Subject:Wind
Entries
Entry 3829
If she gits yore fingahnails an' she gits de dirt in [under] which dat [dirt under fingernails] - much as she kin git wit dose fingahnails. Jis' lak if yo' wuz settin' down an' she tell yo', say, "Let me trim yore fingahnails." Well, she will trim yore fingah- nails off. Prob'ly yo' might not be thinkin' of any- thin'. Say, "Yore toenails needs trimmin', too." Well, she'll keep all dat. Well, de nex' thin' she'll do, she'll have intahco'se wit yo'. Well, she'll keep dat, but chew wouldn't think dat - no idea of how she would keep dat. (You said something about bringing it back. You said something about her bringing it back or something - the woman bringing it back.) Yes, sir.
(Well, what did you say about that?)
Well, she take dat an' she keep it. She put dat intuh a rag [making a hand] an' she'll keep dat fer - see, sev'ral times she'll do dat. Yo' see. An' it come tuh be a certain amount. Well, aftah she git dat certain amount, well she'll take dat certain amount den an' she'll take it off somewhere, intuh de house, an' she'll tie it up. [Here are the knots and tie up.] An' she tie dat up fer sev'ral yeahs. Yo'll come tuh be in a way dat yo' kinnot leave dere or leave her wheresomevah she is. If she go away, well yo' will go an' hunt 'er until yo' find 'er to be outa yore sight. Well, when yo' gits dataway, why den she wants tuh turn yo' loose. De day dat she gits ready tuh turn yo' loose, why she'll walk an' ketch de air blowin' a certain way - no'th or east or sout'. Well, she will take dat den an' she will shake it in de air. Well, yo' are loose den. When she shake dat in de air, well yo' git so den yo' won't care anythin' abou Ter atall in de world. Well dat's de way dey do dat part of dat.
(You put these fingernails and stuff in that rag with the other.)
Yes, sir.
Entry 4362
They take the underclothes and they can cut a piece out of the man from under his arm or from the tail of the shirt and wear it on a person. They sew that up in a piece of red flannel. They take that and satu- rate it, you know, with the same in- gredients, urine and Hearts Cologne. [This, of course, is a hand - pp.519-669.] They say then they can control 'em like that. Or they can take them and throw them away. They can carry them back in the woods and hang 'em up on the west side of a tree where the wind just blows and wears it all the time. They say whenever that blows and wears down from up there, why then the person will die. But chew got a new cord, like this wrappin' twine. You get that right off from the ball, right off from the cord where there's never any been pulled off, and fasten it on that tree or bush or what chew put it on. But you put it so the wind can blow it and the rain beat it. And whenever this cord rots, you see, and that blows away from where it's at, they say the person then'll soon die.
Entry 4721
If yuh kin git holt of 'is photograph or anythin', yuh kin git 'im back ag'in.
(Do you know just how they do that?)
Well, yuh git holt a piece of 'is clothin'. Now, if it's a woman dat wants 'im back ag'in, yuh git aholt of a piece of 'is clothes an' yuh dress it in cologne. Yuh take it an' fold it de way [direction] he is. If he is east, no'th, west, or south, yuh take dat piece of clothin', a small piece of it, an' fold it [demonstrates] an' make yore wishes.
(Fold it toward you.)
Towards yuh evah time. Points it de way he is an' fold it back evah time. An' yuh git yuh a couple of needles an' pin it each way, bottom an' top, an yuh split dat needle. Lets 'er wear one in 'er right shoe here, an' give her de othah one an' let 'er hold it in 'er han'. An' she kin walk - an' let 'er go straight tuh runnin' watah an' drop it ovahbo'd. Ketch de wind - she has tuh do dis on de grown [growing] of de moon an' ketch de wind blowin' towards de way she wants 'im tuh come. If she is in New York, ketch de wind blowin' disaway.
(Blowing south?)
Dat's right. Drop dis ovahbo'd an' walk backwards from it about nine steps, turn tuh left an' go on. Make her wishes an' he'll come right - in nine days he'll be dere.
(I didn't quite understand you about putting these needles?)
Yuh see, if yuh fold de clothes, prob'ly fold it dis way. Well aftah yuh git a little pad of it made, git yuh a needle on each side of it. Git chew a pair of keen - anythin' dat's sharp an' split dem needles in two.
(Oh, I see! You cut the whole package in half.)
De needles den will be on each side of it.
(Two halves of the needles will be in each side of the package.)
