Subject:Wish
Entries
Entry 1732
Wal, dey say it's something whut you could fix uP as a bodyguard, but chew fix it up in a bag. Take a piece of shamry skin, something like hide, like dis shamry skin gloves - you know jis' tough skin. Take that and git diff'rent kind of roots and bark. All right, you git de John de Conker root. You git de lodestone and git de devil's- shoestring root and de black cat wishing-bone, and den you take de John de Conker and a piece of dragon's blood and take all of that and mix it up fine - yo' know, beat it up, mostly powder enough to go in a bag. And den you take that and after you git all that fixed up good, git whut chew call dis here Seven-'leven Oil and put seven drops of that. And mix it up all together and put in dis bag and sew it up. See. And take it and put it - and git a piece of red flannen and sew dis bag up in dat red flannen and jes' put a string around it and tie it and wear it around yore waist or around yore neck and dere won't nothing bother yo'.
(That's to keep people from bothering you.)
That's pertection fo' you.
(Where do you buy this Seven-'leven Oil? Where do you get that?)
You supposed to could - de woman told me that she got some from New Orleans but whut part of New Orleans ah don't know. [All black cat bones are hands (see pp.74-97) and therefore they are also in a sense wishing-bones. But wishing-bone here means form as well as power. As to form, one informant said the black cat bone was "made lak de breast of a chicken" (No. 316, p.94), meaning the furculum or wishbone in front of but not a part of the chicken breastbone. Similarly, another informant described black cat bone as "gon'a have three forks [prongs or tines]...two long forks an' a little small fork" (No. 299, p.88). I suggested this three-pronged fork could have been a 'devil's trident." Actually the "little small fork could have been the hypo- cleidium - the end adhering to the winning half of the broken wishbone. Despite informants, wishbone appears only in most birds; it appears in black cats only by the grace of hoodoo merchants. Among other black cat products I should mention black cat oil (No. 1121, p.417), black cat powder (No. 326, p.96), and black cat water (Nos.328-329, p.96f.).]
Entry 1873
Dey take that fo' leaf clover and whut chew call wish bean - wish bean. (Like a bean you eat?) It's somepin similar to dat but it's made altogethah diff'rent chew know an' it grows altogethah diff'rent. It's kinda - it's pretty good size. It's kinda round but it's fat an' lopsided an' it has speckles on it.
(Does it grow in the ground or on a tree or what?)
Well, jis' how it do, ah don't know, but yo' know yo' go to those places yo' know an' yo' git it. [I do not know the identity of this commercial product.] Den yo' put that wish bean an' that fo' leaf clover with yore name written three time on dere. Yo' make a bag of it an' jis' lak dis is de back of yore bed heah, yo' fix yo' some way to hang dat so it hangs behin' de bed where dat yo' sleep. Dat supposed tuh bring special luck to yo'.
Entry 2335
[My transcriber missed most cylinders of two outstanding doctors; one from Jacksonville, the other from Memphis. I made abstracts of some of the material, using quotation marks for the original.] [Use candles or incense for luck at home and "get lucky jomo perfume - it's gon'a work better than that ere Hearts [[perfume]]" - put in palm of hand - "rub till it gits hot - make you' wishes - three wishes - with bright eyes [[meaning]] don't bat your eyes" - put a little on thumbs - rub hands on breasts - then corners of eyébrows and rub eyebrows down - then rub 'em in.]
Entry 3397
It's a ole story. Ah reckon so many [times] yo' heahs about dat. So many people do's it. Well, de only thing ah've heard dat a wumman take, use a greasy dishrag, an' she would take dat dishrag aftah she'ud [she would] be wit 'im an' use it. Co'se she'd soak it in cold watah an' make her wishes on de wumman dat she had trouble 'bout, fo' nine mawnin's, an' she use it on 'im den de ninth day, see. Aftah she use it eight mawnin's, de ninth mawnin' she must have some connection wit 'im, see. An' den she use, an' den she would take it an' de nature from de othah wumman, an' den she use on 'im, an' use it on herself. Well, dat bring 'is nature to her. Ah've reckon yo' heard it dat way. (First she takes the dishrag and she put it in cold water and makes her wishes on it for eight days. The ninth day she takes that rag and uses it on him.) Use it on 'im an' den she uses it on 'erself, an' makes 'er wishes dat he wouldn't have anythin' wit no othah wumman but 'er. See. An' she takes dat rag an' den she buries it, see. Jes' as long as dat rag stay buried, why he wouldn't want nobody else.
Entry 3475
They tie knots in a string. If they get a new cord, you see, and tie that, and that's for to make a man or a woman come under their control. They wear that around the waist. You doesn't buy a new ball [of string] for that. Just like you go to the grocery store or some store, you see, and you take it and just break you off a piece the length that you want. And each knot that you tie you make your wish, vbatever that you wish 'em to do. If you wish 'em to get the money, or wish for them to stay away from a certain home, or you wish for 'em to come to your home all the time, each knot that you tie you make a wish. And then the last knot that chew tie, if yo' want 'em to come under your control, you wish then for them to come under your control, to be controlled by you and you alone. And then you tie that around your waist, you see, and wear it. You do that on the last quar- ter of the moon.
Entry 3530
Mah gran'mothah tole me dis, an' I don't know whethah it's true or not. She wuz ole, I think she musta knowed. Said yo' take yo' a bran'-new pocket han'ke'chuf an', when yo' have connection wit 'im an' yo' - know how yo' do - yo' bring it towards yo' three times an' wish. Make a wish yo' know so he will nevah bothah about nobody. An' yo' take dat pocket han'ke'chuf lak dis, an' tie three knots in it, an' wish all de while yo' tie dem knots in it, an' take it an' bury it undah de doorstep. An' yo' go on in de house an' long as dat is dere, he can't bothah wit, make no love wit no othah woman but chew.
Entry 3627
Yo' could win a man. Yo' could take, yo' know, a string an' put nine knots in a cord string an' put it in turpentine, yo' know, an' wear it aroun' yore waist, an' it would keep 'im from havin' dealin's wit any othah woman but chureself.
(Well what do you do with that string first before you put the nine knots on it?)
Well, yo' take an' put nine knots in it, see, an' make a wish an' put it in dat turpentine an' tie it aroun' yore waist, an' evah time he git ready tuh have a intahco'se wit any othah woman, see, he couldn't.
Entry 3628
Dey [a woman] could take a piece of their [a man's] underwear that they [he] wear right close to them [him] an' rip it right on down jis' where they [he] button the underwear. An' then she takes that an' ties it in nine knots, an' make evah one of those knots to her an' make a wish [as each knot is tied]. Then yo' take this piece an' yo' tie it aroun' de leg an' wear it - eithah leg, it don't make any diff'ren'. Either yo' take it an' tie it aroun' yore waist. An' as long as yo' wear that knot aroun' yore waist, he cannot leave her [you].
Entry 3810
An' he told me. I knew de girl dat did it. Well, I'm goin' to tell yo' now how it started. I heard of it befo'. I wuz goin' wit 'er, an' I had been goin' wit 'er, an' I wuz in good health, evahthing. An' de way I wuz, dis girl wuz crooked on me, an' I say, "I'm goin' quit messin' roun' wit yo', I ain't goin' to" - well I got me anothah girl, started wit 'er, went wit 'er a time or two. An' I got hold of dis girl's pit- chure whut I wuz goin' wit. I had been messed up in dat stuff befo' but not wit dis girl. An' she wuz from de same place dat I wuz. She knowed broad people, all dose people down dere roun' South Carolina an' way to Georgia. Dere's a whole lot of people down dere dat knows a lot of stuff, dere's lot of em down dere dat knows plenty. I says - I been wit dis girl a time or two - I says, "I ain't goin' to hide yore pitchure, goin' to leave it in my pocket." Dis girl got dis girl's pitchure. She seed it but she wuz scared to bother wit it. I says, "Well.... [A short lacuna appears on the cylinder, probably an accidental rather than intended stoppage.] Seem lak evah time I'd go roun' where she wuz - where she wuz at - I would get cowardah [cowarder] an' cowardah [more and more he lacked courage], didn't have any manhood atall. I goes on. I [finally] went to a doctor [M.D.] an' he gived me some medicine. Kept on havin' de medicine, kept on havin' it. Well, I'd taken it fer about six months an' nevah seen it [the ailing member], gotten no manhood atall. I wuz workin' an' I says, "Hell, somepin's gotta be done." I went to see dis person [a man mentioned later] an' [he] says, "What's de mattah wit yo'?" [I] say, "He's [ailing member is] sick. He can't do nuthin. He haven't [had] a woman. It must be woman [causing this trouble]." I kept a- thinkin' about 'er if I didn't seen 'er [he kept thinking about the first woman though he had not seen her]. I wuz talkin' to a man about dis an' he told me who to go to. I went to a ole lady dat had one leg longah den de othah, an' she told me, said, "Boy," said, "time yo' got here." [Her opening words are quite professional - see CONSULTATION TECHNIQUE, Pp.307- 319. Her long leg and short leg were good for business - see NAMES FOR DOCTORS and PERSONAL APPEARANCE, PP.293-301.] She told me how I wuz messed up wit - how my manhood wuz cut down, an' she said, "But I kin fix yo' all right." I says, "Yo' can?" She say, "Yes." says, "Well, what yo' goin' do?" She says, "Well, dat's all right about whut I do. I'll fix yo' all right." An' she say, "Well, I tell yo' what yo' do. Yo' go an' buy me a half pint of whiskey." I say, "Sure enuff." I says, "If yo want a drink of whiskey, " I say, "I'll give yo' a drink of whiskey, but yo' say yo' kin fix me. Yo' told me somepin an' yo' must know somepin, ain't it?" She say, "Yo' go an' buy me a half pint of whiskey, an' if yo' wanta give me a drink, buy yo' one an' me one, an' I'm goin' to give yo' nuthin out of dat." She told me - she took a knife, jes' about a, lak a case knife, an' black gun- powdah, an' a little bit of sulphur, an' a little bit of salt, an' a little bit of red peppah, an' told me how to use it - how to take dis, put it in de whiskey an' shake it up. She got a piece of flannel - said white flannel or eithah red flannel would do, which she preferred white flannel. She had de scissors an' she cut it off an' had taken some mutton suet. She told me to take dis den an' jes' lathah [lather] it wit dis mutton suet befo' a hot stove, or anything, dat a lamp would do if it were hot enough, an' put in on jes' lak dis [demonstrates] an' give a wish.
(And pull it up three times.)
An' it would stay dere, keep it stayin' dere. Told me if when I got dere, if it would fall down, to come on back. So. I didn't pay, didn't pay 'er a thing until I came back - if I didn't want to, see. Well, it did an' it's been stand- in' evah since.
(Well, WHAT DID YOU DO WITH THIS WHISKEY, then?)
I take a swallah of it three times a day. An' it nevah bothahed me no more. Told me evah time when I started wit anybody dat I wuz payin' attention to, if I thought dey had any underworld ideas - but I nevah had nuthin to do ag'in. [The preceding experience was given on cylinder 482:9. Before that, on 482:6, came the tying-up rite, and now follows on 482:7, the pre-statement for the ex-perience:] Dere's a way dat yo' kin take some salt, an' a little bit a pinch of sulphur on a knife blade, an' somepin lak some sheep suet an' heat it ovah a red hot - somepin lak a red-hot stove. If yo' reach down lak dat an' git it when it cools, an' make a wish, yo' see if it stand up [demonstrates].
(How do you pull it down?)
No, yo' pulls it up, three times.
(Three times?)
Pull it three times an' make a wish.
(And then it stays up itself.)
Yeah.
Entry 3996
Yo' put some yore chamber lye intuh a vial, an' put some Heart Cologne in dere, put some Eve-an'-Adam in dere. Den yo' po' de least bit of dat watah out of dat vial in yore han's an' rub it In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' Holy Ghost, an' den goes tuh work an' shuffle yore cards. An' derefo' yo' will have luck ingamblin'. (What is the other way of getting a job?) De nex' way dat chew could git it, take yore same watah dat chew shuffle yore cards wit. Take some of yore chamber lye an' put it into a vial an' put some Heart Cologne in dat, an' Eve-an'-Adam into it - dat vial. Rub it into yore han's thoroughly, In de Name of de Fathah, an' dress yo'self down three times an' make yore wish. An' go an' have a talk wit 'im an' he'll think about it.
(You get the job from the boss?)
Yes.
Entry 4033
About de woman an' de bottle?
(Yes.)
Yeah. Well, her son wuz livin' wit dis woman, see, an' she wanted 'im tuh move 'way from dis woman - see, she wanted 'im to move. So she'd taken dis bot- tle, a pint bottle, an' she got some of 'is urine. She had 'i tuh - co'se he didn't know it, yuh see. She had a night-jar [any kind of glass jar used as a urinal] yuh see, an' she got some of 'is urine an' put it in dis bottle. An' den she went aroun' an' got snakeroot an' boiled it, an' she put some of dat in it, an' red peppah an' salt. An' she carried it to dis house 'bout one 'clock at night an' jes' made a wish dat he would move. An' he moved. She broke it in de vesti- bule.
Entry 4139
Well, yo' kin go tuh de fo'ks of de road. Prob'ly dere may be somebody or some woman dat chew want. Yo'll learn 'er name. Yo' kin go tuh de fo'ks of de road an' git chew on one of dese old speckled tarrapins. (What? Speckled what?) Turtle, land turtle. Dat's right. Yo' ketch 'im an' if yo' kin git 'is haid out enough tuh git chew a string aroun' it, git chew a string aroun' it an' make yo' a small bridle an' put intuh it. Well now, yo' got'a keep 'im down dere by dese fo'ks of de road. Evah mawnin' yo' go tuh de fo'ks of de road an' take a leak on 'im evah mawnin', an' make yore wish dere what yo' wants tuh happen. Take his haid an' stretch out. Yo' tame him. Dat'll tame him so by dat string yo' got aroun' 'is neck. Make yore wish fo' dis woman an' she more den apt tuh meet chah somewhere on de road on yore way. She cain't git aroun' yo'. [An old footnote of mine says, "This was told straightforwardly, informant generally good and reliable, symbolism seems authentic."]
Entry 4168
Dat stuff yuh talkin' about burnin'. Ah make a wish an' ah will scrub de steps down in chamber lye an' dat will draw trade.
(What do they burn, you say?)
Jis' incense.
Entry 4222
Aftah, dey take de pennies an' dey put it in yuh chamber lye, an' den in de mawnin' befo' de sunrise, ah've seen 'um back [give power to?] dey chamber lye an' de pennies. Dey puts ten pennies in dere an' den dey make a wish, "Ah wish yo'd go away, ah wish yo'd go away, ah wish yo'd go away." See? An' den dey'd take dat an' throw it jis' where de sun would rise an' evently [eventually] dey'd go away.
Entry 4267
Anothah' way dat dey take it an' control of love wit it.
(This chamber lye.)
Kin control love wit it. An' den dey use it tuh draw a person tuh yuh. Tuh draw a pusson tuh yuh, yuh take dat an' put in it nine needles an' nine pins an' nine nails in a bottle, wit dat, jis' stop it [up]. An' drop de nails in head an' tail, de pins head an' tail, an' de needles head an' tail, callin' 'em evah time [you drop], an' make yuh wishes. An' den jis' stop de bottle up tight. Pusson apt tuh be settin' dere all alone, yuh shake dat bottle, yuh know, an' call dere name an' turn it upside down. Any place dey is, if dey ain't got de fare, dey be walkin', comin'." If dey ain't got de fare, dey try tuh be walkin' comin'.
Entry 4329
Yuh kin take a woman's watah, tuh run 'is wife 'way from de othah man. An' yuh kin take dat watah an' put it intuh de dirt, if it not already on de dirt. Take it an' put it in de dirt an' make a kinda mud-like outa it, see. Yuh take de watah intuh de dirt an' yuh kin bo' a hole intuh dat tree, an' put it in dere an' stop it up In de Name of de Fathah, [and the Son] an' de Holy Ghost, an' make yuh wish de way dat chew want it tuh work. It will work.
(Any kind of way?)
Yes sir.
Entry 4501
Jes' like yuh wanta have control an' influence ovah people. Aftah yuh wash yuh face an' han's, jes' throw it out de front [door] an' make a wish. Wish tuh be successful in yuh wishes - of being, like man- agin' an' gettin' dere mind in influence.
Entry 4603
Dey say yuh kin take a man's hat an' take de bow out of a man's hat an' take dat bow an' put it in a bottle of Heart's Own Cologne. An' aftah takin' dat bow an' put it in a bottle of Heart's Own Cologne, yuh take dat bottle den an' put it de right side, not de left but de right, an' stand it on its haid lak dat, an' make yore wishes about it den. An' dat thing will bring a man home. An' dat thing will make a man do things.
Entry 4677
De bow an' a dirty sock - out de hat an' 'is dirty sock, lef' foot sock. An' git some Eve-an'-Adam [Adam-and-Eve], some High John de Conkah, some love powdahs, an' roll 'em to yuh. Make yore wishes as yuh roll 'em. Den yuh take it an' put it in yore pillah or in yore mattress, de woman, an' sleep on it an' he'll stay dere.
Entry 4705
Well dey say dey takes dat bow. Take dat bow out an' dey puts dat in Hearts Cologne. Aftah dey put it in Hearts Cologne, git it in somepin airtight where no watah cain't git in it. Dey put it [in] sompin lak a rivah dat's runnin' an' throw it ovah yore lef' shouldah, make yore wish an' walk away from it an' don't look back. Dey say dey'll go crazy. (That is to make that person go crazy? Who owned the hat that the bow came from?) Yes.
Entry 4761
Well, ah've heard ag'in, if yuh've got a man away an' yuh want 'im tuh come back tuh yuh, an' he leaves some of 'is clothes dere, said yuh take clothes tuh make him be on 'is haid. Put de clothes - put 'is undahweah an' 'is shirt, put de haid of it down towards 'is feet [dem- onstrates]. (On the bed?) Yessuh, yuh've gotta lay on dere yuh see. Put it down dere tuhwards 'is feet. Dey take his undah- weah an' take de bottom part - take de laigs of it an' put 'em up tuhwards de haid of de baid, an' let de body go down tuhwards it. Den yuh take his socks an' yuh take one an' bring it 'cross dis way an' let it be tuh de front of de baid.
(The head of the bed?)
No suh, de front. Yuh see - listen. Heah's whut ah mean. Now, yuh layin down dat way.
(Here's the bed. This is the head and that's the foot?)
Yessuh, now yuh lie dat sock dat way.
(Which is the foot and which way does the other part of the sock point?)
De foot part of de sock goes at de haid.
(That points to the head of the bed?)
De toe goes tuh de haid of de baid. Den heah comes de othah, de mouth of de sock, yuh know, where yuh put chure foot in. Let it be out tuh de front [demon- strates].
(One sock crosses the other.)
Yessuh. An' den aftah doin' dat. Let's see - man's sock, undahweah an' de top-shirt. Dat, she might lay in it, an' de rest of 'em yuh lay on top of 'em. Don't put a thing on top of 'em but a sheet. Den befo' yo' git in baid, make yore wishes. Put one needle up an' de othah one cross at de haid [demonstrates], 'tween de haid. Lak dis is de haid of de baid, put it down in dere, in between in dere. Don't let it git down by yore haid, but let it be up above.
(At the top of the head of the bed, you cross two needles.)
Yessuh. An' so yuh lay on dose things, an' ah think she said, in nine days he would come home.
Entry 4767
Dey turns dat fo' luck.
(Their clothing Inside out?)
Yes. If dey puts dere clothes on in de mawnin' on de wrong side, dey keeps it on till twelve. Keep it on till twelve. An' when twelve comes, den dey'll take 'em off an' change 'em back on de right, wish fo' whut yuh want, an' durin' dat week yuh'll git it.
informant-stated luck from reversed clothing, timing and a wish, with clothing referent confirmed in dialogue. No guaranteed outcome changing wrong-side clothing back to its right side at twelve. Keep morning wrong-side wear until twelve, then changing back; no all-day or nine-day import from neighbors. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
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 4806
Take yore underweah an' yuh kin - yuh know, lak if it's dirty, jis' roll dat tuh yuh. Yuh know, roll it tuh yuh three times an' make yuh wishes tuh keep 'im wit yuh. Dey say dat will keep 'im wit yuh. (Whose underwear do you roll?) Roll de man undahweah.
Entry 4852
Jes' lak yuh in love wit a fellah an' yuh can't - yuh wan's 'im an' yuh can't git 'im lak yuh wan' 'im. All right, if yuh kin git a chance tuh wash fo' him, yuh take dose pieces dat he wear, his un- dah pieces an' all dat chew kin git tuh, an' put it tuh soak ovah night. Nex' mawnin' when yuh git up, yuh wash dem pieces out wit'out any soap. Rub 'em. git all dirt dat yuh kin out of dem. Den yuh take an' take de drainin's - turn it [pan or tub] on one side an' drain it [water] off. Take de drainin's of dat dirt come outa his clothes an' stop it up in a bottle. An' put it right undah de centah of yore bed undah de house - bury it dere. Turn it bottom upward, an' put it undah de centah, an' covah it up an' make yore wishes. Den he be comin' dere - he be yores. He come tuh be yores. From time tuh time he keep acomin'.
Entry 4940
Ah heard dat if yo' take a man's sock - 'SCUSE ME, BUT AH DON'T MEAN NO HARM BY IT. AH HEARD A WHITE PEOPLE SAY DIS. DAT'S DE REASON AH ASK YUH TUH "SCUSE ME. She said tuh take a man's sock an' take some sugah, an' take up de lef' brick on de lef' of de fireplace, an' put dat sock down in dere wit sugah in it. An' make yore wishes dat he'd come home. She said take dat.
Entry 5020
They say you can take a man's sock or a woman's stocking and carry it with yeh and make them do what chew want 'em to do. Just make yore wishes with it. And put sulphur and salt in there. and they say nc one else, whatever the're doing [to counteract your in- tentions] can't do anything with it no more than you. See? Just like if you'd bury it out here in this yard and someone come and sprin- kle something on it, they say that wouldn't be any good. And you take this sock and wear it. And if you want him to stay home, if it's a man you want him to stay home and don't want him to go, why then you bury it. Bury it in the yard some place where you walk over it oftener than he does. And that keeps him home.
Entry 5030
If yuh got a sweetheart an' he's gone away an' yuh wan' 'im tuh come back tuh yuh, yuh git 'is sock an' tie it tuh de east cornah of yore baid an' let it be swingin'. Keep it swingin' an' yuh make yore wishes. Finally, he'll come back, an' long as yuh keep dat sock swingin', his mind is on yuh. Yuh hang up eithah one of 'is socks long as it sompin of 'is.
Entry 5038
Yuh could fix 'em diff'ren' ways in dat if yuh got dere stockin' or anythin', cuz dere [they are] dark stockin'. Well dey - well yuh take a dirty sock or stockin' from 'em like dat. Well dey got dirt in dere. Yuh could take dat dirt an' if yuh want tuh do 'em harm, yuh could take it an' bury it or do anythin' yuh want wit it - jis' depend what yuh wan'a do it fo'. See, dat's how dey do's wit dat. Now, yuh could take her socks or stockin's from a woman an' run 'er crazy wit it.
(How would you do that?)
Well, yuh see, yuh take her stockin' an' it got dirt in it. Yuh git a piece of 'er hair an' yuh sew it up wit what yuh call dis fast luck [perfume or powder] an' sew it up tight. Yuh walk tuh any creek or any runnin' watah - an' sew it up tight - an' when yuh walk back from down tuh de creek or anywhere de running [water] is, yuh jis' turn backwards an' make three wishes - any wishes yuh want. Jis' like if yuh wanta run 'er in dat fast watah or run 'er out of town, or run 'er any part of de worl' dat yuh feel like. Jis' make de wishes fo' dat. Throw it backwards. Walk nine steps befo' dat yuh evah look back tuhward dat watah. Jis' long as dat turnin' in de water, she go on.
(You mean, you throw it over your left shoulder?)
Yeah, ovah yore lef' shouldah an' walk nine steps befo' yuh evah look back. But yuh make de three wishes, jis' de wishes yuh want.
Entry 5053
Take a man's sock befo' he wash it - yuh know, he git de scent of it. An' yuh kin take dat sock an' yuh kin take an' sew it up inside a little bag or somepin lak dat. Take an' carry it an' nail it on a pine tree on de sundown side, but be sure yuh got it tied in de bag. Yuh kin bring 'im tuh yuh tuh any- where yuh want. (You just take these socks and put them in a bag?) An' take dat bag an' nail it in a pine tree at de sundown side, an' make a wish, an' dat man supposed tuh be de one man tuh yuh.
Entry 5083
Take de sock dat he done wored an' put it undah where - stretch it out on de side dat she lays on In de Name of de Father, de Son an' de Holy Ghost an' sleep on it. Den he will stop runnin' roun'. (Stretch it out where?) Undahneat' 'er bed, which an' why. Put it undah de sheet on de bed an' lay on it, an' make her wish In de Name of de Father, de Son an' de Holy Ghost dat she means tuh stop 'im from runnin' roun'. Dat will stop 'i. [Florence, S. Car. (1314), 2510:4.]
Entry 5280
Jes' lak yo' wanted tuh be lucky in keepin' dis job at dis place. When evahone is gone, take off yore left shoe an' turn it bottom upwards on de stove or somepin of de kind. Use a little tin pan, jes' somepin dat will keep from burnin' yore shoe sole. An' yo' put two or three drops'of cinnamon oil on de chairs. Git dese Ole Banum[?] Tears.
(You put some of these on this stove lid?)
Put chure shoe - turn yore shoe bottom upwards an' burn dat on dere, an' yo' make yore wish concernin' what chew want. If yo' want so much money, an' yo' make yore wish fo' dis or dat. An' it may be if dis person seem tuh be angry tuhwards yo', or treatin' yo' indiff'rent anyway, yo' wish fo' bettah coopera- tion. An' yo' burn dis an' yo' postively will see a change. An' if someone have dismissed yo' from yore job, yo' drop dese nine grains of spice in de bottle as ah have tole yo' [several days before in another rite]. Now tuhmorrah when ah come ah can demonstrate dat bettah tuh yo', jes' how dat is done. An' den all de times when yo' meet these partic'lah people, yo' wanta drop a drop or two on yore hands an' rub yore face before yo' come in con- tact wit 'em. [Mrs. Brady, one of my contact people in Mobile was a capable woman familiar with the hoodoo-fortune telling world. I had interviewed her several days be- fore, but the recording being bad she had returned for another interview.]
Entry 5283
I've heard of people takin' saltpetah and molasses and putting it in a shoe and turn it upside down, turn around seven times and make a wish, and whatever that is it will come against the one that owns the shoe.
