an' yo' kin use it, if it's [worn] undah yore arm or anything, yo' kin dress it, an' dey say dat's good tuh kill luck [of other gam- blers].
Entry 8032
Git chew some Heart Cologne, git chew some black gunpowdah. Go tuh de graveyard an' go down dere as fer as yo' kin reach. If yo' kin reach de casket an' git a bone - jis' any bone yo' git - take it, specially a ole graveyard where de bones is awfully rotten. Git it an' make a dust [of it]. Jis' git bone enough tuh make a dust out of it. Make it kinda in a powdah. Go dere - [I mean] go back home an' put it in a flannel [cloth] an' weah it undah yuh left arm. Git chew a piece of blacksnake root dey calls it, git hit an' put it in yuh mouth. Chew it up. Aftah six days yo' dere, go tuh dis place where yo' wanta git dis job an' git tuh talkin' tuh dis fellah, an' evah now an' den yo' spit. An' he might herd joo off de firs' time, but de second time yo' go back dere an' yo' git a job.
(You wear this stuff under your arm?)
Yo' weahs it fo' six days, goes down tuh de office an' carries it on. Nevah take it off until nine days aftah yo' git chure job. (Don't take this away until you have been on the job for nine days. And then you don't have to wear it any more.)
Entry 8060
I know what I can do to bring a girl back, if she wants to leave, so long as I got her photograph. I can take her photograph and bring her back. Well, I'd take the photograph, you see, and I'd put it bottom upward, you know, crossways underneath the head of the bed. I can take the photograph and put it under the head of the bed, bottom upwards, and put the head at the west and feet at the east [photo faces east as does a corpse], you see, and put dat dere for nine days. So when dat nine days are up and that starts to rus' [rust], you take that up and put it in your pocket. Wear in your hip pocket and she'll come back. She won't do nuthin till that rus'es, you see. When you put it, it rus'es crossways, you see, on the springs you know. It rus' with the springs. I don't know [how] it come to bring her back, but it will do it jes' as soon as that starts to rus'. And you take that out and put it in your pocket. The actual pitchure itself had to be against the springs, but it have to be a tintype. You see [demonstrates] the face is up this way and you turn it down [face to springs], you see, and let the head be to the west and the feet to the east [normal position for burial of corpse]. That's according to the direction as she went. If she went east, you do that; if she went west, you put the head den [to the east], jis' ever way she went. You put that [on the springs] underneath your pilloW. And WHEN THE NINE DAYS IS UP, THAT THING WILL TURN COMPLETELY AROUND, THAT PICTURE WILL. When the nine days is up and that thing [picture] turns around, she'll come home.
Entry 8144
Yo' kin take a pichure an' yo' kin take some love stuff powdah an' yo' kin take dat. Take de pichure an' burn all fo' cornahs off of it, an' yo' kin wrap it up in dat love powdah an' wrap it up an' weah it roun' yore waist, an' dat'll bring love. (Make a person love you?) Yes. [See also margin title CORNER.]
Entry 8181
If a boy wan'a girl or a girl wan'a boy, git 'is pitchure an' cut off all but de haid. An' fol' de haid up an' put it in a bottle of cologne, an' tote it in yure pocket.
Entry 8196
If a person is away an' yo' wan' 'em back, yo' could take a photograph, no mattah whethah it's tin or pastebo'd. No mattah if it tin or papah, dey kin take dat an' put it on top of de dressah, what choo call de bu- reau. Git ready, yo' take dat. Take a pichure, male or female, an' yo' could take dat an' wrap it up. If a woman wan' tuh bring 'im back, take a piece of 'er clothes an' weah it nex tuh him. [Informant has right idea but may have had a drink.] An' he wrap dat pichure up an' turn it on de haid an' rip dat piece, yo' know whut ah mean, be- hind de glass [of the mirror] an' put it dere lak dat [demonstrates]. Ah don' [care] whäh he is, aftah nine days he'll come, or twelve days, soon as he kin git dere.
Entry 8219
Dey take de pichure tuh hurt or tuh do good. Tuh do good, tuh keep yure man, yo' take dat pichure an' yo' take a needle, an' yo' stick a needle right through it jis' lak dat. Right through de pi- chure, right crossways of de pichure lak dat, a sharp needle. An' yo' weah it, jis' lak yo' has a sack [nation sack, See p.1449f., THE NATION SACK WOMAN, first quotation] or anywhere. Yo' kin put it in a li'le sack an' weah it on yo', an' yo' put it down in dat; but yo' turns 'is haid dis way, right dere, see. An' yo' weah dat. An' ah don' care whut direction he's in, dat keeps: 'is mind tumbled up. He's gotta come.
(You wear that any place on your body?)
Yes, in undah yure clothes.
Entry 8249
I worked in a place and lost my job. The man went out of business. I vas living with a very old colored woman and got behind in my rent. She had been going with a man. This man got mad at her and stopped her. When she found out I could draw pretty well, so she had me to draw his picture as near his likeness as I could. She would put this picture in the bottom of her shoe and wear it until ft Was almost porn out, and have me draw another. I don't know whether that caused him to come back or not, but he certainly came back. [Ocean City, Md., by Ediphone.]
Entry 8300
Well, yore photograph, dey kin weah it in de hose tuh make yo' love 'em or eithah put it ovah a glass of watah, if yo' off from 'em an' draw yo' tuh 'em. (You just lay this photograph over the water?) Yes sir, turn it down ovah a glass of watah an' dat'll draw yo' tuh 'em.
Entry 8397
Dey takes yore photograph, if dey wants tuh kill yuh or if dey wanta control yo'. Dey will take dat photograph an' dey will keep dat photograph in a place, where it's in dey shoe, an' dey weah it, if dey wants chew undah dere feet. But if dey Wants tuh kill yuh, dey will take dat photograph an' bury it on its face, an' leave it dere, an' take dere urinate an' wet on it, yo' undahstand. Wet on dat photograph fo' nine mawnin's an' dat's de end of dat. An' dey say as dat decay, when dat has fully decayed, why yo'll die.
Entry 8466
A person kin take yuh pitchure an', if dere isn't any watah between yuh an' dat person, dey kin take yuh pitchure an' a piece of dere hair [demon- strates], right from aroun' heah, right in back of de eah [ear], de right eah, an' put it, de face up tuh yuh pitchure, an' wrap it up good an' care [carry] it right in heah, in de bosom nex' tuh de heart. If dey wan' choo tuh love 'em, dey kin do dat.
Entry 8470
Now, whut ah've heard about de photograph. Yo' kin take a woman's photograph, if yo' lovin' dat woman an' yo' can't git any love wit her, yo' kin take dat an' weah it in yore pocket an' a bran'-new pocket han'ke'ch'ef. Keep it wrapped up in it an' jes' keep it damp wit a li'le likkah. An' dat woman will go crazy ovah yo' until yo' be's ready tuh quit 'er.
(You keep that pocket handkerchief anointed with liquor?)
A bran'-new one ain't nevah been used.
(Do you have to keep it in your pocket in any particular Way or anything?)
Yes sir, in yore left [the heart] pocket.
Entry 8495
If yo' wants tuh be on de job or anything an' yo' want tuh stand in good wit yuh boss, yo' takes 'is name an' yo' git some loaf sugah, yo' put it in a bottle, yo' writes 'is name nine times, writes it tuh yuh, not from yuh. An' ah put's mah name on top of 'is, an' ah folds it tuh me, an' ah puts it in dis bottle. (You cross it or what?) Ah puts it ovah his'n an' ah crosses it, too. See, ah write his name first dis way an' den ah changes it an' write it dataway, an' ah switches ag'in - forward an' backward, undahstand.
(I see. All right.)
See, den ah folds it up an' ah puts it in dis bottle wit cinnamon an' sugah, an' ah buries it. An' ah weahs his name in mah shoe an' keeps it dere in mah shoe. An' when ah weahs it out, well ah puts anothah one in dere. See, dat's tuh stay on de job.
Entry 8496
Well, yo' git dat boss - try tuh git holt of some one of de mens dat works dere, an' git aroun' dem an' ast 'im what de boss name. Well yo' git 'is name an' yo' weah dat boss name. Yo' take it an' write it nine times goin' an' comin' towards yuh, an' put it in yuh shoe; but be sure dat yo' put some sugah in it. An' dat's gotta be brown sugah yo' undahstand.
(Why brown?)
It jis' have tuh be brown sugah.
(All right.)
Entry 8497
Git 'is name.
(Get the boss's name.)
Uh huh.
(What do you do with that?)
Yo' write de boss name nine times an' den aftah yo' write de boss name nine times, yo' git chew three lumps of cut loaf sugah - three lumps. (Cut loaf sugar.) An' aftah yo' git dem three lumps of cut loaf sugah, yo' takes de boss name of de nine times writin' an' yo' take it an' fold lak dis here - yo' know, lak a envelope is fold. Fold it lak dat. [Fold the name as you would fold a sheet of paper to put in envelope.] An' yo' take de boss name an' aftah yo' fold it lak dat, yo' turn around an' yo' put it in a brand-new silk pocket han'ke'ch'ef. An' yo' put it in dat brand-new silk pocket han'ke'- ch'ef an' yo' weah it along in heah.
(Where? Where do you wear it?)
Weah along heah [demonstrates].
(Right along there?)
Yeah. An' he's sure goin' tuh send fo' yuh tuh come back.
(I see. Where do you put that sugar?)
Yo' put dat sugah wit it.
(In those three things?)
[Three things = 3 lumps of sugar.]
Yeah.
[I now for the first time reveal the Wearing place.]
(You put it down near your private?)
Uh huh. An' when dat sugah comin' [commence], tuh meltin', yo' take dat sugah out dat's comin' tuh dissolvin', an' yo' put it one - yo' know break it. Yo' take an' put one lump in dat cornah, one in dat one, one in dat, one in dat.
(You put a half lump in.)
Each cornah.
(Of your own house?)
Each cornah of yore own house - nobody else's house, in yore own house.
(Well, there are three lumps of sugar and you break two of them.)
Yeah, an' put it in each cornah, an' de boss, he'll send fo' yuh.
(I see.)
Entry 8507
Well dey use a catfish bone. It's one dose li'le fo'ked bones an' it's kinda shaped lak a ink pen. Yo' seen some fish bones dat's kinda shaped lak dat. (When you get this bone out of the catfish, what do you do with that then?) Yo' dip it in ink an' write chure name wit dat catfish bone, an' fole dat papah tuhwards yo' lak dat. An' yo' stick it down in de fo'k of dat bone, an' yo' place it wit a string aroun' [demonstrates]. (I will write your name with this fishbone on a piece of paper, and just keep folding it to me. Then, what do I do with that paper then?) Well, yo' weah dat in yo' hat. Dat's tuh draw dem.
(Do you use ordinary ink in that pen?)
Yes.
Entry 8553
[When he leave home, she writes his name about five, or even nine times is best, and she folds it towards her and wears it in her right shoe.
(What will that do?)
Well, that'll keep him home.
(Oh that keeps him home, I see, brings him back.)
Brings him back.
(I see.)
Entry 8556
They write your [a man's] name up here [at the top of a piece of paper] and hers down here [at the bottom] and fold your name on top of it [fold man's name over woman'sl and wear that in your left shoe. That's in order to bring
[her] his way.
Entry 8571
Fur ninstance [for an instance] yo' kin take an' yo' kin write a pusson name frontwards an' den yo' kin write it backwards. An' den yo' could take some salt an' put in dat an' yo' could keep dat pusson down by putting it under yo' feet. (What do you mean under your feet?) Well, yo' see, jes' like my name David. Yo' write David Chislow, den yo' write backwards Chislow David. [This is the normal writing backwards and not preceding margin title BACK- WARDS.] See what yo' mean. Then yo' take some salt an' yo' put in dat, a little piece of cloth, an' yo'll fix dem. Make a little flat piece of cloth an' lay it right in yo' shoe, an' then yo' put on your shoe, an' yo' put your foot right on that an' keep me right down.
Entry 8619
People from different places write me letters for dif- ferent things. Now, ah'll tell yo' what yo' do for dat. Jes' like yo' go in a place of boot- - Memoirs: of Alma Egan Hyatt Foundation - leggin' [you become a bootlegger] an' yo' don't want de police to bother yo', or de sheriff to bother yo'. Yo' find out his name, yo' understand. Yo' get his name an' yo' write his name seven times backwards. Yo' take dat name an' yo' place it in de bottom of yore shoe, yore left foot shoe. Just wear it right [in] yore shoe an' wear it continual in yore place [of business] yo' understand. He never will worry yo'.