An' have dem needles so dey won't injure her foot an' let 'er wear it right in 'er shoe. Fasten it in dere in a way dat it won't slide backwards an' for- wards. Take dis half an' fold it in yore han' an' when it gits warm, when yuh go tuh de watah wit it - an' throw it ovahbo'd. Ketch de wind blowin' from de Way dat yuh want 'im tuh come home.
Entry 5101
Has a sweetheart dat he may lak 'er. He may wanta git hold of 'er. Whut he'll do. He'll take - go tuh yuh front gate an' he may put 'er shoe on de right-han' side, take one of yuh ole shoe or eithah a sock, an' place it on de left. An' he'll git a bay bush, he'll stick it between dem shoe - jis' a li'le small piece. An' jis' as de wind blow dis li'le bush, den dey'll be agru- in' [arguing] an' quarrelin' - raisin' cain. An' de minute dat dis bush - de wind blow dis bush down on de ground, an' she [the bush] fall, dere's where dey part.
(That's when they'll part. That's if you want to separate these people?)
Separate dem, yeah. (But you must do that at the gate. You just get a bay bush and stick it in the ground?) Yeah, a li'le small piece of bay bush.
(A twig or something?)
Dat's de idea. Don' have it so large cuz dey might be able to find it befo' de wind blows it down. When it fall from de wind, dere's where yo' got 'em. [Norfolk, Va., No.466, Doctor Paul Bowes, see 300, p.89; 337, P.99; 410, p.122; 455, p.141;614, p.206.]
Entry 5713
Yo' wants whut could ah do tuh make yo' move out dis house. Well, all right, ah'll tell yo'. Now, ah could git some of yore track. Yo' make a track on de groun'. An' ah'm gona take dat track up an' ah'm gona put dat track in a sack or tie it up in a rag. An' ah'm gona ca'y [carry it out, way out in de woods, an' ah'm gona hang it up; an' ah'm not gona look back at it. An' yo' gona move.
(Where are you going to hang that?)
Hang it 'way up in de tree, out in de woods.
(Will you take either one of my tracks or just one track?)
Jis' take eithah one of 'em, jis' one.
(That will make me move.)
Entry 5718
De cocklebur.
(That's a bush, isn't it, with stickers on it? What do they do with that?)
Say yo' kin hang anything up in dat tree an' if yo' want me tuh go, ah'm gone. Dey say, all yo' gotta do if yo's mad wid me, yo' take my track an' put it in a cup or a bottle, wit some red peppah an' hang it up in dat tree. (What kind of a tree.) A cocklebur. Evah time when de win' blows, see dat cup will go roun' an' roun' dat way an' come back dataway [unwind the other way]; an' when dat string rotten an' broke, den ah'm gone.
(How high is that cocklebur tree?)
Ooh some of it real high an' some of 'em - de young 'un ain't so high. (It has those little stickers on it, hasn't it, those little burs? The cock- lebur?) Dat's right. [Cocklebur appears twice in FACI, 1st ed., but the present rite is the first and only time I ever heard of a cocklebur tree! Does he mean chestnut, buckeye, sweet gum, or what?]
Entry 5790
Yo' take a wasps nest an' take a person's track halfways; scrape de dirt back from right about middleways in de foot tuh de heel [demonstrates].
(From the MIDDLE OF THE FOOT BACK TO THE HEEL.) Yeah, back tuh de heel, an' den back tuh de toe [demonstrates]. (Then you begin in the middle and SCRAPE FROM THE MIDDLE UP TO THE TOE.)
[To scrape from hollow or middle of foot track to heel, then from middle to toe, is unusual if not rare.] Git dat sand or dirt. Burn yore wasp [nest] in yore stove an' git dose ashes of de wasp nest, an' mix de ashes an' de dust tuhgethah, de foot dust. Yeah, mix it all up good tuhgethah an' take dat an' put it in de palm of yore han', an' yo stand out [doors] an' yo' say, In de Name of de Father, de Son, [an' Holy Ghost]. An' whichevah way dat wind blows, why a person dat yo' don' wan' aroun' or sompin, dey'll go away. Dat's a easy way tuh git rid of 'em. Dey'll go on off.
(You take either foot track?)
No, take de left one. [This rite comes from my second trip to Memphis and it was given by an informant different from one in preceding rite.] [The spirit of the wasps chases away the spirit in the foot track.]
Entry 5791
Go tuh de forks of de road, anybody yo' wanta send dem tuh travel or n 'em away from dere. Goes out dere when de wind be blowin'. Take some of 'is track an' red peppah an' salt, an' throw it an' say, "Go, yo' son-of-a-bitch." Dataway. Or yo' kin throw it in some watah. (Or you can throw it into some water and it will do the same thing. Which way do you throw that stuff?) De way yo' want 'im tuh go.