Entry 5293
They can take your shoes and carry 'em way back in the woods or swamp, or some place like that where they'll find running water, you know, and bury them. And turn one east and one west, and cause a person to linger. [No one can proceed in opposite directions at the same time.]1 Or, it can kill them by it. But I don't know what else they say, only no more than just make the wishes.
Entry 5299
Dey burn shoes fo' luck. Dey'd jes' take de shoe - lak dey'd have a fiah in de fiahplace - jes' a ole pair of shoes, an' take an' make yo' a fiah. An' take an' put de shoes on top of de fiah, an' set dat [shoes] ovah dere an' den make yore wishes. An' as de shoes burns, keeps talkin' tuh 'em.
(That will bring any kind of luck?)
Yessuh.
Entry 5300
Yo' take de lef'-foot shoe at twelve a'clock at night an' yo' make yore wish tuh de fo' cornahs of de world an' pray - jes' a prayah child-lak, in yore own mannahs, see. Yore own way of prayin', see. Den if yo' got anybody dat's gone, why dey'll come tuh yo'. Do dat nine times, pray dat prayer. Co'se yo' burn de shoe once, but yo' pray dat same prayah fo' nine times at de same hour. Yo' pray it an' dat's tuh bring 'em home.
(Do you pray nine times that same night you burn the shoe or afterwards?)
Afterwards. Yo' pray it one prayah dat night an' jes' pray it till nine nights. But yo' only burn de shoe once.
(But you only burn the shoe once.)
One shoe at twelve a'clock.
[A separate rite is now added to preceding one:]
Take dat shoe an' yo' kin put some sugah an' soda an' sulphur. Put it in de heel an' shake it tuh de toe, an' push de shoe in de burnah, stove or heatah. Put de toe in first an' let it burn. Yo' do dat about twelve a'clock at night. Now, dat's good. Dat's de same thing. See, yo' don' have tuh pray no nine times ovah dat. Jes' do dat. An' dat's tuh bring people.
(You use either shoe?)
De right foot.
Entry 5315
Yo' kin take a person's track - take yore han' an' ketch it from de toe an' bring it tuh de heel. Put some salt an' red peppah wit it an' some sul- phur. Mix it up very good. Take it tuh a ants nest an' po' it in dere an' make yore wish In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an Holy Ghost, an' dey'll leave.
Entry 5319
Now yo' take a red ants bed. Yo' kin take sugah an' a person track an' carry it an' put it in dat ants bed an' make yore wishes. If yo' wanted 'em tuh love yo', dey'll love yo'; an' if yo' want 'em tuh go, yo' kin fix it an' make yore wishes an' dey'll go. Mix it up wit dere track, wit sugah. Dat sugah's gotta eat up [penetrate] all dat sand though whut chew take up, an' see, dem ants will tote dat sugah intuh dat hole. An' when dey eat dat sugah out from dat track, he go, too; if yo' want him tuh go. He [ant] goin' throw dat sand out an' when he throw dat sand out, he [man] gone.
Entry 5327
Git chure track - yes, git chure foot track an' take an' bottle it up. An' den [they] say yo' back back nine steps, an' den turn roun' an' make three wishes. Say an' yo' make dem three wishes, den yo' handle 'em lak yo' want. (You can handle them anyway you want to. What do they do with that bottle?) Dey takes an' puts chure track in dat bottle.
(Yes, but what do they do with the track then in the bottle?)
Back back nine steps.
(No, what will finally happen to that bottle?)
Say dat bottle will turn purpole [purple] an' say dat will start tuh workin' in dere. It'll start tuh workin' in dere. An' say yo' should make nine wishes [instead of former three]. Yo' make nine wishes an' whatsomevah yo' wish, it vill [happen]. Keep bottle sewed up in pillah [pillow].
Entry 5409
Yo' take yore fingahs lak dis an' draw back from de end of de toe, back tuh de heel an' git de track, if yo' kin git de right foot. An' tie it up an' take it tuh a runnin' stream of watah an' - a new piece of home- spun - an' make yore wishes an' throw it ovah yore right shoul- dah. An' walk away an' not look back aftah it. An' dat would make yo' be in love wit 'im right on, make him come back tuh yo'. If he quitted yo' or sompin lak dat, yo' could do dat. (You just get his foot track between your two fingers, your index finger and little finger. Of the right hand.) Yeah. Say dat would draw 'im back. If yo' wanted tuh run 'im or drive [him away], say yo'd take yore lef' han' an' make bad wishes.
Entry 5473
If yo' want 'em tuh go, yo' kin git de track up from yo' - take it from yo'. See, if yo' want 'em tuh go [demonstrates]. (Here's the toe here and here's the heel, then I take it up right like that. Like this?) Start at de hollah of de foot an' take it from dere tuh de toe. See, dat whut ah mean. Yo' want 'em tuh go. Take it jis' dis way, see. An' yo' take dat foot track an' put chew some red peppah an' some salt in dere. Listen, some grave- yard dirt, an' sew dat up an' go tuh de rivah befo' de sunrise. Yo' kin turn yore back an' throw it right where de watah's runnin' right along, an' throw it ovah dis way [demonstrates].
(Over your right shoulder?)
Yes. An' when yo' leave, yo' kin say anythin' - some of de baddest things, an' don't look back, an' walk away an' nevah look back. Dey'll go. An' if yo' wan' 'em tuh stay, yo' take it tuh yo' - if yo' wan' 'em tuh stay. Take it up tuh yo', see. Take dat track an' yo' kin fold it in a piece of news- papah. See, stretch it on out an' write dere name down nine times, an' pin it ovah yore do' an' make yore wish - where dey's comin' in an' out. An' dey's comin' in dere. Dey will continue comin' as long as yo' - until yo' take dat up an' destroy dat. Dat's tuh bring 'em, see, if yo' wanta.
Entry 5539
Well, see, if a person is stayin' 'way from home all de time, jis' come home an' eat an' tuh sleep a little while an' go right on off, doesn't have any time tuh be roun' home an' yo' wan' 'em tuh stay at home. Well, yo' ketch de track comin' home to- wards de door. An' if yo' git dat track an' yo' measure it wit a papah or eithah way [another method] yo' kin use cahton; well, if it's a piece dat dere hasn't been anything cut off of it befo'. Den when yo' write de name an' make de wishes - make yore wish yo' wanta make, an' fold it ovah, an' each fold fold it towards de house.
(You write on the cotton cloth or on the paper, and each fold you make?)
Each fold fold it towards de house an' repeat de words, "Come home an' stay at home." An' yo' fold dat an' aftah yo' fold it, yo' take a piece of new home- spun an' yo' put dis in it, an' den yo' put some salt. Yo' puts nine grains of red peppah, a pod of red peppah has nevah been any used out. Well, yo' kin put de whole nine pods or yo' kin put de nine grains, which is de seed yo' see. An' yo' put some salt an' some peppah wit dat, be sure it's de salt an' peppah whut yo' jis' bought 'specially fo' dat - an' sulphur. An' put dat down an' bury dat den. Yo' dig de top soil, yo' dig until yo' git down below de top soil, see, an yo' bury dat, an' make yore wishes. An' den de persons will stay at home.
Entry 5540
Now, dey kin take dat foot track of yores an' use it jis' lak dey wan'a. Well, dey takes a knife an' a rule an' measure yore foot tracks an' print it on a piece of papah. Den yo' carries de name. Jis' lak yo' say, ah wan'a do as ah wan'a wit dis person. Yo' carry de name three times. Write yore name. (They measure that foot track with the ruler and then take a piece of paper, a piece of paper the length of the foot track.) Dat's right an' den dey take yore name an' dey draws yore name in a box, in a square, in the box, diamond and heart. Dey write yore name. Yore name would be Jones Johnson. Dey put it backwards, yore name would be Johnson Jones, yo' undahstan'. An' dey cast dat in de light in de lamp, an' have yo' do jis' whut dey want yo' tuh do. Dat's right, dat's fer quick wishes.
Entry 5597
Now, I heard that you can take and find a man's foot tracks, count nine of them, the right track, and you get a little dirt out of that right track [the ninth right track]. And you take the dirt and take a little piece of brown paper, and put the dirt in it and save it. And when you get a chance you get the woman's tracks and you get the same out of hern, the right one [after counting nine of her right tracks]. And you put both of them together and you put [to this combined dirt] one third table salt, and you make just enough of your water into it to make it mucky. And you roll it up and get a piece of rag and lay this piece of brown paper into the rag and fold it up into a ball. And get a strong string, cottonor something similar, wrap it up as tight as you can wrap it; and as you wrap it make nine wishes, whatever you wish them to do. And you take it and hide it in a dark place and let it stay. And that's putting you two together.
Entry 5605
Yo' kin [do] dat - jis' lak if yo' love a girl an' yo' sees 'er walkin' 'long, yo' kin go an' pick up some of dat sand outa her track, an' put it in yo' lef' hip pocket. See, take it an' tie it up in a li'le bundle, an put it in yo' lef' hip pocket an' make wishes. An' yo' somehow or 'nothah will git tuh dat girl, see, an' git tuh talkin' wit 'er. An' den she'll come tuh have tuh fall in love wit chew. An' den when she fall in love wit chuh, den take, yo' know, mess aroun'. Well, yo' kin take a li'le of 'er hair, yo' see, an' put it in yo' pillah. See, rip de pillah where yo' kin put it inside dere in yo' pillah. An' den evahwhere yo' be's she'll come where yo' is.
(What track do you take that dirt from?)
De lef' one.
Entry 5616
They dit up the whole left-foot track and put it in a bottle. Take it and throw it in the river. They can put a little water in or a little cayenne pepper, if you want, make a wish, throw it in the river - and throw it away. You wish them to stand still or to drown, you wish them good or wish them bad, anything you want to.
Entry 5624
Dey git de dirt outa yo' track an' put salt in wit dat, an' go tuh rnnin' watah an' throw it ovahbo'd, an' yo'll move an' can't he'p yo'self. Dat uhut dey tell me. Said dey could run 'em wild - dat whut dey tell me - wit it. Said dey take dat an' tie it up in a new cloth, an' go tuh runnin' watah, throw it ovah yore lef' shouldah an' make a wish, say, "Go 'way." Yo' mind will go, sompin lak dat. (That track you got up thefirst time, you get it from the toe to the heel?) Uh-huh, an' yo' walk tuh de runnin' watah. An' put salt in it an' walk tuh de runnin' watah, an' throw it ovah yo' lef' shouldah an' don't look back, an' make yore wish an' leave on away. An' don' have nuthin tuh say.
Entry 5646
Dey kin go an' see yore track an' begin at de toe an' pick it up completely to de heel, right undah de middle. Don't let any of it fall off, evah bit of it. An' put it in a silk piece of cloth, a piece of silk ole or new. Don't make [no difference] jis' so long as it's silk. An' go to de rivah, drop in de middle of dat rivah. Don't say a word but jis' make yore wish, jis' like yo' say, "Go, yo' devil! Yo' go!" Turn yore back de moment yo' drop it an' don't look back. Come on away an' dey'll go.
Entry 5691
You can take a pinch of dirt out of the hollow of anyone's right-foot track, and take a pinch out of the heel, and one out of the toe. Then, go up to the foot of a grave, take a pinch out of the foot of the grave and mix it with one of them parts [from the foot track], and then bury it at the foot of the grave. And take up another pinch of the head [of the grave] and mix it with another part [of track dirt] and bury that at the head of the grave. And take up another pinch at the [grave] center and mixit with the last part [of track dirt], carry it and throw it in strong running Water. And make your wishes, wish you would go away. That'll run any of them away. [From Doctor Frank Harris, out in country, near Suffolk, Nansemond Co., Va., by hand. For this man, see INTRO., v.1, p. XXIX, line 24f., and elsewhere.]
Entry 5747
This is to cross you. You take the right-foot track, you dig that out and turn it over, and fill the hole full of salt and pepper and quicksilver and sulphur and gunpowder. Then you put that foot track back in the hole upside down and tamp it down and make a wish. You do that the same both for a man and a woman, if you want to break them up.
[Berlin, Md., by Ediphone.]
Entry 5795
Aftah yo' leave a foot track in dust, well dey say yo' take dat per- son's foot track up, see, de whole print of dat track. See, yo' git chew a stick or spoon or somepin an' yo' pick it up, an' yo' put it in a 'east [yeast] powdah can. An' dey say yo' go tuh de rivah on de ferry boat, an' dey say let de boat git in de middle of de rivah. An' when yo' think it's in de centah of de rivah, say yo' throw dat can ovah yore lef' shouldah an' make a wish. An' dey say, as long as dat can drift up an' down de rivah, dat yo'll drift; an' when dat can begin tuh seep watah an' fall tuh de bottom, dey say yo' die.
(I see. Well, now, how many tracks? Do they get a special track or what?)
No, dey say yo' take de lef' track.
(Oh, only your left track?)
Only de lef' track.
Entry 5796
If they want chew to be with them, why they bury it under the doorstep. Like if they want chew to come to my home, see, I bury it under the doorstep. And if they want to run you away, why put that in running Water and make a wish. (Which tracks do they use?) Get de dirt from under de right foot. Like, just if yo' want 'em to come to your home, see, yo' take it when they're coming to de home. If yo' want 'em to leave, yo' git it out of that track when they leave home. [Elizabeth City, N. Car., (438), 401:3.] [The sixth section Of division THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF is HAIR. De- spite the hundreds of hair rites that now follow, hundreds more are scattered throughout the text of Hoodoo, because hair is often only one ingredient in a compound rite containing other important substances: URINE, BLOOD, GRAVEYARD DIRT, etc.] [The lO submargin rites under this margin title recall the well-known belief that hair continues to grow a long time after death - FACI, 2nd ed., 15415, p.714; 1st ed., 10367, p.595. Not so well known are the following beliefs about living hair continuing to grow, after it has been taken from the body:]
Entry 5801
If dey got holt of yore hair, dey could take it - take yore hair, nine stran's of yore hair an' nine needles an' seven [nine?] threads of red silk thread, an' take an' carry it out jes' as de sun go down an' bury it. An' walk aroun' it nine times an' make a wish each time dey go roun' it an' it will cuz yo' - as yore hair begin to grow wit'in dat thread an' needles, sharp pains begin to penetrate through yore haid, an' as de hair grow, why de pains will grow.[ Washington, D. C., (642), 831:2+85.]
Entry 5880
Dey say dey take three strand of yore hair an' dey would put dat in a piece of brown papah [for the black victim]. Dey would wrap some white bread Wit a piece of candy dat wus made up of coconut [sweets to entice victim's spir- it.] Dis thing is all wrapped togethah, [with] dis thread, an' den it would be cast behin' somepin dat wouldn't move, lak a piano, or some of dose thin's. Den fer nine mawnin's yo' go to dis place an' make a wish ovah dis thin', an' it would prob'ly make yo' suffah wit headaches, or prob'ly make yo' lose yore nid. Worry yo' so - evahthin' would worry, yo' jes' git vor- ried all de tlme. Dat is a thin' what dey clain Would do dat to yo' - wit chure hair.
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 5956
Anything like a person's hair, you take that, you see, and you get this srahpin' twine. Now, then you take a red flannel or new yellow cotton, it's a homespun, and just a square, and make the little bag, four cor- ners. And you wrahp it up. You kin wrahp ar eitherwise you kin sew it. But always bring it towards yah, and tie it in a fat knot and make your wish. If you're wrahping it, chew know, why evah knot, cvah time you wraap, you wish that he may come to you, and you wish that he may be yours, and you wish that he may be mine and do whatever I want him to do, and sish that he may gave me mah money, and this In the Name of God. I wish that he Se united in holy matrimony, or anything like that. You see, just whatever your Tishes is. And then, you see, you tie it. And each time you wrahp it towards Rh, why that's bringing him to yah, bringing the person to yah. And you tie 1. And the last knot you tie is the last wish that chew make. You wish that Lemay be yours or may be mine all entirely and do just as I say In the Name Of God.
Entry 5972
Now if dere a ole lady yo' can't git away from yore house- dere a ole lady dere or someone roun' dere an' yo' want 'em tuh leave an' yo' can' git rid of 'em, stick roun' wit 'em where de man git 'is hair cut or sompin lak dat. Git some of 'is hair, see. Git some of 'is hair an' put 'is hair in a little flannel rag an' use some Heart Cologne. An' yo' take dis hair an' dis Eeart Cologne an' yo' do it up in dis rag. Don't sew it, yo' tie wit cotton string an' yo' do it up good. An' jes' befo' yo' do it up, tie nine knots in it, jes' about a inch from de end of de cotton string. Tie nine hard knots in it an' 'noint 'em all good in spirits of turpentine, an' make a wish evahtime yo' make a tie. See. Evahtime yo' make a tie in it, wrap it aroun' an' make a tie. Well, yo' make a tie fo' nine times, an' den jes' put it in yore pocket an' walk on tuh a runnin' creek an' throw it in dere, an' don't look back, keep a-goin'. Yo' won't have any trouble wit 'em atall no mo'.
(Runs him away.)
Yessuh, he gone.
Entry 6090
(There is another way of bringing them back, too, you say?)
Yo' kin take some of de hair from down dere.
(Some of the private hair.)
Yessuh, take it. It 'tain't only but one stran'. An' yo' take an' carry a han'ke'ch'ef wid joo when yo' use it to dry it away. Yo' take it [hair] an' tie it in de cornah of de han'ke'ch'ef an' yo' keep it de same length of three days. An' yo' - an' puts yo' on it dis Hearts Cologne. Put it on Heorts Cologne. Take it an' yo' bury it at de right-han' cornah of yore steps, de right-han' cornah. Den yo' take it an' wear dat den on yo' fo' nine hours, nine or ten hours, sompin lak dat, an' go on back home. Stay right dere. Yo' go on back home an' make yore wishes, "Ah wish Sech-an'-sech-a-one Would come. Ah want So-an'-so back." Dat's anothah way yo' kin bring 'em back.
(That is if you happen to have some of their hair before they leave?)
Yes, if yo' could git holt of any of it befo' dey leave, if yo' kin find any anywhere - don' care how long dey been gone. Hair undah dere arm will do de same thing.
Entry 6445
Ah have heard dat yo' go tuh de fo'ks of de road, an' take yore fingah- nail or a corn off yore toes, an' make yore three wishes. Yo' know, say, "Ah wish dis one would nevah in- tahfere wit me no mo'; ah wish dey would go 'way from me an' nevah come no mo'." An' drop it an' dey'll go. Firs' thing yo' know, if dey's roun' about chew, why dey'll leave. [During brief stoppage of recording machine, victim's name is called - see later.]
(What do you do with the fingernails or the corn? What do you do with those?)
Jis' drop 'em down in dere an' say, "Ah wish yo' tuh go an' ah may nevah seen any mo'."
[Here I add the person's name previously dropped.]
(You just call this person's name, so they won't be around you any more.)
Entry 6469
[The two rites following explain each other:]
They say, kin get your fingernails. If you kin get a man's fingernails, or his toenails, or a piece of hair, you know, say, you get a piece of red flannen, I think, an' sew that up. An' you get chew a bottle of Hearts Cologne. An' I think you get that on the day when the moon's on the last quarter, I think. An' you fix that up and sew that up between nine and ten, an' make your wishes. An' then I think they wear that somewheres near the body, near the heart.
[Informant starts another hair rite:]
(I see. And what do they put in that bag? What would they put in that?)
Well, they's put in that a bag, it's some kind where they got their finger- nails and toenails or some of the hair where they - it's a kind of root they get dey call de Eve-and-Adam. See, those roots are twin roots together. They name one the man and the other one the woman. And then they keep it saturated, I think, in Hearts Cologne. They wear that near the body and make a wish for every stitch they make, sewing up that bag. They makes a wish. They make a bag an sews on it. They make a wish an' puts nine stitches each way [demonstrates]. (Nine stitches in the bag. This is a square bag, nine stitches on each side, nine stitches on each of the four sides of the square bag. I see. And that wish would get them, or something of that sort?) Yes, then they wear that near the heart. (That's different from the - adding that root? That's different from the first thing you told me?) Yes.
Entry 6493
Now, if yo' got some of dis scrapin', lak ah said from undah de feet, throw it out. Have it in a papah an throw it out an' don' look back. Whichevah way yo' turn, yo' throw it ovah yore lef' shouldah an' keep agoin', but don' look back. Ah've done did dat too.
(What do you do that for?)
Dat goin' put bad luck on 'em.
(What do you mean by scraping under his feet?)
Yo' know dat dead skin.
(And where do you throw it, any place? Throw it out any place?)
In de fo'ks of de roads an' make a wish. When yo' scrape dat, yo' see some people scrape dat disaway. Scrape it back disaway. Put a piece on a papah an scrape from de toe back tuh de heel. Yo' kin put dat in whiskey an' he drink it an' he'll nevah leave yo'.
Entry 6524
If yo' scrape de bottom of yuh foot, lak yo' is in love wit a man an' someone else in love wit 'im. Well, yo' scrape de bottom of yuh feet an' put it intuh 'is coffee or in 'is food an' make three wishes. An' he will stick tuh yo' jis' as long as yo' give 'im dat.
Entry 6643
Say, if ah wanted tuh' do sompin tuh yo', ah would git me a snake an' kill 'im an' put 'im intuh a sompin an' bake 'im, an' ah would use mah wish. Ah would take de ashes an' ah would drop it in- tuh yore meal or intuh de watah yo' drink, an ah would made de wish fo' whut ah wanted tuh happen tuh yo'. An' it would happen.
(Do you mean you would wish anything?)
Anything dat yo' wanted tuh wish. Dat's de way ah heard of it.
(Wouldn't that dust create certain things in you or what?)
[My question is leading but the live things are obvious.]
Yes sir.
Entry 6850
[Whatever is found buried, burn it as a general rule; but to turn it back on the spellcaster:] Les' [lest] yo' wan'a turn it back on people, why yo' put it in lye, Red Devil Lye, an' burn dat. Dat turns it back on dem. Make yore wishes.
Entry 6861
If yo' have a enemy dat chew - accordin' tuh de enemies dat chew know - yo' bury 'em in de ground an' make [a] wish, an' de same sickness or de influence dat dey have put on yo' will return back tuh dem. (How many of these nails do you put in there, you say?) Sometimes yo' use five an' sometime yo' use nine ten-penny nails.
(How do you prepare those nails?)
Yo' jis' buy 'em from de store. An' yo' take dose nails an' yo' hit 'em on de haid fer nine mawnin's, an' aftah.dat yuh bad luck return tuh de one dat send 'em. Dey claim dat de bad luck will turn back tuh dem, tuh de ones dat sent it.
[Nails are new.]
Entry 7080
Or eithah yore dirty bloomahs an' hang 'em ovah de haid of de baid right ovah 'is haid. An' fan it nine times dataway ovah 'is face while he's sleep an' make a wish, fo' nine times. Make a wish fo' nine times dat he stays asleep. An' den hang 'em up ovah de haid of de baid right ovah 'is haid. An' he won' vake up. Yo' kin go all ovah town an' come back, an' he be sleepin' sound.
Entry 7540
Yo' go to an ole cemetery dat chew nevah been to befo' an' yo' reach down - reach down an' pick up a little of dis dirt, see. Yo' go to dese fo'ks of de roads - fo'ked disaway, fo'ked disaway an' fo'ked disaway [demonstrates]. (Make the form of a cross right in the road.) Dat's right, make a fom of a cross lak yo' take a pencil an' make a mark, see. Evah whut chew want - who yo' want done or whut chew want done, it Won't be long befo' dey'll be gone. Dat will do one or 'tuthah [the other] - run 'em off, see.
(You don't make a special wish or do something out there?)
Yeah, yo' kin make a wish fo' anything dat chew wanta happen.
The informant describes dirt from an unfamiliar old cemetery, road forks and a cross mark, with a claim that a person will leave and wishes may be made. The demonstration and interviewer clarification remain separate. No unstated way of placing the cemetery dirt in that mark is added.
Entry 7655
Ah hear 'em say dat dey takes some graveyard dirt, if yo' have any man in yore community an' yo' wanted tuh move 'em. Yo' take an' yo' go tuh a sinnah man's grave an' git some of de dirt from right off on 'is left side of 'is heart. Jis' go right down in de grave till yo reach clay, an' take it out, an' take dat clay an' mix it up wit some sulphur an' magic sand.
(Magic sand?) [A hoodoo store product.]
Yessuh, magic san'. An' some dragon blood an' brimstone, an' mix all dat tuh- gethah. An' go in dat house wit'out anybody knowin' dat chew in dere, an' sprin- kle it when all de folk gone from de house. See, in de rooms, an' walk out wit'- out nobody knowin' yo' dere. Yo' know dat chew in dere an' make yore wishes. An' dey say dat dey'll have tuh go 'way from dere.
Entry 7715
Yo'd go down tuh de grave an' take de haidbo'd an' carry it tuh de foot an' make yore wish In de Name of de Father, de Son an de Holy Ghost.
(What would you do with the footboard then, throw it away?)
Bring it tuh de head.
Entry 7721
If yo' sellin' likkah an' yo' wanted tuh keep de laws away, go tuh de cemetery an' make de change [of graveboards]. If yo' know dey all names, call dem names; an' if yo' didn't know de names, jes' use de word "of yore enemies" an' make yore wish, In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' Holy Ghost. An' bring some of that dirt back wit yo', an' leave three pennies. An' then take it an' mix it wit some salt an' red peppah. Sprinkle some on each side of yore house where dey's goin' tuh come up to dere, an' make yore wish on each side of it, "In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' de Holy Ghost, make dat man stay away."
(That will keep the law away if you are bootlegging?)
Yes sir. Yo' make de changes in dat.
(Change the headboard and the footboard.)
In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' Holy Ghost, an' bring some of dat dirt wit yo'. Take it tuh de co'thouse aftah yo' mix it wit salt an' red peppah; take it tuh de co'thouse an' sprinkle it aroun' dere.
Entry 7723
See, yo' 'sposed tuh go tuh de graveyard twelve a'clock at night, an' yo' git dis dirt, an' when yo' start gittin' dis dirt, yo' supposed tuh say, "Dead spirit, ah didn't come tuh rob yore grave, ah came heah fo' luck In de Name of de Father, of de Son an' of de Holy Ghost." An' if yo' put money tuh dat grave or a corn or either some fresh rice, anything, yo' supposed tuh pay dem An' jes' lak if yo' want chure luck changed, yo' go dere in de nighttime at twelve a'clock an' yo' take de haidbo'd an' throw it tuh de feet an' take de feetbo'd an' throw it tuh de haid. An' yo' git dis graveyard dirt an' yo' sup- posed tuh put sulphur in it - supposed tuh put red peppah an' yo' supposed tuh put sompin yo' kin git at de drugsto', but yo' don' specially have tuh have dat, an' salt in it. An' yo' burn dis dirt three times a day. If it's wet yo' put it in de sun an' let it git dry, an' when yo' make yore fiah [fire] it gonna smell funny when it be burnin'. Yo' shet up in a room tuh yo'self an' yo' burn dis heah dirt. An' jes' lak if yo' want - if anothah party livin' next do', yo' want 'em out chure house, yo' burn dat dirt on dose people an' tell 'em dat chew want 'em tuh be out. Yo' know, move out de house. An' burn it three times a day. An' jes' lak if yo' runnin' a joint or anything, an' if no one will visit chure joint much, yo' kin burn dat dirt, an' in about ten minutes time yo'll have a crowd at chure house. An' if it's a woman yo' wants tuh see, an' yo' cain't see her, an' yo' burn dat dirt, dogged if she wouldn't be dere in about five minutes' time.