Entry 8659
You take his name an' write it nine times, an' git choo a he an' she lodestone an' put it in there with his name, an' git a silver dime from 'im. An' he'll give yo' ever' nickel of money he kin make or scrape. (What do you do with that after you get this stuff together?) Yo' make it like in a little bag an' yo' pin it on yo'. Yo' see, yo' write his name first, yo' make yore wish jis' w'atevah yo' want done, yo' understan', an' den yo' wrap it up to yo' an make yore wish an' sew it up an' wear it on yo'.
(What do you do with this dime?)
Put it in there with dat - dat lodestone. Draws it, draws his money to yo'.
Entry 8660
(How do they do that?)
Well, they makes up a little bag an' takes an' puts lodestone in it, an' this here Conkah Root; put Conkah Root Powdah, cinnamon an' things, an' if dey wanted a man they sew de man's name up in dat, with a dime in dere an' den dey weah it. (I see.) [A gambling hand becomes a love hand by the addition of a person's name.]
Entry 8668
Well, yo' use needles in a.way dat a - say fer ninstance [an instance] yo' courtin' a young girl, an' yo' want tuh gain influence in a decent Way wit de girl, yo' understan', an' want 'er mind direct attached tuh yo'. Yo' take two needles an' cross 'em. Take her name - yo' first get 'er name an' 'er name's on a papah. Den yo' take two needles an' cross those two needles [through that paper] an' yo' wear dem inside of yore vest pocket, coat pocket, or shirt pocket. Den she will come an' influence with yo'.
Entry 8675
Take that name and put it nine times, and she wear it in the bottom of her foot. She keep her stockings on all day long and she keep that name right under the palm of her foot. An' keep her stockin' on, dat's to keep it from vorking out. That draw her husband back home to her.
(I see. She writes the name nine times as you showed me before?) Yes, sir, nine times.
Entry 8676
Yo' kin write his name nine times an' make a wish an' den yo' kin wear it in yore right shoe an' he'll come back.
Entry 8677
Yo' kin take a pencil an' write a man's name nine times an' whoevah yo' is, if yo' want 'im, yo' write 'is name on a piece of papah nine times an' write her name on de top of dat papah - on top de line dat his'n is wrote on. Write it on dere an' take an' let 'er wear it nex' tuh 'er skin on 'er princess slip, an' he will always have 'er on his mind.
Entry 8678
Take his name down nine times on a piece of papah an' yo' write her name down three times. All right an' she git her some sugah an' some cinnamon an' she put dat on dat papah an' fold it three times to her an' wear it in 'er left shoes. Dat's tuh git him back home. Now, when she gits him back home, tuh keep him from goin with any othah woman, she takes her fingernails an' her toenails an' git a part of her hair. An' grate dat all up togethah an' put it in whatevah she cooks, an' give it to him an' he cain't leave 'er.
Entry 8682
Yes, yo' could take a sheet of papah wit lines on it an' write. Now, if she wuz a married woman an' yo wanted her, yo'd write her name [demonstrates] on dis line an' yo' turn de papah ovah an' write his name on dat line. See, her name would be goin' disaway an' 'is name dataway.
(Which way would her name be going?)
Yo' see, both sides [of the paper] has lines. Well, yo' write 'er name on dis line an' yo' turn de papah ovah an' write his name [over her name]. Well, yo' see both names wouldn't run togethah. One would run dat way an' one dis way [in the opposite direction]. Well, dat's de breakin' up [opposite of putting together] part. An' yo' would wear these names in yore shoe fo' three days, an' on de third day yo' take it out befo' de sunrise an' jes' tear it in small pieces an' bury it. Yo' wouldn't bury it very deep. Jes' rake back a li'le dirt, enough tuh keep de wind from blowin' it away. An' ever' mavnln' befo' de sun rise, why yo' put jes' a li'le chamber lye on it, an' yo' would say a prayer. (What kind of a prayer?) Yo' would say, "Lord, ah'm doin' dis in Yore Name fo' peace." An' yo' see dat "peace" would mean yo' wouldn't mean de man no harm, but chew would jes' want dis woman. An' yo' would do that fo' nine mawnin's an' de ninth mawnin', why dis woman would come to yo'. An' de way her an' her husband would split up, why he wouldn't have any suspicions of anyone. Then her mind would go from him an' his mind would go from her, an' would [go] to the one that wuz doin' this, that she loved. An' she would nevah know, or he would nevah know jes' how they broke up. But then yo would git de woman that yo' wanted.
Entry 8695
Take some red peppah an' put it in his lef' shoe, an' write his name on a piece of paper an' lay it over that red peppah. Dat'll make yo' [a woman] get his money.
Entry 8709
(You want to stay on the good side of your boss?) Yes. Yo' wanta work continually wit chure boss. Jis' put his name in de bottom of yore shoe an' yo'll wear dat.
Entry 8710
Like yo' got a woman or anything like dat, yo' kin write her name an' wear it, an' she can't quit yo' for nobody else. (Where do they wear that name?) Jest wear it in your left shoe. (And she can't quit you.) Jes' write her name an' put it in yore left shoe.
Entry 8770
Take dis bossman whut yo' got in yore mind - yo' got it in yore mind fo' tuh go tuh dis bossman. Yo' goin' dere tuh git a job. Yo' take dis man's name an' yo' write it an' yo' write de twelve apostle. Dese are de twelve apostles. Yo' write de twelve apostles first an' den yo' write dis man's name twelve time, an' each apostle [demonstrates] each apostle heah an' yo' write his name heah. Dis de 'postle heah, an' yo' write his [boss] name dere, dis 'postle heah, an' yo' write his name dere. Continue dat an' yo' put dat in de bottom of yore shoes, an' yo' weah dat three days 'fore yo' go tuh 'im. An' when yo' go tuh 'im, he'll give yo' de job.
Entry 8771
Yo' kin take de twelve names of de twelve disciples an' write it on a long list, yo' understand, jes' lak de names yo' use behin' dem dis- ciples. An' de person dat chew angry with, write his name under dere, aftah writin' one verse out de Bible between de twelve disciples name an' de person dat chew sō' [sore] wit. An' wrap it up an' weah it in yore shoe. Yo'll conkah dem an' keep dem down easy. (You write the twelve apostles' names and some verse from the Bible, and then the person's name that you want to keep down?) Yes sir, let de verse of de Bible be between the 'postles' name an' dat per- son's name, an' dispose of it. Put it in de bottom of yore shoe an' weah it.
Entry 8772
They say if yo' take de twelve apostles an' write 'em on [a piece of paper or twelve sage leaves?] an' put 'em in yore left pocket or eithah yore left shoe, why dey say dat'll keep harm from comin' to yo'. [A note following write 'em on reads: A noise made here so do not know what they were written on.]
Entry 8804
Jes' lak ah'd set down heah an' write a lettah. Well, me an' 'er [livingl togethah. Bell, perhaps ah may not send dis lettah nowhere, yo' see, an' ah'm gone. Ah run away an' leave 'er an' leave dat lettah dere. Well, if she wanted [to] git me back, why she would take dat lettah, yo' see, an' write 'er 'nitial on it; set dom an' burn it up in de fiahplace dere to ashes, an' take one-half of 'em an' at "em in de bottom of 'er shoe an' weah it, an' de othah half of 'em an' put in dat lettah an' send it tuh me. An' when ah git dat ah will come back tuh 'er.
Entry 8826
Lak if yo' write a lettah tuh someone an' dey git chure han'writin' or dey know yore han'writin', dey take dis han'writin' - take dis lettah an' cut each cornahs off it. Jes' lak yo' got a sheet of lettah an' yo' cut each cornahs off of it, an' take it an' fold it up intuh fo' parts, take an' fold it up dis Way. Den yo' take it - lak if she Wanted 'er husban' tuh come back tuh 'er. Den she take dis lettah aftah she fold it up - aftah 'er sonthly come on her - an' she take some of 'er monthly an' she take a small piece of flannel rag, an' tie it up in dat small flannel rag. Fold dat lettah, fold dat lettah fo' times, an' 'er monthlies in dis li'le flannel rag, an' den she take dat an' she weah it. Aftah she take an' fold it up, den she weahs it tuh 'er navel down heah - dis side of 'er navel.
[The navel is not meant, see later.]
(Which side?)
On 'er left side. An' den aftah she do dat, she weah it so many days. An' ah heahs women says, aftah she weahs it so many days, dey guarantee dat he will come back tuh dem, don't ca' where he's at, if he in New Yawk or anywhere. It will take effect on 'em an' dey come back. (Show me how that letter is folded with that piece of paper now? First, they tear the corners off, you say?) Dat's right, teah de cornahs. Den she take dis flannel rag an' 'er ministrate an' she put dat right in de centah of dat, an' she take it an' she fold it lak dat [demonstrates].
(She folds one corner to the opposite corner?)
Yessuh. (She folds every corner to the opposite corner, making a triangle. All right. Like making a little hat that you would wear.) Yes.
(Then she wears that right between her legs.)
Dat's it.
Entry 8864
Ah've heard a person kin write chew a lettah an' if yo' wan' dem tuh come tuh yuh, yo' kin take dat lettah of dey han'writin' an' weah it in yore shoe, or eithah roun' yore waist, jis' so yo' keep it on yuh where it'll keep warm, an' dey'll come where yo' at. Ah've heard of dat.
Entry 8865
De shoe - a person kin - yo' have to use a lettah wit dat.
(Well, tell me the whole thing.)
Well, ah wus correspondin' wit a girl one time an' ah used tuh write her all de time, when ah wus off from home, an' ah wusn't intendin' tuh come back right away. An' ah didn't experience dat until den but ah heered a lot of it. Ah had a good job. An' so me an' 'er would swap mail yo' know. So she kept awritin' an' beggin' me tuh come home an' ah wouldn't go. An' so ah wrote 'er up ag'in an' den about nine or ten days aftah dat ah got to de place where ah wusn't satisfied. So de man raised mah wages five dollahs mo' - ah wus git- tin' $25 a week an' he raised me tuh thirty. Ah couldn't be satisfied no way, shape, for or fashion. So ah went home. Well, aftah ah go home an' she say, "Well, yo' come." Say, "Yes." She say, "Well, ah knowed yo' wuz comin'." Ah say, "Why yo' say dat?" She say, "Well, ah want tell yo' sompin but if ah tell yo', yo' might git mad." So ah got her han's drub[?] [rubbed her hands?]. So she tole me. She say, "De las' lettah ah wrote chew, " she says, "ah taken it an' fold it an' put it in de shoe an' wore it fo' nine days." Ah says, "Where yo' learn dat?" She says, "Well, de rootman tole me." An' ah says, "Ah got back." So dat's why dey learn dat.
(That's all she did?)
Dat all she did.
(She Wore the letter that she wrote to you?)
No sir, she wore de lettah in 'er shoe dat ah wrote to 'er, mah han'writin'.
(Your handwriting she wore in the shoe?)
Shure.
Entry 8867
Well, ah have heard of 'em - said dat tuh make 'em come back, by takin' 'is lettah, if she could git 'im tuh write. She take his lettah an' sleep wit 'em undah 'er haid fer ten or twelve nights, dat he'd come on back.
Entry 8880
Well, if somebody wrote chew a lettah now - jes' lak if yo' wanted tuh git tuh somebody an' dey wrote chew a lettah, why yo' take dat lettah an' yo' read it. Yo' read it backwards. An' den, if yo' kin read backwards, take dat lettah an' yo' read it backwards. An' den yo' take an' take it tuh a willah tree. Yo' take it to a willah tree. An' a willah's got a forked root tuh it. Yo' dig down tuh dat root where it's forked down dere, an' den yo' turn dat lettah bottom upwards undah dere, undah dat tree, an' kivah [cover] it back up. Well, yo' git de devil's shoestring an' yo' weah it round yore arm, jes' tie it round yore arm. Dat's whut ah heered 'bout dat.
(What will all this do now?)
Dat jes' lak if yo' love somebody an' want 'em back tuh yuh or want - whatsom- evah yo' want done tuh 'em. Whatsomevah yo' want done, when yo' go tuh dat wil- lah tree an' put dat undah dere, yo' speaks dat befo' de Fathah, Son an' Holy Ghost.
Entry 8912
Den if yo' got a idea dat I stole it - yo' know, like if I steal somepin from yo' an' yo' got a idea - I seen yo' come aroun', I mean. Yo' kin get some of my foot track or anythin' an' I'll bring it back, but if yo' don't know.... [I tum off recording machine here because rite did not sound promising. Then he says something about foot track and I begin to record.]
(What do they use?)
Well, yo' know, wheresomevah yo' step like dat, see right between de palm of yore foot an' de heel; see, yo' get a knifebladeful an' yo' put it in a handker- chief an' fold it.
(How do they fold it?)
[Informant begins to demonstrate.]