(Well, what about. the wind blowing?)
De wind will blow it de way he want 'em to go.
Entry 5794
[The preceding rite in various versions must have been fairly common at one time in country districts. Similarly, cities also have variants of sending away by wind. One follows:] Jes' pick up dere crack an' put salt in it an' throw outdo's out in de street... That will make them Iove.
(They take either track?)
Both.
(Put salt in both tracks?)
Yes.
Entry 6254
I knew a girl. Shewuz goin' wit a boy an' dis othah girl wuz goin' wit 'im too. An' she didn't like it. So she says she got some dis girl's hair, see an' climbed a tree an' tied it on a limb. When de wind blow like dat [demonstrates].
(Swinging the hair back and forth.)
Dis girl jis' finally left town. Den she's crazy too, she ain't got goodmind.
Entry 6258
Yuh wanta put 'em in de road - 'cordin' tuh how yuh want it. If yuh want 'em tuh stay home, yuh bury it. [Here, having heard buried hair so often, I turned off recording machine; but informant continuing with something about first hair, I restarted machine.] (Where do you take the first hair?) Git it from undah yo' arm, undah yuh lef' arm. Yuh put it in a tin can an' screw it tight. Hang it up in a gum tree an' evah time de wind blows an' blow it aroun' lak dat, an' when dat string pop loose an' it fall, den yuh gone.
Entry 7237
Dere a preachah stayed in Boyce, Mississippi, Scotts County, an' some- one stole his suitcase an' he went tuh one of de gentlemen [doctors] an' de gen- tlemen tole him he'd git 'is suitcase back. An' so de fellah [doc- tor] went an' cut some cahds [cards] an' tole him tuh go tuh de stō' an' git 'im some sulphur, an' git 'im some salt, an' he give it tuh 'im. Den he [doctor] sprinkle dat ovah him [preacher] an' rubbed 'is [preacher's] hands an' [they] says he [preacher] throw it up in air where de wind blow it. An' he got 'is suitcase an' dere wusn't a thing tuk [taken] outa it. Dat's a true fac', he got 'is suitcase. [For wind- blowing rites, see Nos.5713-5718, Pp.2917-2918, etc.]
Entry 7681
[Here is a rare rite. While talking to the grave spirit, ask him to give you a sign before you 'leave the grave, that you will be successful in your undertaking with his dirt.] What dey do wit it? Well, dey take dat, yo' see, an' dey go an' shake hands wit de dead yo' see. Den dey give dat to dem. (Well, how do they do that? They get hold of your handwriting. And how would they shake hands with the dead, then?) Well, yo' see, yo' go tuh a pusson who's neighbah yo' know died, yo' know [buried]. An' yo' go down elbow deep an' yo' know, when yo' git down elbow deep, down dere it'll be as cold as de pusson is dead, yo' see. An' yo' talk tuh 'em an' yo'll request whethah yo' be successful an' tell 'em give yo' a sign. Well, if it's a calm day, yo' call de sign, an' yo' tell 'em tuh make a - shake a limb on a tree or shake a bush or send a breeze of wind. An' he give yo' a sign by dat, yo' know. Yo' know whethah yo' be successful when yo' leave [the grave] or not. He give yo' de sign 'fo' yo' leave, yo' know.
(Well, what do you do with this handwriting?)
Dey jes' take it an' put it right - as yo' go down dere elbow deep, dey'll put it in dat hole an' pay 'em two cents an' tell 'em whatcha wanta happen wit dis, yo' know, what chew Wanta happen - kill
Entry 8001
You can cut out of paper or you can cut them off from shingles and make the image of a person, and write the name and whatever you wish. Well, you can take this shingle and carry it and throw it in running water, or you bury it, or you can take it and hang it upon the side of a tree and let it blow away. That's if you want to run 'em away.
Entry 10550
Go down to a cross- road, where a road crosses, nine Sunday mawnin's. It's a very ha'd [hard] thing tuh do. When yo' thought of doin' one thing fo' nine Sunday mawnin's it's a good long while. An' meanwhile ah come an' maybe somebody try tuh hol' him off, but yo' gotta meet at dis same place at de same time of day. Jes' lak ah say ah'll be dere at nine a'clock, yo' gotta meet dere at nine a'clock fo' nine Sunday mawnin's at de crossroads. An' yo' gotta read a verse out de Bible.
(Do you know what the verse is?)