(You make your wishes when you burn that dirt.)
[This was not a leading question. Somewhere while recording machine had stopped this had been mentioned.] Yeah yo' make yore own wishes In de Name of de Fathah, an' de Son an' de Holy Ghost. (What is the stuff that you would get at the drug store if you wanted to use that and add that to it?) It's sompin, but chew specially [don't] have tuh have dat, becuz ah ain't nevah didn't nuse [use] dat. (You don't have to have it. What is it, if you do want to use it?) [Either no answer or I turn off machine too fast.]
Entry 7738
Ah think yo' put brimstone, camphor, bluestone, an' ah think graveyard dirt. Mix it up about soft enough tuh make li'le balls outa it, an' yo' keep dat till it git dry, an' yo' carry dat an' jes' powdah it. Jes' sprin- kle all roun' dere an' wish fo' whut yo' want it tuh do, tuh happen - whut yo' expect tuh happen.
(What do you expect of that?)
Yo' expect, jes' lak yo' want somebody tuh stay away from yore house, yo' could do dat den. Sprinkle it aroun', all roun' so dey can't see it, an' dey won't come ovah it.
Entry 7739
Well, they said, just like this; now, you living here and I wanted you to move, I want this house. Well, I'd go to the graveyard and I will get some dirt, and I will cross it up near the doorstep. (How do you cross it up? How do you mean?) Throw it like this [demonstrates]. (You sprinkle it in the form of a cross.) Yes. And make a wish and call your name. You'll move, can't stay there no more.
Entry 7786
Go tuh de graveyard an' git dirt from de graveyard, an' den go tuh de forks of de road an' make a wush fo' nine mawnin's, an' dey have bad luck. If dey wusn't in bad luck, bad luck will follah dem; if dey wishin' good luck, why good luck will follah dem. (That is if I wanted you to have good luck or bad luck, I would go to the graveyard and get some dirt, and then I would go to the forks of the road nine mornings and make my wish.) Nine mawnin's befo' day, befo' de sun rise.
(But I only go to the graveyard once?)
Yes.
Entry 7822
I've heard this: if you wake up in the night at twelve o'clock and you write a letter to some of your kin people which is dead and seal it and mail it to yourself, when you receive this letter you burn it and make a wish and the girl that you're going with will marry you. [Fredericksburg, Va., by Edi- phone.]
Entry 7881
Dey could send yo' away wit graveyard dust. Git some cayenne peppah dat hasn't been used an' fresh table salt an' mix it wit graveyard dust, an' make a wish an' throw it de Way yo' live. Dat'll run yo' away.
Entry 7918
If it's anyone aroun' here dat ah would lak fer 'em tuh move - ah want tuh move in de house or anything of de kind - ah kin go out tuh de cemetery an' git some dirt. Make three wishes, dat is, yo' know lak ah want dem tuh move an' stay away. Jis' throw it across de steps or in de hallway or in de porch, an' in three day's time dem people goin' tuh move.
(Move out of the house?)
Yes, sir. [Here 3 wishes replace the 3 Holy Names.]
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 8047
Yo' kin [take] a person's bone outa his laig, a li'le small one of 'is bones. Take a strand of 'is hair, live person's hair, whoevah yo' want, an' wrap it aroun' dat bone. An' yo' take dat bone, if yo' don' want tuh bury it, yo' kin put it in a close [or dark] corner wit de hair aroun' it, yo' know, an' whutevah yo' wish fo' - if yo' wish dose person tuh die or whutevah yo' wish fo', den at [after] de six week dat wish will come true. Wit de hair Wrapped aroun' dat bone, becuz if yo' wrap dat hair roun' de bone, it won't be long fo' dat DEAD BONE WILL TURN DAT STRAN' OF HAIR WHITE. Yo' kin notice it. It will turn dat stran' of hair white.
Entry 8086
Turn 'im [his photo- graph] down tuh de ground an' make a wish wit dat black hen feathah an' yore wishes will come true. An' at de dawn of day, read a chaptah ~ read de 36th chaptah of de Psalms of David. Yo' pray tuh God an' ast 'im fo' whut chew want an' yo'll be purtty lucky tuh git it. (Use the person's photograph. How do you use that black feather? What do you do with that?) Lay it across de pichure, turn it [picture] down tuh de ground.
(Face it down.)
Entry 8143
Take dey photograph an' yo' kin go tuh a point of a road [fork of road] too, wit dat. Yo' go tuh a point of a road wit dat photograph an' yo'll go tuh work an' yo'll write dat per- son's name on dat photograph, an' yo'll turn it upside down, an' yo'll put it dere wit bad wishes. Yo' gotta say bad things an' yo'll bury dat photograph an' put it dere wit bad words, an' yo'll turn it upside down fo' nine days. [Here recording machine turned off momentarily while informant spoke about name mentioned later.]
(You do that at the fork of the road?)
Yessuh, at de fo'k of a road.
(How do you write that name on the back? Just write one name?)
Jis' dat fellah name. Yo' don' wan' chure name dere.
Entry 8171
Yo' kin take dere picture, take de pichure an' bury dis pichure. Now if someone jis' don' lak 'em roun' heah or wants tuh git rid of 'em, jis' take dis pichure fo' nine mawnin's an' jis' take it tuh de graveyard, tuh de offside of de grave, see. De graveyard got fo' cornahs tuh it; any place, see. Take it tuh de offside, it's on de right side. Evah grave got all cornahs. See whut ah mean? Take it tuh de offside as yo' come up on dat side. It's got a offside on de right side of it on de fo' cornahs evahwhere yo' go. Take it tuh de offside an' bury it on its face. An' fo' nine mawnin's go dere an' dump a li'le dirt down in on it, fo' nine mawnin' an' make a wish evah mawnin', say[ing] dat yo' wan'a send 'em away. An' turn roun', don' look back. Walk off an' don' look back when yo' go 'way. An' in nine mo' mawnin's dis fellah be's somewhere, he cain't he'p hisself.
(What will happen to him?)
Sompin will happen. He jis' runned away. Yes, he jis' gone 'way fo'evah.
Entry 8197
Take yure pitchure an' put it in a looking glass [the carboard behind the small.hand mirror having been removed]. An' turn it [photo] upside down [against mercury backing of mirror, restoring card- board back] an' put it undahneat' [you] an' sleep on it or walk on it or put it somewhere somebody'll tread on it an' break de glass, an' yo' [person of photo] got tuh come back. Go tuh de do' an' burn some disinfect [disinfectant] an' make yure wish [wish] an' burn it in de house. Den go to de do' an' make yuh wush [again] an' come back. An' 'at [that] been done in Short[?] William Street alley [here in Richmond]. Den [another method] yo' put it [photo without mirror] undah- neat' de carpet or in a trunk upside down tuh draw yuh back. Well keep yuh on yure haid or yuh feet till yuh git back home. An' use dat powdah, insex, love insex [love incense] dey call it. Burn it on a stove.
Entry 8206
Suppose yo' want a person tuh live about two months aftah yo' take it. Yo' kin take a tintype an' yo' dig two feet in de ground, an' yo' tell it, "Ah wan' chew tuh die wit'in two months." Yo' write his name, whethah yo' kin see it or not, yo' know how tuh spell dat name. Yo' know yo' kin be writin' it, whethah yo' kin read it on dere, yo' lnow, on dere or not. Yo' write it anyhow, "Ah wan' chew tuh die in two months." Den cross it, 'in two months.' [Cross the first words in two months with the second in two months.] Den yo' take dis. photograph an' do dis, dig dis two-feet hole. Den yo' turn it down on de face of it an' den yo' make yore wish, "Ah want chew tuh be daid in two months." Den yo' covah it up. Slap yore right feet on it an' stomp it fo' six times, 'Ah want chew tuh die in two months, ah want chew tuh die in two months." Dey'll die.
Entry 8212
They get a hold of your picture, a tintype frame, and draws blood from one of her fingers and write your name and her name on it, and buries it in the ground four feet and cov- ers it up and makes a wish. In two month's time the wish will come true. If you want her to come back to you, if you want her to hate you, anything you wish will come true. [Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 8229
Tuh break up a home, well yo' kin take gunpowdah.
(How would you use that?)
Well yo' would take de gunpowdah an' yo' draw a pichure lak it's fo' two peo- ple. Yo' draw 'em jis' lak dey goin' tuh fight - yo' know how chil'ren kin draw funny pichures - jis' lak dey goin' tuh fight. Yo' takes de gunpowdah an' nine pinches of salt, an' nine pinches of red peppah, an' yo' put it in de stove an' make yure wishes. An' dat breaks 'em up. (Well, what do you do with the picture then?) Well, yo' take de pichure perhaps an' stand it on de head an' put it in a dark closet.
(No, this picture that you draw. What do you do with that?)
Oh, what you drew. Yo' burns dat. Yo' writes dere names on dis papah. Yo' draws on a plain piece of white papah, den yo' takes dis pichure, de man's havin' a fight, yo' puts de gunpowdah in dere, nine pinches, nine pinches of salt, an' nine pinches of cayenne peppah, red peppah. An' den yo' put it in de stove fo' nine mawnin's.
(I see, you put the stuff into the picture?)
Yeah.
(You have to draw that thing nine times?)
Uh-huh. Yo' don't have tuh draw it zactly [exactly] lak 'em, but yo' draw it lak a man if yo' kin or do it lak a woman, see.
(Well, do you do that over again and again?)
Ovah ag'in fer nine mawnin's.
Entry 8248
Dey take dere undies an' shake it in 'is face [the face of his photo] any time she wan' tuh see him. Any hour of de night she jis' wish fo' him an' he'll come. An' jis' whutevah she want, if he have it, he'll give it tuh her.
Entry 8283
Well, yo' see, yo' kin take dat 'ere [photo] an' [a note of mlne says informant very shaky, a stutterer] an' bury it down in dirt an'...meal buries... eithah meal. Dey eithah buries it in de groun' where dey walk ovah it fo' nine days, an' make any kinda wishes yo' wants fo' it, yo' see. An' den take it out, yo' see, an' nail it up side of de tree at de ninth day an' shoot it, sompin lak dat, wit No.8 shot.
(What is that supposed to do to you?)
Dey say de person will die. (You take this photograph first and you bury it in the ground, face down, you say. And then what do you put on that?) Make any kinda wishes yo' wants tuh.
(You said something about meal. What did you say about meal?)
Even if yo' don't want tuh bury it down in de ground, yo' kin bury it in de meal.
(Oh, if you don't bury it in the ground, you bury it in the meal. Corn meal?)
Yes, sir. An' den yo' leave it fo' nine days. Den yo' see, yo' kin make yere wishes, any kinda wish yo' want. An' de ninth day yo' kin take it up an' shoot it.
Entry 8287
Dey take yore pichure an' draw it in willah [willow] tree an' run a speah through yer heart. See, shape yer heart an' put a speah through yer heart. An' dey shoot yer pichure nine times an' dat'll cuz yo' tuh drag until yo' die. Well, AH HAVE SAW DAT CUZ AH SAW IT ON DE BAYOU, de photo Wuz in de trE. (An ordinary photograph? Or do you draw the form of that photograph?) Yes [you draw the form as informant stated]. An' dey put it in de tree an' dey made dere wish, but dey put some kinda - dey put lode- stone in it, too, an' dey put dat blood, dragon's blood in it, an' dey had a speah through de heart. Yo' know, lak yo' speah it through de heart. An' dey shot it nine times, shot de heart nine times.
Entry 8382
Well, ah heard people say if yo' put one's pichure on a tree an' - yo' know, yo' bo' a hole in de tree an' put it up in dere. An' if yo' drive a tenpenny nail, yo' go dere an' yo' knock dat nai Lfo'[ nine mawnin's, jes' one time each mawnin', an' make yore wish whut chew wanta happen, an' it will.
(Anything you want done?)
Yes.
Entry 8476
(Or sometimes they say they get hold of your photograph. [I am repeat- ing informant's preceding statement unrecorded.] What do they say about that?) Oh, yes sir. Well, I heah dem say, I don't know whethah it is true, but I tell yo' what I heard dem say. Say dey kin take yer photograph an' turn it like dis [demonstrates]. Here photograph, dey turn dat down.
(Oh, they turn it down.)
Yes, dey turn dat down lak dat.
(Well, what does that do?)
An' make a wish on it. Dey say dat will carry yo' away, run yo' away.
(I see, run you away.)
Entry 8477
I have heard they take your photograph and get the hair out of your head, and wish anything would happen to that image, and attach that hair onto your pic- ture, and that wish will come true.
Entry 8478
Ah heard dey could take dat chew know. (This photograph.) Take dat an' make a wish three times an' bury it on de face an' de loved one will return. [Waycross, Ga.,
(1126), 1831:8.]
[The second section Of division THE THREE GREAT SUBSTITUTES FOR HUMAN BODY (the first section PHOTOGRAPH, p.3419f.) contains a goodly' number of rites, considering the fact that hundreds of examples have already been given in the text, and that more will follow this present section. Such imbalance occurs because names normally are merely a part of a larger or more important rite.]
Entry 8487
Dey will take a brand-new ink pen an' pick dis fingah [demonstrates]. (That's the ring finger, next to the little finger on the left hand. All right.) Uh-huh, on de left hand, nex' tuh yore heart. An' prick dat fingah an' git de blood outa dat fingah, an' write de name on a piece of clean [new] papah, an' bury it tuh [in] de east cornah of de house, jis' facin' lak dat [demon- strates] east cornah ovah dere. An' make yore wish. If yo' had a gurl fren' or somebody wus in New York or some place an' make dat an' bury dat stuff, an' she'll come regardless.
(That brings her back to you.)
Entry 8494
It's a thing dat choo call a John de Conkah root an' yo' see, while dat chew talk tuh de boss, jis' as ah tole yo' befo' 'bout dat piece of papah dat yo' write an' put it in de stove. Yo' write de boss name, if yo' know it, in a cross. (Just how do you do that now?) Yo' write his name dis way an' den yo' write his name dis way, an' den yo' put dat in de stove jis' de same as yo' did - jis' de same as ah 'splain tuh yo' befo', in de ashpan an' let dat hot coal drop down on it. An' when yo' go tuh him yo'd have a small piece of dis John de Conkah root in yore mouth, an' yo' make yore wishes befo' yo' git tuh him. An' yo' chew dis while yore talkin' tuh him. An' it supposed tuh bring yo' a favorable answah. Once each day make a cross.
Entry 8499
Perhaps someone come tuh yore house an' yo' didn't want 'em dere any mo', yo' could take a broom, make yore wishes, an' call 'im a bad name. An' take yuh a broom an' sweep )'im out an' he won't come back any mo'. [This is not the ordinary rite of sweeping behind a departing person. The departing is pretended and the person's name is intended or wished at least.]
Entry 8525
(Take a coconut?)
Yeah. Take that coconut, put their name into that and some red beans, and they will use that cayenne pepper and stuff, and poke it and his name in the hole. Open that, you know, the hole, and put them down in that, in that coconut, and stop it up. And then they roll it. Roll it over the floor so many days and make their wishes and roll that coconut.
(You say they put red beans in there?)
Yeah, red beans down in there.
(What do they put red beans in there for?)
I don't know.
Entry 8534
Woman writes man's name on four corners of piece of paper, makes wish, says Psalm, puts in bottle of honey, screws lid down tight, puts in secret place, man will come back, will be sweeter than ever to her.
Entry 8540
They said they make nine marks and cross 'em.
(How do you mean nine marks and cross 'em?)
Just make nine straight marks, you know, an' cross 'em tHHHHH+ ttItitt or That makes ten. The tenth mark, that's ten. (What is it supposed to do?) Well, that will put 'em to traveling, yo' know. (Well, how - where do they make these marks?) Well, yo' could make 'em with a stick or anything, yo' know, and make a wish, yo' know. Call de person's name an' make a wish, an' cross those things an' they say that it's more than apt to come true. Make a evil wish towards 'em.
Entry 8581
(How do you do that?)
Well, yo' write that down nine times on a piece of brown paper an' yo' fold it. Always fold it to yo'. Bring it to yo'. Make a wish every time yo' fold it. Wish that. An' put that in a lamp an' burn it. (Just burn the light in there?) Burn it, a low light all day. Never let it go out. And if yo' see it ain't workin' quick enough, then yo' take an' get yo' a candle. An' get yo' a pink candle an' bite de [bottom] end off it an' light it. An' put that - lay that [paper with names] down under it an' set that [candle] right on top like that.
(What do you mean bite the end off it?)
Just take it in your teeth and bite the [bottom] end off, that end what lights. Light it from de other end. Then take a knife an' cut down - make it, light it from de bottom.
(I see, turn the candle upside down.)
Entry 8640
Well, a lemon, if yo' wanta break somebody up ag'in, lak a man an' 'is wife or sompin lak dat, yo' could take such a-thing as a lemon an' yo' could take that same cayenne peppah. An' yo' write their [man's] name down nine times an' de woman who yo' wanta break 'em up from Yo' could write their name, but whosomevah doin' it, well, dey could do it, dey could fold it, fold it but always fold it from dem. An' if yo' wants tuh put some- body togethah, yo' take that man's name, if it's a woman, an' yo' write his name down first an' that woman, write her name down. An' den she takes de papah an' she fold it comin' tuh her, see. Lak yo' take a papah an' fold it comin' tuh yo' an' make yore wish when yo' fold de papah. An' den yo' take nine dressin' [ordinary] pins, eithah yo' could use needles, but de goldhead needles would be bettah - nine goldhead needles. An' de top whut chew cut off de lemon - see, yo' cut de top off de lemon an' yo' fold dat papah tight an' yo' push it down in dat lemon. An' yo' take de top whut chew put an' stick dem nine needles, yo' know, shut it back up but stick it all de Way roun'. An' if yo' got anyway a [old-fashioned] icebox an' yo' [have a drain to the outside for] dis icebox an' [or] yo' have de foam [gutter or drainage ditch] go through [by] yore house. Well, yo' dig a hole an' yo' put it [lemon] in a moist place where it goin' be wet all de time, so it could rotten. See, an' as dat lemon rot away, yo' see, it'll break 'em up.
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 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 8683
Dey kin take a person's hair an' bury it an' cause 'em tuh die. Cut de hair outa de top de haid. Yo' can't git any othah part of de hair. Yo' gotta git it from de top of de haid, understan', an' wrap it in brown papah. An' write dere name on dat papah, an' cause 'em tuh - yo' know, jes' anything dat chew wish would go wrong with de body. Dat whut chew do wit a person's hair.
(You just write that name once on the paper?)
Yeah - yeah, jes' once. On some different things yo' have tuh write it three times, but jes' with de hair yo' kin write it once, on brown papah. It's gotta be brown papah, jes' ordinary wrappin' papah, lak dat. {Memphis, Tenn., (1518), 2695:2.]
Entry 8684
Well, yo' go out there [to a crossroad] for whatsomevah yo' want [to] be done. Yo' make a cross in dat road. Yo' go to a 'simmon [persimmon] tree an git a 'simmon tree an' cut [a piece off] about 3 inches, yo' know what 3 inches is. Yo' make a split in that, in that piece yo' cut off, if yo' wan'a stop 'em from goin' de way they're goin', if dey goin' roun' some woman, somepin like dat. Yo' always urinate on it an' make yore wish an' write de name. Stick it [name] right down in dat cut chew made an' drive it in de ground.
[This is one of a number of split stick rites.]
(Where?)
Right in that cross, where you make dat cross.
(At the crossroad.)
Yes sir, under dat cross an' cover it.
The informant describes a split persimmon stick with urine, a wish and written name, buried beneath a cross mark to stop a person's going. The final exchange confirms the crossroad location; Hyatt supplies several initial explanations and classifies it among split-stick rites. The source tree name is retained without a botanical authority assertion.
Entry 8720
Ah tell yo' what choo do fo' yoreself fo' tuh cross a person.
(Well, how would they do that?)
Well, dey take it an' write dere names on a hot stove with this stick [lump] sulphur. But if yo' gon'a use de powdered sulphur, jis' sprinkle dat on de stove an' make yore wishes. An' if yo' don't do like dat, yo' burn it wit some asfitidee [asafetida]. Get some asfitidee an' put it in de top an' put dat sulphur in dere, an' burn it togethah an' make yore wishes. Jis' like if yo' want 'em to separate or if yo' want 'em to stay together.
Entry 8743
Dat chew kin take an' go out into de woods, if yo' want tuh keep yore girl fren', so's people say - if it seems lak she's gittin' off from yo', goin' wit anothah fellah - take some of de young boughs on dat tree an' tie yo' a knot in dat tree an' make yore wishes, an' name it. An' she goin' stay dere wid joo until dat tree's cut down, or until somebody come along an' break dat limb off de tree, so dat knot will come untied. (You take one of those limbs and tie it in a knot.)
Entry 8786
If you want to make a person jis' drift an' jis' become a vagabond going here and there an' nevah content in one place, yo' write dere name wit evil wishes on a teeny piece of board, wood joo know, thin board, an' yo' git choo a lots of nails an' put anothah piece on. Dere name is tacked on dat first piece of board. An' den yo' put a thin piece of board on top of dat an' nail it down fine, jis' put plenty nails in rotation. An' at 12 o'clock at night yo' throw dat in de rivah, an' as dat board floats an' drifts down de stream, why dat person will drift. Dere mind will become unsettled an' dey'll jis' go to an' fro.
Entry 8787
If yo' want to make 'em drift, yo' jes' take it an' get dat. Yo' always got to get dat name an' get dere right name, an' fix it up. Yo' put it into a bottle an' yo' get yo' some vinegar, strong, good vinegar, an' stick dat name down into dat vinegar, wit nine pods of red peppah - red peppah, not a strained peppah.
(Nine pods of red pepper?)
Yeah, an' stick it down into dat bottle wit his name in it an' dat old Epsom salts an' dat peppah. An' yo' can take it an' go to de rivah. Yo' seal dat bottle up an' yo' go to de rivah an' pitch it right in de channel. It'll float. An' as long as de bottle will float, dey'll always be goin' - dey goin' to keep goin'. Dey won't stay in no one place. Dey'll go to one place an' den dey'll come back to anothah place. Dey'll keep a-goin' an' dey'll nevah stop goin' until somepin gets dat bottle an' knocks dat stoppah out of dere. It goin' to get loose some way, if dose [things inside] won't keep it [afloat]. (I see. Now, you only write the name once on that piece of paper? You only write it once?) No, write it nine times, an' den make yore wish when yo' are writin' it.
(Oh, I see.)
Entry 8799
They burn it [hand- wmiting] an' make dere wishes an' it'll cause yore hand tuh tremble.
Entry 8839
Then again, dey wan'a draw yuh. Say a woman likes yuh very well an' she can't git up tuh yuh. Well now, she will git a love vine [the dodder], she'll git dose little candies [used for decorating a cake], an' holy watah, an' if possible she'll git a wishbone from a turkey, if she kin git it; if not, she will use a chicken [wish] bone. She'll set in de forks of dis road an' she'll place it dere jis' as neah as dat fork an' dat wishbone will match tuhgethah. An' she'll make a wish. An' if she kin Write, well - aftah makin' dis wish in de forks of de road - while she dere, she'll write a lettah. She'll have 'er three grains of rice. She seal dat lettah wit three grains of rice. She have de rice cooked sof' an' done, an' instead of wettin' wit yore tongue, why yo'll jis' mash - yo' ought tuh have it wet enough, yuh see. Yo' jis' lay it on dere an' mash it down an' let it seal [demonstrates]: one grain on one side [of letter flap], an' one in de middle of dat part, dat part here, an' one on de othah [side]. Seal it wit dat, wit a dash of Lovers Sashay. An' believe yuh me, he gon'a come.
Entry 8850
Take de lettah...
(This letter that I wrote to you?)
Yessuh, an' git a lamp - dey burn on yo' - burn it lak dey burn a candle [on you]. Dey put de lettah aroun' de lamp, outside de lamp an' put de lamp in a da'k [dark] cornah an' make a wish an' burn it 24 days, whatevah dey wan' tuh happen tuh yuh. [This hand- Writing is not wrapped round the lamp chimney, which would immediately cause a fire, but as informant says burn it lak dey burn a candle (for burning candles, see pp.797- 862). Unwatched candles are always placed on a saucer or tin lid of some sort beneath which the object burned on is placed.]
Entry 8868
Ah heah tell 'em takin' yore - a lettah dat chew wrote tuh a person - dat chew'd write a lettah tuh me. Ah've heard of 'em takin' dat lettah an' puttin' per- fume on it. Dat's tuh make yo' come tuh me. Yo' take dat lettah an' yo' put perfume on it an' yo' put dat lettah between yore mattress an' yo' sleep on dat lettah each night. Each night befo' goin' tuh. baid why yo' make a wish dat dis person would come, an' yo' continue tuh sleep on dat lettah. An' ah've heard dat by doin' dat an' sprinklin' it wit Hearts Perfume each night, why ah believe in de ninth night, aftah de ninth night, why dat person mo' likely tuh come tuh yo'.
Entry 8881
Well dey take yore han'writin'. Well, jes' lak yo' write on dis side of de lettah. Well, yo' know, a pusson don't usely [usually] write on one sheet on both sides, jes' lak yo' write on dis side of de lettah. Well, yo' may mail dat tuh me. Now, ' yo' is de woman an' ah'm de man, see. Yo' may mail de lettah tuh me. [Informant begins to demon- strate.] Well, ah'll write on dis side. Well, when ah write on dis side, ah'll write between lines. See, ah write between lines. Now, ah don' write zactly [exactly] on yore lines. Jes' lak yo' write a line dere, an' write one dere, see. Well, ah'll write in de middle of yores, see. An' in mah time of writin', why ah'll make mah wishes, what ah wan' tuh happen tuh yuh, see. An' jes' as ah writin', ah makes mah wishes. Co'se yo' have tuh have a good education tuh do dat, yo' know. An' den when ah make mah wishes, why yore wishes will certain- ly come out. Co'se den mah lines will be tangled up. Yo' understand, aftah yo' done write it de long ways betwixt lines, den yo' go an' write it across, see.