Fold it to yo' an' den fold it...yo' fold it like dat, an' den back like dat, but yo' don't want a rag as large as dis, see. An' den double it over like dis, back like dat. Well yo' won't want no - no piece no bigger'n [bigger than] dat in dere. An' den put it undah yore do'step an' cross it evah mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's an' name it, like if my name are John, see. Yo' cross it evah mawnin fo' nine mawnin's an' call my name 'fo' sunrise. De ninth mawnin' yo' go dere an' take it up, an' den yo' pick it up an' put it in yore pants, anyhow yore belt, an' de ninth mawnin' ah'll be dere.
Entry 8931
I wouldn't say that would have power to bring 'em back, but I tell yo' what yo' can easily do. Yo' can do this: If a person steals somepin from yo', yo' can take three pins - three safety pins. Yo' can take three safety pins an' write that person name on there. (On what?) On a piece of plain white writing paper like - take like yo' write letter, like yo' see me do now [demonstrates]. Write that person name, three times, with three pins, an' stick 'em through their name, through that name, the three names, an' wrap it up an' wear it in your pocket, an' I'll bet yo' what- ever [money] yo' got. Yo' jis' take three ordinary safety pins of the same size an' wrap 'em through that, stick 'em through that paper an' wrap it, an' put it in your purse or your pocket an' wear it. An' I'll bet yo' them stolen things - it won't be three days before yo' find out who and where it is. If they don't bring 'em back, yo'll give 'em a chase. But yo'll get it.
Entry 9020
All right, if yo' got some of yore friends in trouble an' wants tuh git 'em out. Prob'ly yo' got a purtty bad case an' yo' wants tuh git 'em out. Well, yo' kin go tuh de graveyard at night, twelve a'clock at night - let it be daid on de minute twelve aclock. Yo' go dere at night at twelve aclock an' yo' run yore arm down in de graveyard as fur as yo' kin git it down dere, right in de centah [a quincunx rite]. Yo' git a han'fulla dirt an' yo' take dat dirt an' git chew a plain white pocket han'ke'ch'ef dat don't have any streaks atall about de pocket han'ke'ch'ef - so it's plain white. An' yo' take dat dirt an' tie it up in de cornah de han'ke'ch'ef, puts it in yore pocket an' brings it on back. Well, yo' bring it back tuh de house an' when yo' git back tuh de house, yo' git chew some sage or sompin at night. Do all dat dat night. Bring it back tuh de house an' git chew some sage or sompin an' tie it up in dere wit dis dirt an' yo' takes it up in de jail, wheresomevah dey's in jail at, an' give it tuh de person an' tell 'em tuh weah it in de bottom of dey shoes. Well, dey weah dat in de bottom of dere shoes dat night. Prob'ly dey goin' have trial tuhmahah. An' dat night befo' dey goin' have de trial, yo' have some of yore friends tuh go tuh dat co'thouse, dat nex' mawnin' or dat mawnin' befo' day - sometime befo' dey'll have de trial - an' throw three aigs on topa de buildin'. An' be shu' dat evah' one of 'em is bust. If dey don't bust, it's not any good; but chew have tuh be shu' dat de aigs is bust. An' let 'em weah dat sage an' dirt in de bottom of dere shoes, an' dat'll cleah hit up.
Entry 9065
Well, yo' could take an' go down [to buy bluestone] an' yo' would place dis bluestone intuh yore hat; see, bluestone an' saltpetah intuh yore hat - see, intuh yore hatband - an' turn yore hat [backwards]. Jes', say, fur an instant [instance] yo' take dis hat [my black hat on interviewing table] an' turn it backwards onto yore haid.
(Just turn your hat all the way around backwards. Wear it backwards.)
Turn de front intuh de back, see. An' he - he couldn't do nuthin.
(The judge wouldn't do anything to you?)
Nawsir [no sir]. Jes' turn yo' loose. To wear anything backwards or wrong- side out protects against ghosts, witches and trouble.]
Entry 9098
Well, jes' lak yo's got a great big case on hand an' yo' can't hardly do nuthin wit dat case. Yo' git all dem, yo' git de judge's name; yo' git de district attorney's name; yo' git all dose p'licemans on dat beat, on yore beat. See, de one dat 'rested [arrested] 'em an' evahthin'. Yo' writes all of dere names down an' yo' take dere names an' yo' weah dere names; see, aftah yo' write 'em down. See, yo' turn all of 'em dis Way. See... [demonstrates].
(So they are headdown.)
Yeah, turn 'em down lak dat, see. An' jes' weah 'em right cross heah, right 'cross de stomach. Dat's all. Yo' ain't got a thing tuh do... [demonstrates]. Put it in a li'le "NATION SACK" [see THE NATION SACK WOMAN, Pp.1449-1459, vol.2] see an' weah it right 'cross de stomach lak dat. An' evah mawnin' soon as yo git up, yo' say de Lord's Prayahs behin' dat an' yo' call all of 'ems name. An' evah night yo' git on yore knees an' say de Lord's Prayah, an' yo' call dere names behin' dat. An' dat's really good.
Entry 9107
Now, here's another way. If yo' goin' to de judge - sup- posin' yo' goin' down dere to Judge Landix, why yo' just take Judge Landix' name. Take parch- ment papah an' cut out just de sole of yore shoes, stick in your - sew it to de heel of yore shoe. An' yo' take his name an' write 'is name down nine times. He's a nine-months child, see.
(He is a nine-month child?)
Yeah, his mother carried him nine months. Yo' take yore name an' yo' write hit down dere nine times, over his. Yo'll say, "Judge, ah want yo', In de Name of de Father an' de Son an' de Holy Spirit, to have mercy on me today an' let me go. An' dat same thing, whensomevah dey call yo' up befo' de judge - yo'll have a lawyer dere to do yore talkin'. De judge goin' to ask yo' a few question an' de lawyer goin' to take part. Yo' just keep a-sayin' dat inwardly. De policeman get up an' make 'is testimony.'Don' yo' come back here no mo'." Ah say, "Thanks." Dat's fo' dat. Now, yo' use nine drops of Van-van fo' dat.
(How do you put that on?)
Yo' put dat right on - right in dat parchment papah an' den put it in yore shoe an' walk on dat, dat right shoe.
(Is Van-van an old oil?)
An ole oil, but yo' must know when yo' gettin' Van-van. Ah was kiddin' a boy here month befo' last, ah say, "Now, look, ah'm not in de business but, " ah said, "dis is fo' a personal friend of mine, an' she done gone down here [to where Van- Van is sold] an' got some [Van-van] perfume down [there]. Ah don' want dis othah stuff [she got]. Give me de othah stuff." Van-van [of good quality] is kind of
[hard to get]. [For Van-van, see p.662 and elsewhere.]
Entry 9108
Ah heard dat jes' lak if yo' wuz tuh git in trouble, somepin lak, an' dey prob'ly let chew out on a bond. Well, ah hear'd dat chew would jis' go in de woods an' git chew de heart outa red oak tree. An' yo' takes de heart of dis tree an' yo' takes an' trims it down, an' yo' puts it in a bag, an' hangs it right ovah yore heart. An' den whenevah yo' git ready tuh go down fo' dem tuh try yuh or anything, says, "Now yo' have dese two hearts tuhgethah." Den dat'll be three hearts, yo know: his heart, yore heart an' de red-oak-tree's heart, supposed all tuh be as one. Well, yore mind is goin' be fo' tuh free yo', an' den, says dis heah heart of de tree will work wit de heart of de man. An' dey says, den dat'll cuz yore case tuh be lagged, cuz dem tuh give yuh lightah terms. (Well, now, what do you mean by the heart of the red oak? What do you mean by the heart?) De heart of de tree. See, yo' cuts de tree, cuts it down, jes' lak yo' cut it right down. Well, dey gits de middle outa dis tree. Yo' takes an' cuts a piece of dis heah tree, jes' trim it down an' shape it wit yore heart jes' lak a heart.
(You make it in the shape of a heart.)
Yo' take dis heah an' put it right ovah yore heart. Den yo' goes down tuh trial an' dese three hearts...
Entry 9120
Yo' goes tuh a palm tree an' go on de side de sun rise on, an' yo' chop dat down, right tuh de root of it. An' yo' gits some of dat [root] an' yo' could sew some of dat up wit six sage leaves. Yo' gits six sage leaves. (You get some of this palm root and then you mix these six sage leaves in there. All right.) Yo' mix it up an' put it tuhgethah an' yo' kin sew hit up - sew it up tuhgethah. An' yo put three intuh dat - three of those six [sage] leaves - three of 'em. Yo' mix it up tuhgethah an' give a person one tuh weah in each one of his shoes. Dat is fo' trouble, lak yo' got a case in co't, a bad case. Dat'll kinda he'p yo' out in co't. (In this bag you have three sage leaves with this palm root and he has one [sage leaf] in each shoe. All right he has one left over. What is he going to do with that?) He takes dat othah one an' he keeps hit till he go inside [court], an' when he go inside, he puts it in a knot undah his tongue - undah his tongue - an he be talkin'.
Entry 9121
An' it's anothah one. If yo' should git in trouble, yo' take an' yo' write: Mark, Matthew, Luke an' John. [These names are written one under the other.] Den yo' take some sage an' put it right in de centah of it. (You write these names on a piece of paper?) Dat's right. (And you put that sage in the center of that paper?) Dat's right. An' yo' write chure name cross- ways, cross dose fo' names, an' yo' put it in yore shoe. An' yo' represent yo'- self jes' when yo' go in de co't an' de Lord will take de part wit chew.
Entry 9123
[The statement in the following text about the tribes of Israel comes from hoodoo, not from a critical study of the historical sources.] De shoe business is lak dis: Dere's twelve tribes in de Bible an' dere's 56 tribes of de whole thing. In de third chaptah of St. Luke yo' find all de tribes, but dere's twelve special tribes of Israel in dose chapters. Well, yo' take dem. Now, dis is de way tuh handle things in co't an' handle things anywhere yo' goes tuh have peoples tuh go wit chew, yore way. Yo' read de 56 tribes, an' put down a green leaf of sage evah time yo' read a tribe. Yo' take green sage. Yo' undahstan' me. Ah don't mean nuthin but de pure sage. Yo' know, peoples take some othah things fo' sage. Well, ah means sage. Evah time yo' read a tribe, take a green leaf of sage an' lay it on dere. Now, dere's lak fo' leaves. Yo' understan' me. Until yo' read 'em all an' yo' [have] 56 leaves down dere. Well, de superior tribes is twelve. Yo' takes de tribes of Benjamin, take de tribes of Noah[!], an' de tribes of Moses[!] - dere's twelve of 'em. Jes' keep on till yo' - yo' know de special [12] tribe. De tribes of Israel is de main tribes, but dere's twelve of 'em - de twelve tribes. Well, yo' take dose tribes an' aftah yo' read de 56, yo' go back an' yo' skip fo' an' take one. Evah time yo' skip one, yo' see, yo' leave three an' pull out one an' place it ovah heah. Yo' skips fo' ag'in an' pull out one an' lay it ovah heah, an' when yo' git three yo' got twelve tribes. Well, take dem twelve leaves an' put 'em in de bottom of yore shoe an' go in jail, in de co'thouse, an' anywhere, yo'll come out. Yo' save de rest of 'em tuh buy up de crowd wit. Put dat in yore left shoe. Whut's left of de twelve yo' put in yore left shoe. An' ah guarantee yo' won't miss. (You put 56 leaves in this pile of all the tribes, and then you pull out four? Or, you leave four and pull out one.) Dat's right. (Leave four and pull out one until you get twelve leaves. Those twelve you wear in your shoe, and that other bunch you put in...) Twelve in yore right an' 44 in yore left shoe.
Entry 9162
Yo' know it's twelve disciples an' dere's 12 jurymens. Well, yo' take dese twelve disciples an' yo' put six - write six names on one piece of papah an' six on de othah, an' put dem in yore shoes - each shoe. An' yo' rubs garlic in yore hand, if yo' kin git tuh it. Yo' see an' go intuh de courtroom, or yo' kin turn evahthing. Jes' lak de trial goin' tuh be tuhday. Turn evahthing in yore house from de cups on tuh a chair, turn it upside down, mattress an' evahthing yo' see. He [judge] can't [go] ovah dat. If dey do, yo' ain't goin' git much. See, he don't know how tuh git tuh yo'. See, dis Work 'em upside down. Dey don't [know] how to git up tuh yo'. Yo' see dose 12 disciples, ah can't call 'em by name right now, but any- way it's twelve. It's 12 jurymen. Well, see de disciples are jurymen.
(That's when you go up before the judge.)