It's de 36 Psalms, an' ev'ryone ends wit de same words - de 136th Psalms, an' ev'ry verse ends dis chapter heah wit de same thing, de same words. Well, yo' start wit dat an' yo' read it fo' nine Sunday mawnin's, an' de ninth [Sunday] mawnin' yo'll meet what yo' didn't expect. Yo'll meet trouble dere, storms, high winds or somepin of dat sort. Yo' cain't tell exactly whut's it goin' be, maybe it will be rain, maybe wind, maybe snow or somepin lak dat. It be somepin diff'rent, de ninth mawnin'. But anyhow yo' continue wit it an' when yo' git through wit it, yo'll do whut chew wanta do so fur as tricks is concerned an wit'out bein' religious atall. But chew kin do anything yo' wants tuh do.
[Wilson, N. Car., (1476), 2655:3.]
12. BAT [Originally this section about the bat - not a bird as folklore believes - was a part of CHANNEL DE WORLD, a catchall later in the present volume. I did not realize until too late, that BAT should have followed FROG AND TOADFROG, a pre- ceding section of the present volume. Yet, to follow section SELL SELF TO THE DEVIL may not be inappropriate. These following rites show less knowledge and interest in bats than in frogs and toads, because bat was a night animal and frog and toad better known and easier to catch and handle.l
The informant describes nine Sunday mornings at crossing roads at a fixed chosen hour, reading a Psalm, with unexpected weather or trouble on the ninth and claimed abilities afterward. The spoken Psalm number changes from 36 to 136 and remains literal. The following BAT heading and Hyatt's section-placement introduction are retained only as surrounding context.
Entry 13434
An' if a person 'sleep an' be layin' in de bed an' yo' want 'em tuh talk tuh yuh, yo' git chew a pan of watah an' put dere han' in it. Jes' put doon dere fingahs down in de watah an' dey'll tell yo' jes' whut dey done durin' dat day. Dey talk in dere sleep. But if de wind would change de time dey got dere han' in dere, well it would kill 'em. (If the wind outside would change it would kill them?) It would kill 'em. [My only example of this belief. Presumably spirit of sleeping person to recall scenes of day must revisit them. A sudden change in the wind prevents him from returning to his body.]
Entry 189
Dat's a wanderin' spirit. (The wandering spirit is that whirlwind. Do they ever do anything with that whirlwind?) No suh. But yo' kin ketch some of de dirt as it fly an' carry [hold] it ovah, an' if dere's any witches be riding, dat kin stop de witches from ridin' yo'.
(How would they do that?)
Dey'll give yo' somepin tuh put on yore bed.
(What will you do with that dirt?)
Carry it to de man - root man.
Entry 137
De whirlwind, well dat suppose tuh be a spirit in dat whirlwind. Some- times it's a good one an' othah times it's a bad one, but de main point of it is, it is a spirit. Den a person is suppose tuh walk backwards ten steps an' concentrate his mind, an' whatevah his mind fall on, dat's a good spirit or a bad spirit; whatevah it says, see, tuh him. An' if he has somepin tuh do, dat mind will tell him tuh go do dat - he do it, especially when he see de whirlwind; an' if dat mind tell him not tuh do, it's best fo' him not tuh do it.
Entry 155
Ah heard 'em say when that whirlwind wus on, that they had see - says, well, de trouble wus all ovah. Whosomevah seen de whirlwind, says they troubles wus all ovah.
Entry 169
De whirlwind - if yo' kin ketch it, but it's hard tuh ketch - yo' kin stop dat an' jis' lak dat goes, yo' done dat. Dat's yore signal, yo' got dat. De devil, yo' got him 'cause dat's de devil. De whirlwind is de devil.
(What do you do with that dust?)
Keep in de pocket an' yo' kin conker anybody.
Entry 170
Lak dey take peoples carryin' on work, heah, yo' know - jes' lak yo' go to a crossroads an' sell yo'self to de devil - an' he'll come an' git chew in a whirlwind. [Informant, like devil, got me in a whirlwind! After the interview and she had left, I comment to microphone: "(This woman who was just in here almost ran me crazy fanning herself with the newspaper; the room is so hot)" - she was flapping a battered newspaper near my concealed microphone. For weather while collecting, see Introduction.]
Entry 172
Look at de whirlwind an' turn roun' an' look ovah yore shoulder, yo'll see de devil.
(Which shoulder?)
De left shoulder.
Entry 173
Dey says dat wus de devil whuppin' his wife, de whirlwind jes' goin' round an' round.
Entry 174
Dat de devil beatin' his wife - de whirlwind. Git a rusty nail an' drive it down in there. That'll stop it - say, if it don't stop, yo'll heah 'em fussin'.
Entry 176
Said dat wus de devil, dat whirlwind dat wus de devil. An' den ah mind some say dat dere wus money buried close round dere. [After informant departs, I comment:] (This fellow who was just in here wanted me to get his wife back for him!)