(Then what do you do with that?)
Well, yo' keep it. Keep dat an' tote it. [Charleston, S. Car., (511), 576:7.] [This division can be gathered into sections: THEFT, COURT CASES, THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG, SALT AND ITS COMBINATIONS, NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS, FROG and BLACK CAT LUCKY BONE AGAIN. Smaller amounts of diversified material, with margin titles only, will follow in division "CHANNEL DE WORLD."] [Closely related to theft are: (l) the loss of an article by mere losing or misplacement; (2) the loss or theft of a husband or wife or lover, illustrations being numerous in Hoodoo; and (3) the reverse of losing, the finding of the object causing conjuration. To locate or identify conjurating objects is the very heart of hoodoo. Many of these latter methods have been given in Hoodoo - see DIAGNOSIS, Pp.165-217, and elsewhere. Yet, despite all do-it-yourself magic, the true be- liever in these volumes will imitate Biblical precedents, if the loss or theft is considerable. He will copy the experiences of Saul by visiting a seer (1 Samuel, chapter 9) or a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor (l Sam. 28:7), whom our modern believer knows by various professional titles: Doctor, Madam, Mother, high man, wise man or wise woman, two-head or two-header, fortuneteller, reader, healer, foreknower, foreteller, hoodoo or hoodooer, root-man or root-worker, witch, witch-crafter, 'crafter, cunjure or cunjure-man, etc. Finally, may I call your attention to the first margin title, BIBLE AND KEY. Some of its rites have been used for other purposes than theft: to discover whether a wish would come true, No.550, or whether you have been hoodooed, No.551, both on p.167. At the end of these Bible-and-key rites are two rare ones of unusual interest concerning two keys, or crossed keys, or the Key Of St. Peter. My special comments about them, because they concern me personally, should be read.]
Entry 8904
If a person stole a.thing from yo' an' yo' wanta find out if it's dem dat did it, yo' gotta git chew some coffee grinds [grounds] aftah de coffee's [coffee has] been made. Git dose coffee grinds. An' den yo' take some coffee grinds an' let dem set outdo's [outdoors]. Don't leave dem in de house, yo' let 'em set outdo's. An' den yo' will git chew a bottle of turpentine. Now, dey done stole it an' yo' wanta find out de fak' [fact]. An' den, when yo' git some turpentine an' dose coffee grinds - an' den yo' take dat eggshell an' brown hit an' put it in dere. An' den yo' take dat eggshell - aftah yo' take dat egg- shell. An' yo' make yore wish while yo' fixin' it up. Yo' make yore wish while yo' fix it up an' den yo' take dis eggshell. An' den yo' take an' beat up some garlic an' brown dat garlic. Yo' gotta brown evahthin' yo' use. An' den yo' take, if yo' have an idea who got it - if somebody tell yo' dese people got it an' yo' know where dey live at...
(If you have an idea who did, what do you do with it then?)
Take it tuh dere do' an' bury it right up undah de centah of dere do', right up undah de centah of dere house eithah much [if you prefer]. [Center of house makes this a quincunx rite.] An' if dey got it dey'll bring it back. Dey'll bring it back.
Entry 8911
You go to work and find his track, and make nine wishes and wish for your stolen'things to come back. Then you bury that [foot track] right where he took that from you.and he'll come back to look for more. And he'll stay right there until day lookin' over it all. [The preceding until day is an element taken from hag and witch lore, see pp.135-164, especially Nos.481,530, 542, etc.] Yo' do hyp'otize 'im. An' then yo' say anythin' to 'im, he'll come out; but yo' can go right there an' arrest him without sayin' anythin' to him. Then yo'll find him in dere next morning, when yo' gits up, lookin' over yore stuff. An' dat he's got he'll bring it back. If he's done used it up he'll come to yo', tell yo' he's got it. [Near Suffolk, Nansemond, Co., Va. Doctor Frank Hall (see Intro. P. XXIX, v.1, where Harris is a mistake for Hall), by hand.]
Entry 8914
I have heard 'em say that you could take a fork and stick it down at the gate or the entry or around the building near where you think they're going in, and make your wishes. And that'll keep 'em away, if you think a person's trying to steal - to perwent [prevent] a person stealing from you. And that'll keep people from talking about chew too, they say. Keep 'em from bothering you in any way, shape or form or fashion. [This fork rite has been taken over from methods to keep a hag or witch out of the house - see No.510, p.154, etc.]
Entry 8916
If a person steal somepin from yo', take sompin good, yo' know, somepin useful to yo', yo' kin take an' write dere name three times. Yo' write In de Name of de Father, Son an' de Holy Ghost three times. Den yo' write dat straight across lak dat three times [demonstrates], an' den yo' turn it an' yo' write it dis way [the same way], an' den yo' take dat an' fold it.
(Do you write the person's name first?)
No, yo' write it In de Name of de Father, Son an' Holy Ghost, three times.
(Then you turn it around and write it crosswise, in the same words?)
De same words, an' yo' writes de person name, too, but yo' write it undah dat, under de Father. See, yo' write it In Name de Father, de Son an' de Holy Ghost, an' den de nex' line will be de person's name. An' when yo' writin' dis note, yo' makin' yore wishes to yoreself fo' de Lord tuh bring dese people back. An' den yo' write dat ag'in, an' den ag'in de [person's] name, an' [again] de Son an' de Father an' de Holy Ghost, until yo' git three of each. (First one and then the other [the names are on alternate lines]. There must be three of each on this paper. Then you turn your paper sideways and write the same thing down across the other six [lines of] names. Six crossing six?) Sho' [sure]. An' yo' place dis undah yore lamp, one dese li'le small lamps, yo' know. Dey call 'em scent [saint] lamps. Well, yo' take an' set one dem lamps on top of dat an' make yore wishes fo' dis person, an' in three days time whatevah yo' wish fo' comes [true]. [Years ago lamp rites were very common in New Orleans and the areas of its influence. This lamp was a real lamp, sometimes very small, always with a wick in a burner. Sanctuary or shrine or holy lights, giving lights of different colors and using floats were something else. Then, of course, candles surpassed all other forms of magic illumination - see for these candles, Pp.797-862, v.1, and other places; for 34 lamp rites, Nos.8578-8612, Pp.3524-3535, v.4, and other places. During my collecting days in New Orleans, scent or sent could mean saint, and also incense or scent.]
(They will bring back that article they have taken from you?)
Yessuh.
(They call them saint lamps?)
Yessuh.
Entry 8950
You will go to a creek where ther's water running at. You get you some of that sand out of the bottom of that creek. See, some of that white sand, and you get you some of that run- ning water, see. You brings it back home, you puts it in a clean basin. See, put that sand in the bottom of that basin. You puts that water in there. You take and you write your name on a piece of paper nine times. See. And you puts it in that water. Well, it's natural when that paper gets wet, it's going to sink under that water, you understand. That paper sinks under there and you stand up in it and you repeat the Lord's Prayer for seven times and make your wish. And whosomever got anything from you, they ain't going to rest until they bring it back.
(I see, if anybody has stolen anything?)
If anybody stole anything, it keep 'em tormented until he bring it back. (What do you mean by repeating the prayers seven times? You mean all on this one day?) Yes, sir.
(Or seven different days?)
Oh, no sir, just one time, yo' see. An' while yo' repeating that, that paper going to come back to the top of the water, you see. And when it come, it going to begin to float around, see. It float around, you see on that water. An' then you don't take it out; see, yo' leave that paper float in that water. See. And it's goin' keep him tormented until he brings that back. It going to create a fear on him, he can't rest nowhere.
(I see.) [New Orleans, La., (873), 1426:4.]
[Despite the following do-it-yourself rites about court cases, it was always advisable in serious crimes to employ the service of an expert, especially of a legendary person like Doctor Buzzard, who never appeared in court but sent an animal to do his work (pp.891-905). At an earlier date some witchcraft people could break up a trial by thunder and lightning, so it is said. Much of this court material is scattered throughout Hoodoo - see interview COURTROOM SPECIAL- IST, Pp.1423-1449, v.2; SIFTER AND SCISSORS, No.604, p.204, v.1; and especially a rite, No.9024 in this present section, one of the finest statements in Hoodoo; My amazing experience with Doctor Washington of Charleston, S. Car. He, using me as a guinea pig, explains how he could free me from the clutches of the law, if I were a bootlegger and had been arrested! This freedom he describes by asking me questions and then answering them himself - Shakespearian! Indirectly he will bribe the court through a go-between with the money I pay him in advance, keeping a part of it as his commission, and work his real magic with 2 black hens. Washington, after talking to me, had a fight with another doctor out in the court- yard of the house where I was interviewing. I refer to this fracas later while in Brunswick, Ga., after two doctors likewise had a quarrel outside the house where I interviewed (lines 5-6, 15-16, p.337, v.1). Washington, as also most other doctors, paid me the great compliment of my life, without any suggestion or pretense of mine. He and they considered me a hoodoo man from New York City! Big-city life would make me ignorant of animals that crawled or hopped or flew. Consequently he offered to help me by taking over any live-things-in-you cases coming my Way in Charleston - See DOCTOR WASHINGTON ASKS FOR DOCTOR HYATT'S "LIVE-THINGS-IN-YOU" CASES, pp.2253-2258, v.3.]
Entry 8955
Lak if yo' got a co't case an' in de mawnin' when dat individual [you] git up, leave de house be upsetted, leave de chamber lye stay in de house an' de clothes whut dey have on. First dey take a bath. An' yo' git honeysuckle an' bay rum an' den yo' make yo' a bath wit dat. An' yo' take dat bath when yo' fixin' tuh go tuh meet de co't. An' yo' put on clean clothes. An' de ole clothes whut chew put off, yo' nail a nail up at de do' whut chew goin' out, an' yo' turn yore underwears wrongside out an' yo' hang 'em up upside down. An' yo' hang yore pantses up upside down, an' yo' turn yore shoes upside down. An' as yo' go out de do', make yore wish an' don' look back. But leaves de house dere - upset de house as much as yo' kin. Yo' wins dat [case]. Ah have win.
Entry 9025
That same woman I'm telling you about now, she was making whiskey and they had her up in Bowling Green [Va.] Court. She went there and she got a four- leaf clover and put it in her left pocket, and made a wish to get clear, and went to the court and they dis- missed it. The power that was in the four-leaf clover and her wishes and her power banished the court. [Fredericksburg, Va., cylinder 44, by Ediphone.]
Entry 9028
[This rite could also have been indexed under many blowing breath ex- amples in Hoodoo.] Yo' take dirt daubah nest. Yo' kin be in jail. Ah've done done dis. Yo' kin be in jail an' yo' kin git chew a piece of dirt daubah nest, but don't let it fall. [This is one of those don't-let-it-touch-the- ground rites.] If it fall, don't chew bothah wit it. Cheo git dat [nest] chureself. Yo' mix it up wit table salt an build yo' a li'le fiah, an' yo' burn it as de people do in ole ancient time, sacrificin', In de Name of de Fathah, Son an' Holy Ghost. An' make yore wishes fo' whatevah yo' want tuh be done. An' yo' keep a-blowin', an' evah time yo' blow, say, God de Fathah, Son an' Holy Ghost till words 'mount tuh nine times. An' evah time it'll be yore way. An' if things ain't yore way, evah time yo' burn it, if things ain't zactly, yo' burn it ovah ag'in an' keep a-burnin' it ovah ag'in till things come zactly yore way.
(This is in a court case, you say?)
Yes sir. [For the mystery, awe and magic concerning the dirt dauber nest, See especially the interview, 'TOMB OF DE BABE OF BETHLEHEM," pp.1325-1335, v.2J
Entry 9070
[We have here the rare, perhaps only example of writing a white man's name on brown paper instead of the usual white. Is this a protest? Remember, the rite was collected before Martin Luther King Jr. marched on Selma! Though atmosphere and situation were changing, almost no one expected so much progress in such a short time. Is informant reducing prosecutor to the prisoner's level, asking what would you do if you were in his shoes? For the use of color symbolism, see COLOR SYMBOLISM, Pp.797f., and es- pecially the interview, NAHNEE, BOSS OF ALGIERS, Pp.1351-1386.] Yo' trial comin' up fo' de co't an' dey got a prosecutor, see. Well, yo' know fo' instance lak dey kill somebody or bootleggin'. Now fo' instance if de police find yo' an' he's de prosecutor... Yo' understan' me? Well, yo' gits a piece of brown papah. Yo' see dis heah brown papah. Yo' write dat guy's name on dat nine times an' yo' git chew a great big piece of ice an' put dat on de ice, an' he git dere he cain't open his mouth.
(You put the ice on the name or the paper on the ice?)
Put de papah on de ice, but yo' got his name nine times wrote dere an' yo' make yore wish, an' lay it on dat ice an' keep it all night. (Just on top of this cake of ice? How do you lay that piece of paper on the ice?) Jis' lay it flat or lay de ice on it. Lay de name nex' tuh de ice.
Entry 9099
Git powdahs, perfume, dey call it lucky star powdahs [incense]. Yo' burn it an' as yo' burn it de sut [soot], it drops down, an' as dat drops yo' make a wish, an' dat turns evahbody ag'inst chew in de line of tryin' tuh do yo' some harm. But chew [in jail] cain't do it. Some of yore friends will have tuh bring it tuh de co'troom an' do dat.
(You wouldn't do that in the courtroom, though?)
Do it at home an' make a wish as dat falls down.
(What do you call this powder?)
Lucky star powdah. Yo' buys it in de drug sto'. It looks lak dust, an' as it burns de soot drops from it, an' yo' make a wish in behin' dat stuff. An' anybody tryin' tuh do yo' some harm dat turn 'em 'ginst chew. Jis' lak if yo' have somebody in jail an' yo' want 'em out, well yo' take an' burn dat. Go up tuh de jail. Den it won't be long 'fore dey be outa de jail. [Lucky Star is also incense shaped like a star, See LUCKY STAR, No.2088, p.607, vol.1.]
Entry 9175
And I want the judge to be lenient on my case and so I would get dis- missed. Now, if I was goin' like I would be arrested and I had to go down to the judge, and I was just like I would have to go down to court this morning. I get a subpoena to come to the court this morning, understand. I would take my bed, the bed I sleep in and I would take and turn the mattress over, upside down, and leave the bed upset. And take my chairs in my house and I would turn them up too. Then I would make my wish before I leave my house. I would get me a piece of John de Conkah, understand, and whilst I be coming into the judge's room, I be having my John de Conkah in my mouth, understand. The minute I walk into the door to the judge - to go to the judge's stand, I would spit my John de Conkah.
Entry 9202
Dere's tuh [two] ways dat yuh cud [could] use dem. Ah kin take - see, yo' know a fresh egg dat yo' see a hen jis' got [up] from de nest. Yo' know, fresh egg jis' lak dat. If it's warm it's best. Well, yo' wo'd [would] take it. Yo' kin write a person name on dat egg. Write it dis way [demonstrates]. Turn de egg aroun' an' write it dat way [demonstrates]. (You write it one Way, then turn the egg upside down and then write right across.) [The two names are written in the form of a cross to cross up the vic- tim.] Uhuh, write it again [the second time] across it. An' yo' kin care hit [carry it] tuh runnin' watah, jis' dat egg, make yuh wishes. Any way yuh wan' 'em tuh go, why jis' say, "Go. "~ Any which way yo' want, jis' go tuh cussin' an' say, "Go, God damn yuh." Sompin lak dat. Throw it in.
Entry 9232
Ah heard dat chew could take a black hen's aig an' bury it at chure do', an' aftah buryin' dis black hen's aig at chure do', when yo' make yore wishes an' whatevah yo' make yore wish, it will come. (You bury this black hen egg at your own door?) Yessuh. (And make your wish for anything?) Yessuh. Ah heard dat chew could do dat an' dat yore wishes would come.
Entry 9242
And then you turn around then and want to run him away from her, yo' get a coal-black hen's egg an' yo' write his name on de egg. An' den yo' turn around and get a pinch of dirt out of the hollow of his right-foot track, and write his name on a piece of paper, and put that egg and that dirt in that paper, carry it and throw it in strong running water, all run one way [meaning not a tidal river], an' make yore wishes. An' go back to yore house an' get in yore door an' turn yore face out of the door an' wish 'im from yore house, an' he'll go away. [Out in the county from Suffolk, Nansemond Co., Va., (Doctor Frank Hall, called by my tired mind Frank Harris! in v.l, INTRO., p. XXIX. I hadn't thought of Frank Harris in years! Material from Hall was taken down by hand.]
Entry 9244
In case yo' wanta do anything wit it, yo' go dere an' yo' take two pennies. Yo' take a aig. Yo' still take a aig an' yo' take two pennies an' yo' go dere at twelve a'clock at night. Yo' bust dat aig right across of dat road. See, what- somevah yo' want, if it's evil, by dat bustin' dat aig, yo' pay de mean spirit two cents. Yo' drop dat two cents in dere [the bursted egg]. An' yo' bust dat aig right across de road at twelve a'clock at night, an' turn right an' go backwards an' don' look back.
[You probably walk backwards as long as you can see the forks of the road.]
(And then you make a wish for something that you want done?)
Dat's right.
(You do that down at the forks of the road.)
Dat's right.
Entry 9245
If yo' have anything dat chew wants done ag'in wit a aig - a aig is a valuable thing. If it's anything dat chew want done wit a aig, write upon yore aig whut chew want an' put it in yore mouth. See, put de whole aig in yore mouth. Write jis' whut chew want On dat aig an' put it in yore mouth, an' walk tuh de east cornah an' west cornah an' de south cornah - jis' walk in evah cornah of de house, an' turn yore face tuh de east an' make yore wishes wit de aig in yore mouth. Yo' gits yore.wishes.
(You do that at any time?)
Jis' any time. If yo' wants sompin tuh happen, anything dat chew want [to] happen.
Entry 9373
Den ah know a woman she tole me how ah could put mahself in good luck, an' ah ast 'er how. She tole me tuh git a new fresh aig from a nest an' write on it jis' whut ah want it tuh be. Yo' know, whut ah want tuh tell it, an' black it wit sut [soot] an' bury it undah de house. An' aftah nine days why ah'll git a result. Good luck in anything dat ah wanted tuh happen, dat will happen.
Entry 9435
[They] tell me yo' kin take a aig an' go dere, an' don't let 'em see yo', an' jis' make a wish an' throw dat egg at de house, dey tell me, an' dey will move.
Entry 9436
Ah'd [I would] take a fresh [black] hen egg an' ah'd take an' throw it an' break it on top of yore house, an' make a wish fo' somepin bad tuh happen tuh yuh.
Entry 9437
Tuh make 'em stay.away, yo' kin take a black hen's aig an' at night, ovahnight, yo' go dere an' take dat aig an' chunk it ovah on top of dere house, anywhere an' make a wish, say, "Ah wish dey'd stay from mah house. Ah'm tired of dem worryin' me. Ah'm tired of 'em." Jes' chunk dat black hen's aig, yo' know, ovah de - on de house, on de porch, anywhere. An' den de nex' mawnin' dey mo' den apt tuh git up an' move. Dey move out from de house. [I frequently heard preceding word tired as tied, the past tense and past participle of verb to tie.]
Entry 9479
There's several dif- ferent methods to work at it. The one method, why you would get up in the morning at three o'clock and take three hands of salt, and throw 'em across the door and make your wishes. And sometimes it have a tendency to make 'em move.
Entry 9489
Yo' kin take salt, a bran'-new box of salt, an' throw it in each cor- nah. Start from de sunrise an' go round tuh each fo' cornahs, an' yo' put de salt in each cornah of yore house. An' git in de middle of yuh flo' an' yo' make a wish. [The middle of yuh flo', the fifth point, turns this into a quincunx rite.] Den yo' kin take dat salt an' burn it "In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' de Holy Ghost, put peace an' pleasure in mah home." (After you do that at the sun- rise side, which way do you go then?) Yo' stay tuh yuh right [walk clockwise]. Yo' see yo' start in de sunrise an' yo' go roun' till yo' git tuh de last cornah.
Entry 9543
Dey use [burn] cayenne peppah an table salt an' make yuh wishes ovah dat. An' if yuh kin git anywhere about de house, tuh git some of it in dere, dat'll make dem fight lak de devil.
(That's all you have to do. Burn some of that.)
Entry 9574
Dey tell me dat if yo' on a job - lak now, if ah'm workin' here wid some people an' yo' don' lak me [you say] "Ah wish yo'd git away from heah", 'cuz he [you] got hateful ways, " or sumpin lak dat. Dey tell me yo' take salt an' cayenne peppah an' mix it tuhgethah. If yo' ketch dem goin' outa [the] do', throw it at 'em so dey won't see it, an' sweep it on oat. An' dey said he won't be dere long.
Entry 9575
If yo' want to keep people away from your house an' afraid that they Ykrt chah, yo' must always have salt an' red cayenne pepper mixed together. Yo' take that salt an' cayenne pepper, they people go out. When they come in de house, yo' don't want 'em to come, yo'd put that salt and cayenne pepper all behin' 'em. An' then yo' take de broom an' sweep that off de way that they go out. As yo sweep it, make a wish, "Keep outa my house." See? Well, they do that three ties. An' then they won't come back to your house no more. If they mean yo' any harm, they ain't comin' back no more. [This is an unusual preparation for an emergency: You must always have salt an' red cayenne pepper mixed together. Often materials must be new and remainders discarded.] [Richmond, Va., (348), 291:1 0r 348:1.]
Entry 9587
[My informant gives the complete rite first and then much later during the interview adds a note about it.l And then they say you kin take and put salt and pepper in your shoe, if you wmta git a fellow. You know, take salt and pepper and put it in and wear it in ygmr shoes.
(In both shoes?)
Yes, in both shoes - yes.
(That's to get him?)
You know, they have a little saying about: If you want a fellow, I'll tell you what to do Just get some salt and pepper And wear it in your shoe Just red pepper, you know. Not black pepper, but red pepper you know.
(That's a little song, you say?)
Yes, but you wanta get a box of salt that ain't even been used out of, you see. Go to the store and buy you a brand-new box of salt. Then you wanta get you a strand of [red] pepper: [pep- per pods] where's never any been used off it. See, if there's any been used off it, it's not any good. See, get you a strand of pepper where there's none ever ben used off it. And then you get a pod - you get you three pods of pepper in your shoe. And you cut one up in one shoe and you cut the other up. You cut half a one [pod] in this one [shoe] and half in the other [shoe]. And each time you cut the pepper you sprinkle some of that salt, you see, and make your wish.
(In doing that you use three pods of pepper?)
Yes, you use three pods.
(You put half in one shoe and half in the other?)
Half in one and half in the other.
(And you cut the second pepper in half?)
Yeah, you... (I [you] cut the first pepper in half, then you put some salt on top of that in the shoe and make your wish?) And make your wish. (Then you take another pepper and cut it in half and put it in the shoe, and then put salt and make the wish, that way?) Yes, three times.
(I see.)
That makes just three times cuttin' [3 peppers or cut] and you make your wish co see him. And then you wait three days to see him. An' he doesn't do like you want him to do in those three days, why you do that again, you see. But you use tree pods of pepper then. Well, probably see, he might come but not up to like yoa'd like for him to come. Well, you'd use three more, see. That makes nine pods, see, and then that makes nine days. See, everything works at nine days. And you know, they say for the right conjuration and for it to do right like you wmt it to do, you wants to work it on the last quarter of the moon, when it's dark nights, and then you see the results on the growing of the new moon. You see, as the new moon grows, why he'll come to you. [This is often called a put- ting-together rite. In the following subsection see onion cut into 4 parts, No.9596.]
Entry 9594
I'll tell you what I would do [to make a person move]. I would get some bluestone and salt and pepper, and put that down right beside of the house and wish them to go, and they're bound to go. [Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 9623
Yo' git some sulphuh an red peppah an' strew roun' yore house fo' ten nin's befo' de sunrise - sulphuh an' peppah an' table salt, an' jes' throw it roun' yuh house fo' ten mawn- in's, evah mawnin' befo' de sun rise. An' if yo' know where dis man lives, yo' go tuh 'is house an' do de same thing. Jes' throw dat peppah jes' as yo' go in. Yo' jes' throw dat peppah up an' down until yo' git tuh de do'.an' yo' throw it out lak dat an' make yore wish. An' de 'leventh mawnin dey say yo'll git a job.
Entry 9624
Sulphah an' red peppah an' put nine teaspoonsful of salt in it, an' bary it to de back do' an' to yore front do', an' dey couldn't stay dere tuh ave dere life. Dey may stay two or three weeks but dey won' stay. (You mean in the house or around the house?) No, yo' jes' bury it right undah yore back steps. An' den go to yore front step an' bury it 'bout de same place - under de front steps. An' dey couldn't stay dere to save dere life.
Entry 9740
(What are you going to do with those nails?)
Conkah anything yo' wanta conkah. It's nine nails. Yo' put three heah [demonstrates].
(Three right over your navel.)
Right ovah mah navel, an' yo' got three in de back, ain't chew? Dat's six, ain't it? Put one heah, one dere. Make a sack, yo' know, jes' lak a nation sack. But yo' kin fix it up round, yo' know, good aroun' yore waist. One on each hip. But yo' got three right chere an' three right in de spine of yore back. Dat's six, ain't it? Dis is seven an' dat's eight. Now, put one in dat left shoe. [For nation sack, see interview THE "NATION SACK" WOMAN, Pp.1449-1459, vol. 2, who describes this article.1
(What will that do for you?)
Conkah whut ah tole yo'. Conkah de devil or any way yo' want it. But yo' gotta make a wish In de Name of God. Yo' gotta do all dis In de Name of God an' have faith in it.
Entry 9759
You kin take these nails, tenpenny nails, and you kin drive 'em in the ground where some person that you doesn't like or want to move them, you move them with nails. And when you drive 'em in the ground and make your wish, you drive 'em head down an' p'int up. Or you kin drive 'em at your doorstep and nail them down under your control. You use nine nails.
Entry 9827
Tuh bring yore sweetheart back, take a han'ke'ch'ef an' write his name in de centah of dat han'ke'ch'ef an' fold it up. An' yo' git chew nine new nee- dles, sewin' needles, yo' undahstan'. An' aftah yo' git dose needles, yo' take dose needles an' yo' stick one in dis way [demonstrates] right intuh dat name, an' yo' stick one dat way, an' one go dis way, one go dat way. But dey all gotta go intuh dat name. (All those points of those needles point into each other.) [The needles are in a rimless circle, points inward.] Yassuh, goes intuh each othah. Ah'll show yo'. Dis is yore name but dey all gotta go intuh dat name. Well, yo' take dat aftah yo' git 'em all in dere an' make yore wish. An' take it an' put it up in de centah of yore baid undah yore mattress. An' den de fo'th day, why he'll surely come back tuh yo'.