Entry 9165
When yo' git 'rested, befo' de jedge try yuh, yo' take off yore shoes, take off both yore shoes. Take yuh socks off. Turn de bottom of de shoe down. Take de socks an' put all in one. Yo' know, take two de socks an' put all in omg shoe. Yo' jes' take off yuh sock an' roll it up an' den put it in de othah one. Makes a bundle outa it. Tie it ovah wit yuh shoes. Den when de cop come tuh remove yuh, take yuh tuh de judge try yuh, den'yo' put - take yore socks, yo' unfold it a put it in one back pocket, an' one in de othah back poa ket. An' den yo' put on yore shoes witout eny socks. Take de shoestring outa it an' put dat in yore [front?] pocket an' yo' walk on up tuh have yuh trial. Well, de case's [case is] out. It may be a mistrial.
Entry 9172
Well, all right. Well, say fo'stance [for instance] now, yo' done some hangin' crime ovah yondah [where you came from] - done some bad crime, ah mean a hangin' crime ag'in. All right. Say fo'stance yo've did dat. Yo' say, "Well, Lawd, ah don't know whut ah'm goin' do, ah don' know whut's goin 'come [going to become] of me." Yo' come tuh me an' say, "Well, Dawson, listen, ah've did a bad crime. What's ah'm done goin' do? Ah know dey goin' hang me." [Up to this point I have done as guinea pig all sorts of crimes in the text, but this appears to be my first murders!] Ah say, "Well, ah don't believe dey will." Yo' say, "Well, whut must ah do?" [Here Dawson, one of my contact workers in Mobile, answering for me recalls Doctor Washington of Charleston, S. Car.; see No.9024, p.3660, v.4.] Ah says, "We'll go tuh de sto', yo' wait till ah come back." Ah'll go tuh de sto' den an' ah'll git me a package of red cayenne peppah. See, ah'll git dat. Ah'll walk out in de woods aftah ah git dat cayenne peppah an' ah'll go ahead an' ah'll git me a dog-brindle weed.
[My following question shows I completely misunderstood dog-brindle weed.]
(Dog brindle or dog fennel?)
Dog brinnel [dog-brindle = dog color]. [The preceding brackets were originally parentheses and the comment is not mine but my transcriber's. She Was correct. The weed had dark streaks or spots on a gray or tawny ground.]
(What does it look like?)
It's got a little - it grows tall, about dis big [demonstrates]. Got little leaves on it, no flowahs at all. Well, yo' kin call it dog fennel if yo' wanta [or] dogwood. It's a doa-fana? weed, yo' know. [The preceding question mark following dog. fang? is above fang in the tran- scription. I was unable to improve transcriber's fang part of it. Since the next sentence says wring that off, I suspected the identity of this weed as hound's-tongue, but informant's no flowahs at all eliminated the identification. Finally, could fang be bane? How about dogbane? Is our plant any species of the genus Apocynum? The latter name alludes to the poisonous milky juice, hence the bane of dogs. (A piece of poison in your pocket and shoe could be a good defense against a poisonous sentence by the judge.) Here again we are confronted by flowers. As I have said somewhere, the old-time root men who dug their own roots were fast disappearing when I began to collect back in the 30's. Most doctors in my time bought roots from a root shop, if there was one in the town, or sent away for them. We must not accept Dawson's no flowahs as the absolute truth. An ex- pert may be able to name the plant from the little information here.] Well, yo' git dat an' yo' wring dat off an' put piece of dat in yore pocket, an' yo' put tothah [the other] one in yore shoe. Put dat in yore shoe an' den dis here cayenne peppah yo' got. Now it's lak if yo' settin' an' if yo' stepped out dere an' go tuh dat toilet dere an' nurinate [urinate]. [Whereas at the beginning of this rite author was the defendant on a hangin' crime, suddenly I find myself a judge on the bench! And momentarily leaving the courtroom!] Well, ah take dat cayenne peppah an' ah sprinkle dat cayenne peppah in yore chair, where yo' was settin' at, an' jes' sprinkle it round in heah, see. Well, when yo'[author as judge] come back heah an' set down, an' yo' go tuh talkin' an' says, "Well, Dawson, ah don't see dere's nuthin in heah ag'in yo'." See, yo' say, "Go ahead up an' go on home an' don't come back heah no mo'." See, dat weed is jes' got chure mind, it's [your mind is] jes' up in a uproah [uproar]. An' dat cayenne peppah done changed yore mind all de Way round, so yo' can't do nuthin. Yo' tell me tuh go on home.
Entry 9173
Yassuh, ah heard dat chew kin - now, ah know dis, ah didn't only heard dis. Jes' lak yo' is in trouble now an' yo' wanta git out. [Yo'] be in jail. Ah go in de woods or anywhere ah kin find a willah tree an' git five willah leaves. An' ah'll give 'em tuh yo' maybe in through by yore ration. Ah'll put it undah yore ration an' carry 'em tuh de jailhouse tuh yo'. Well, yo' take dem three willah leaves, dem five willah leaves, an' put two in each hip pocket an weah one in yore right shoe. An' read de fo'th chaptah of St. Luke in de second verse three times a day, an' yo'll be outa dere in three day's time. [St. Luke says little to the point here: Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. King James Version.]
Entry 9177
Yo' kin take jes' befo' yo' bein' take in [are taken into] de co'troom, or yo' be in yore cell den. Yo' kin put chure clothes on, on de wrongside out an' when yo' do dat den, yo' go in dere, an' most of de time [you do this only] aftah yo' done went tuh a wiser person, real wise [here we have the old English wise man or wise woman, numerous examples of which appear in Hoodoo]. [Fayetteville, N. Car., (1452), 2639:8.] [I have titled this section The Amazing Chicken Egg, basing my opinion not upon the rites given here, but upon the many other rites using eggs in Hoodoo. The most remarkable of these egg beliefs are probably those found under the burial of a murdered person - see Nos.7425-7470, pp.3276-3285.]
Entry 9342
Lak if ah been workin' in a place a long time, an' ah wants tuh stay dere, ah gits me a fresh yard aig [chicken egg laid in an old-fashioned henhouse and not on the modern commercial production line!] right aftah de hen lay it. An' ah take some straight stickin' pins [ordinary pins], dey gotta [be] new, an' ah put one right through it lak dis, see [demon- strates]. An' den ah run one across it, yo' see [demonstrates]. An' fo'evah weah dat. Even in mah pocket, jis' lak ah have a pocket, an' weah dat in dere, see [demonstrates]. An' yo' be dere [on the job] fo' a long time. Dey'll nevah fiah [fire = discharge] yo'.
Entry 9367
Take a hen aig an' weah it intuh yuh pocket an' yo'll have luck wit mos' anything dat chew want tuh do. (How do you mean, wear it in your pocket? This whole egg or just the egg shell or what?) Jes' de shell of de aig. If yo' even eat de aig, take de shell an' jes' weah it, wherevah yo' go an' yo'll have luck. Even if yo' go tuh de circus an' yo' want [to] be seein' how dey win dese things, yo'll [have]luck.
Entry 9544
.. Take de peppah an' salt an' press it tuhgethah an' burn it, an' put it in yore pocket an' carry it wit yo' when yo' goin' tuh look fo' a job, if yo' want luck. An' if yo' talkin' tuh yore man, yore bossman, dat's yo's tryin' tuh git a job wit, have dat in yore han' an' [they say yo'll git yo' a job if anybody gits one. [Wilson, N. Car., (1486), cylinder 2660: item No?]
Entry 9592
Yo' git chew some bluestone an' tote dat in yore pocket an' a little red peppah an' salt an' tote dat wid chew. Dey can't har'ly [hardly] - can't do a thing wit chew.
Entry 9596
If de law's bothahin' yo', yo' kin take de onion an' de garlic an' cut it in fo' equal parts. Yo' jis' take de garlic, yo' don't cut it all; yo' jis' take diff'ren' pods, pieces [cloves] yo' know. An' yo' use eithah de white or de red onion, an' yo' kin jis' cut it yo' know, in fo' parts: An' go an' yo' po' a whole box of table salt ovah it, an' den yo' po'a whole box of red peppah ovah it, an' sprinkle a li'l saltpetah an' a li'l bluestone on it. Dat'll keep de law out chure house.
(What do you do with that garlic?)
Well, yo' take dat garlic an' burn it. It's fo' luck. Yo' take dat garlic an' put it in a li'l bag an' fold it up an' wit all kinds - all kinda diff'ren' li'le pieces of stuff dat chew use wit it. Weah it. Yo' know weah dat garlic. (How do you keep the law away with that onion after you prepare it? What do you do with that onion?) Yo' take dat onion an' continue tuh burn it till de third mawnin', an' dat'll keep de law away.
(Where do you do that - burn that?)
Well, yo' take it de firs' night an' let it burn up dere, yo' see. Sprinkle it all round yore house. [In preceding subsection see 3 pepper pods halved, No.9587.]
Entry 9627
If yo' goin' tuh git a job, git up in de mawnin', or even if de sto's now open tuhnight, git chew a package of cookin' salt. Open dat salt. Po' some salt in de cornah of a large han'- kerch'ef. Yo' put red peppah in dere an' sulphuh, an' yo' tie it up. Put it In yore right pocket an' go [to see boss]. An' if de man don' hire yo' dat day, dey'll tell yo' tuh come [back], an' de nex' time yo' go back yo' git a job.
Entry 9629
Well, git chew some salt- petah an' some table salt, a little sulphuh, an' take dat an' nine pods of red peppah an' yo' jes' make a little bag an' yo' weahs dat. Dat's all.
(What will that do then?)
Dat's to keep it back. Dat kill evahthin'. Can't git up to yo' 'cuz dat keep it off.
(That is to protect you.)
Entry 9630
Yo' kin take some salt an' some sulphuh an' some red peppah an' tote it in yuh pocket in a piece of red flannel an' can't nobody hurtcha [hurt you].
Entry 9636
If dey put anything down fo' yo', yo' undahstan' to hurt chew or cripple yo' or anythin' so yo' can't walk. Yo' take dat peppah, cayenne peppah an' salt an' sulphuh, an' mix dat tuhgethah an' sprinkle it aroun' undah yore do'step, an' aroun' yore place whare yo' walk. Quite nec'sary [necessary] yo' weah some of dat in yore shoes. Well yo' see, dey can't do anythin' to yo', can't hurt chew when yo' got dat peppah in dere. It keeps dat down.
Entry 9638
Ah tell yo' whut chew kin do. Yo' read de 54th Psalm. Yo' evah read de Bible? [Since I do not answer, did I nod my head up and down, or shake it sideways. Informant did not know he was talking to a clergyman.] An' yo' takes saltpetah, take cay- enne peppah, an' yo' takes table salt. An' yo' take each one-a yore shoes an' yo' sprinkle yore shoes wit dat sulphur, a teaspoonful'a sulphur. Jes' sprinkle yore shoes wit dat an' walk anywhere yo' want. Nobody can't do nuthin tuh yo' about chew walkin' on anythin'. Nevah min' [mind] about dat [walking on anything].
Entry 9692
Jes' lak if ah had a husban' an' he don' nevah stay at home, an' ah wanted tuh keep 'im at home. Well, ah kin jes' take table sugah an' salt an' mix a little of it tuhgethah an' weah it undah mah ahms. Well, dat'll make 'im draw, love yo'; yo' know, make 'im git close tuh yo'.
Entry 9905
Tell yo' about frogs. Take a frog an' put 'im in a snuffbox an' punch holes in it, an' ca' it down tuh de fo'ks of de road. An' at de twil of day go back fo' nine mawnin's, an' de las' mawnin' he'll be et up by de antses. An' take him den an' take de bone outa his haid, an' keep it in yuh pockit. An' if yo' wan' someone tuh do whut chew ast 'im [ask him] take an' put dat somewheah neah dem, an' dey'll do anything yo' as'cum [ask them].
(When do you take that frog down there to the road?)
At de 'twill of day - yes sir, jis' befo' daylight. (The twill of day, that means just before daylight.) [This last remark of mine is merely an editorial comment for the future. I may have another example of twil but I am not sure. Does it mean at the twilight of day? Somewhere in HOODOO I think we have the expression first Light. Does the latter equal dawn?]
Entry 9952
Yo' kin take a green frog. Yo' know, when a green frog git on a leaf, yo' kin take him an' ketch 'im an' put 'im in yuh pocket. But yo' git chew a bran'-new silk han'ke'ch'ef an' yo' put - yo' wrap 'im up in dat silk han'ke'ch'ef, an' put 'im intuh yuh pock- et. An' weah dat han'ke'ch'ef lak dat a couple of days, wit dat green frog in it. Jis' lak a girl don' want chew, don' lak yuh or somepin, an' yo' wanta make her lak yuh. An' yo' take 'im out of dere an' take de han'ke'ch'ef an' yo' whip it on 'er jis' lak dat. She go wild about chew.
(You whip her with the handkerchief?)
Yes, jis' fan it on 'er, yo' know.
(Just fan it on her?)
Yes, an' she git wild about chew. Dat green frog.