Entry 387
There was a man who went to look for a hidden treasure because he had dreamed that in this particular spot there was a treasure hidden. He asked two men to accompany him on this journey but when the night came the two men didn't show up. The man himself became very determined to get the treasure and went on the trip himself. When he arrived at the spot designated in his dream, the Wind began to blow. But the old man paid no attention. He began to dig and dig and dig. Finally, the rain began to pour, thunder began to roll, lightning began to flash. But the old man dug just the same. After awhile his pick struck something that sounded like an iron pot. The old man felt that his troubles were over. It was not long before he could see the shining pot in the moonlight, because by that time the clouds had cleared away. The old man nervously took the pot from the ground and opened the pot. And when the pot was opened he saw that it was filled with gold and silver. The old man forgot that he wasn't supposed to utter a word before he got the piece of silver in the pot and the old man suddenly cried, "Lord have mercy! Look what I found!" At those words which were spoken before he had put the silver in the pot every bit of the silver turned to black charcoal and the pot turned to just a piece of clay. And the old man suddenly remembered that he did wrong in uttering a sound before he put the silver in the pot. He decided to go treasure hunting no more.
Entry 402
I know a story about fellows went hunting hidden treasure. It had been once dug up by a steam shovel and it slid away back in the dirt again. In Way- back times they use to always kill a man. They get the hole prepared and put the treasure in, then they would ask him if he would take care of this money. He wouldn't know what was going to happen. He would tell them, "Of course." Then they kill him and turn him over in the hole and cover him up. Then, when you go there, that's his spirit that takes care of the money, and it does things to frighten you so you won't bother it. They are supposed to have a machine. It's a round thing like a clock and has three points sticking out. One was set for gold, one for silver and the other for brass. It has two handles of hickory. You hold them two handles and walk along like you witch for water. When you walk over hidden money one of them points goes down. As soon as you start to dig, no talking. You use signs. If you talk, it slid away in the dirt. Well, five men went hunting it again, that's after it was dug up by the steam shovel and slid away, and as soon as they hit the old chest that was in the ground, the wind begun to blow, the trees began to weep - they rocked like they were just going to blow over. And the men begun to run. One got lost. He stayed all night and began to see every kind of a thing like a ghost - men walking, men flying, beasts in the air. He never discovered the way out until daylight appeared. And he has been afraid of it ever since. I knew this man. That happen about thirty years ago [1906] in Sussex County, Virginia.
Entry 10065
Dey go out tuh de forks of de road an' some do's one thing an' some anothah, see. Some will take a half a bushel [basket] see, an' dey puts dat in de forks of de road. An' aftah dey put dat in de forks of de road, dey git a black cat an' put undah dat bushel - half bushel. See. An' dey'll use de word: God, de Fathah - God, de Son - God, de Holy Ghost. Three times, see, an' de storm will rise... (Remainder of this story cannot be secured because of bad spot on cylinder.) [Comment by transcriber.] [What happened? Did the cat escape? Did the devil appear? I hope someone has preserved this story. For a similar story see one in which the devil demands you cuss God three times, No.348, p.103, vol.1.]
Entry 10722
De mon' of...any mon' dat choo born in is cause zhoo to have bad luck. Take like you born in August or I'm born August...zhoo born in March, it's a windy mon'. An' if I is born in March, it's a absent-minded. [Birthday - year month and day - is important in HOODOO, all numbers having mean- ing, but I found little interest in astrology among my informants; it was a lit- tle too abstract, dull perhaps. Besides, I was not looking for astrologers. What we call astrology today has grown like a forest fire, thanks to charts seen daily in newspapers and elsewhere, popular songs, etc. I did look for fortune- tellers, who often did a little healing and hoodoo on the side.]
Entry 6259
But dis story says, if ah hate chew, envy yuh an' ah wanta git rid of yuh, ah git a stran' of hair outa yuh haid. Put it in de feathah of a buzzard, wrahp it wit a wire an' 'tach it to a dead tree. An' as de wind blows an' de feathah waves wit dat stran' of hair, yuh mind will wandah. An' yuh'll go wit it. (Well now, how do they put that hair in this feather?) Jis' split de feathah, de stem of de feathah. Put it in dere an' wrahp it. [See splitting stick or tree limb, Nos.6243, 6242, 6158, 6157, 6156.]
(Inside of the quill?)
Yeah sir, dat's it zackly [exactly]. An' dey says, as dat wavahs in de wind, yuh mind goes lak dat - yuh wandah.