Entry 9844
Dat's tuh fasten a man. Jis' lak yo' had a husban' an' yo' wanted 'im down, an' he couldn't bothah yuh about [what] yo' wuz doin' or goin'. Yo' cud take nine needles out a bran'-new package an' yo' kin take nine straight [new] pins. De needles have steel in 'em an' de pins don't. Yo' kin take a strip of papah jis' off a tablet an' write dis individual's name. An' yo' stick a needle comin' tuh tuh, an' de p'int, stick a needle goin' from yuh - comin' tuh yuh an' goin' from yuh till yo' stick nine needles. Den yo' stick de pins all one way, de nine straight pins, stick each of dose p'ints tuh yuh [demonstrates]. Den yo' would take dose needles an' jis' slightly, jis' [stick] lak dat [demonstrates], chew might say, abou' two or three inches in de ground. Aftah yo' put 'em in dat concernin', ah wanta jis' cross dis party's name. Den yo' kin turn dose needles down. an' yo' make yore wish how yo' want 'im tuh be. An' den jis' covah slightly wit dirt or somepin ovah it dat he may walk in an' out ovah it daily. An' dat'll keep 'im quiet. Dat'll keep 'im down.
Entry 9861
Yo' kin trim a fat-lightah splintah, lak a peg outa it, an' yo' ketch dat toadfrog befo' de sun rise. Anyway, kill 'im befo' de sun rise. Yo' push dat peg through 'im an' yo hold 'im dere until he dies. Den yo' take de peg outa dere an' tie a cord roun' 'is feet, an' yo' kin hang 'im up any- where on a bush. Or jis' take a stake an' put 'im on it an' make yore wish, In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an'Holy Ghost. If yo' wan'a person tuh move, yo' kin stick it up an' make dem move; if yo' want luck, yo' kin stick it up an' make yore wish fo' luck.
Entry 9930
And then you kin take, ah - now this is self experience. Not for my- self but when I was a kid growing up; I guess round about fourteen, twelve, thir- teen, fourteen years. See, I was raised in the country and worked on a farm. My father died when I was small in 1903 and nothin' but a woman raised me. My mother and I didn't have anything, she and me had to work. Well, this was a ageable [elderly] nan and he was able to pay high wages for, you know, a full-grown man and he'd work lotsa children, you see. You see, where those large farmers didn't bother with we children, he'd work us in turnin' [sweet potato] vines and settin' out his potatoes like that. And this was a green frog. It's not a bullfrog. It's between a toadfrog and a bullfrog. I expect you've seen him. He's green and has those black specks on his back. It's long-legged though. Some say eventually after they get old they turn to a bullfrog. But he used to ketch those frogs and he'd tell we children to catch 'em. But if he didn't tell us to ketch, we could ketch 'em. But he'd tell us to ketch 'em and we would ketch 'em and he'd put it in his pocket and it wouldn't jump out. And he said you take those frogs and put it up in a bottle and make your wish. And set him on de stove and dry him out and take that and do anything you want to do with it. Well, of course, dis man I knew was pretty good and he always seemed to be lucky. He tolt another girl and I one day - we was pretty good in settin' out potatoes. So he asked us to ketch every one of those frogs that we could see. See, we'd have to go to the ditch to dip out water, you know, to water those sprouts that was planted there. So we come to him, we asked him. "Well, '' he says, "Well, I'll tell you-all something if you'll [not] tell." Ah says, "Well, What's that?" Ah says, "Never is a long time." He says, "Well, if you-all want those boys you going with," he say, "why go ahead and marry 'em, '' says, ''but I'll tell you, '' says, "Viola," says,"'this boy you going with, '' he says, ''he ain't goin' make you any good husband at all." Says, "They is fast, but you get these little spring frogs, you see, these little green frogs where you kin squeeze 'em and they goes way up into water." He says, "You catch every one of those you Kin find." He says, '"If you all have a fig bush, you kin get plenty of 'em in there." And he says, "And you get that frog," he says, "and put him in a box ad make your wish." And he says, "And set him in de stove or onto the back of the stove." He says, "In a small can like a five-cent or ten-cent baking-pouder box [can] where you kin close it up. Put him in there alive," he say and he Bys, "you doesn't open him in nine days," he says, "but each day make your wish for this man." He says, "When you open that frog, '' he says, "you have you a piece of yellow cotton. Go to the store and buy you five-cent piece of yellow Cotton, or you might buy two or three cents worth if you kin get it." Three oeats worth - that was during wartime [World War I] - was just about as wide as yoar chin[?]. He says, "And make you a little bag and make it four corners, ' be says, "jis' so it won't be anything but the form of the frog." He says, "Sew all that dust in there," he says, "and you'll always have good luck, and get any man you want and go anywhere you want to." And ah know hr made it for real. She really did it. An' she came there and she bought five dollars worth of figs when she got one of those frogs. We [man informant worked for] had a large fig orchard, and she come there and threw the money down. [Elizabeth City, N. Car., (438), 391:5+].
Entry 9962
Put little rain frogs in a bag of new yellow cloth or new homespun, make a double bag [from double or folded cloth], make wishes, wear for money and success. [The meaning of rain frog probably varied in different parts of the coun- try, but in my part: "To hear a rain frog (tree frog or tree toad) calling is the sign of rain within three days." (FOLKLORE FROM ADAMS COUNTY ILLINOIS, 1st ed., p.10, No.259.) This tree toad is said to be trilling (calling with trills) for a rain (2nd ed., P.20, Nos.525-526)].
Entry 10096
I heard one fellow tell that too. As near as I can recall what he said. You take a black cat at twelve o'clock at night, boil the cat in hot Water until the flesh is boiled away from the bones. The first bone that floats up to the top of the water, you say certain words - I don't remember the words. You tie a string to the bone and keep the bone in your outh a certain length of time. Then tie that string around your neck with the bone hanging to it. That puts the person in the power of what they call...in ocher words he sells himself to the devil. He can work wonderful miracles. Be can do anything he wishes. It gives luck in gambling, too. [Fredericksburg, Ta., by Ediphone,62.]
Entry 10163
You kin make a table [altar] with that [rite] you see. You understand, that's if it's something that choo want, well you kin make a table with that. You kin, that is, if it's for you to make a sacrifice, something that you want. Well, git choo three candles, you put the picture - you fold the picture up you under- stand.
(This picture of the Lord?)
This picture of the Lord. That's right.
(On the table?)
On the table. That's right. An' then you make it like a rainbow [a semi- circle]. You put one candle - you git three candles. You make [place] one right here, an' one right around here, an' let it [candles] come aroun like a rainbow. An' you make you a wish fo' wha' choo want, an' you say a prayer. You say, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, the 23rd Psalm. You say that Psalm an' then you get 'down an' repeat the Lord's Prayer for what you want. Yo' make a wish with these three candles. Then you let them burn plumb on out... right in front of the Lord's picture... You do this about 6 o'clock in the morn- ing or 6 o'clock in the evening or 9 o'clock at night.
Entry 10165
If yo' got a gurl - it's dis way. Ah got a gurl an' she runned away from me. She done lef' me. She's gone. Well, lak [I] say, dere's a lotta watah 'ween heah an' New Yawk. Say she's gone tuh New Yawk. She jes' jumped up an lef' me an' ah haven't did anythin' tuh 'er an' want 'er back. She won' come bach tuh me by writin' tuh 'er. All right. Ah go tuh de drug sto' an' ah gits me a 15-cents blue candle. Take de same nails an' needles an' put in dat.
(How do you put them in there now? How many do you get?)
A nickel wuth of ten-penny nail. Put eight nails, an' de whole papah of needles, an' about eight big pins. Yo' git dem ovahsize sticky pins yo' know, dem ovahsize one. Some packages dey sell two fo' a nickel. Dey are de small size. An' de large package it's got one long one dat way; dey sells dem one fo' a nickel. Yo' git chew a piece of lookin'-glass lak dat an' yo' tum de part dat chew look it, an' git chew a saucah of watah or git chew a bowl or cream saucah, or anything dat will hold watah. Den turn dat [looking] glass down ovah dat way. Take dat candle an' take de end of it which yo' is gonna set down, take a match an' light it dat way. Don' light de top part where de stem is; light de bottom part an' put it on dat glass.
(With the top part downward?)
Yessuh, on top of de glass, an' let it set dere an' make yuh wishes fo' hit. But yo' start hit at ten minutes an' burn it fo' twenty-five. In twenty-five [days?] yo' receive a lettah from her, to send aftah her or send her ticket. She's on her way back tuh yo'.
Entry 10188
For success in business either at home or outside the house, bathe with 3 ingredients: bluestone, saltpeter and sugar. Or else bathe with blueing and sugar. Either bath is for personal protection. At place of business mop up with Red Seal Lye and burn brimstone as a purification. But before leaving home for work or opening the house for business, make wishes and light a yellow candle. [Did the maker of this rite realize that in some place during the late Middle Ages prostitutes legally had to wear yellow?]
Entry 10189
Bottle oil of bergamine [bergamot], box cooking soda, teaspoon salt- peter, take bath in that. Break a candle, make a wish, light [same] candle, let candle burn out. Then get brimstone, burn brimstone Monday, Wednes- day and Friday and make wish. Put sugar in it [brimstone], throw into fire. Can make money. [This is a rite for business.]
Entry 10628
Any time root [roots for special times]. Then ah makes a powder tuh sprinkle yore house wit, it call a holy powder... [Informant starts off at a rapid pace and up in the air.] (Now wait a minute! Now, I'm getting my wife back. Now, I put that right underneath, right under the bed?) Yes sir.
(Then what happens.)
Put Eve-and-Adan root undah yore bed, yuh understand, and make a wish - make yore sign [first] - then make a wish tuh the Lord. Make a wish fo' what yore heart desires, you understand, after you carried it [and put it under the bed] and in thirty days she'll be back there. Don't ca' where she gone. An' if she's sued yo' or lawsued choo fo' alimony, then she'll take it out [call off the suit].
(What was that other root?)
Queen Elizabeth. [Informant continues with rites under Queen Elizabeth root and shame brier.] [Mobile, Ala., (655?0, 857:1.]
Entry 10681
Dey say when yo' go tuh put down sompin to a person's house, yo' kin go backwards three steps or nine steps an' jes' put it down an' make yore wish an' walk away from it an' don't look back until yo' git to where yo' live. (That is if you are putting down some- thing for a person to walk over?) Yeah an' harm 'em. Dat evil work.
Entry 10682
If yo' git up in de mawnin' befo' sunrise an' walk out chure do' back- vards fo' nine steps an' make a wish to that effect fo' whut chew want done, it will come true. Come in de house an' nevah look back. Jes' come right straight far- wards back in de house an' nevah look back fo' nine mawn- in's. Yo' gotta do dat fo' nine mawnin's.
Entry 10764
It's only certain days dat de bluestone, dat it will do ceruln work. Now, heah's de bluestone heah [demonstrates], den ah put in some lard an' chunk it [stir it] roun'. An' ah wants yo' gimme some work. Ah dip mah han' [demonstrates] in an' ah p'int [demonstrates] an' make a wish dat ah wants tuh work at S0- an'-so's house. Well, 'cos' God's Name gotta be mention, yo' see. Yo' p'int tuh dat place dere. An' yo'll shore git somepin tuh do.
(In what direction did you point?)
Dat way, at de house, right befo' yo' dat way.
(At the boss's house?)
Jes' lak, down roun' heah tuh dat church dat's where yo' goin', yo' goin' stay heah an' p'int. Stay right heah an' p'int.
(You simply pointed toward the boss's house or business?)
Yes.
Entry 10827
Take three straws out of a broom and throw it [broom] across yore left shoulder backwards. Throw it back off yo' and make yore wish. Yo'll git dat wish. [Mobile, Ala., 963:9.]
Entry 10894
Any kind of cat hair and a he dog and a she cat to run a person away - break 'em up.
(How do you do that?)
You take this hair and you mix it all up together like that - the hair of the dog and the cat. The dog and cat don't mate together. Call this man John. Jis' say, Mary, you and John can't stay together. Well, then you get this gunpowder and you get nine pods of red pepper, and you put that all together. Don't burn it in de house. Make a fire out in de yard and burn it, and make your wishes and they gone apart.
Entry 10913
Jes' lak if yo' got a dog an' a cat - ain't chew seen two dogs and two cats meet, an' de cat make up his bristles an' de dog make up his bristles? An' while dey got dere bristles made up, yo'll git de hair behin' both of 'em's neck, see; an' put it in a piece of cloth an' fold up de cloth, an' pin nine straight pins in it - one each way. See [demonstrates] pin one in it [cloth] dat way - an' one in it dat way [heads and points, alternated] an' dat jes' will make 'em fuss an' fight. (Well, now what do they do with that cloth after they pin it up? Where do they put that?) Yo' tote dat in yore pocket, see. When dey git together jes' lak dat dog an' cat fight yo' see; jes' fuss an' fight, be mad [every] time dey see one 'nother. Do dat wit de hair. (But they have to get near one another.) [Here without suggesting an answer, I am asking informant how all these concerns the two victims. Do they walk over Package? Is it thrown into their house? Does he name pins them? Without some such device all this is done by informant's intention.]
Entry 11072
But she says if he leaves, she says don't worry about him going. If you wanta bring him back, if you got anything in the world that belong to him, [she] say you just make your wish. And if your wish is for him to come back, take it to any stream that is contin'ly running and put it in there. Then you turn around and come back, and atchly [actually], in a short while he'll return. He'll never be satisfied nowhere he goes, he's bound to come back wherever he left from.
Entry 11119
You kin take an' draw a coffin, you understand, see, an' make you a wish on it, an' cross it up so many times - put about 3 crosses on it, an' make you a wish. An' bare [bury] it under their doorsteps or either you kin put it in front of their door. See, you kin jis' throw it in there. Wrap it up, fold it up, write it [name of person on]. An' throw it in the front of their door. An' put the [word] devil on top of it, write the devil on top of it, see right up on top. Either [instead of writing devil] you kin draw one you know, you understand, see like that. They'll die.
Entry 11203
Take nine dirt dauber nest an' pound 'em up together. Put some salt - jes' de least salt, into de nine, which id about a teaspoonful into de nine dirt dauber nests. Then yo' put three teaspoons fulla sugah into dat. Pound it up good together. Then yo' take - after pounding that all up together - then yo' take an' anywhere that a person gotta visit, if it in a home or anywhere that they got dealin's at in dat place, yo' sprinkle it In de Name of de Father, de Son an' de Holy Ghost an' make yore wish the way that yo' want it to work. It will work.
(What will you wish for on that?)
Well, if yo' want 'em tuh quit workin' dere or tuh leave dere, why yo' kin wish that way. An' if a person wants tuh continue working to a place, why yo' make that wish there. [Nine dirt dauber nests surely means 9 cells from one dirt dauber nest, not 9 separate nests which would be quite a large amount of dirt.]
Entry 11213
Take the dirt dauber and take dis man's name.
(Yes?)
And you write the man's name and you set this in the bottle, and when you puts this in the bottle...
(Now what do you put in the Bible?)
You puts - in de bottle!
(Oh, in a bottle. You put all this in a bottle?)
All this in a bottle. Well, I call a bottle a jar - one of these pickle jars - and put the vinegar in there with the man's name in there. That's the dauber dust. Then you takes this man's name and you just put the pin and the tacks and the needles in there. And then you put it in there, and every day at twelve o'clock you shake it up and call this man's name. Every day you do the same thing until the ninth day that you see that you get your wishes.
(What kind of wishes do you make?)
Well, the wishes that I would make, would be the bad destruction on him. That'd be bad luck for him to have. That's the bad wishes.
Entry 11226
Nine dirt dauber's nests, 9 pinches out of victim's left foot track, pound up together, make wishes over, take to a grave of evil person, bury you there, you will soon die. [This is my condensation of a long rite in the material of an interview missed by my transcriber. I never had time to return to it. Original condensation in pencil attached to final manuscript.]
Entry 11690
: Take the forks of the road, [I will] just mark on this [piece of paper] the forks of the road there.
[After he draws a diagram I comment.]
(That's the forks of the road. All right.)
Now, you kin take the forks of the road [a crossroad] and you kin go either mere or there [to right-hand or left-hand fork]. You kin make a wish at twelve o'clock at [demonstrates]: (At each fork - at either fork, just before he gets to the joining place.) Yes? (Yes, all right.) You kin make a wish there [demonstrates] for success for dealing with women. You can make a wish [here, a second place] for success in instruments - like you nta play a piano, guitar or something [demonstrates]. (I see. On the right-hand side of that fork [4 forks] you use to wish for women; the left-hand fork is used for instruments and things of that sort. All right.) Yes.] Now, but you must be here at twelve o'clock.
(On the right hand side?)
Yes, either side [chosen] you must be there at twelve o'clock at night, you know.
(I see.)
After the clock strike twelve. You go there before then and be there at twelve. And you'll be entertained [all sorts of things will appear].
(Then you just make a wish. That all you do then, at the forks of the road?)
[Machine stops. No answer.]
Entry 12160
De cow hoof or hog hoof - yeah, anything lak dat. Yeah, yo' burn dat. Yo' git dat cow hoof, hog hoof, whatsomevah what it is, an' yo' git chew some Hearts Cologne an' sprinkle ovah dat an' yo' burn dat. Burn it in yore house. While yo' burnin' dat, yo' hook yore han' [fingers] together an' yo' make yore wish. Dat's good wishes. Yeah yo' jes' lock yore fingers together. Dat's good wishes, dat's sompin good. Dere no harm in it. Ah haven't heard it, dere's no harm in dat.
Entry 12164
Well, before the judge you use the holy water too. You can sprinkle yourself good with it and read the 23rd Psalm of David. You can read the 23rd Psalm of David and sprinkle yourself with holy water. It'll make you wish [you will make your wish] and go before the judge.
Entry 12190
Keep a horseshoe fo' good luck. (That is all you have to do?) Dat's de only thing ah heard dat yo' kin do wit de horseshoe. Make a fiah an' turn it upside down an as it burns, sprinkle salt on it an' make some wishes with it.
Entry 12290
Go tuh any groc'ry an' git chew a new piece of cord dat haven't been used, whut chew tie up packages with, an' jes' lak anything dat yo' wish, an' nine is yore... [What? Number?] Take nine tuh do it. Yo': can't do nuthin until nine days. Jes' lak yo' git up dis mawnin', say, "Ah'm goin' start dis mawnin' an' ah want sech- an'-sech a thing tuh happen.' Jes' tie one knot [in] it an' make yore wish re- gardin' tuh whut it is. An' de nex' mawnin' de same thing fo' nine mawnin's. It'll come true.
(What do you do with this string after all these knots are tied in it then?)
Let it hang right dere, an' when de nine days up, an' yo' sure yo' got de nine knots, jes' take it an' git chew some sulphur an' some salt an' burn it right in yore fiahplace.
Entry 12302
Yo' take a lemon an' take a knife, a new knife, an' yo' mark yore vishes, jes' whatevah yo' want to, aroun' an' aroun' dat lemon - befo' six a'clock - aroun' an' roun'. Make all dose wishes, but yo' must be very careful whut chew wishin', 'cause dat's comin', an' yo' stick dat up dere inside de house, not on de outside. Then at six a'clock in de evenin' yo' change it ovah.
(To the west side?)
Stick it up an' let it stay up dere till de next mawnin' at six, then take it down an' git chew anothah lemon. Do that fo' nine mawnin's, an' anything yo' vish fo' will come. (You just take this lemon and then just take a knife and cut a little cut around it?) No, jes." slice it down as yo' wish - slice it down - don't cut it all de way through, an' all roun' dere. Slice it down jes' as many times as yo' Wanta wish. An' take de knife an' stick it right through de mid- dle of it, on de east side of de house, or room, an' let it stay dere till six a'clock in de evening, an' den yo' take it down.
(You stick that knife right into the wall.)
Yes.
(You hold the lemon up and stick the knife through the wall?)
Yes, an' yo' jes' leave de lemon an' de knife sticking right up dere until six a'clock in de evening. Den yo' take it down an' put it up on de west side.
Entry 12317
Now, yo' wish tuh git a girl or yore boy fren' back tuh 'em. Yo' go ahead an' go tuh a fat-lightah [pine] stump of a tree dat de lightnin' struck. An' yo' takes an' makes nine pegs. An' aftah yo' make dose nine pegs, yo goes back tuh de fo'ks of de road an' yo' makes three wishes. Dat's de way it wuz tole tuh me. Make three wishes an' aftah yo' make three wishes, yo' takes two pints of whiskey wit chew, an' aftah yo' make de three wishes, den yo' take an' yo' lie down on de flat of yore back at de fo'ks of de road, an' yo' drinks one of dose pints, an' yo' po's de othah one on de nine pegs. An' yo' git chew a match an' yo' scratch de match, an' sets dat whiskey afire an' burns up dose pegs right dere. Den dat cause de girl or de boy, which one yo' made de wishes fo', tuh come back undah yore control.
Entry 12415
I'll tell you what chew do with matches, I believe that's true. Take 7 match stems and pour niter on those matches. You see, you cross those matches, you cross those 7 stems. Cross first one and another, just cross 'em in a pile. An' you make a wish for something. You set those matches afire. But chew have to do that thing every morning for 7 mornings.
Entry 12417
Perhaps yo' wanted a man. Yo' jes' met him an' yo' fell in love wit him, yo' like him; he had a good job or somepin othah. He appealed to yo'. Yo'd go home. An' perhaps yo'd pass somewheres roun' an' yo'd git in talk wit him, an' yo'd git his name. Yo' kin take 9 matches an' name 'em him. An' then yo'd cut chew 9 little strips of papah about lak [size of] yore finger, an' yo'd write his name on either one of dose strips - nine of 'em. An' then every evenin' jes' befo' de sun go down yo' make yore wishes. Stan' in de middle of yore flo' [you stand in the center of the room which makes this one of the many quincunx rites] an' take these nine matches an' strike 'em. Jes' be shore yo' make one stroke with each [match] an' light his name an' burn hit, aftah yo' make yore wishes. All right. Well, yo' save that little end perhaps, whut burn down. Yo' save that. Well, yo' conceal it. Den de next evenin' befo' de sun go down yo' git anothah strip with his name an' one of dese nine matches, an' yo' burn until those nine matches an' those nine names yo' know, his name is burn up. An' it won't be but two days befo' he will come to yore home.
Entry 12518
Yo' git a bran'-new red onion dat's nevah been used an' yo'd have fiah. Yo' put dat red onion in dat fiah an' put some sugah in it an' den axe fo' whatevah yo' want. Make a wish fo' whatevah yo' want an' yo' mo' den successful in yore undahtakin'.
Entry 12540
Take dat red onion peelin' an' yo' take some nice clean pot, an' sulphur, brown sugah fo' colored an' white sugah for white - whoevah yo' workin' it on. An' put it on a shovel on some red coals, de fiah, yo' know, an' yo' let dat burn. Go to each cornah of yore house at five a'clock in de evenin' an' make yore wish, an' whatevah yore wishes is dey'll come true.
(What would you wish, for example?)
Well, jes' whatevah yo' wish fo', yo' know, jes' de main thing whut yo' wish fo' - anything.
Entry 12866
I know an old woman that said if a man kept on living on the place and got disagreeable, she said she used to go out in the morning before day and walk backwards and throw that saltpeter in his path in [the form of] a cross and wish him bad luck and he would leave that farm. They say saltpeter is a great hand to destory any- thing you don't like. [Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 13143
Yo' kin take his sock to make 'im love you an' yo' stockin' an' put it [them] together. Understand? An' puts some sugah with it. An' take it out an' bury it on the side of your house, an' go out there every mawnin' an' pour your chamber lye there. Don't you under- stand? See, on that. An' you take the sock an' your stocking an' roll it together, see. Now put a red onion with it, a dime - that's to make 'im give her money - roll it together. Sew it to you an' make your wish - that's her, you see - sew it up in your mattress. That man'll give you money, give 'er roney as long as he's there.
Entry 13230
Take a stave an' nail it down dere, jes' nail it down an' make a wish. Wish nobody could nevah live dere again, an' nobody can't live dere again, an' nobody can't live dere in peace. If dey move in dat house dey'll move out, dey jes' can't live in dere.
(Where do you put that stave?)
Jes' kinda in de middle of de lot-like. [Here is the center of a square or parallelogram, a quincunx rite.] If de lot got a garden or anything yo' know, jes' stomp it down, an' say, "Ah wish dat nobody would nevah live an' have suc- cess heah any mo'."
Entry 13278
If somebody's interferin' [with] yo' aroun' yore home, ev'ry mawnin' yo' git up yo' go tuh de do' an' yo' make yore wishes an' bow tuh de sun 3 times, an' ask de Lord tuh re- move de evil spirits - tuh move away evil spir- its. An' do that three times an' do that fo 'bout 9 mawnin's. Walk tuh de do' an' make a bow tuh de sun. Yo' know de sun is a whole lot in success, yo' know. Yo' bow tuh de sun 3 times. An' aftah yo' bow tuh de sun an' [then] yo' axe Him ["De Lord"] tuh move away evil spirits.
(You do that three times for nine mornings.)
Entry 13289
A root doctor told me that. He said you git choo a bucket of watah a'a broom, an' as they goes on out de doah, he says - like aftah dey gone out, h say - he jis' go back from w'ere they's settin' at, an' gits his broom an' dip it in that bucket nine time an' jis' sweep with it. An', every time yo's make [each of] dem nine [dips], sweep it [from the visitor's chair] right on out [of the house] and make you a wish: "I hope yo'll go an' nevah come no more." He said they'll nevah come back to your house no more [mō']. [That allitera- tion go and mo occurs several times in HOODOO, it appearing to be an uncon- scious folk expression.]
Entry 13418
If yo' wants tuh make a person move lak dat, well yo' go an' buy some war watah. Yo' understan', dat war watah, an' yo' pass in front of de do' lak if yo' had tuh pass in front of de do', an' if yo' have tuh throw de bottle across de house, yo' make yore wish. If yo' jis' break de bottle in front of de house an' make yore wish, why yo' could break 'em up an' make a big disturbance. Make 'em move an' de house would be upsetted. Yo' could upset de home.
Entry 2912
(What have you heard about that?)
Well, if you have a fellow and he will leave home and you wanted him back, why you get you a candle - and you go out to the Crackerjack Drug Store some place. (To what drug store?) It's a drug store in New Orleans called the Crackerjack Drug Store on Rampart Street. And you kin get you some candles for a quarter - just pink-looking candles, not white. You'd get you some lump sugar. And you write his name down nine times and you take that - you know, put that candle on top of that name.
(What do you write the name on?)
A piece of writing paper.
(All right.)