(What does the frog do to that handkerchief?)
Ah don't know what he do, but he makes love - make her love yuh.
Entry 9953
(Will you talk louder?)
See, scrape de bottom of yuh foot.
(Yes?)
Git dat dirt out from under de track dere, see, an' put it in a bag, yo' uni dahstan'. Sew it up, yo' see. An', so ah'm told, git a toadfrog. Sew 'im up in dere wit dat bag. Dat is what dey call a hoodoo bag. See, dat's got chew hoodooed den. Dey'll take dat, take dat an' tote it. Yo' undahstan'. An' takes it an' yo' weahs it dere in yuh house, put it some place in yuh cornah, an' dat'll bring about dat, yo' see.
(Well, what will that do to me, if they put that in the corner of my house?)
Well, dat'll cuz yuh - yo' can't stay at home. Yo' go mindless, yo' udah- stan'. Prob'bly set chew crazy or somepin lak dat. Yo' ain't at yuhself. Always runnin'. Can't stan' still.
(How many foot tracks of mine would they take up, I wonder?)
They wouldn't want but one.
(One?)
One.
(Would they take the right one or the left? Either one?)
Either one.
Entry 9971
If yo' git de laid of a frog an' weah it in yore pock- et, dey say yo'll always be a lucky person. (That's lucky for anything?) Yes.
Entry 9998
Ah've hear'd of 'em. He keeps de frog tricks from workin' roun' shows an' so forth.
(How do they do that?) Yo' take him an' split 'im down 'is back, ah think it is, an' put 'is back, ah think it is, an' put salt on 'im an' put 'im in yore pocket.
Entry 10060
Ah hear'd if a man wanted any luck, wanted tuh learn how tuh be a ex- pert or a musician, or if he wanted tuh be a expert gamblah or what not, dey goes out tuh dat crossroads fo' nine mawnin's. An' de ninth mawnin' when he go out there - but befo' he go out dere, he goes den an' he git 'im a black cat. Ah bettah [begin again] so yo' kin undahstan' it good. Befo' he goes tuh de crossroads dat nine mawnin's, he goes de firs' mawnin' an' he git 'im a black cat. An' he takes dat black cat an' he cares 'im out dere wit 'im tuh de crossroad nine mawnin's. An' when he cares 'im dere nine mawnin's, de ninth mawnin' when he git dere, dey says dat de devil 'imself meets 'im dere. An' dey says he'll tell 'im anything dat chew wan'a do or anything yo' wan'a know. Says, he'll give me anythin' between de sole of yuh haid an' de crown of yuh feet. [With a mixup like this between sole [soul] and crown, devil still must have been working.] He says, "It shall be granted tuh yo'." An' so when- evah he do dat, he takes dis black cat, which he's got alive, an' he gits 'im a pot.
(After he has gone there nine mornings, he takes the cat and gets this pot?)
Yessuh. An' when he gits dis pot, den he goes den tuh a stream of watah dat's runnin'. He makes 'im a fiah on de hill right up above de watah. An' when he makes dis fiah an' git dat watah boilin', he throws dat black cat in de pot alive an' lets dis cat cook alive. An' when de cat cooks until all de flesh has come off de bone, he takes de carcass of dat cat an' throw it in de runnin' watah. An' all de bones an' all de ones dat goes down de stream, he let 'em alone. He takes de - an' de bone dat runs up de stream, dat goes back up de stream de object [opposite] way, why he takes dat bone den an' he totes dat in 'is lef'-breas' pocket. An' when he tote it in 'is lef'-breas' pocket why anythin' he desires den, he'll git dat.
Entry 10106
Take de black cat an' git one of 'is eyes, his lef' eye, an' take it an' boil it an' yo' git dat bead. Yo' know it's a li'le white hard bead in it, dat's whut dey sight is. Yo' take dat an' mix it up wit - put some lodestone in it an' put some lucky oil, an' take dat an' weah it. (What do you wear that for?) Dat's fo' tuh keep any luck, a job or anythin' yuh wanta keep. Dat's fo' tuh be successful in mos' anythin' yo' want. [For eye of black cat and its hardness, see No.10046.]
Entry 10115
First you catch the cat, kill it, then you take the bone out of the front right leg. Take this bone and let it dry and tie it around your leg, either leg, and wear it all the time. That'll bring you luck.
[Fredericksburg, Va., Ediphone 50.]
Entry 10116
There was a fellow who used to say - a long time ago a fellow was not so very lucky, and another man told him to go and git hisself a black cat bone. He told him to go over into the graveyard and find whatsoever he could of a bone from a person, and then come back and git a black cat bone, and keep them in his pocket. He told him to git the fore right-hand arm of the black cat and keep it and the other bone in his pocket and his luck would change.
Entry 10117
After a black cat gets killed anywhere, you pick the cat up and cut the right hind leg. The're [there are] three bones in there like a rabbit [like leg of rabbit]. Then you get the mid- dle bone out of that, then dry it, polish that, and put it in his purse and put it in his hip pocket. He don't think anybody can bother him then at all.] He will go into a dice game and put this pocketbook down, there's nothing in it at all, no money, just this bone, and he will keep his hand on it, and he will win all the money in the game.
Entry 10120
Ah heard dat yo' kin kill a black cat an' git de right han' back laig, an' suck de marrah out 'is back laig, an' go tuh five fo'k of de road nine mawn- in's, an' yo' kin do anything yo' wanta do wit anybody. Yo' kin turn any kinda nachure [nature] yo' kin turn tricks, yo' kin do things.
(You go to five what?)
Five fo'k of a road - jis' a road runnin' dis way an' a road dat way, jis' five fo'k.
(Five roads coming together?)
Yes sir, jis' lak five points out chere; yo' know, de Timl bleville highway, dat's a five fo'k road, see. Well, yo' go down dere nine mavn- in's at nine a'clock. (You can do anything then?) Yes sir.
Entry 10128
Yo' see, yo' have tub take a black cat an' boil 'im at twelve a'clock in de night an' take de bone, one li'l bone out 'is back hin' laig. Ordabxtm' me. An' yo' take an' cg dat Ob a li'l stream of watah dat goin' tuhwards de sundown an' jis' let it float an off in dat watah a li'l piece. Den yo' ketch dat an' tote dat iny pocket. Dat's luck. Dat's whut ah heah 'bout it.
(You get the bone of either back leg?)
Jis' eithah one de back laig, yo' know, long as yo' kin git a bone out dem.
Entry 10133
Boil black cat, third joint from his tail bone will float to top, only bone that comes to top. [Richmond, Va., 386:3.]
Entry 10135
Take a bone, the dead man's bone, and take a black cat bone. That's tvo bones; a certain bone in the black cat, a certain bone in the dead man. And you'll be... (You use them together?) Yes, sir. (I see. All right.) Listen. Take a: certain bone of the dead man and certain bone of the black cat, tying them across [in the form of a cross], wearing them in your pocket. After wearing them in your pocket, you'll be a mystery man at least. You'll do things that it look impossible to do. For instance, I would walk in here - come in and walk on out and I wouldn't see yoo aad you wouldn't see me. But it's a certain bone.
(What bone is that?)
That's a certain bone of that black cat you have to take, you see. They got a bone in that cat - it come from the shoulder, from the left shoulder, that bone. You take that bone, and after taking that bone, to find out if you have the right bone, you takes a mirror, see, passing those bones that way [demonstrates passing che through mouth]. And long as you see yourself in the mirror thar isg't the right one. The moment you get the right one, you don't see yourself my nore. gell, that's supposed to be that bone that you kin absolutely disappear. You'll be coming in the street there and you don't disappear, but anyhow the party you hope don't see you, won't see you. When they do see you again, you'll be a dis- tance off.
(What bone do they take out of the body? Out of that person's body?)
Out of a person body? That bone they got right here, it's a small bone near to your spine.
(At the end of the spine?)
Yes, sir.
(Where you sit down on?)
Absolutely! [Some place else in HOODOO I have another example of the "inde- structible bone, " but I cannot recall where it is.] Take that bone and that black cat bone from the left shoulder and tying them acrosst. But the bone of the cat, to be sure that you have the right one, you have to use a mirror.
Entry 10136
They say you must shoot a cat going right, a black cat crossing your road going right. Shoot him dead and then get that main bone what's called the thigh bone or femor bone of a cat, the right leg, front. And then get the bone right back of the head, and one of the right-foot bones also. Three bones. And put them to- gether and wear them in a sack around the waist, and a person can do anything he Wants to do that's devilish and tricky.
Entry 10151
(This black cat lucky bone?) Yes. Yo' take some sugah an' some salt an' put it on dis bone, an' let dis bone soak in it fo' an hour. An' den yo' take it an' yo' take dis bone an' put it in yore pocket. An' yo' kin go anywheah yo' wanta, an' do anythin' yo' wanta wit dat, tuh anybody yo' wanta, an' dis bone won' let nuthin hurt chew.
Entry 10179
Yo' couldn't zakly [exactly] make de candle go out, but chew could fix it so it wouldn't do yo' no harm. (How would you do that?) Git chew some red peppah, saltpeter, tie it up in a rag an' a li'l piece of root dey call John de Conkah root, an' yo' weah dat in yuh pocket. An' dey couldn't hurt yo' no way.
Entry 10180
Some people say tuh weah a garment. Yuh piece nex' tuh yuh, pull it off an' turn it wrongside out [and wear it that way]. Dey do say dat will put 'em out.
(Put these candles out that they are burning for you.)
Entry 10213
She kin measure him if she wanta with a string or with ribbon when he goes tuh sleep. She kin tie that roun' her laig or she kin put it in her pocketbook or in her pillow an' she kin control him, but that will lead to accidents in de long run. He'll hurt her.
Entry 10215
After she measures that [man's penis], she gets some of your [man's pubic] hair, mixes that together, puts it in a little bag and wears it between her legs down here, and thereon he's her man. [Freder- icksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 10216
Or, dey say, if yo' take de measure of him down below an' wear it in a bottle on yo', dat will stop him. He cain't go wit anyone else.
(In a small bottle.)
Entry 10218
Ah've heard dat if a man wanted to ketch his wife, why he would be dit her an' he would take a han'kerchief an' ketch de discharge from her, an' git I piece of her hair, an' he would put it in a cloth wit dat discharge an' dry it; br he yould wrap dis hair in wit dat an' wear it. An' if she have connection wit a man why he would swell so he couldn't git out of her, an' dat would cause de husban' tuh ketch her. (Then he would use the hair from her head.) [The discharge here is not menstrual blood but the substanceformerlythoughtto resemble man's semen and to cooperate with it in the production of life. Folk- lore knew nothing about a woman's ova or eggs. Elsewhere I have called her dis- charge 'female semen in accordance with folk belief - No.3196, p.2359, v.3.]
Entry 10229
Like you havin' to do with 'er an' she'll take a dishcloth an' she'll wipe you with de dishcloth. An' she'll take dat dishcloth an' she'll care it an' put it under her bed or under her pillah, see, an' yo' couldn't mess with a yoman to save your life. If dat man [or you] got sense now, he kin git rid of dat. Why, he go, if he wan'a git rid of it, he'll go an' steal...or yo' go [to] somebody house an' yo' steal de dishcloth, see. You go [got to] have sumpin to do with her, or any other woman, an' you'll wipe with dat dishcloth. An' yo' take dat dishcloth an' fold it right tight. An' he kin wear it with him or put it somewhere where nobody but him can reach it but him. An' she can't do nuthin with nobody but you.
Entry 10243
Take a piece of cloth, [they] say, an' ketch him asleep an' measure him, measure his penis. [Knots not tied]. An' aftah she measure it, den she wear dat aroun' her waist, yo' see. An' den dat's tuh tie him up. He cain't have nobody else but her. [One cylinder later informant repeats this rite from the man's point of view; see rite following present one.]
Entry 10247
Tie knots in a string an' measure the length of a man, an' wear it roun' yore laigs [either leg] an' he can't have a woman.
(How many knots would you tie?) Nine.
Entry 10248
She take an' tie nine knots in a string fo' her husban' so he couldn't have connection wit nobody else but her. She take nine knots - jes' lak mah [his] shirt, she'll take mah [his] shirt see an' tear a string out of it, an' tie nine knots in dere an' she wears it in her shoe. Dat will keep him from havin' connection wit any othah woman.
Entry 10251
Well, now jus' what one [woman] he be with. And the one what wants to stop him, well she'd get her a yard of brand-new yellow cotton [usually called homespun = unbleached cotton] and she'd take an' when they go to bed, and then they finish, well that's what she use. She use [wipes him with] that. And she have her piece of [white cotton] cord and she takes the measure [of his penis] and she puts nine knots in it, in each [this one] piece in the white cotton [cord]. Well, she keep the white [yellow] cotton [piece] up under her mattress and the cord with the nine knots in it, she wears it around her waist. And every time, if that's his wife, and he leave his wife to go to his lady friend, well there's nothing doing [with the other woman].