Entry 179
If yo' take a needle, an' during de time when it's thunderin' if yo' take de needle an' go out to de corner of de do'step an' take an' put it to yore ear, now dey tell me yo' [will] heah de devil in hell when it would be thunderin' an' lightnin' jes' as sharp - yo' know de lightnin' [is] sharp. Den, if yo' take this heah needle an' put it to yore ear an' go to de corner of de do'step an' put yore ear down on de ground, say yo' listen dere, an' say yo' could heah de devil an' his imps in hell. Dat's all ah've evah heard about a needle. Ah heard that if yo' could lay down an' keep yore eyes open whilst de wind wus whirlin' - jes' git in it an' lay down an' keep yore eyes open - dat yo' could see de devil. Jes' git in it an' look up, an' when yo' look up yo'll see him.
(During this whirlwind.)
Entry 286
Ah could tell yo' dat story but not knownin' whether all of it's 'zactly true or not - about de cat. Ah hear dem say dey kin - dat chew boil a black cat an' yo' put de black cat in runnin' watah after yo' boil it an' yo' git de bones dat come towards yo'. An' den fo' nine mawnin's yo' go to five points - fo'ks of de road, an' when yo' go there, dey say yo' hear de wind, stormy like, an' on de ninth mawnin' if yo' kin stand an' hear an' see whut chew see, why den - after yo' done boiled dis cat an' go through this process, why yo've sold yore soul to de devil an' yo' kin do most anything.
(You take those bones to that road?)
Yes - yo' carry them with you. In de first place yo' carry dem to the runnin' watah, an' then yo' take 'em out. See, there'll be so many come to yo' an' so many go from yo', but de ones fo' yo' is de ones dat come towards yo'. An' then yo' go to those fo'ks of de road nine mawnin's.
(You just carry those bones with you when you go to the fork of the road?)
Yes - but then those three bones dat come towards yo', you supposed to keep dem bones with you always. That's fo' yo'. De othahs is fo' de othah fellah - providin' if it's a person sellin' dat kind of work.
The informant explicitly doubts whether the black-cat story is wholly true, describing bones moving toward the collector and nine mornings at 'five points' or road forks. The follow-up specifies three bones to retain, with others for another person if the work is sold. Claimed encounters and powers stay qualified by that uncertainty.
Entry 367
The piece he wanted to play was called The Fisherman's Hornpipe - seeming that he couldn't git right on his wyolin. So an' ole feller' tole him one time, he said, he says, "You go to a crossroad at twelve o'clock at night" - it's a road goin' that way and one goin' that way direction - and he said, "Take your wyolin wid jeh." And he says, "It will be a man will come. You set there and play till twelve o'clock. It will be a man will come," he said, "but don't chew mind," he said, "that." He was supposed to go nine nights. The ninth night the devil would come and start to play. He could play anything he wanted after the ninth night. Of course, he said he went. He set there and played this wyolin till twelve. He said he thought a man, but it was a bull come. No, it was a lamb. The first thing come was a lamb, the first night. He said, he passing along wery carefully, this lamb. The next night, the second night, he goes back again, sets and plays till twelve o'clock at this crossroad. The second night, he said, there was a breeze, and wind come as though the whole woods was falling, every tree was falling. And he goes back the third night and plays. The third night, he said there was a bull come through a-slinging fire, wid eyes just as red as could be. And he still set there and played. The fourth night he go back again. He said it was a band of six men come up with a coffun, set this coffun down, begin to take the leads off. Well, he couldn't stand that. He said he had to leave.
Entry 378
This man was a very rich white man, jest about - oh, [my grandfather heard this] sometime when he was growing [up] - mah grandfather he did this [treasure hunted], too. That [hunting] was when he was about twenty some years old - [he] didn't go [back] to slavery too, yo' know [grandfather born after slavery]. All right, [grandfather] said dat dis man was very rich, and he was old an' he didn't need the money. He was old and he had an idea he would die soon. So he took dis chest of money out - way out in dis big - had a big plantation. An he took a Negro man out dere wit him - one of his best strongest Negroes he had on his place. Mah grandpa tole me about it. It took five or six boys to lift dis big heavy chest out de wagon - two wheeled wagon an' set it on de ground. All right, now. He say he wrote his sons three names - only three boys he had living, on a piece of paper an' put it in dis trunk; wrote de boys names on a piece of paper, all three names yo' know, an' put it in dis trunk. All right, den dey say, after he got de trunk set on de ground, he tole de other boys to go on away, "Go on back, Boys, or go on down a piece an' take de wagon" - go on back up dere an' being doing something to keep from being around. All right, it was sitting on de ground by a oak tree. All right now, he asked dis Negro boy, say, "Yo' promise yo'll take care of dis money fo' my boys, heah." De Negro said, "Yes sir, sure do - dat a good-weather job." He say, "Now, lookit heah, ah want chew to take care of de money for me." "Yes sir." So de man had, dey say, had a pistol in his pocket. So he showed John some- thing to 'tract his 'tention, jes' lak, "Say, John, whut's dat ovah yonder?" An' quite natch'ly when he looked to see, when John looked to see, why he pulled his pistol out an' shot him - see, shot him down over his money. An' dey say anybody in de world wanta go dere besides dose family boys, git near dere, someone start throwin' de trees on yo' - or somepin will happen to yo'. Git near dere an' yo'd hear some ringin' like bells or see somepin comin dere; see a snake or somepin that will frighten yo' away. Well, yo' see de other boys - co'se it is dere money an' dey kin go right dere an' git a dollar or two whatever dey want; lift de lid an' jest put it down an' go about' dere business. Nobody kin go dere 'cause dis Negro is there an' he kill dem.