You take that writing paper and you write the name nine times, and then you see, you have that candle up there and you set the nome to it. And you put those nine lumps of sugar around them then, makes your wish, and light that candle, and then he'll know the woman is - and he'll have to come back.
(Do you light those candles at any certain time?)
Yes, sir.
(What time?)
Well, about nine - about nine till eleven.
(In the night or morning?)
Well, you kin do it in the morning or you kin do it at night.
(And you burn it until he comes back? Or do you burn it for a certain time?)
No, you just burn - see, burn it from nine till eleven just for a couple of days and nat'rally, why he'll come back. (You take a piece of paper and you put it on something [not flammable], and then you melt some wax, and then you stick this candle on top of that paper.) Yes, sir - piece of writing paper. (And you put this paper down under the candle and you put these nine lumps of sugar in front of the candle in a circle.) But you have to write his name on that paper.
(I understand - nine times.)
Yes.
(Do you write the name, one right under each other? Or any way?)
No, just write it under each other.
(One right under each other in a line?)
In a line.
Entry 8679
[The doctor in the following rite for a job has an organized mind, though I was too recent in New Orleans at that time to realize it. In face, on this original transcription I formerly had a note use with care, which can still be seen despite my later erasure.] When yo' go to get a job - ah'll tell yo' about de job proposi- tion. It just like if yo' was out of a job an' yo' runnin' in bad luck. Yo' can't be success- ful in nuthin dat yo' start. Well, yo' get yo' some of dis seniment. Yo' get some of dis seniment with this rain water. (What is seniment? What is that?) Dat's a powder. (What does it look like?) It look just like - yo' ever seen this powder what they call that brown-skin powder? (You mean cinnamon powder?) Yeah. (Cinnamon powder. All right.) [How did I ever guess it!] Yo' take dat seniment powder. An' yo' get some of dis seniment powder an' yo' get what yo' call this lodestone; but ask for lodestone, see, with candy stripes. It's got a little stripe.
(What kind of stripes?)
Candy stripes. Just say, "Give me some of de lodestone." (Like this candy - now wait a minute! It's like this candy they got in the country stores, candy stripes?) Yes, just like that; round, see.
(And what do they call that?)
Lodestone.
(You said something about four-something. Four what?)
[Informant said it while recording machine turned off.1 Fo' corners. Yo' just get de fo' corners. Well, if it ain't got fo' corners, vell yo' just take anything, a file or somepin like dat an' put 'em there.
(You have to make it square. Four corners. All right.)
Yeah. Yo' go anywhere they got them rams - yo' see, them rams, or anywhere yo' know them ramhorns at. [Cowhorn appears several times in Hoodoo. This could be the only ramhorn.] Yo' gets a file an' yo' file some of that dust down there [with the lodestone dust]. Then yo' get some of this here oil what yo' call that green - Wintergreen Pasture Oil.
(Wintergreen?)
Wintergreen Pastures Oil.
(GREEN PASTURES OIL?)
[SURELY THE ENTERPRISING HOODOO-PRODUCTS SALESMAN SHOULD HAVE NAMED IT "PSALM 23 OIL"!] Yeah, an' yo' take some sugar an' seniment an' lodestone. An' take a silver dime an' yo' file dat silver dime on a piece of paper just where yo' got this stuff [various ingredients] at. Yo' take a piece of yellah paper - it [lode- stone?] comes with yellah paper - an' yo' wrap it up twice. Yo' fold it coming to you. Then, after yo' take this Wintergreen Pasture Oil an' yo' put over it, am' yo' put it in your pocket. Keep that in yore left pocket. Then yo' goes back an' yo' get this he Eve [Adam and Eve] root, see. He Eve root.
(He Eve root?)
Yeah, yo' go back an' get that an' yo' got hit, yo' got de she root in yore pocket, yo' understand. Yo' take that - powder up that. piece there - an' yo' get some rain water an' river water or hydrant water [3 running Waters], or anything like that, an' yo' put it in two glasses. Put it in two glasses like that an' yo' let it set, after yo've mixed it. Well, heap up just about de same amount in each glass. Yo' leave it set there fo' three days. Aftah yo' leave it set there fo' three days, yo' take it an' yo' pour it into one glass. Then yo' take this here - this seniment, lodestone an' dis Wintergreen Pasture Oil. Well, yo' Put it in de glass, in one glass, an' yo' let it set there fo' three days. Den take that water off - take dat watah off before yo' go out to see about a job. Just like, if yo' know the foreman's name, yo' take his name an' yo' write his name nine times backwards, just like if yo' write it backwards this Way nine times [demonstrates]. Then yo' fold it, fold it comin' to yo' like dat [demonstrates]. Then yo' write yore name on de top of it, but yo' must write yore name forwards.
(Write your name what?)
The right way.
(You write your name forwards. All right.)
Then yo' take dat an' yo' put it down in dat water where all yore stuff is in the morning when yo' going out - just when yo' going out to the foreman. Yo' got his name. Well, when yo' get ready to go there, yo' take this water out of Chere. Yo' pour it out in a basin or anything like that, an' yo' take it an' yo' wash yo' hands good with it, an' yo' wash yore fingers. Yo' takes this here lodestone an' yo' put it in yore pocket with this she Eve root. Yo' walk to him a'when yo' get there, before yo' ask, just like yo' take a piece of chewing tobacco, cut a little piece off dat she root an' put it in your mouth. An' get this here lodestone thing in your hand like that an' rub it, an' make yore wishes, as yo' walk up to him an' ask 'im for a job. Probably he may not have nuthin to do right then, but he'll run his hand in his pocket if he got any money an' he'll give yo' a piece of money. The first opening that he have - WHEN YO' LEAVE FROM THERE, YO'LL MAKE A WISH FOR ANY - JUST LIKE ANY JOB YO' WANT AROUND THERE, YO' MAKE A WISH FOR ANY BAD LUCK TO HAPPEN TO 'EM PEOPLE AT THAT PLACE. SAY PRAYERS, AN' IN A WEEK'S TIME [7 DAYS] YO'LL HAVE A JOB. There no favor that yo' ask 'im that he could turn yo' down. If he ain't got it at de present time, he will tell yo' a way to come an' get it.
foreman’s name written nine times backwards, contrasted with own name forwards. Keep foreman nine-times-backwards versus applicant forwards on top; not all names backwards. manually inscribed arrangement of foreman’s and applicant’s names. Retain foreman backwards nine times and own name forwards on top, followed by the use of the inscribed paper in the preparation. employment sought from a foreman, with conditional intermediate outcomes and harmful wish. No immediate job guarantee: preserve probably no work, money if he has it, the first opening, and the subsequent one-week claim as attributed. river as a stated possible source of water, alongside rain/hydrant wording. Keep literal rain water an’ river water or hydrant water and or anything like that; do not convert ambiguous conjunctions into an all-three requirement or flatten all alternatives. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Read full source (printed page 3556) · Read full source (printed page 3557) · Read full source (printed page 3558)
Entry 357
Well, whatevah yore desires is, yo' go tuh de fo'ks of de road - one goin' yonder way an' one goin' dis way, lak dat. Well, dat's a fo'k, see. Well, yo' stand direct in de fo'ks of dat road an' look towards de sun jes' befo' it rise. Yo' makes yore wishes an' whatevah yo' wants done or did why yo' say dat an' den make a wish In de Name of de Father, an' de Son an' de Holy Ghost. Dat's de climax on whatevah yo' wish fo'. Do dat fo' nine mawnin's befo' de sun rise. Be shore yo' do dat befo' de sun rise an' yore wishes will come true.
The informant describes standing at road forks facing sunrise on nine mornings, expressing wishes in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The account gives a promised outcome without specifying a devil encounter or applying neighboring rites' requirements.
Entry 1078
But on mah husband's side, he went to a woman in Tampa an' she gave him some holy oil an' she tole 'im to put that holy oil - make a cross in his hand in de mawnin' an' make a wish an' wish de bad luck away, an' make cross on his feet at night fo' goin' tuh bed, an' in de mawnin' when he got up tuh read the 37th Psalms fo' nine mawnin's, an' that would kill de bad luck; an' read de 35th Psalms if he wanted something to happen to the person that did it. An' so he tried that an' his luck begin tuh change.
(Did he make this cross in both hands?)
Well, yo' kin make it in both or yo' kin make it in the strongest hand, which would be the right hand. (What about the cross in the palm of the feet?) [Palm of the feet, a common expression, shows she is retelling rite and I am repeating unrecorded words of hers.] Both feet an' make a wish.
Entry 1079
I order me incent [incense] an' a bottle of holy oil. This incent [demonstrates] I set it in this corner, this corner, this corner and this corner.
(The four corners of the room.)
Yes. An' ah burns them down at that corner. I git down dere an' ah wish fo' whut ah want - success, prosper, money. An' by burning that an' have yore whole heart an' min'on it, why it would - it comes true. An' when yo' burning that incent an' with the holy oil, yo' po's that holy oil on that incent, yo' see. Yo' order that. Ah don't buv it out de drug store. ah orders it mahself. An while it's burning yo' wishes. It's jest lak de Cath'lics, yo' know, by yore faith yore saved aren't [or not] an' by yore faith yore damned. An'by mah faith I always has success an' prosper an' everybody mostly likes me.
Entry 1081
Use this holy water - it's clear like rain water. You can take a bath in that three times a day 'cause I tried that - take a bath in that three times a day. And after you take a bath in the water three times a day - you don't use no soap or nothing, you bring it out and you throws it towards the sunrise. You see, like the sun rise over there, you throw the water over there and after you throw it you makes a wish. And if anybody got you tricked or anything like that, why, you see, you done throwed your troubles out there. Well, they cross over it and they catch it - that leaves, it get off you and get on them [see Transference, p.38f.].
(I see. Well, now, do you take that bath three times a day? How many days?)
No, you take it nine mornings - every morning for nine mornings, you take that bath.
(I see. Well, now, where do you get this holy water?)
You get it at the Spiritualist [or Spiritist or Spiritual] church. [This name is sometimes difficult to freeze into an exact word.]
(The spiritist church holy water, I see.)
Yes, sir.
(You don't use the Catholic holy water?)
Yeah, it's all the same. You see, the priest blesses it and he sends it out to diff'rent spiritualist people - chapters and all. You got to take holy water, if your house is crossed. Take the holy water and you see, you sprinkle it in this corner - the four corners of the house. In each one of them four corners you sprinkle the holy water and then take the rest of it and wash all in front your door for three mornings, and that will bring peace and success to your home. [See also Holy water Medicine, p.382, and Index.]
Entry 1713
Git it rented agin? Yessuh, yo' cer'inly kin. Now, yo' know whut yo' would have tuh do tuh git it rented? Yo' would take - jis' lak now if yo' want this house. If yo' wus in a house an' yo' wanted it rented, well de way yo' would do, yo' would jis' make a wish lak this, yo' say, "Well, ah want this house rented, an' whoevah takes it ah want 'em tuh pay the rent fo' it." Well, yo' would take then an' you would say then, 'Well, ah know whut ah'll do." Says, "Now ah'm goin' git me a piece of sweet basil." An' yo take that sweet basil an' let hit git dry an' tote it in yore pocket an' make a wish to yoreself, an' yo'll git yore house rented.
Entry 2532
Burn incense - rosgum [rosegum?] incense. Mix it wit de black incense.
(What kind of incense?)
Rosgum incense - the kind they call rosgum incense. Well, dey take dat and dey take de btack mans [black men] dey call incense, and cut dis black man up and put it all in de same top what you goin' to burn it in, and burn it and make your wish. And he won't come back.
(That keeps the law away.)
Entry 2649
Git chew some dragon's blood, frankincense, violet incense [three ingredients] an' beat all of that up together an' git chew - put it in a pan an' set it afiah. Take this much - a good bunch, an' light it an' set there. Set down an' smoke yo'self good [demonstrates].
(All over your hands and your face.)
Sho'[sure], yo'self.
(Rub your arms.)
Jis' let it smoke yo' good. An' while it burnin' yo' know, make yore wish - when yo' goin' tuh dis place - whatevah yo' goin' tuh do. Not only tuh git a job or anything, but yo' Jis' wanta change dere mind, yo' burn dat an' make yore wish, an' don't stop until yo' git where yore goin' an' ask fo' whut chew want. Dat'll change dere mind an' yo'll git it.
Entry 3042
Well, St. Raymond, he stand up like a big old saint. You burn green candles to him. You burn 'em Wednesday, Fridays and Saturdays. He's for money - just like you ain't got no money, don't know where to get none. Well, you get down on your knees and you pray, you repeat them prayers - it's a prayer, you repeat them prayers nine times.
[Does the prayer come wrapped about the candle?]
(Each day?)
Yes, sir. Well, after you repeats them prayers, you take you a green candle and you set it to St. Raymond and you make your wish, and you can ask him for anything you want, but you means it from your heart though and you'll get it.
Entry 3066
(You do what?)
Use the Sacred Heart. You use a purple light to that saint and that's to get your wishes right away, too. [New Orleans, La., (857), 1364:10.] [Before I begin MY CONVERSATIONS WITH DOCTORS, I must find a place: for the fabulous Doctor Buzzard, old-timers like George Jackson and Zippy Tull, and the woman who got sanctified.]
Entry 5258
Shoe? Dey kin make yuh travel wit yore shoes.
(How would they do that?)
Yuh kin take a person's lef'-foot shoe an' take any outgoin' freight train, out of town, an' jes' wait until dat man blows dat whistle. An' make a wish wit dat shoe tuh 'is destruction. An' jes' as de train passes - jes' lak it's passin' by lak dat - jes' throw dat shoe on dere, an' let dat train carry dat shoe off.
(I see.)
Entry 8567
If you want to conquer someone, go to the forks of a road before sunrise, call his name, say what you Want done, wishing.
Entry 9019
In a lawsuit, dey say dey uses a fresh aig. Aftah dey go ahead an' fin' out de man dat's goin' try yo', dey puts his name on de aigs, an' dey puts dis name at de bottom an' yore name on top. An' dey puts de solicitor's name - ah think dey puts his name on de aigs. Dey puts de solicitor's name on de aig, too. Dey use three aigs. An' dey gotta go somewhere close by where dey has tuh sits, an' throw dem aigs up ovah de place an' busts dose aigs. Dat's all ah been told. An' make yore wishes. [In English usage, a solicitor belongs to that branch of the legal profession advising clients, representing them before lower courts, and preparing cases for barristers who try them in the higher courts. In American usage a solicitor is an officer who has charge of the legal business of a city or town.l
Entry 10993
They take the name of the person who you dislike and write this name on these [rotten eggs] crossways, up and down de egg [each name crosses the other name, yours being the top name] and write yours on top of it [the other name] and make your wish. And after that, why you go to the door and just chunk it on the door; make it bust on the door or either on top of the house. And that will make a disturbance in there. [Newport News, Va., 500:2.]
Entry 12151
An' if yo' wanted tuh stay tied up tuhgethah, ah heard dat chew could go in de woods tuh a hickory tree, a young hickory tree, an' take dat hickory tree an' make yore wishes as yo' ties it. Dat's tuh keep yuh [together]. (You tie that hickory tree. How do you tie it?) Yeah, yo' take it an' yo' bend it. Yo' see, yo' take a young sapling an' yo' bend it an' as yo' bend, yo' make yore wishes till yo' git it in a loop; but chew know yo' kin tie anything dat young den. Sompin lak dat. Jes' so it's a hickory. Dey say dat will tie yore love tuhgethah.
Entry 12737
You go an' get you a rat, a rat an' jes' fry the hind leg, an' give de child to eat, an' make your wish while they eatin' it. [Cure for wetting bed.]
Entry 2536
(When do you make your wish for roomers?)
When yore incense is burnin' yo' make yore wish lak that. Now yore incense need tuh be in all business places dat dere are - most in Memphis [use incense]. An' yo' burn that at six a'clock in de mawnin' in de business place. Well, yo' put a little dragon [dragon's blood] in there - a teaspoonfulla incense an' maybe halfa teaspoon of dragon aftah yo' scrubbin', an' at six 'clock make yore burnin' an' den call yore customers [by wishing].
Entry 11512
"If they want choo to be with them, why they bury it under the door- step. Like if they want chew to come...to my home, see, I bury it under the doorstep. And if they want to run you away, why put that in running Water and make a wish.
(Which tracks do they use?)
They use the right track.
(How do you mean?)
Get the dirt from under the right foot. Like, just, if you want 'em to come to your home, see, you take it when they're coming to the home. If you want 'em to leave, you get it out of that track when they leave home."
Entry 348
Dere wus mah ole granddaddy, ah used tuh hear him tell it de way he had a uncle doin' it - dat he wanted to be good wit his boss. He would go out to a road-crossin' [crossroad] befo' day in de mawnin' at fo' 'clock - well, when it is winter in de fall of de yeah. An' he'd go dere fo' so many mawnin's an' stan' in dat road-crossin' an' make his wishes. He'd go dere de first mawnin' an' he'd make his wish an' he would go back fo' de second mawnin' an' make his wish; he went back dere de third mawnin' an' he made his wish an' he didn't see anything. He went back de fo'th mawnin' an' made his wish an' he wus tole tuh turn aroun'. When he turn aroun' he seed a man, a great big black man, an' dat man ast him whut did he want. Said he tole him dat he wanted luck. He said, "Well, go back, an' come back fo' nine mawnin's. An' he went back an' de ninth mawnin' he met dis man dere agin an' he ast, "Whut chew come fo'?" He said, "Well, ah come fo' luck." He said, "Well, it's one thing yo' will have tuh do." Said, "Yo' will have to not serve nobody but me." An' he ast him, he says, "Kin yo' say, God isn't all?" An' he tole, says, "Well, ah will serve yo'." Dat whut wus called sellin' yo'self to de devil. Well, de devil ast him, says, "Do yo' believe in God?" He says, "Yes." He says, "Yo' cain't serve me." Den he went back an' ast him agin. He says, "No, ah believe in yo'." An' he tole him den, says, "Ah'm goin' make yo' a part ruler ovah de whole earth as long as yo' serve me, an' yo' must cuss God three times." Say he cuss God three times. An' he tole him tuh go then an' git a black cat an' throw dat black cat into boilin' watah. He tuk dat black cat an' throw it in boilin' watah, an' de bone dat come on top, he took it. An' he says, "Now, when's [when it's] de time tuh git ready fo' a piece of money, git where it is, an' says yo' jes' take dis piece [bone] an' put it in yore mouth an' go an' git de money an' walk on out." An' said, dis uncle [went] down dere [a bank?] one day an' dey all wus sittin' in dere countin' out money, he put it [bone] in his mouth an' walked in dere an' git de money an' walked on out. An' well, ah 'member de time - lota people used tuh tell it dat he used tuh go down to de sto's an' git things in de name of G. Berry. His name was G. Berry. Said G. Berry would go down to de sto's an' git shoes or anything he wanted an' come on out an' de wouldn't see him till he take dat bone out his mouth. See. Dey git atter him an' put de houn's on him, de dogs on him. An' he'd ran an' ran an' put dat thing in his mouth an' de dogs turn roun', dey nevah could run him back. He'd run an' de dogs couldn't see him. De dogs jes' runnin' an' howlin' an' jes' goin' on. An' one time dey put him in jail - dat wus in mah days when ah wus a boy. An' dey put him in jail an' when dey come out - dey locked him up an' come outa jail, dere G. Berry sittin' right on de steps.
(Where did he live?)
He lived in Tifton, Georgia.
Entry 616
The pins and needles - well, that's when someone hurts yeh and you're trying to turn it back on them. You buy a new paper of needles and a new paper of pins. And you take nine needles and nine pins, and you put on a quart of water, and you put a fifty cents or a dollar or a dime - any silver piece of money in there - and then let it come to a boil. And if you're hurt, why this money will turn over. Well then, if the water boil, it'll turn with the boiling water. You do that when the moon's on the last quarter or right on the full moon as the moon's going away. That's when you boil this money, they say. And that tells whether you're hurt. This money'll boil and turn over, just continue to turn over and just rattle. And then you drop these needles and pins in there and make your wish, you see, that whatsomever they do to you may return back on the ones that put it on you., See? Well then, after it boiling, you boil it down. You take a quart, say for a instant [instance], you boil it to a half a pint. Then you make this same wish again. And you go on back down then until it gets to a half a pint. You never boil it clean completely away. You drink this water, you see, when you take this spell off. And then you take those needles and pins and put them in something that you doesn't care for, something about your person, put 'em in paper or, if you found you anything around there where it's been put down, why you put all this together and throw that in running Water between nine and twelve o'clock, anytime after sunset. And make your wish just whatever way that chew goin'. (While wishing, stand facing the direction that you will take after the article has been thrown into the river.) You see, you can turn around [backwards] on your way [to the river]. Don't never turn around [after reaching the river]. Be in the position that chew goin' when you throw them away. And never look back. Well, you see, if you do it right on the full moon, see, then by the time it changes and goes completely away, see, why this spell is off of you; then, see, and those needles and pins, they've done and washed on away.
Entry 1767
[Here is a device used by George Jackson, a well-known doctor on the Eastern Shore before his death about 1900. This rite was told me by an old man who met prospective clients at the railroad station and drove them out into the country to interview the doctor. For some interesting information about this remarkable doctor, see margin-title George Jackson.] Now, if a man want to break his wife from some man, he steals this dishcloth an' when that he fools with 'er he ketches her nachure in this dishcloth. After he ketches this nachure in a dishcloth, he takes it home an' wraps it up tight an' buries it at his doah - right down under his doah. Fer nine mornin's he must git up an' walk over it an' make his wish whut he wants - never man can't enter. That's [a remedy of] Uncle George's. [Many persons called Jackson Uncle George.] That's called, understand, put a man down that he can't raise up courage fer that Woman, don' care how hard or whut he do. An' he can't. He made all the married, single, go to him, [even] captuns - go off, you know, on drudgin' [dredging for oysters in the Chesapeake Bayl an' leave their wives home. Of course, no man wanted a man to bother his wife while he's gone. He'd have her crossed before he left. [Princess Anne, Md., (130), 34: l; informant Joshua Wilson, age 65.]
Entry 1856
I have tried dis when ah first came to St. Petersburg - go an' look me round, couldn't git me a job nowhere. One fellah tells me, says, "Now yo' go an' take yo' a dime, '' he say, "an' buy yo' a crocus fish [fresh-water drumfish]." After yo' git dat fish, yo' cut de head off dat fish an' yo' kin do whut yo wish. Yo' kin eat de fish or yo' kin throw it away. But be shure yo' git de head of dat fish an' cut it open an' git dem two rocks outa dere an' put it in a sack an' wear it in yore pocket. Dere can't nobody turn yo' down fo' a job.
Entry 1948
Take seeds of paradise - seven grains, seeds of para- dise. Yo' buy that in the Hindu companies, yo' know, those dirty strong [smelling] places [because incense is burning]. Seven grains of paradise. An' throw it aroun' yore do'. Make a good wish an pray an' take yore Bible an' read de Psalms of David an' ask God tuh open de way fo' yo' an' yore business will gradually grow. Also yo' kin read de sixth chapter of Luke an' dat'll he'p yo' in de Bible in de Christianity. That is tuh bring business to yore home. [The preceding Hindu companies were more likely a company with an oriental name and someone wearing a turban (see Turban in Index). Since I always assumed some of these companies may have worked under protection, I never visited any of them - I had enough trouble collecting.]
Entry 2187
Git choo a red onion and put choo nine pins in there - nine needles, either one, jis' as it somepin with a sharp point. Take it and wear it in yer pocket. Make you a wush, jis' like you wush fer somepin - I'll go here and wush dis man would give me job this mornin'. Well, of course he might not give it to you right off, but choo stan' aroun' a little while and dey say you'll git it. [Red onion - like red flannel ball or bag for hands - symbolizes the human heart.]
Entry 2328
If you're a gambler an' wants to go somewhere to win, make your wish before you git there. You see, I do so much work [informant a doctor and excellent]. Go round behind the house an' function [urinate] an' wet on hands - jis' take an' function an' do this way [demonstrates]. (Rub together.) [First] buy you a nickel's worth of rice and sprinkle in this pocket an' this one, an' go on in. Then you'll win the money.
(Put rice in each of your pockets.)
Each of your pockets. See, there's a pocket back here, ain't they, on each side of a man, an' there's one down here [in front] where he puts his money. That's three pockets they put it in.
Entry 2407
Yo' take five cents worth of oranges, five cents worth of apples, five cents worth of grapes an' five cents worth of bananas. Yo' take yo' a bowl an' yo' cut all those up an' have yore fiah burnin' there, an' it's a-spotin luck, fast luck. An' it's re'lly lucky. Yo' git chew five cents worth of that brown sugah agin, five cents Worth of that white sugah an' put all that together an' put it on de back of yore fiah an' make yore wish from all parts of de worl' [successively face each of four directions and wish] - jes' wish fo' diff'rent things tuh come. Yo' don't know 'em but chew jes' wishin'. An' befo' de week's out every time yo' be's jes' lak that.
(That's for trade?)
Yeah, be success - trade.
(Why do you use white sugar and brown sugar?)
Well, yo' use de white mens, yo' see, an' yo' use the brown, fo' de brown.
Entry 2542
If yo' got a roomin' house an' yo' haven't no roomers an' cain't make no success, yo' git up befo' day in de mawnin' an' yo' scrub roun' in yore house an' den yo' scrub yore po'ch. Yo' scrub it with urinate, Hearts Cologne, oil of cinnamon - jes' diff'rent things lak dat. Den yo' make a wish. An' aftah that when yo' git through, den yo' come in an' yo' burn sandalwood incense or either dis Lucky Star - jes' anything yo' prefer burnin'.
Entry 2552
Scrub with Red Seal Iye, table salt an' sugah, bluein'. Take about a teaspoon of bluein' and de mo' sugah, have it white sugah, pure sugah - half a cup, teacup of sugah. Burn a little incense an' call 'em three time while it's burnin'.
(What do you call?)
Call yore wish - if yo' wanta make a call an' wanta make yore wish an' den call. Yo' kin call a special person or yo' kin call, "Send me a man." But chew make dat wish three times.
(Out loud.)
Whilst it's burnin' - not let it go out. Wait until it's burnin' an' make it three times on there. [This is a rite for roomers.]
Entry 2696
Yo' kin take a person's chamber lye an' put sugah in it an' lye an' oil of anise, an' sprinkle dat an' make yore wish. Sweep yore po'ch back to yore house an' that brings good luck to yo'. Do dat fo' hustlin' people - bring money in yore house.
Entry 2715
Take a little sulphur and burn in yore business place in de morning of nine mornings. Open your business place and burn that sulphur. And burn that and say a little wish - wish for your money or success in there before anybody enters. And that brings you luck, that brings your trade. But burn this every morning for nine mornings. Then you take a little van-van - keep a little mop - that draw de customers. Jest mop your floor once or twice a week - Wednesdays and Fridays. That brings you trade.