Entry 10252
[This rite comes in two parts:] (l) [A woman will] take his shirt, fold the arms together, crossing [each other], put on side of bed where he sleeps [put under mattress]. [The folding of shirt arms is a sym- bol of dead man in a coffin.] He'll be back. (2) [If he runs around with other woman, here is what she does.] Quite natural she kin git de measure of his private down dere an' tie as many knots in it as he [his] private is long, an' wear it aroun' her waist. Dat'll stop him.
Entry 10568
Yo' could take a leather- wing bat an' gut him alive, an' take his heart an' sew it up in a piece of red flannen, an' it vill make yo' successful in games of all kinds. Jes' while he 'live, cut him open 'live an' take his heart while it's bleedin', an' tie it up in a piece of - put it in a piece of red flannel an' it will make yo' successful in games.
Entry 10596
Dem little ole leather-wing bats. Well, ah heard dat chew kin - dem little ole leather-wing bats, dem little bitta ones dat goes all up in de corner of yore house. Well, ah learnt dat chew could take one of dem an' kill him, an' git his heart while it's hot, an' keep it until it git dry, an' put some salt an' black peppah an' bluestone onto hit. An' sew it up in a rag an' wear it in yore pocket, an' dat's good fo' gambling. Make yo' win money. [Waycross, Ga., (1136) 1850:5.]
Entry 10604
I've heard, once upon a time that if yo' - dere's an old sayin', I seen it established in a book once, that if yo' wants tuh have good luck in gaml bling, is to git a leather-wing bat, wrap it into a piece of flannel an' tie it round yore waist. (They take the whole bat and tie it around the wrist.) No, the heart of the bat. (What was the name of the book?) Well, this book is related to - handing out from a doctor. Ah don't know the name since - it's right help- ful literature. [St. Petersburg, Fla., (983), 1590:3.] [The title of this long division comes from one of the activities of a Jack or Smruel or any name you want to call this personal and living fetish - a divination devise fully described by my MOJO ExPERT on page 1254, one of the great pages of EOODOO. Do not confuse this spirit object with the impersonal ouija and planch- ette, which spell out answers to anyone. Jack belongs to and works for its owner only. Jack can have any shape. Years ago somewhere in HOODOO a man's Jack to find cunjure was a child's mechanical toy! Our Jack here is ball-shaped - hence called Jack-ball - held up in the air by a string. Our operator addresses it as Sqmuel. Any name could be used. The present Jack-ball answers questions by cer- tain movements: trembling, standing still, swinging back and forth, weaving, and hirling in a circle. This latter movement, called channel de world, describes the contents within, a little of everything - a final catch-all. Therefore, inl stead of our former sections and subsections, the following material has been ar- ranged alphabetically, beginning with the letter A and word ABORTION.]
Entry 10612
If yo' want a job, yo' go down tuh de boss. Well, if dis fellah want- ed a job, didn't have no work an' didn't have nowhere tuh stay, an' everybody dat he went to, had turned him away. An' he went tuh a fellah dat supposed tuh know. De fellah give him three kind of roots: give Adam an' Eve, an' dis blacksnake root an' dis heah devil snakeroot [see later]. He taken dat root.... (Devil snakeroot or devil's shoestring?) Devil's shoestring! Dey called it de devil root. Take dat root an' fix dat root up in a kind of a compound an' he go down dere. When he git dere tuh dat man he take it an' goes an' git him a buckeye an' puts hit in his pocket. An' he wears dat buckeye. De buckeye made out of - dem lit- tle black buckeye lak dat. He takes dat an' he goes down an' he talks to de man. He put all of dat in Hearts Cologne an' he goes down dere to de man an' he gits tuh rubbin' his hand lak dat. An' walks up tuh de man an' started tuh talkin' with de man. De man will tell him, no, but be shore tuh come back de next day. Well, he'll come back de next dat still a-rubbin' dat root. Well, he'll git dat root, every one of 'em, one in each pocket an' one in each foot. An' he gits dere an' de man go tuh talkin' an' he'll have a piece in his mouth chewin'. When he git dere de man go tuh talkin' an' say, "Well, ah guess, if yo' think yo' kin work, ah'll give yo' a job." An' yo' tell de man yo' kin work. Jes' as long as yo' keep dat roots rubbed up an' keep it fulla Hearts Cologne, well de man will nevah fiah yo', but de time dat yo' lose dat root, yo' lose yore job.
Entry 10618
Eve-and-Adam root... (Yes, Eve-and-Adam.) [same as Adam-and-Eve.] Eve-and-Adam root. You get a male and female, and you take 'em an' put 'em on top like dat [demonstrates] of each other.
(One on top of the other.)
[Somewhere in HOODOO this is done with wax figures. Candles?]
And if a woman wants her husband bound to her, put it in a new piece of flan- nel and sew it to a new piece, and wear it around her waist with that hanging down in front, and she can content her husband whensomever she want.
(You mean, hanging down in the front?)
Yes, sir.
Entry 10663
Write names of 12 Apost- les, pin them on you, and also write Psalm 70. Write them every time the moon changes. Take off the old one and put on the new ones for protection. [Since the moon is new, the charm must be renewed.]
Entry 10717
Ah'll tell yo', whether it's a woman or man, if she leaves yo' an' yo' wanta git her back, why yo' git chew three grains of cor [maize], an' three strands of her hair, an' if dere any way yo' kin git her track, pick up yo' [your] dirt out of each one of her track - three tracks. An' yo' put dat in yore shoe, umdah yore bottom shoe [insole] whut yo' wear. Lift dat [insole] up an' put it udah dere, an' yo' wear dat. An' she'll come back. See, an' when she come back, an' den, if yo' want her tuh stay dere, yo' go an' git chew a bird nest an' yo' put some sulphur an' salt in dat bird nest an' burn it. Make yo' a little fire an' burn it in de chimley so yo' kin git de scent of it, an' she can't leave yo' no way; can't go an' leave him, de man or woman, which one wanta do it.
(Do you wear that corn in your shoe also?)
Put dat cor an' de hair an' dat sand in yore shoe.
Entry 10729
[Belief and practices concerning menstrual blood - except those in the interviews of volumes 2 and 3 - are collected in subsection "HER PRIVATE TIME numbers 2513-2540, volume 3.] You could ketch a woman during the time of her monthly minis- tration, you see. You steal it and burn it, and take the ashes from it and carry it around, why the woman would follow 'em [himl or wouldn't want anybody but dem. [To burn menstrual blood is usually dangerous; kills the woman (No.3858), keeps her home (No.3859), makes her weak-minded (No.3860), or this blood smoked in the chimney dries up woman's blood (No.3867) - all references in volume 3.]
Entry 10751
A man kin take a woman's periods an' hurt chew [the woman]. See, ah'm jes' making person [speaking personally or privately] tuh yo' now, nobody else, cause ah don' like tuh 'splain nuthin lak dat tuh no one, tuh de public. Ah jes' 'splain it tuh yo'. See, take a normal woman, an' ah kin [be] min- istratin', ah kin take dis cloth an' fiah [throw] it off. All right, yo' take it an' put [a piece of] it in de bottom of yore shoe an' weah it fo' nine mawnin's, an' yo'll draw me from miles away. If ah'm in Chicago an' [during] dem nine mawnin's yo' draw, ah'll be right whare yo' is - in nine mawnin's time. Why? Bec'use ah knows yo' got dat.
Entry 10878
Yo' take a black cat, de same cat yo' got de [lucly] bope [froa]. Yo take dat hair an' yo' tie it up. Yo' gotta tie it in a rag an' yo' wear it in yore shirttail. When yo' wear it in yore shirttail, yo' kin conker anybody. (You get the hair from the top of his tail?) Right from de top of his tail, right from de butt of his tail. (And the man will give you a job?) "Cause him tuh give yo' a job or yo' kin git anything that chew want.
Entry 11065
Yo' livin' in de house an' yo' an' her can't git 'long, well, yo' fool roun' in her room till yo' git hold of a piece of her linen - jes' any piece of her linen. Well, yo' take dat piece of her linen an' yo' take it an' tack it undah yore linen - a piece of her linen undah yore linen - an' wear it right between where yo' [tool] will rub into her linen. An' 'stead of she be hatin' yo', she'll come tuh like yo'.
Entry 11067
Or eithah his pants, yo' know, jis' take - yo' know where that seat is in there in de pants, in de seat of it - an' yo' take that an' wear it aroun yore waist, or either place it in yore purse, an' that keeps him an' makes hin give you all his money.
(You can do it with either the seat of his pants or his underclotb ing?) Yes.
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 11109
De cloves, take it an' beat it up fine, an' tie it up in a little piece of new cloth an' wear it in yore pocket. Dey say dat will make 'em give yo' a job.
Entry 11329
Git chew three dollars.
(What kind of dollars, silver dollars or paper dollars?)
Paper dollars. An' dress dem wit some salt and some bread, an' wear it fo' three days on yo' left side, an' fo' three days yo' take an' go to three stores an' spend each one of them dollars - a dollar to each store yo' go to. An' dat'll bring yo' luck. (What kind of luck?) Well it bring yo' luck in making - gittin' holda money every day yore life.
Entry 11351
See, fo' instance, take a eel, yo' understan' aftah yo' ketch 'em outa de watah dataway, an' skinnin' him, an' takin' dat skin an' leavin' it till it dries. Pound it up to a powder an' put it into his pocket when he go anywhere. Well, jes' as slick as he would be when he's 'live, dat's de way yo'll be able to make yore points, yo' know. Seems lak if de watchman is dere yo'll git by him some way. Where, if ah wuz wit'out it, ah'd git trapped, yo' understan'.
Entry 11644
You take an' get you a twine string an' put five knots in it, see. An' then, after you put those knots in it, then you'll wrap it roun' another string; you know, like a string where you go on Broad Street [and buy something]. Dey, you know, bind it [package], tie it up. Well, jes' put them knots on that string. An' tie it on that string an' jes' wear it all the time an' [it] help you, keep you from havin' those fits.
Entry 11686
Yo' go out dere 'fore day in de mawnin' an' git a twig offa tree at de fo'ks of de road an' use it. Yo' kin use it fo' luck, fo' bad luck, an' dey use it with dis red flannel. Ah 'magine yo' seen red flannel. Yo' use red flan- nel. An' git chew a twig while de sap is in it, but chew cain't git it when it's dry, at de fo'ks of de road. Dat cause people tuh has spells, fallin' outa beds, agony in de haid, agony in de feet, athaletics feets an' all lak dat. (What do you do with this twig? How do they work that?) Well, yo' git chew a piece of red flannel an' git chew some turpentine an' asafetidy an' boil it all tuhgethah in 'bout, jes' say 'bout a cup of watah an strain it an' po' all dat drugs [dregs], let say yo' has drugs tuh it, an' strain it through dat red flannel. An' aftah yo've strained it through de red flannel, den yo' use only de watah, understan'. Set dis watah in a dark place in a closet an' keep dis twig in dis red flannel wrapped. Yo' kin weah dis roun' yore neck fo' luck fo' yo'self. An' de watah fo' bad luck yo' kin sprinkle around a person's do'steps tuh cause 'em tuh move. If yo' wanta sprinkle it fo' luck, if yo' Wanta sprinkle it, yo' kin sprinkle it tuh cause 'em tuh move. Yo' kin sprinkle it fo' a person dat's sick, tuh make 'em have iller health. Yo' kin sprinkle it where a person is sick, tuh make 'em have bettah health; accordin' tuh whut chew magic' but chew gotta git it from de fo'ks of de road 'fore day in de mawnin'.
Entry 11852
To make love? All right. You kin take dere hair, some sugar an' some bluestone. You understand now? An' some lodestone. Put all of this together with a piece of John de Conkah root. [This root] look like two pieces [see ex- planation later]. Look now [demonstrates], cross that John de Conkah cross there
[these ingredients being mixed or laid in a container] and put it [John de Conkah]
crost de hair, you see, an' tie it at de ends with a little string. You under- stand, at each end you know, with a little string. An' put it [mixture] in a piece of paper, in a piece of brown paper, an' wear that in de bottom of your shoe. [This is a small package.] They kin nevah git away from you. [What does informant mean by saying John de Conkah root look like two pieces? On p.593 (Z.2, v.1) I say, "John de Conkah can be many things; and on p.595 (l.12, v.1) we learn you can git de he one and git de she one. I suggest my informant, a hoodoo woman, is identifying John de Conkah with an actual root called Adam-and-Eve, which has he and she parts, he the smaller, both looking like peanuts (see No.10609, page 4028f., v.5). Our present rite therefore ties our man and woman together with a thread or a string to make doubly certain, magically certain, they are tied to- gether. The sugar sweetens the situation or pays the spirit, the bluestone keeps away evil, lodestone is another drawing power, and brown paper is often used for black clients. My preceding statement about he and she parts among the roots of Adam-and-Eve is a hoodoo, not a scientific one.]