(Because the names are there?)
Dat's right 'cause dose names are dere an' dis other fellah dat fell ovah dis money guards dis money - killed him at dis money - 'he tole me to take care of it." Anybody go dere that ain't one of them, fall a tree on 'em, or de wind will. start to blowing, or somepin will happen to make yo' frighten away from de money.
Entry 389
I have heard that in digging money you carry some instrument and when you stick it down into the earth this money has a tendency to draw it and one will know that he has struck money. In the meantime something comes to one in the night and tells them about where the money is buried. They are supposed to be the one who buried the money. His ghost comes and tells you. This is made of iron something like a spear. And when you are digging this money, all the time something is around you - a ghost or something, although you may not see it you hear a lot of queer noises. Sometimes people when they want to avoid this noise or this ghost they say, "What in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost do you want?" And this ghost will disappear. And in the meantime I have heard, you will see ghosts all away around you. You say, "What in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost do you want?" They say that money is buried somewhere and they disappear. You go get this money and you will never see them any more. At my home there used to be a lot of people digging money. They used to have a lot of trouble digging it. They go there three or four times and they say they would get it. Every time they go to dig money they have big bad storms - windstorms, trees would blow over. You go out on a clear night and a storm would come up. You're not supposed to say anything. [Title Three Highest Names is informant's term, FACI,2ed.,1965, pp.746,787 etc.] [Place and informant number lost; by Ed.]
Entry 395
(Who was this man?)
He wus a Powhatan - a mulatto, yo' know.
(That's down here near the water, isn't it?)
Dat's down heah cross de town.
(You say a Powhatan is a mulatto?)
[Momentarily, I do not understand him. A mulatto by dictionary definition is half Negro and half White. My informant calls this man - part Negro and part Powhatan (American Indian) - a mulatto.] Is a mulatto man. Someone killed him an' dey killed this man an' dey buried dis man an' at de head of his grave they buried $300 an' his cousin when he came from up in de country - he had found out about de money. He wus told dat de money wus buried there, which it wus. It wus said then that this man went there to dig up this man - dig up this grave an' git this money. He thought the money wus his'n. An' whatevah partic'lar time he goes there, an' when he got near to it, de place where de money wus buried - it wus silver money - dere jes' come a whirlwind or a storm an' about a dozen dogs, an' the wind blew an' he had tuh run away from dere immediately, with de hole open an' de money wus dere visible.
(He couldn't stand it?)
He couldn't stand it. De evil spirit or whut it wus, it wanted tuh git this money - he had to run off an' leave it.
Entry 412
This is one my grandmother told me. She was in slavery. She belonged to Tom Watson the man that the Tom Watson watermelon gets it name from. He was supposed to have been a good master. That was in the State of North Carolina. During the War [Civil War] he buried his money. My grandfather, being a man around the house and not needing any money, wasn't concerned where he had it buried, but he remembered seeing him one afternoon after he had made a sale - a man had bought something, he went to a certain place where there was an old walnut tree; when he came back there was dirt underneath on his hands. He suspicioned that that was where he had buried his money. Long after the War had ended and he had been set free, they were talking about money one evening and a man said he knew where there was a man who knew how to dig money. So he decided to go and dig this money. So they went to dig this money. He was put to reading the Bible backwards while his brother used the spade and another man had a long silver fork. He held that fork while his brother used the spade and he read some part of the Bible backwards. As he read he said there came a shrill cry from the top of the tree and a wind arose and they all started to run. I don't know whether that was a cry of an owl; it sound too shrill for an owl, but they didn't stay to find out what it Was. I remember that just before this cry, the blade of the shovel hit some hard object which seemed to be the top of a pot or something. Anyway, the next day he went down there. This money-digger had gone back there. He could see his prints in front of a place where a pot had been. And he always thought that this man that was the money-digger got the money, for he grew to be a very prosperous farmer. He had six head of team and a farmer and cattle. My grandmother was born out in the country near Battlesboro, North Carolina.