(What do you mop it with?)
Van-van. That's little thin-like stuff from de drug store. Jest put little drops in yore water and mop - jest a few drops to wipe de floor Wednesday morning and Fridays.
(Do you have to mop the floor in any particular manner?)
Jest bring it in though - all in, don't carry it out. You jest come inside - starts from de stair and come inside and then you bringing your luck in. See, to draw de persons to come tuh yo'. That sulphur you burn fo' nine mornings, that keeps your luck always. But burn it nine mornings - a tablespoon or much as you want - in de place befo' anybody cross your doorstep. Don't allow nobody to come in before you get that sulphur burn.
Entry 2773
[I made no special effort to collect material about Marie Laveau, the second, or the hoodoo dance. It was too late for either one and besides I am not a historian. There will probably be a little more material about both in the text somewhere.] Well, dat's a person will do yo' somethin' dat chew go - it sup- posed tuh be mean things when yo' go to a fo'k of de road. Dat supposed tuh be very mean but den dere ain't nuthin whut a mean person won't do at times. Well, yo' take yo' a aig an' yo' soak it in vinegah an' dis cayenne peppah, but chew put de names of de party on dat aig. Yo' understand, put de name of the party on that aig an' put it in a jar an' soak it in vinegah fo' nine days in dis peppah an' salt. An' den yo' goes tuh de fo'k of de road an' make yore wish, an' yo' dance an' ever'thing, an' break it, but nevah look back at it - jis' break it an' leave it dere.
(What will happen to that person then?)
He'll leave direct - won't be a long time leaving, leave town. Yo'll send him away.
(The way she explained it to you?)
Well, she tole me dat dere wus a woman by de name of Marie Baptiste. She had two daughters an' she liked fo' her daughters tuh outdress de girls down in de 7th Ward. Dat's whare ah wus bo'n in de 7th Ward. An' she sol' herself to de devil at twelve a'clock at night wit de fire of furnace - a furnace fire, yo know, at de fo'k of de road in de woods.
(What kind of a fire? A furnace? How'd she get the furnace out there?)
[I soon realized she was talking about a charcoal brazier, when her furnace becomes a hot pot.] Well, she brought it out dere. She had it out dere an' she sol' herself to him dat she could git anything she wanted so she could go in de sto's an' any- thing she take dey couldn't see her.
(What did she do when she got out there? Didn't she do anything?)
Well, dey had some kin' of a dance dey danced, de hoodoo dance - dey danced wit a'kinda meetin' lak. Dey danced an' dat's de way she sol' herself tuh de devil an' dey had de devil tuh git her away from de devil.
(Have you ever heard of that woman Marie Laveau?)
Yessuh, ah've heard of her.
(What have you ever heard said or told about her?)
Well, dere's so many things tole about her. Well, ah tell yo', her an' mah mothah used tuh be friends an' ah used tuh be in her house. Some of 'em claimed ah wus partly christened at her house, an' she done everything she could do. She used tuh use dem furnace an' fiah too, an' hot pots on her. Ah kin carry yo' tuh de same spot of ground where her house wus on - yessuh, St. Ann between Rampart an'Burgundy.
(She was pretty good wasn't she?)
Yessuh, she wus fine.
(Did they used to have those old hoodoo dances when you were a girl?)
Yessuh.
(What did they used to do?)
Dance in dey petticoat tail an' dey shimmy tail - dance.
(Did you ever hear of them dancing a person to death?)
No, ah nevah heard of that.
(They just had those dances for good-time dances?)
De good-time dance an' dey wus doin' dey work at de meantime, but dey wus doin' hoodoo work when dey used tuh dance. Plenty tuh eat an' plenty tuh drink, an' if it wus anything tuh harm, dey would have hearts - raw hearts an' dey would eat that.
(What kind of hearts?)
Beef hearts. (Can you tell me any particular whole story about any one particular thing that you used to do?) No, ah wus too young tuh remember.
(Does any of that go on today or has it all died out?)
Well, ah think it's all died out an' dere ain't nuthin of that much now. It's gone. It's mo' de spiritual whut's goin' on now. (All that ole-time stuff has all died out? Those dances and things of that sort?) Jis' de time dey has it at de ole lake every 24th day of June. Yo' know dat's St. John's day an' dat's mah day. At de lake [Pontchartrain].
(What would they do?)
De hoodoo dance. Dey dance an' dey has a meeting, an' anything dat dey would want tuh do, dey does it that day. If it's good or bad they does it that day. An' anybody could go out dere if dey would wanta go. [After she leaves, my contact man Edward and I talk, though a part of the opening conversation is unrecorded.] Dat her name non est.
(How do you spell that?)
Ah don' know.
(Is that her real name or just a?)
Jis' a nickname we give her. [If Edward actually used the words non est, they were something our assistant Mack, old-time taximan, had picked up in New Orleans.]
(She is supposed to be pretty good?)
Yes, she's a spiritualist.
(That woman that was just in here?)
Yes. End 1584. ["Algiers, La., Fri., Feb. 23, 1940 - 1584 - old woman - several things - Ph [[something looking like Phillip - probably name of person who brought her]]." Numbers Book 1558-1605. Almost anyone would have been described as giving "several things" after following 1583, Nahnee - see her long interview. I did not know that the next woman to walk through the door would be - DARK LADY - DARK GLASSES - DARK DEEDS - See her interview.]
Entry 7577
(To keep the law away, you take this same dirt and instead of throwing it into the house.) [I am repeating what informant had said while recording machine was turned off.] See, when yuh throw it intuh yore house, dat's fo' yore luck. Dat's bringin' all de peoples tuh yuh. Dat's tuh make yore business big. An' when yuh git ready tuh keep de law away, yuh go roun' yore house in de mawnin' between eight an' nine a'clock an' yuh draws yuh a cross an' makes yore wishes, tell it whut chew want.
(Where do you draw the cross?)
At each do' 'fore dey kin come in. Well, dey might come out dere but dey nevah comes ovah dere. Put it tuh yore front do' an' yuh put dat down in de cross jis' lak dat an' dey won't come in.
(You put this dirt down in the cross?)
De dirt, sulphur - graveyard dirt an' yore table salt.
(Graveyard [dirt] from the infant's grave.)
Yessuh.
Entry 10206
What kin' [of work] you do to make him [thief] bring it back? Now, you go to them [thief] and if you know sure they got it. And you go to them, you tell them, "If you don't want to get in trouble and wants to be nice, you bring it back." And if they don't bring it back to you by that, well then you get their name. Be sure you have their right name and things. And you go and you get you three loafs [loaves of sugar, 3 changed to 4 later]. You would have to get a dime worth of loaf sugar or get a whole box of loaf sugar, for they sells 'em in boxes now. And you get that and you get you a yellow candle and plain white saucer. And you write their name nine times: three times up and three times down and three times crossways. And you put this name in that saucer and you make a wish. And you put your candle in there and you make a wish. When you pour you a couple of drops of [holy?] water in there, you make a wish. And each loaf of sugar [3 here soon changed to 4] you take and set it around that candle, you make a wish. And you light that candle, and they'll bring your things back.
(How many loafs of sugar do you put around there?)
Four.
[Either previous 3 was a mistake or informant decided to use 4.]
(Four loafs of sugar, I see. Why four?)
Well, just four. [Four loaves of sugar with candle in center as here is our familiar quincunx rite.] (I see, just four. Now, how do you mean, you write those names three up. Show me how you write those names.) You write three thisaway, there. Three thataway...
(Yes, three that way. One over the other, all right.)
[The name, usually a single one, is written one over the other 3 times.]
And then you take and you turn your paper around and you write three this way [demonstrates].
(Across those other three.)
[This makes the letter X.]
Three. You write three like this.
(Yes, I understand.)
On that piece, on that side. (All right. Now, here's the three names. Now, I turn it around. Do I cross that, cross the three?) You see, it's this way. You write them three times, write three thataway and then you turn it around, and you write three thisaway. And then you take and you write three thisaway, cross that way.
(Cross them [each 3] over at an angle. I see.)
Cross 'em over in a angle. And then when you fold it, you fold it in an angle; and every time you fold it, you fold it to yourself.
[Folding in angles means we are making triangles.]
(I write three names like this, one under each other. Like that?)
Uh huh.
[I tear page from note book and write names.]
(Here we are, just like that.)
Just like that. (I turn this around [the sheet of paper upside down] and write the three names like that, right over the other three names?) Like that, right over the other three names.
(I see. Then I turn it around again and then cross it down like that?)
Like that, like that.
(I see, like you are making the letter "N" - that way.)
[I was wrong about the letter 'N'. This was before I became aware of the X and *.1 Thataway and then when you fold it, get you a powder they [hoodoo store] got. They got the pink and they has the yellow [later changed to brown]. You get this povder and you sprinkle it in the whole four corners. [Here, instead of a three- cormered paper we are back at four-cornered one.] You see, you have, if you get tvo rooms or three rooms, whatever room it is, and you get you a loaf of this sugar and you put a loaf in each corner of your room. [Here it is evident we have a quincunx.] Well, if you got a saint - St. Expedite or Mother of Perpetual Help - you put it [picture or small statue] there, and you say, Well, Mother of?erpetual Help, I'm leaving, I'm leaving the house up to you, hoping that you won't let no one come in and steal nothing out of my house. And you put the loaf [loaves] of sugar around in the corners of the rooms, [the picture or statue of Mother of Perpetual in center of room] and you fasten your house and you go away.
(You go away.)
And go away and leave it into [hands of] Mother of Perpetual Help.
(What kind of powder do you put around?)
You get them love powders.
(Love powders?)
Love powders.
(What kind of love powder?)
They got the pink love powders. And you get the loaf sugar and you put a loaf - one loaf - in each corner of the house [or room if you are living in a
(What other colors of love powders have they? They have a pink.)
They got a pink and they got a brownish looking love powder.
Entry 10530
Dey tell me dey goes tuh de forks of de road fo' nine mornings and at de end of de nine mornings whatevah in dere mind, what dey desire to do, dey kin do it. Yo' anderstand. Even ah've heard people say if yo' wanta be a good dancer yo' go dere. If yo' wanta be a good musician yo' goes dere, an' any other kind of work dey say.
The informant reports nine mornings at road forks to gain a desired ability, naming dancing, music and other work. The account remains hearsay and does not specify a encountered being or a particular musical instrument.
Entry 11667
Wal, jes' lak if yo' wuz goin' tuh de fo'ks of de road tuhnight, see. It be a certain hour dat chew go. See, yo' goin' dere at twelve a'clock at night. Yo' go at twelve a'clock dis night. Well yo' go, yo' say. Yo' git chew some steel dust. Yo' go wit de steel dust. Yo'll go in de fo'k of dat road where yo'll make wit yore footstep lak dat [gets out of chair and demonstrates]. (You make a cross right in the fork of that road?) Wit yore shoe, right- han' foot, an' yo' take an' pick up some dust, an' yo' takes an' mix it wit steel dust, an' sprinkle it lak dat [demonstrates]. Yo' walks an' as yo' walk yo' make yore wishes. An' yo' come back dere [to the forks] to a secret prayer. Make a secret prayer at de fo'ks of de road. What- somevah yo' wanta know about at the forks of the road, it [answer] will come to yo'.
Entry 11753
Yo' could take a person's urine an' take dere hair an' yore finger- nails, an' yo' parch de fingernails. An' yo' could put it in de [drinking] watah an' [also] put steel dust [in same drinking water] fo' 'em tuh drink it, an' yo' keep 'em. Use de hair from dey arm an' de hair from [pubic region] an de fingernails, an' yo' parch it. An' yo' put steel dust in it an' yo' could leave 'em drink it. But dere's anothah part 'fore ah explain dat. Yo' could turn it upside down an' yo' could git tuh a graveyard, turn it upside down in de graveyard an' make yore wish.
Entry 11975
If you stop up a person's hair with salt and pepper in a snuffbox and throw it into running water while wishing and then walk away Without looking back, you will either run the owner of the hair out of town or run him crazy. [Memphis 1545:5.]
Entry 12474
You kin git a fresh hen egg, you understand. You kin git a fresh hen egg an' put it right in this [murdered] man's hand, you understand, an' bury it in there. An' then [an- other method], you kin burn on 'im, don't choo understand. See, you kin take his [whose?] name an' you kin write his name 9 times. You under- stand, write his name down 9 times an' put it in a lamp, see. An' light that lamp 12 a'clock in the daytime, you understand. You write it on - let me show you how you do this. You write his name 9 times. Understand? An' you puts a teaspoonful of salt in there, don't chew understand. A teaspoonful of salt on an' then you take an' make a little package. You wrap that. You wrap that to you 9 times. Wrap that up you see. Then you put it right in this lamp, 12 a'clock in the daytime. Under- stand you light it an' make you wish an' you put some oil of wintergreen on it, in there. An' you let that lamp burn for 21 days, see. An' when you drop this in, you say: In the Name of the Father an' Son an' Holy Ghost. Let that lamp burn for 21 days. An' then that man will come to you wherever you at. He'll come to the place, the man that kilt the othah one. You kin do that [this pre- sent lamp rite] behind [after] putting that fresh hen egg right in his hand, too.
Entry 1649
Yo' could take de same thing ah tole yo' about de success an' den yo' could take three buckets of watah an' pitch out yore do' an' yo' scrub it - yo' know, right in front yore do', lak yore steps in front. Take that an' that'll keep 'em from doin' yo' any harm.
(Just three buckets of water, that is all you use?)
Jis' three buckets of watah, clear watah. Jis' keep throwin' dat out dere ever' mawnin' roun' six a'clock - see, aftah yo' say yore prayers. Yo' git three buckets, if yo' got a hydrant in yore home - yo' know whut ah mean, inside yore house, jis' pitch out de three buckets of watah an' make yore wish. See, any evil works - cus lotsa people work de evil yo' understan'.
(That will keep down the evil?)
De three buckets of watah - dat's supposed tuh be the Father, Son an' de Holy Ghost.
(Say that when you put it down?)
Yes.
Entry 1654
See, when a person's luck is crossed an' yo' wants tuh uncross yore luck, yo' go cross watah but den yo' don't come back de way yo' go across. When you git middleways of dat watah, yo' git chew three pieces of any kind of money any three, anything yo' got three pieces of money, an' yo' throws it ovah yore left shoulder an' make yore wish. But when yo' come back - if yo' go 'cross, see, on dis side, right 'long heah, well yo' come back. Well, yo' don't come back on dis side, yo' go 'cross de right side goin' 'cross an' den come back across de right side - leave yore left side be back when yo' comin' back. Don't come straight 'cross back dat same spot where yo' went across, cause yo' bringin' luck back with yo'. But if yo' go across dere an' den come across anothah place, yo' breaks yore [crossed] luck - crossin' any kinda runnin' watah. (You cross - now, for example, if we cross on the ferry coming over here - we come across on the ferry, throw the money into the water. Then, how do we go back? Right back on the ferry again?) No. If dey got anothah ferry, if yo' got any kinda way, don't go back on dis same ferry. Go back on anothah faster even, but if dere's anothah ferry some- where an' yo' kin git to it, go on anothah ferry at closer distance and go cross dat watah.
(And you go to your right or to your left?)
To your right. (You turn and go to your right. If I cross on the ferry over here, I would go to my right going back?) Yassuh.
Entry 2730
You can go to the east and make your wish, "In the Name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit," and throw three glasses of water and make your wish for anything you want - to make a success and get it.
(Do you face the east or turn your back to it?)
No, you face the east.
(And throw the water?)
And throw the water.
Entry 2828
Well, you get the name of the policeman that 'rrested you. Take his name, the judge's name, and the district attorneys name. You write it nine times on a piece of writing paper with ink that never has been used. Buy you a bottle of ink and a new pen, and you write their names nine times. You write your name nine times over that. You understand? You get you some honey and put it in a saucer and you burn it with those candles. You take those white candles, three of 'em, and cut the tip off and turn 'em bottom up upon there and let those candles burn out.
(When do you do this?)
You do this like if you got arrested today and you get a subpoena to go to court next week. You do that three days before you go. And the morning you've got to go to court, you go to the hydrant, or pump or well, whatever you got, wherever it be, and you catch you a cup of water. And you start out the gate, have that cup of water - and you're facing the street - throw it over your left shoulder and make your wish and never look back, just keeping on going to the court house and you'll get discharged.
Entry 8339
Yo' take a tintype an' go tuh a tree, make yuh wishes whatsomevah [where] yo' want dis person tuh go, what time yo' wan' 'em tuh go. Git chew a brand-new tenpenny nail an' scrape it on de left side of a tree, clean it off, clean de bark off. An' nail dat pichure dere as neah de heart as yo' kin an' judge it as neah as yo' kin tuh drive dat nail. Den yo' only hit it once a mawnin', fer 9 mawnin's. Yo' hit it an' make yuh wish. Dat evil wish dis person an' evah mawnin' yo' go dere an' hit dat nail. De ninth mawnin' try tuh judge it so dat yo' kin drive it tuh de haid de ninth mawnin'. An' dat person will be lak a bug on de watah, jes' dead from de world [like a dead bug floating on the water].
Entry 190
Dey study where de whirlwind stop at, mostly settle, so dey kin git some of de dust. See whut ah mean. Jes' de last whirl an' go way an' leave it, when wust part gone, see. It will go 'way an' it might have several places, yo' know, it leaves where de whirlwind's gone an' left off, dere be's a whirl. See. Well, if they kin git some of that an' make a wish with it, dat yo' kin do a lotta persons some damage with it. Git some parts of it. See whut ah mean. Dey does a lotta trouble wit dat.
Entry 283
The way I heard it was this - that he takes a black cat that's black all over and throw him in boiling water and let all de meat boil off the bones. And suck one of them bones each morning for nine mornings and go to the forks of the road and make a wish for whatever you wanted. And at the ninth morning, the council of the devil would meet him there and make him ruler over black arts - the way I heard that, make him a ruler over black arts. He could go into a place and couldn't be seen and take what he wanted and go out and do anything of that kind.
The informant explicitly reports hearsay about a black-cat bone, nine mornings at road forks and wishes, followed by a claimed meeting with the devil's council, powers and invisibility. The neighboring accounts' different selection methods remain separate.
Entry 292
Git de black cat an' boil dis black cat and git five of dem little bones an' yo' crosses dem lak Joseph's ladder [surely Jacob's]. [He demonstrates.] (You take two parallel bones and two more parallel and you cross them like that?) [This sound like a ticktacktoe (or noughts-and-crosses) diagram.] Yes. (That's Joseph's ladder?) Yes. An' yo' cross 'em lak that an' yo' make yore wish - lak yo' want luck or make money or somepin, wish it on Joseph's ladder fo' nine times. [He holds up an imaginary ladder.] Dat called Joseph's ladder, say, "In God we trust - luck - luck - luck" - fo' nine times, with that black cat bones.
(What do you do with the fifth bone?)
Well, yo' takes hit an' yo' wears hit - yo' wears hit down in yore bosom, dat fifth bone. (When you are making these wishes, what do you do - you hold the bones up like that?) Yo' hold de bones up in de east an' yo' call Joseph's name - Joseph's ladder name nine times, den yo' wish fo' luck.
(How do those bones stay together that way?)
Well, dey takes a little fine wire - wire 'em togethah. Den yo' make a mattress, kinda lak dat, of 'em [demonstrates] - kinda take a little sawin' knife, so yo' kin file [something like this #].
(Make it like a [rustic] picture frame?)
Yes, kinda lak a little picture frame an' hold it up to de east an' make nine wishes.
(What part of the cat do you get these from?)
Yo' git 'em outa the hin' laigs. (Either hind leg?) [This sort of question is usually conversational - not investigative - and meaningless, see Introduction.] Yessuh, in de hin' laig - that part of the thigh, de small bone - git dem bones, de thigh bones.
[Two cylinders later the black cat bone reappears.]
(I have to go down before the judge - now, what do I do?)
"Fore yo' go yo' have dis heah wishbone - dis heah black cat wishbone.
(Where do you get that?)
Dat's de one ah wus tellin' yo' 'bout when yo' boil de cat an' git dat othah bone - yo' know, dere's five of 'em. Well, yo' only use but fo' of 'em, an' yo' keeps one an' yo' has it on a black cord around yore neck. Well, yo' takes it out an' when dey brings de - yo' settin' dere waitin' an' yo' make a wish nine times in de east - lookin' in de east an' make a wish. Den yo' take de lode- stone an' rub hit on dere an' make yore wish an' put it back in yore pocket. An' when yo' go out, go out with this heah lodestone in yore han', an' de judge will make yore fine light an' he liable tuh dismiss de case.
(What did you say about passing something over my teeth or lips?)
Ah said, nine times, take dat wishbone ovah yore face nine times lak dat - while yo' makin' yore wishes.
(You said you had to look a certain way when you do it?)
In de east, an' make yore wish.
Entry 550
Take an' pick - pick yore left, dis fingah right heah.
(The finger next to the little finger on the left hand.)
Yes, an' put it - take a key an' put it in de Bible an' de place where yo' turn dat book open, if it turns to "Now, an' it came to pass," whatevah yo' want tuh happen will happen.
(Where do you put this blood?)
On de key. Yo' put de key in de Bible an' jes' - well, yo' don' be lookin'. Yo' know, yo' drop de blood on it jest anywhere in dere an' then yo' place that key in dere. Den yo' turn open de book an' if yo' open it to a place whatevah yo' - yo' already make yore wish or whatevah yo' find out, whether it's goin' tuh happen or not - an' if it comes, "An' den it came to pass" or "now it came to pass it'll happen, but if yo' don't turn to that, it won't.
(The blood is put on the key, though, isn't it?)
Yes, it's put on de key an' it placed in de Bible.
Entry 758
I had an old lady draw a ring [on the ground] with a stick for me once. She spit in the ring and said I would never live to be a man. That worried my mother so, that I told my mother we had to go back and talk to the lady. So I went to her house that night and I said, "Martha, please mam, take that wish off of me that I would never live to be a man." She thought I was hollering and sassing her in the street - she thought I was giving her some sass. That's the reason she drawed that ring and spit in it. She told me if that Was the case, she'd take that wish off of me. I don't know what she did. But here I am. I Was nine years old.
Entry 1508
A person's shoes - a woman's shoes - jes' lak if yo' figures somebody is workin' at chew, yo' hunt chew a throwed-way shoe.
(A thrown-away shoe.)
Uh-hmm, a man's shoe an' a woman's shoe. Well, if it's a woman, yo' wanta protect yo'self. Yo' take dat woman's shoe an' put it on top of dat man's shoe an' yo' burn 'em. Yo' put sulphur an' saltpeter, bluestone, gunpowder an' salt on there an' burn it - make yore wishes, whatever yo' want tuh come. An' dat'll protect yo'.
(What would a man do if he wanted to protect himself?)
He'll put de man's shoe on top of de woman's.
Entry 1702
[Lightwood in Southern United States means pine, often the Georgia or long-leaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill). Lighters are small pieces of pitch-filled pine used in starting a fire; these coming from a lighter pine or lightwood tree. Iighters appear somewhat frequently in other rites but rarely in cures and protection.] Take some lighters. You get them from offen the north side of a pine, you know, the lighter pine, lightwood, and make splinters of it. [Except in this rite, lighters come from any side or part of the pine.] Chew make nine and dig a hole. You.get these sticks, now, offen this pine and you get it offen the north side and you take and make nine splinters of it. You make 'em so many inches long, just as long as you wish. Make notches in them just as many as you wish to make, you see. Most in general you just make nine. And you dig a hole such a depth, I think round about twelve inches or eighteen in the ground. Then you cross them and make your wish.
(How do vou mean cross them?)
You put 'em across like that in the ground.
(Like a rail fence?)
Yeh, like a rail fence - only they're sticking in the ground though. You stick 'em down and cross 'em like that. That's to purwent anyone from inter- fering with you around this home.
Entry 1743
It's a practice dat most of de women in dis part of the world, if dey can get a man to cut his fingernails or his toenails anywhere in dere presence, or clip his hair, dere [they are] going to save dat for dat purpose. I've seen dat practiced, too, right down here in de South - in Florida dere. I had it proved right out and out. A woman told me she could make any man come dere dat had ever been dere, and she could make him call her name at any time - dat she pluck a hair out of her head, if she know de direction de man is, and by her calling his name three diff'rent times and turning around, wherever he's at, he'll call her name. (What did she do? She pulled this hair out of her head, then what did she dc with that hair?) Just take de hair and hold it up and blow it in de direction she know dat he's gone, and by calling his name, regardless of what he's doing at de moment, he'll call her name. From then, he begins to get restless. He might be aboard of a steamship or train, or whatever, but when he gets off he will make his way right on back. Because anything she's got belonging to him dat ways, she believes she can wish him back and will do it.
Entry 1806
You can take a coffin nail and do anything that chew wish to do as long as you use that coffin nail. If it's a man, he gets the coffin nails from a wo- man's, outten a woman's coffin; and then he can do anything he wish to with that nail whenever he wishes to. And if it's a woman, she gets it from outten a man's coffin and wishes whatever she want to do. Well, they carry that nail with 'em. They keep that nail in they personal affairs somewhere here where the nail'll keep warm. They wrap that in flannel or anything. And they keep that saturated in Hearts Cologne.
Entry 1808
Coffin nails is good luck. You nail three of 'em ovah de top of yore door where you come in at. Each and every morning and every night you stop under these nails and make a wish and they claim that will keep all good things coming to you.
Entry 1825
Dey build whut chew call a dead man. Dey usually goes an' dey gits clay from a fresh grave dat's someone yo' know, an' dey take dat clay an' dey mixes it up wit sulphur an' red peppah an' puts it undah de step - round de front step. Dat usually brings in people or either carries 'em out - jes' whichsomevah yo' wish. Yo' have tuh wish fo' dat.
(What did you say about making a dead man?)
Yo' use clay an' red peppah an' sulphur.
(Well, what do you mean by making a dead man?)
Well, because it's a person yo' know an' dey jes' died yo' understand, an' yo' use it because it's fresh. Yo' gits it at de full of de moon.
Entry 1845
She kin go to the drug store an' get her some drawing oil.
(Some drawing oil?)
Yes. Get her some steel dust, an' get some Jockey Club Perfume. (Jockey Club?) Yeah. An' put his name down on a piece of paper three times an' soak it in that bottle.
(And then what will she do?)
An' she jis' keep dat an' shake it up an' make her wish over it.
(That'll bring the man back?)
He'll come back.
Entry 1932
Graveyard dirt - that's good for gambling.
(How?)