Entry 11853
Well, ah tell you dis one den. Well, dere wuz 'nothah boy goin' wit a girl an' he loved her, yo' know, an' she didn't love him atall. She didn't have a bit of feelin's fo' him. An' he loved her. He jes' loved her bettah an' bettah. Well, he'd buy pretty things an' give her yo' know, an' all lak dat, chew know. Yo' know, tryin' tuh win her dat way. But still she didn't love him. She two-time him wit othah mens. So he gittin' aroun' an' so he got tuh talkin', says, "Look lak de mo' ah do fo' her, de worster she treats me." Says, "Ah love her - oh, ah do love her." Says, "An' it look lak she don' treat me half way right." [Friend] says, "Well, ah tell yo', if yo' loves her, an' yo' don' put out a whole lotta money on her, spent money on her an' she look lak she goin' backwards 'stead a-comin', an' yo' say dat she's two-timin' yo' wit othah mens," says, "whyn't yo' tie her down. Tie her down. Tie her down." "Well, ah tell yo', yo' come he'p me out on dat." [Friend] say, "Well, let me tell yo' whut chew do right short on dat." Say, "Do yo' stay dere wit her?" "Yeah, ah stays wit her at night but she jes' fusses an' yowls all de time." [Friend] say, "Well, do yo' evah comb her hair?" Say, "Yeah, ah comb her hair at night." [Friend] says, "When yo' comb her hair, yo' git some hair out right from de mole [mold] of her haid. Right in de mole of her haid. Yo' gits jes' a lil' bit, if it ain' mo' den fo' strand [probably 3 strands originally] jes' so it come from de top [or mold of her head]. Yo' git dat, an' do yo'all cut her fingernails?" "Yeap." [Friend says] "Well, yo' set down an' cut her fingernails, an' git her finger- nails an' yo' put three off each finger [hand] in dere. An' yo' tote dat." Says, "She'll come on back to yo'." Says, "She won' love nobody else but chew."
Entry 11854
Yo' kin take a girl's hair an' black lodestone an' yo' kin lead her cross [cross what? I interrupt too soon]. (What would you do with that hair?) Totes de lodestone with the hair, with a piece of solid silver money, and she will follow [wherever you go and any time]. She'll git up an' follow if it's one a'clock in de night.
(You mix those together?)
Yessuh. Jis' keep 'em in a bag an' she will follow.
Entry 12083
Right next to dere close garment. (That little bow out of a man's hat.) Right next to 'em underneath de arm. Make yo' love each othah, yore love won draw away. It become closer.
Entry 12104
I've heard 'em talk about they kin even git de bow out chore hat. Jis' like a girl got a boy friend and she love him and he don't love her. And she want him and he don't want her, she kin git a chance to tear de bow out his hat and wear it in her shoe - in her shoe, see - that'll run him crazy [about her].
Entry 12105
Hear dey take de bow out of a man's hat. Take de bow out of man's hat an' wear it in de toe of dere shoe an' dat will make 'em leave town. [This looks more like holding a man, but intention is everything. That bow in her shoe is a walking bow. It keeps him walking.]
(Well, who would do that, primarily?)
De woman would take de bow out of a man's hat.
Entry 12159
Dey put somepin in de shoes. It's a mixture of this ground up - they call it hog-hoof. Yes, dey grind it up lak meal an' dey mix soda an vinegah an' salt, but it's gotta be ground up very fine, jes' lak flaxseed meal, in a powder, so it won't be notice- able. An' jes' powder de shoe aroun' wit dat. Dat will keep him from goin' off. [A note of mine reads: this keeps the man from being hoodooed away by another woman.]
Entry 12227
(When you go to get the job?) You get High John [de Conkah] and hartshorn [this name for an old- fashioned chemical some- times given to Hearts Cologne! Not a confu- sion, but a mispronun- ciation], honey suckle, crabapple [3 perfumes] and you put these in there with a teaspoonful of honey and a teaspoonful of allspice, these ground spices, cloves [other unnamed].
(cloves?)
Yes. (Well, how do they use that? I mean - you put it in this bottle. What do you do with that then, that bottle?) They puts it up on a shelf in the Name of the Lord.... (You put - grind it up and put a spoonful of High John the Conquer in this too. Put it in the bottle and then - what did you say you use the name of, when you [they] put it on themselves and when they go right down and they get the job?) Put it on yourself and you go right down [to see boss]. Course you got the odor on you too. (I see. That odor is on you while you are talking to the boss, so he's likely to give you the job. I see. And you say, In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.) After they do that, they anoint their feet, and then they turn their sock on the wrong side and use that same stuff. And turn the sock from the wrongside out, when they are going down there.
(Both socks or just one of them?)
Both of them.
(Put both of them wrongside out?)
Yes.
(They put the stuff on them that they use to get the job?)
Yes. (When they are going down, just turn their socks wrongside out on them. I see.)
Entry 12228
Wal, yo' kin git dat John de Conker, called de King of de World. Ah've tried dat an' dat's not so good. Wal, yo' take it when yo' git it an' git chew a piece of red flannen, see, an' sew dat up in a piece of red flannen. (Sew this John de Conkah up in this red flannel.) Dat's right an' den git chew some Hearts Perfume [bottle has 2 or more small red hearts on label] an' put chew 9 drops on dere. An' put chew twelve pins in dat, see, right out a bran'-new package of pins. Wear it in yore left pocket every day yo' go. An' in a cer- tain length of time, dat odor - yo' has to perfume it ovah ag'in - dat means every 3 weeks. It'll work fo' yo', too. Ah've tried dat.
(What do you wear this little bag for? What is that supposed to do?)
Well, dat's to keep yore enemies away from yo'. An' if yo' wanta start any business, yo' have success an' good luck after dat - no cops to bother, nuthin atall [at all]. Dey might come to yore place but when dey come to de place dey'll sit down an' talk with yuh.
Entry 12232
Git you White John de Conkah root - piece of white - piece of white root and it's hard. [Only time I ever heard of white!] You take a knife or hatchet or somepin and cut it. And you put it in your mouth and whilst you goin' round to dose person where you wants a job, you talk to 'um, but you kinda spit real fine and let it get on dere clothes.
(Spit?)
Yes.
[I turn off recording machine but soon restart it.]
(To help you with this, to get that job, you get some lodestone.)
Get some lodestone. You get dat lodestone and put it in de red flannel and you ties it up with a ten cent piece [a silver dime] and needle point. When [then] you wear dat in de pocket separate from anything where no tobacco or noth- in' kin git with it, if you have to make you a little pocket [bag] you just wear it with dat, and you - de person you go to 'em and talk to 'em with dat, why you'll finally draw dere attention and you'll get de job.
Entry 12238
Git a piece of lodestone an' a piece of John de Conkah root an' a piece of Eve-an'-Adam root [Adam and Eve] root an' sew it up in a red piece of flannel an' wear dat. Dat's fo' luck an' jobs.
Entry 12240
I would get me a snakeroot and I would put that in a piece of red flannel, and I would put that in my pocket, and I would get me a he John de Conkah, and I would take it and chew it, and I would spit it, just like I spit on this Way [demon- strates] on this side of him, and I would spit it in front of him, and I would ask him for a job. [A "he" John de Conkah is rare, this may be the only one. Is there also a "she?"]
Entry 12246
You git you a assafidadee [asafetida] see, an' beat it up fine, an' put some turpentine in it, some Hearts Cologne. And git chew a piece of John de Conkah root, and cut dat up fine and sew it up tight, and wear it right around yo' neck, an' leave it lay right on yo' chest, and nothin' kin nevah harm yo', if somebody goin' poison you.
(Nothing will ever harm you, I see.)
Even if somebody give you [him] sompin to eat, it couldn't go into his stomach. His stomach like a stone.
Entry 12291
Wal, say yo' tie twelve knots in a cotton string an' wear dat string right on - next to yore flesh. Quite natural yo' dresses dat string wit not a thing in de world but Hearts Own Perfume an' wear it right nex' to yore skin.
(What do you wear that for?)
Well, yo' see dat give yo' luck - keep hard luck away from yo' an' bring good luck to yo'.
Entry 12342
Yo' take an' yo' gets a piece of cloth about four inches square each way, an' yo' take [he and she] lodestone an' mash it together. An' den yo' get yourself, take some of your own perspiration, yo' know, an put it in dere - dampen it. Yo' kin take de end of a piece of your own clothes an' put in dere an' fold it together. Fo' instance, if yo' got a piece of silver money, yo' kin take a piece of your sil- ver money an' put it in dere. It will be a piece about dat wide an' about dat high [very small size] an' yo' take dat an' sew it to de inside of yore under- clothes - under your arm, under your right arm. An' yo' wear dat dere fo' three days. An' yo' don't feel no 'fect from dat until de third day, an' den yo' be- gin to see it. Den after de third day yo' kin go in any gambling game or any kind of winning game yo' wanta, an' yo'll win money.
Entry 12346
Make a little scap [scapular] to wear on you to make luck.
(What's a scap?)
You [know] jis' like a piece...you make it an' you put...jis' like you say, "Ah come to you an' ah wants somepin for luck, an' ah want a hand from you." Now you ass me what ah wants to do with this hand, but ah say, "Mah husband is a man that don't give me money." Well, you gon'a tell me how to fix that. [You are going to make a hand for me so that my husband will give me money.] An' ah'm gon'a wear that on me. Dat's to make him bring me his money.
(How Would you fix that?)
You see, you take dat...dat is jis' w'at ah'm tellin' you about. You go to the CRACKERJACK DRUG STORE - right down here. You git choo a he an' a she lode- stone, a pod of garlic - git a red garlic - an' you put dat with a dime [silver one] an' his name. You write his name furce an' your name on top, an' wear that on you an' he'll give it yuh [his money].
Entry 12348
They tole me tuh git - they had me tuh git a piece of - a piece of drawing lodestone an' dis same mineral oil. Ah cain't think of it [name]. They still use it as mineral oil. Dis lodestone, dis drawin' stone, you buy, see, an' dis mineral oil and de dust from a comb, ah believe it was - a head comb, de dust. An' yo' 'solve [dissolve] dis dust into dis - dis mineral oil and dust all together, and you dress dis dust and de mineral [oil] and de lodestone wit perfume an' you wears it. But ah was successful.
(That's in hunting a job.)
In hunting a job. Least how, it worked. But thinking about it, ah didn't hole [hold] de job very long. So dat's why ah didn't think dere's much to it. [To be able to buy head-comb dust indicates the catholicity of products sold by some hoodoo shops!]
Entry 12421
He lay down in de bed - jes' like he lay down. Now, you go right dere when he's sleeping. Git a little cord, new cord, and if he stiff and hard [if his body is stretched out] you kin measure, you know, right straight on down to yore [his] feet.
(From your head to your feet.)
Yes sir, and then you put nine knots in it, see, an' tie 'em around yore Waist - jes' like you'd lock a person's trunk, dey can't git out - can't gc no more, can't go.
Entry 12457
If he gives you [woman] bill [paper money for sexual services], fold [paper money] to you, then fold it again. Clip off ends of the 4 corners, tie in handkerchief, wear so that you can use it without his knowing it, and he'll always give you something [for love services]. [Here is another one of the unusual folding rites in HOODOO, this one by an excellent professional hoodoo worker in Memphis.]
Entry 12497
Take his name an' write it 9 times, an' yores ovah it [the latter usually means turning paper upside down first before writing over the name.] Write it up real good an' wear it in yore shoe. He cain't leave yo'. Yo' write chure name ovah it 9 times jes' lak yo' did the othah one. Wear it in yore shoe, either shoe, umdah de inner sole of de shoe.
Entry 12534
Yo' take a red onion fo' yo' luck, dey say. Yo' tie it up in somepin tight - sompin lak dis heah [informant has handkerchief or something]. All right, yo' put a cord or sompin around it an' wear it round heah [see later], but if yo' scared dat somebody see it round heah, wear it round heah.
(Wear it either around their neck or around their waist?)
Entry 12572
[The former silver dime of the United States of America Was the magic lord of money during my collecting days - the 30's and early 40's - but not far behind was the lowly copper- based penny or one-cent piece. This remarkable coin as an awesome object I first heard about from my Pullman porter on the former Pennsylvania Railroad between Chester, Pa., and Baltimore, Md., in rite No.2108, p.6ll, v.l. An early list of penny rites is given in Nos.2108-2127, Pp.6ll-615. In the rites now following most of them are new, others merely show the ubiquity of the beliefs. I shall begin with the new]: Take de brown money we call de pennies, lil' pennies, yo' know, an' burn it till it git real black, one penny. An' git some spirits of rosin - it grows when de turpentine run yo' know - an' put in some flour. Mix it together, flour dough, an' mix it together an' then tie it round yore waist, an' carry it wit chew an' yo'll be lucky.