Entry 1323
Ah heard dat a fellah was supposed to be a professional in dat kind of thing. He would take dat dirt if yo' in trouble - he'd go to de graveyard an' git it out of de north end of - yo' know de graves be's mostly east an' west. Well, de north side what ah would mean to say.
(of the grave.)
Of de grave. Reach down - jest go down an' git - put chure han' way down, even if yo' don't git clean to de body. But dey say yo' must go to yore elbow an' git dat dirt, an' save it till it come to - if it's dry sand, an' if yo' in trouble or want to git 'way from yore enemies, yo' hold dat an' let de wind blow north direction an' dat will free yo' of dat trouble - wit dat graveyard dirt.
(You just hold that dry sand.)
Jest hold it out an' let de wind take it away yo' see. (The wind blowing north. And where do you hold this - out at the cemetery or when you get home?) After yo' git home. Yo' see yo' take dat 'way from de cemetery.
Entry 2073
[This hand is in two parts, each coming from a different community.]
[Here is the first version:]
A man told me that he went to dig up a woman one night, and before he got tc open it [the coffin] he got scared. And the man was a cripple man and walked with a crutch, and he was about drunk; and when he got there he took another drink and got scared - a whirlwind came on the graveyard and scared him to death. He said he run a mile before he ever stopped running. And when he stopped running he forgot he'd ever been drinking. He said he was never more sober in his life. Somebody told him to get the fourth finger [forefinger] of the right hand [of the female corpse] and carry it in his pocket and he would be a good actor among girls - any girl he wanted would go with him.
[St. James, a Negro community about 5 miles from Pocomoke City, Md., by hand.]
[Here is another version of the preceding story:]
A little humpbacked man, he spent ever' cent he got fer to win girls. I didn't see him do it but I seen the finger. It was told me he went in the grave- yard'and cut off a woman's right [index] finger - I seen the finger - cut that off, and was carrying it around in his pocket.
Entry 5184
If she's away from me and I want to bring her back, I'll get nine old shoes, burn one each night at midnight with [nine] ingredients: egg shell, sul- phur, ashes, salt, pepper, alum, saltpeter, cloves, ginger, and walk around this fire and say, Send me my wife, sister or friend or whatever it is, back. And the ninth morning take this ashes, all from the whole nine mornings, and throw the ashes toward the direction the person is. You must have the wind blowing that direction. [The wind blowing the right direction on the 9th morning could make this a difficult rite.]
Entry 5715
Jis' lak ah'm on de way now uptown. Ah'm on mah way up an' mah min' is toum. Ah got some pahtic'lah business ah wanta 'tend [attend] tuh, an' ah'm on de way, now. Den yo'll git some of 'is track, undah- stan'. Yo' stan' where he's goin', de direction dat he's goin'. Take some of 'is tracks three times - take dat dirt P outa his track three times, an' den put dat in a piece of new cloth an' bind I up. Put three pods of red peppah in wit it. An' den take dat an' sew it up a' put a long string about dat long an' so it kin swing it. Sew dat string jis batavay an' evah time de win' blow, dat swing. He's agoin'.
(Where do you tie that up?)
Ties it up on a white oak in de woods. Jis' take it, tie it up in dere. He can't stay becuz 'is min' altuhgethah from dere. (In other words you take that track, you take it three times out of three different tracks - one right after the other?) Yessuh. (The same thing as that other one you told me about, about taking all the dree tracks?) Dat's right.
Entry 13094
Well, dey tell me if yo' wanta harm a person dat way, dat chew kin kill a rattlesnake an' let him dry till yo' kin pound his bones up an' make a dust out of his bones - skin an' all. An' put some of de dust in a han'kerchief. Heet dis person an' turn yore back to de wind an' dey face to de wind. Take de han'kerchief out an' shake it jes' lak if yo' were goin' tuh wipe soiled han's, an' let dat dust go in dere face. Dey will nevah see no mo'.
(That will make them blind.)
Entry 178
Take an' stick a pitchfo'k in it an' yo'll see de devil.
(In the whirlwind.)
Yeah - ah've heard that.
The interviewer supplies whirlwind as the referent; the informant acknowledges the account as something heard.