(Lucky in what?)
In gambling.
(You just burn this penny until it is black?)
Yes.
Entry 12617
Go tuh de drugsto' an' git chew a box of new sulphur an' [new] red cayenne peppah - ground-up peppah an' yo' mix dat sulphur an' dat peppah up to- gethah, an' yo' take it an' make a little ball - jes' a little ball. An' yo' tie it in de calf of de laig - in de knee part in de sock. An' sprinkle a little bit in yore shoe an' nuthin won't go up dere - dat [crunjure] won't go up through dat dere.
(What will that do?)
Dat will keep yo' from ketchin' whut dey put down [for you to walk over].
Entry 12620
Red peppah, brimstone, sulphur an' burn it an' blow de smoke [towards house] nex' to 'em an' [if people there] don' be in dey house - but if yo' burn it, yo' kin burn it in yore own house an' name it an' blow it nex' their house. Or git some of de garments of de house or somepin othah out of de house jes' since it's been worn. Well, yo' git a garment an' then yo' wrop de brim- stone, sulphur an' red peppah, an' wrop up in de garment. Take de garments to de woods an' bury it undah an' ole rotten log, an' that'll tear de home up altogethah.
(You mean after this stuff is burnt?)
Yes, in dat ole garment, jes' since it somepin out de house. Den de people all in de house - de man or de woman - well, yo' jes' take it an' bury it in de woods undah a ole rotten log.
(That is after you burn all that stuff?)
Yes, put it in that garment.
Entry 12714
Ah say yo' kin take a rabbit if a person - jes' like if it's a man or a woman, yo' kin take de lef' hin' feet [foot] of a rabbit after yo' done killed him. Yo' take dat lef' hin' feet of dat rabbit an' if yo' wear it in yore pocket or yore purse or sompin [MAY BE ONLY MENTION OF PULLING TENDON - TO IMPRESS?] like that, whoever yo' Want tuh [be] round or sompin, well yo' jes' take that if yo' keep that rabbit foot bathed in dis heah Hearts Perfume - if yo' keep it bathed in Hearts Perfume and git chew some dragons blood and sprin- kle on it, and wherevah yo' go, yo' know it's a little cord in dat rabbit's feet, yo' kin pull it an' it seem like it's alive. [Pulling tendon of rabbit foot is rare in rites.] And if yo' go round wherevah yo' go, if yo' take dat piece of root out of yo' pocket or either yore pocketbook, and if yo' jes' touch de person whoevah yo' want or sompin like dat, yo' kin get 'em. With the lef' feet of de rabbit. (Do you touch them with your hand or must you touch them with the rabbit foot?) With de rabbit foot. (And what do you do with that cord [tendon]? Yo' pull it.
(When do you pull it?)
Whenever yo' git aroun' 'em. See dat [tendon] work duh foot.
(Oh, you must pull it when you touch them, you mean?)
Yeah, see, when yo' go in yo' jes' pull it, see. That means yore workin', yo' know, de rabbit's foot - dat little piece of cord dat's in it, yo' know - little stringlike yo' could put it and: it will work. It come out of de feet chew know, piece of de flesh - whatevah it is - when yo' cut it off. Dat's de lef' hin' foot of de rabbit.
Entry 12716
Well, you ketch you a live rabbit and cut his left-hind foot off before you kill 'em, and take it and put it in a bag. Get you brick [make it into] dust - make dust out of it, and take the hairpins of whatever vosl en you want this to be, just take the hairpins she been using in her haid and put it in that and tie it up, and tote it in your left pocket. And as long as you do she can't leave you, she be right there all the time.
(I see, that's to hold a woman.)
Yes.
Entry 12717
Take graveyard dirt an' dey would go an' git it an' put it in a bag. Co to de head of a sinner's grave, dat is someone in hard luck [goes]. Dey go to de head of dis sinner grave an' dig down to de marshy dirt. Yo see dat on top is dry an' den why when you dig down in de ground it's marshy. An' dey dig down an' git some of dis marshy dirt off of a sinner grave from de head. An den dey would put it in a bag an' git whut dey call a rabbit foot an' put in dere with it, an' dat would cause to bring good luck. (If you are out of luck, you wear it or carry that. What foot do you get from the rabbit?) De left foot, de back.
Entry 12722
Take an' wear dat [rabbit foot].
(From which foot?)
De left foot.
(Which one, front or back?)
De front 'cause de back is longer, de front is a little short foot. Dey take an' run a string - yo' bo' a hole in it if yo' kin, an' yo' wear it round yore waist or either round yore neck. All right, yo' got a rabbit foot den, an' whoever yo' wearin' dat foot fo', 'cause den yo' be dealin' wit dat person an' yo' goin' keep dat foot rubbed up fo' dem.
(How do they rub it up?)
Hearts Cologne.
(What will that rabbit foot do for them?)
Aw, that's luck, sech as gamblin' an' all, playing bolito...
Entry 12723
Then yo' take - now if yo' a gamblin' man, yo' kin take a rabbit an' ketch him. Take his left front feet an' cut it off right in de knee joint dere, an' git chew a bottle of Hearts Cologne am' put on it. Keep it up tlll it git dry, yo' take it an' put it right in yore fob pocket up heah on yore pants, an' go to a gae an' rub it in yore han' lak dat [demonstrates]. Rub it in dere. Go in dere am' vin whut chew wanta win. Dat de way ah did.
Entry 12726
Them goes to work and git a rabbit - a wood rabbit foot - and put salt on it and wrop it up tight and he nevah tell you no. (The boss won't.) No. You must go de same day [you catch rabbit]. If you kin know de day yo' birth, dey bery day yo' birth, go dat day. President Roosevelt can't tell you no. [Even President Franklin D. Roosevelt could not refuse you.]
(What foot do you take?)
Right one.
(Which one, front or back?)
De one in de front, de front foot.
Entry 12746
Rattlesnake marster like dat is good. Jes' take it yo' know an' wear it chew know in a piece of cloth yo' know. An' den every mawnin' yo' take an' rub it in yore han' jes' like dis heah [demon- strates], an' den rub it ovah yore face.
(What will that do for you?)
Git a job.
Entry 12987
De best luck is a silver dime. Git chew a silver dime an' git chew some dis heah stuff yo' cut outa a hank[?] - cheap boxes yo' know. Take dat dere stuff [packing] an' dat silver dime... [interviewer interrupts].
(Is it sort of sawdust or shavings?)
An' put hit an' de dime an' some salt an' a piece of red flannel, an' sew it an' wear it round yore laig.
(What will that do?)
That will keep you lucky...
[I ask what kind of luck and restart machine.]
Any kind of luck - most any kind of luck.
Entry 12990
Yo' kin take a dime an' put it in, yo' know, in a letter. Yo' would take de dime an' jes' lak yo' know somebody, an' yo' wanta git 'em back, an' jes' keep it yo' know wit a piece of lodestone. Wear it wit a piece of lodestone, yo' know, 'bout two or three weeks sompin othah lak dat. Put dis dime in a letter an send it to her an' tell her, yo' know, jes' lak yo' want a pin or sompin othah. An' tell her about dat. An' dey tell me, say, she'll come in de place or send de pin.
Entry 12996
Jes' lak anybody, well, jes' say if a woman have a friend or sompin an' he is able tuh give her, an' can give her, an' hit look lak he don't wanta use her fo' convenience, why she kin git a dime from him an' she kin take dat dime an' put it in a brand- new piece of domestic an' fold it tuh her nine times, an' sew it an' wear it right next tuh her an' dat's good. Dat'll help out a whole lot in peace with him an he'll provide for her mo' bettah.
(Just wear it any place on her body?)
Yeah, jes' pin it right inside her on de right side, wear dat down dere.
(Next to the skin?)
Yes.
Entry 13003
Usin' a bull dollah - a silver dollah.
(They call it a bow dollar? Why do they call it a bow?)
Dey always claim they could work roots with it. (That's what they call a silver dollar: a bow dollar - bull dollar? Do you mean like a bow - like this kind of a bow?) [I demonstrate either by holding and drawing a bow, or drawing design on paper.] Ah don't know how yo' spell it. It jes' a bow. Git chew a bow dollah an' go to any sto' an' git chew a bottle of Hearts Cologne. An' yo' take this heah bow dollah an' yo' take an' rub it with this heah Hearts Cologne. An' take an' put it in a red flannel sack an' wear it round yore waist, where it will 'cumu- late money to yo', bring happiness to yo', an' yo' jes' be lucky all de time.
Entry 13221
If a man leaves home an' a woman wants tuh make him come back, well - vell, ah understan' she could take de measure of his whole body an' dat she could take de measure of his- self, an' tie nine knots aroun' it. An' den at de bed where he sleep, de side dat he sleep on, tie it de whole length of de bed. An' den whatsomevah... Yo' know yo' always have a spirit dat chew pray tuh, well are him tuh back yo' up, yo' see. An' make yore wish whut chew want him tuh do. If yo' want dat man tuh come back home, make yore wish an' den scrub yore house oat wit sweeten watah. (What do you do with that length from the head to the foot? What do you do gith that length, that string?) Yo' measure it...yo' tie it de full length of de bed, yo' know, on de spring- Lak, from de haid tuh de foot.
(You don't tie nine knots in it do you?)
Yeah, nine knots.
(And you tied nine knots in the other string too?)
No, yo' tied nine knots in dat string.
(What do you do with that short string?)
Well, dat othah short string yo' wear aroun' yore waist. Algiers, La.,
(1586), 2695:4.]
Entry 13236
That is only used in a drink. Now if you know a person is an ex- cessive drunkard, you know that you can always give them in something to drink- mostly using wine, or where eggnogs or cocktails are concerned. You get a little bag, a little new bag - linen or domestic white cloth, cotton. You put three tablespoons of sugar in this little bag and sew it up. You have seen a sachet bag. You make a sachet bag out of that and wear it under the arms, where you know nearly everyone will perspire under de arms. (Which arm do you wear it under?) Under the left. You wear that for nine days and then you take this and add it to the per- son - well, even if they drink coffee, you mix that in the coffee. But be sure that chew don't drink it, you see. [In hoodoo is is always dangerous to sample any of your own work!] But you'll put that in the sugar dish after you wear it, but if not, if they drink, you put it in their drink. That is the way that is done. [Despite this reference this rite continues as follows: Mobile, Ala.,
(650), 866:3.]
[The preceding account comes from a Mrs. Brady, a woman with great experience in the world I wanted to meet, she having sold curios, given advice to women in trouble, told fortunes, made hands, etc. In fact she became one of my helpers. Unfortunately my first day recordings were so bad I had everyone back for another session. Here is what she said the secone time - substantially the same, but of greater interest.] Git chew a piece of new domestic, any kind of new white cloth, and you make these little bags [as I said, she made hands]. You've seen little sachet bags. Put about three tablespoons of sugar in each one and sew it up, and then you pin it under the pits of the arms.
(Both arms?)
Sure.
(One under each arm.)
There are other people wear 'em other places but it's not so nice. They do that. But ah tell you it really does have a strange effect on people. Ah've seen things carried out like that - it really does. And then after they have worn that nine days, then it will absolutely do the work.
(Then what do they do with that?)
You put it in the coffee or in wine, anything that you have to use anything sweet in.
(And what will that do - hold them?)
It will hold them, influence them towards you.
Entry 13238
In the morning when you get up to go to your landlord, the fellah that owns the property [you rent], you take and put sugar and [in] a brown piece of paper, wrapping paper. And fold it to you 9 times and put it in the bottom of your right shoe. And any favor that you'd ask him to do for you, he would do it. He can't turn you down whether he's out [of] money or not.
Entry 13322
Take a teeth [tooth] and dey bore a hole through it and dey wear it around dere waist. And dey could take yo' and jes' tell you to do somepin and whether you wanta do it or not, [they] could tell you to do it, and you do it.
(They take this person's tooth, whom they want to use like that.)
Dey could wear it on dere left side, if it was a woman; and if it was a man dey would wear it on dere right side.[ Choppy recording.]
Entry 13435
If a woman take your underwear or anything closely, an' take it to a spring [running water] - see, steal anything like the linin' out of yer hat, anything like that - an' wash it in spring water, you'll have a wonderin' [wandering] an' a ramblin' mind. An' keep it close to her body at all times - sich as to put it on a belt an' wear it aroun' her waist - an' that would ca zhoo [cause you] to have a wonderin' [wandering] mind.