You take the graveyard dirt and you takes needles, seven points of a needle - seven points of seven needles. Take that graveyard dirt and take some emery dust from the drug store and you get some lodestone and you put that together, and you make a wish and you sew that up and you wear it. As long as you have the confi- dence in this, it may bring you succeeding power, but if you don't believe in it it's not good.
The informant describes graveyard dirt among several ingredients and qualifies the claim with confidence, 'may', and the statement that without belief it is not good. The interviewer's question is separate.
Entry 1955
Well now, a lady got my hair one time and she stopped it up in a bottle and she buried it. So it almost run me crazy but I went to a man. He made her bring de hair back. She'd brought it face to face and give it to me and told me why she did it, because she thought I had nothing to do but sit on de porch and read papers and I was in better circumstances den her. So dis man asked me what did I want done with her. I say, "Well, tain't worth while to kill her, but jest send her away from Portsmouth." I was living in Portsmouth. Well, he sent her away and he wasn't nine days sending 'er either. He just got three pinches - jest like that - pinches of dirt and sewed it up.
(Was this out of her left track? Tell me just what he did in this case.)
He got three pinches of dirt out of her left track, right in the hollow of her foot and put it - made a little cloth bag and put that in there and sewed it up and had taken it to running water and made three wishes and threw it overboard. She went away from dere. [Norfolk, Va., (486), 514:8.] [To show that my comment did not suggest a left-track rite to informant, I will now quote the left-track rite given by informant two rites preceding present one.] Get the dirt out of the left foot, three pinches, and put that in a cloth rag you know and sew it up. And take it to running water and throw it overboard and make three wishes before you do it. And when you make them three wishes - they gone from here. An' I know that to be true.
(You make the wishes just for them to leave?)
Yeah.
(You mean just to leave town or to die?)
To leave, to die - either one. You make de wishes - if you want 'em just leave town, make it dat way; and if you want 'em to die, you make it dat way. [Norfolk, Va., (486), 514:6.] [Both these original transcriptions - 514:6 & 514:8 - are part of the final manuscript.]
Entry 1997
Well de simplest thing yo' kin do if yo' pore an' haven't got any money lak me - de cheapest an' best thing to do is tuh go to the drug store an' git a ten-cent bottle of Hearts Cologne and take that cologne an' put it in a spray - jest like yo' spray fo' insects - jest spray the room that chew sleep in an' close it up. If yo' don't do that, yo' kin smoke a cigar. Yo' kin put it in yore eyelashes, in yore hair, anywhere about chew, the Hearts Cologne. An' then yo' kin take it an' po' it on money, if yo' have a dime - anything except a nickel or a penny. Yo' kin put it on a dime or fifty cents or a quarter an' rub it in de palm of yo' hand. Each time that chew rub the money, make a wish fo' de job dat chew want an' yo'll git it.
(And you use it also in the room for a job.)
Entry 2024
Ah uses Jockey Club perfume an' Oil of bergamine [bergamot] an' den ah burns incense and make a wish, whenevah ah'm goin' out, yo' know, tuh gamble.
(What do you do with the Jockey Club perfume and bergamine - mix it together?)
Ah mix it together an' ah 'noints it roun' mah ears see, an' up undah mah arm in de palm of mah hand an' rubs an' ah makes a wish.
Entry 2154
I don't know how to get him to give you a job, but I know how to hold a job.
(All right, how's that?)
Well, I use his name the same way. I write his name down nine times. I write my name down nine times across the other way. [A cross is made with the names.] I fold it to me, each time I fold it I make a wish, and I wear it down in the sole of my shoe.
(What shoe are you wearing that in?)
I'm wearing it in the lest shoe - in the left, I wanta say.
(The left shoe, I see. That's to hold your job?)
Yes, sir.
Entry 2219
Now, dis is a real fac', ah've seen people use it. Yo' kin git somepin dey calls anvil dust an' yo' kin take the back ofa mirror an' scrape that stuff off. An' den yo' take pods of peppah. [Three ingredients.]
(The pods of ordinary red pepper?)
Yes, but it gotta be red, it cain't be green. An' yo' put it in somepin an' kinda parch it up an' mix it up an' put it in there. (What do they do with this anvil dust and this mirror dust and this pepper then?) Put it all together an' throw it in de house an' make a wish dat dey'd leave.
Entry 2272
If a person leave home, yo' take some table salt - jes' take it on de palm of yore hand an' blow it an' make a wish. Git up eve'y mornin' befo' de sun rise an' blow it towards de east for de nine mornin's, an' de ninth day dey'll be back. [In former days course salt was used for everything - cattle, curing meat and at the table. On farms it was bought by the old-fasioned wooden barrel. After finely granulated salt was introduced - first in small cloth sacks and then in cardboard boxes, this smaller salt was sometimes called table salt. In horse- and-buggy days, persons living in towns sometimes called it horse salt.] [Waycross, Ga., (1093), 1761:13.].
Entry 2302
Well, it's a herb dat chew get dat chew - de shoe-tongue, kinda chew dem, an' yo' have it in yore mouth an' chew it. Spit it. Spit it an' makes yore wishes whut chew want. [Is this the plant dog tongue or hound's tongue?] Lak yo' won't want de judge tuh go hard on yo', spit it down an' dey ain't goin' tuh know it yo' know, an' dat will make it light on yo' - it will go through [case against you will go through - fail.] (Why do they use shoe-tongue root? Why don't they use anything else? Why do they use that root? Do you know?) Because it's so good. It's so good.
Entry 2371
Drop nine drops of vinegar inside a bottle of white Heart Cologne an' yo' make a wish dat chew want a job an' yo' want to be lucky with a job, an' yo' take that Heart Cologne an' bury it at chure do'steps an' let it stay down dere fo' nine days. An' after nine days, yo' take dat Heart Cologne up an' jes' lak yo' - de time dat yo' wanta git dat job, yo' po' it every direction on yore clothes, yo' know, all in front of yo', an' po' a little bit in yore shoes, an' dey say dat known tuh make a person git a job. Say de man give it to yo' without any huntin' fo' it, but yo' must let it stay buried fo' nine days after yo' make a wish.
Entry 2448
If you are bootlegging and want to keep the law away from you, they say they got some - wait, let me see the name of this stuff. If they don't want them to come around, they got some - well, you take witch hazel, red pepper and salt. When they be passing in front of your door, you know, then you throw that out behind them. And after they been visiting your house, trying to break you up from doing it, and you don't want them there, say you take a chair like this [demonstrates], and you turn the chair bottom up, you know, crossways of the door, and put a broom 'cross that chair. They'll never come to your home no more.
(Just turn the chair upside down and.)
And put a broom 'cross it.
(Just an ordinary broom across it?)
Yes sir, and throw you some red pepper and salt behind them and make a wish - just say, "I wish they keep agoing and don't never come back no more." And when you throw it you mustn't look at them an' they won't never worry you no more.
Entry 2534
Dey tell me that chew could use de incense. When yo' runnin' any kind of a business an' yo' use incense, yo' jes' take an' light chew one an' sets it up on de table or anywheres on de floor an' makes yore wishes dat chure place will be crowded an' that yore place will be successful or anything lak that.
Entry 2617
For hustlin' women - jis' like women hustlin' - well, you gits some chamber lye wit granulated sugar an' saltpeter an' put it [together]. In mornin' 'fore sunrise in de mornin' you git up, let chore right foot be de first one to hit de floor, an' go in de eas' cornah, de wes' cornah, an' nort' cornah an sout' cornah, an' sprinkle dat, you know, wit dat luck you done make up: An' go to de sun jis' 'fore it rise an' make yore wish. Well, ever'thing will go yore way dat day. You'll make nice money dat day.
Entry 2660
Yo' kin burn sulphur an' Hearts Cologne, put a little sugah in it. Burn them an' have a wish. Ah've tried these things mahself, dat's de reason why ah kin say dat. An' have'a wish that - make yore wish like on Friday. Yo' start to burn 'em though like a Monday, Wednesday, Thursday night. So Friday yo' make yore wish.
(What time on Friday?)
Well, any time dat day is all right - after midnight Thursday night make yore last burnin'.
(What would you wish?)
Yo' make wish to make $40 or $50 or a $100, or yo' know.
(Any kind of wish in gambling.)
Any kind of wish in gamblin'.
(Well, don't you do anything with this stuff that you burn?)
No sir, jes' burn it in yore room.
Entry 2680
Things will work mighty easy wit him [policeman], if the law wus comin' there perhaps tuh raid joo out [and] yo' didn't have any money. Then yo' could take some of yore fast chamber lye.
(What do you mean by fast chamber lye?)
Well, that aftah a night yo' lay down an' git up in de mawnin', then yo' use that - that's fast, that'll work right now. Well, yo' put three pinches of sugah in there an' make yore wishes whatevah - yo' know, yo' don't wanta be raid out or put out dis mawnin'. Den yo' take it to yore front steps an' yo' throw it an don't look which way yo' throw it - jes' throw it out. Yo' made yore wish an' yo' jes' go on. He'll come in jes' as calm, "It's all right if yo' haven't got any money. Can't chew give me some?" [Some what? Money in the future or liquor now?] [Memphis, Tenn., (1542), 2790:9.}
Entry 2699
Ah would use urinate an' concentrated lye an' yo' know soon in de mawnin'. Monday mawnin' an' Friday mawnin' ah'd always mop all de way through befo' anybody would enter - see, that would be roun' six a'clock in de mawnin'. An' aftah ah'd git through mopping ah'd throw de watah down de front steps, yo see. Den ah'd come back in an' burn mah incense befo' ah'd speak to anybody, see, an' make a wish.
(What would that do then?)
That would keep de law away.
Entry 2701
Fo' luck yo' take de chamber lye an' yo' put chew some oil of bergamot dey call it - yo' but it at de drug sto', oil of bergamot. Put dat in de chamber lye an' put chew some sugah in it an' yo' put chew some bluein'. An' yo' take that an' yo' scrub yore house all out good wit it, see. An' aftah yo' scrub yore house with it, then yo' take an' drop three drops in each corner an' make a wish. That's success fo' yore house.
(You mean for bringing in customers to buy from you?)
Yes.
Entry 2777
And jest like if you goin't to a job - If you want dis job, you kin jest burn dis white candle fo' success and make yore wish and it will favor yo Yo' know dey burned candles when Christ died. [The Rev. Mr. Young has already said something similiar, "We understand dat de candles represent something in the life of Christ possibly," see 2735, p.745, line 1.]
Entry 2814
Take dey photograph, lak a photograph pitchure [not a tintype], if yore ole man is away. Tuh bring him back, yo' git a black candle an' write his name on de black candle, an' put a glass of watah down 'side de candle. Light de candle an' den lay his pitchure 'side de candle, an' let de candle burn an' yo' make a wish. Dat's tuh git him back if he's gone, if yo' got his pit- chure.
Entry 2819
They could take dat handwriting an' git some red ink - git a bottle a red ink and write chure same writing. Take off whut chew got wrote dere - copy dat off, see, wit red ink on de back de letter whut chew done wrote on dis side. Hit kin be turned over an' be wrote ovah agin wit red ink. (On the back side - but you have to trace just what they wrote on the other side?) That's right. Yore words have tuh be traced offa there with that red ink. [If you receive a letter in black ink, turn the sheet over and on the reverse side trace the letter in red ink. You will be writing backwards. The so-called writing. of names backwards is merely a magic exchange of two objects - first and last names - one behind the other version. By turning the back of the letter up- side down you can by tracing also write upside down.] Then a red candle - take yore letter an' yore name is already on de letter - take de lettah and take de red candle and wrap de candle up with de letter all de [way] roun'. An' wrap it [demonstrates] all de roun' lak dat - jes' leave out a point of de candle, but de candle is covered up wit de letter. An' de individual make dere wish whut would happen tuh yo', even ef yo's on a switch engine or some kinda brakeman or engine' or somepin lak dat. Whatsomever dey say, dey jes' wish dat train 'ud wreck - dey wish somepin would happen tuh yo', you'd fall off de engine or somepin like dat. Dat same thing will happen tuh yo'. Light dat can- dle an' burn dat candle ten minutes every day twelve 'clock until de letter and de candle is burnt, an' somepin other will happen to de parties whut wrote dis letter.
(At twelve o'clock noon or at midnight.)
Noon in de daytime.
Entry 2835
Dey baptize 'em in alcohol. Baptize three of 'em in alcohol. Them are tuh kill yo'. (You have to have two or three - you have to have three black candles in this alcohol. How do you baptize them?) Tie 'em together an' po' yo' alcohol in somepin an' baptize 'em. If yo' want dose black candles tuh kill somebody, yo' let 'em burn down to de end. (How do you use them?) Set 'em all afiah at once, those three, an' make yore wish who it's on an' write their name, an' turn they name down to de table, an' set dem candles. (Write the name on three pieces of paper and put a candle on each piece of paper.) Turn de name down, den put de candle an' let 'em burn down to the bottom of de candle. Won't know whut dey did [what hit them]. It'll kill 'em. Dey'll die.
Entry 2877
If yo' have confusion in yore home and want peace, yo' burn a red candle. Yo' set it at six in de morning and burn one hour, and yo' set it at twelve and burn one hour, and at six at night and burn one hour, and make a wish.
Entry 2936
Yo' kin burn these light green candles, yo' see, an' yo' burn that candle an' make yore wishes. An' if yore wishes come as yo' make 'em, an' yo promise tuh save somepin, an' yo' go ahead an' donate dat to de church, well yo'd be successful. [New Orleans, La., (1560).2856:11.]
Entry 2996
Yo' take yo' St. Espidy, he uses green candles. Yo' take it an' yo' pray ovah it an' yo' askin' St. Espidy, an' yo' rap on it an' he'll give yo' a rap back. Yo' ask St. Espidy fo' a wish an' jes' whut yore heart desires yo'll git.
(How would I go about it? To burn this green candle? From the beginning.)
From de beginnin'. Yo'll take yore green candle an' burn it from six in de mawnin' an' put it out - nine in de evenin' an' put it out. Nine in de mawnin an' yo' put it six in de evenin' again. Yo' burn it from three tuh nine days an yo'll git whut chure heart desires.
(Well, how do you mean you rap for St. Espidy?)
[She raps once - twice - again.]
(Just once? You rap three times. And you burn this green candle from six to nine in the morning and from six to nine at night?) Yes.
(You burn it nine days?)
Yes.
(Do you know anything about St. Espidy?)
Well, St. Espidy, he's very good." He have helped me. He helps me an' when ah wants bread ah call on him an' he brings me a rap [answers by rapping]. Ah heard dat he wus a man dat didn't believe in no evil work, an' he didn't fool roun' wit no kinda evil doin' when he wus on dis scene an' he wus a true man, an' when he died he went tuh heaven.
(Now when he raps back, would he rap three times?)
He jes' raps [she demonstrates three times in diminishing volume].
(Where will he rap - somewhere around the room?)
Yes.
(Then you know you'll have your wish?)
Yes.
Entry 3023
And the Mother of Perpetual Help, she opens the way, she gives you bread when you got children like I have - she opens the way for you to have suc- cess. Well, you give her a blue candle - that's for children. And you pray twice a day to her - at twelve o'clock sure and in the morning. And whatever you promise her when you get your wish, why you give her that.
Entry 3030
Yessuh, ah burns a red light to St. Peter or eithah a green light.
(How would you burn that?)
Ah burns a red light to St. Peter - ah burns it lak ah wants a job, ah wants mah do's tuh be open. Ah want mah man behin' me in mah work. Ah sets mah green light fo' nine days an' if ah wus in de night, ah'd raps fo' him an' ah calls him, 'St. Peter, open do's - let no man kin close 'em, because ah know yo' got de key. Ah know yo' have de key an' open do's." An' ah'll set him a bouquet of flowers an' ah'll let mah light burn fo' nine days. An' at de end of de nine days he'll give me mah wish.
(You burn these lights at any particular time?)
Ah burns 'em diff'rent days. Ah burns it on Wednesdays, Mondays - all day.
(All day, just during the daylight?)
Or de nighttime.
Entry 3034
(You say if you don't give him [St. Peter] this promise.)
Promise what you give him - just like if you promised him a flower or any kind of a piece of money. At that day when you make him the promise, he'll give you enough to go out and get just what you ask for. Well, you see - well then, you failed in giving him what you promised him, then he'll set fire. That candle - you see, you have some little candles setting under the saint.
(Under the saint, yes.)
Yeah, well, the saint [is] over [above candles] that - well then, everything you promise him, if you promised to give him a flower or give him a rose - well then, when the time comes to you to give it to him - and you done be successful what you have asked for - well, you come and you put that flower there, you know, in some water. Well, then you'll always have luck. But the minute that you fail in giving him what you promised - that what you - that junk what you got around there, probably you may have some paper around there on the mantelpiece or wher- ever you got it, or in the corner - you might have a curtain or something like that - well, there's some kind of way it going to blow into that and ketch on fire - burn down - and after that you have worse luck than you ever had.
Entry 3047
You burn a green candle to St. Raymond. You take your green candle and you got St. Raymond on your altar and you sit the green candle before the saint and then you make your wishes to him. If you want a job - and you want the boss to give you a job, if you know his name, you take his name and you write it down nine times. You get some cinnamon and you get some parsley and you get some of this garlic and you pound that all up together and you put that in. Put it before your candle, right in front of the'candle where your saint's at and burn that, and he'll give you a job and like you. You burn it before St. Raymond. You can use a green candle. Use the same green candle for him, that the onliest kind of candle to use. You burn a white candle for peace.
Entry 3141
If she have connection wit a man, she kin jes' take a piece of raw cotton an' wipe huhself wit it, an' she take dat an' stop it up in a bottle, an' put some alum an' salt in it. Put dat in dere an' makes huh wishes, an' screws de top on real tight. An' if she don't want tuh do dat, she kin take a neW cloth an' Wipe it on dat an' throw It in DE EAST CORNAH OF HUH HOUSE [the sun-rising side] when he go out [leaves the house]. Jes' tie it up an' jes' when he go on out of do', jes' throw it in de east cornah of de house. Den yo [he] kin go but nuthin yo' [he] kin do - he can't do nuthin.
Entry 3264
[You] kin take a new han'chuff an' put it in a man's left-foot shoe an' let it stay dere all night long aftah yo' done had somepin tuh do wit 'im. Yo' use dat han'chuff an' put it in 'is left-foot shoe, see, an' he cain't fool wit nobody but chew.
(Well, he would find that handkerchief in the shoe, wouldn't he?)
No sir, yo' supposed tuh take it out.
(You get up before he finds it?)
Why certainly. A new han'chuff dat's nevah been used fo' anythin' but de business.
(What will you do with the handkerchief then?)
Bear [bury] it.
(Where?)
Put it undah de house. Dat make him always wanta be comin' dere. He won't fool wit nobody an' bring de money home.
Entry 3577
If yo've got a man fren' an' he don't come tuh see yo' as reg'lah as yoo want 'im tuh come, yo' git chew a nail an' a string an' tie nine knots in it [demonstrates]. Yo' wrap dat string an' yo' tie a knot, wrap. it roun' an' tie a knot till yo' git nine. Take dat an' stick it down dere to de do'step an' yo' make a wish whut chew want. Dat will make him come. (You just wrap the string around your finger [serving as a nail] and tie it around, tie it around [9 times].) Yes.
Entry 4360
Take yuh chamber lye an' stop it up an' take it tuh runnin' watah. Stop dat bottle so she goin' float, it goin' part de way down anyways. Ketch dat tide goin' whichevah way yuh want dis person tuh go an' den put it ovah dere - drop it ovahbo'd an' turn an' walk from it. Don't look back at it an' make yuh wishes whatevah direction yuh want 'im tuh go. An' he's goin' wandah roun' an' leave dere. He come tuh not be any good aroun' 'is home - somepin of de kin'. He'll jis' drift away an' people won't know what happened tuh him.
Entry 4951
A [dirty] stockin', yuh takes it an' ties three knots [one on top of the other - a threefold knot] in it. Dey say yuh take yeh right one. Gits yuh some Hearts Cologne, po' it in dere. Gits yuh nine pins, nine needles, an call dis person by name, whosomevah it is. Make yeh heart wish. See, jis' like if yuh wants yeh sweetheart tuh do sompin, tie dis tuh yuh. Every time yuh make a knot, pull yeh string [stocking] tuhwards yeh an' call dere name three times. An' put dem pins an' needles in dere [in the threefold knot]. Yuh takes dem pins, yeh lays de pins dis way [demonstrates].
(Alternate heads and points.)
An' yuh puts dis cologne on dere. An' yuh kin weah dat in yeh pocket. Dat'll make yuh - if yeh girl away from yeh, she'll come tuh yeh.
Entry 5223
[HERE FOLLOWS A RARE SIFTING RITE - SIFTING WITH A SIFTER.]
An' ah've heard 'em say dat chew take like nuthin but wimmen, take three or fo' wimmen here, or jis' me, one person'ly, say. Now, ah take all mah ole shoes now an' burn 'em up, but ah burn 'em on somepin dat ah kin save all dose ashes. An' burn tuh a charcoal an' den mash 'em up. An' den ah take salt an' peppah an' mix wit dose shoes now. An' ah take de siftah an' between nine an' twelve a'clock at night ah go aroun' de house an' sift 'em three times tuhnight.
(How do you mean, sift it three times?)
Jis' put it in a siftah, yuh see, jis' sift de dust [shoe ashes]. (You.mean you go round the house three times, or you sift the dust three times?) How - like ah begin now from de back door, from mah back door, an' ah go around dere an' make mah wish, yuh know. If ah wish fo' all men tuh come tuh mah house, or jis' one indivij'ly [individually], yuh know. An' if dere's some Woman dat ah think she's a enemy tuh me, yuh know, an' ah don't wan' 'er tuh come dere, yuh see, ah wish fer 'er tuh not come, an' wish fer 'im tuh come an' stay always wit me.
(I see.)
Ah'd go aroun' three times lak dat an' begin. An' de last wish, dat ah make right where ah begin dat, yuh see. An' ah wish dat he may come an' stay wit me always. See, when ah says always, ah'm [back] in de house den an' turns de sift- ah loose on de inside. An' den tuhmorrah - ah do dat tuhnight between nine an' twelve. An' tuhmorrah mawnin' now between twelve an' nine, well, prob'ly yuh kin do dat at three a'clock in de mawnin', fo' or five or six a'clock, any time befo' nine a'clock, but de bes' time dat dey do it is befo' sunrise. See, aftah twelve o'clock [and] befo' sunrise - roun' about fo'-thirty or five a'clock, an' yuh do de same thin' an' come back in an' drop de siftah right at de same place again.
(You sift it all over again?)
De same thin' all ovah again. An' dey say, when yuh do dat - well, dey say yuh don't have tuh have many shoes. Doesn't take much, take much siftin's fo' dat dust, 'fo' dat dust is gone. Well, yuh do dat till all dat dust is gone through dat siftah, yuh see, an' dey say he'll nevah leave yuh den. He'll nevah leave yuh.
Entry 5351
Git two of dose straws an' put 'em tuhgethah. (Two straws from the broom?) Yes sir. Put 'em tuhgethah, which an' why, lay 'em 'cross one anothah, an' stick a pin through 'em, an' put 'em out intuh where de tracks is runnin'. An' make yore wish: In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' de Holy Ghost, an' call de individual name dat yo' mean tuh git rid of. An' dat will git rid of 'em. (They will leave.)
Entry 6085
Make them come back? I don't know about the track [foot track to bring a person back], I jes' know about de sock.
[I turn off machine but decided to hear about the sock.]
About de sock? Take a sock, a dirty sock, an' take it an' put hair from undah is arn, 'is head, an' on 'is private, in de toe of it, an' take an' roll it to yo', an' roll it an' roll it 皿til yo' git to de end. Aftah yo' git to de end, why mke yore wish. Wish he'd come back or wish he'd stay dere, an' bury it undahde foot of yore steps. Dat'll make 'im come back an' he'll stay.
(Either sock is all right?)
Eithah sock is all right.
Entry 7198
Yo' take an' make a circle wit chalk an' when yo' make dat circle, den yo' make a "x" yo' know. When yo' make dat "x" - when yo' make de circle dat's God. (The circle is God?) Yes sir, an' de "x" de firs' lettah is de - circle is God an' de firs' cross is God de Father, an' de nex' one is God de Holy Spirit. (Where do you make this circle with the cross? Where do you make it? Where do you draw that?) Well, right in de room where whutevah wus taken from it. [Here I turn off recording machine. What informant says, I restart machine and repeat the lost information.] (You make a circle on the wall or on the floor. And you put an "x" inside. And then inside the "x" you do what?) Well, when yo' done make dat "x" in Name of de Father, Son an' Holy Ghost, den yo' wish whut chew want 'em tuh do. Jis' carry it right roun' jis' lak dat. (You mean just carry this circle around. You mean you keep marking the chalk around?) Yes, jis' make a roun' ring. Have yo' got a pencil? An' ah give it tuh yo' aftah [return it] right away. (Wait a minute! You draw the circle [I demonstrate]. That's God the Father. Then you [I demonstrate]. That's the Son. And [I demonstrate] Holy Ghost.) An' make yore wishes whut chew want. (And you keep going around and around and around. Like turning a wheel around.) Yo' do dat three time, three Godhead.
[I demonstrate again.]
You draw a line right through that circle and call the son, then you draw another line across it and say the Holy Ghost, and then you keep drawing that circle around and around and around, while you make your wishes for them to bring that article back that they have stolen.) Long as yo' speakin' of whut chew want done, yo' jis' keep yuh han' goin' roun' an' roun'.
Entry 7573
Take some of dere hair an' yuh carry it an' bury it right 'side somebody yuh know. An' make yore wish whethah yuh wan' 'em tuh stay or leave. Dey'd have tuh leave, dey couldn't stay [if you wished them to leave].
(Where would you bury that hair?)
Yuh bury it right de side of a christian, yuh know, right at de haid.
(Somebody's grave.)
Entry 7726
Yo' take de foot- bo'd tuh de haid an' jes' whatevah yo' want done, vell yo' gotta say dat fo' yo'self yo' see; but chew take it, an' see how it's turnt one way, den yo' pull it up an' den yo' turn it roun' de othah way. See.
(You mean you put the head part [headboard] down to the foot?)
Yeah, yo' take de haid part - yo' take it from de haid an' put it tuh de foot an' den yo' - but chew turn it upside down. Don't turn it lak yo' pull it up. (You put the top [part.of graveboard] down into the hole. What do you do with the footboard then?) Yo' do de same thing. Yo' take de footbo'd an' put it to de haid an' yo' take de haid an' put it tuh de foot.
(But you must put them upside down?)
Upside down. Jes' whutevah yo' want did, den yo' ast dis dead body tuh do dat fo' yo' - jes' whutevah wish yo' want, whutevah yo' want did, yo' do dat. [Sumter, S. Car., (1348), 2330:9.] With all the graveyard dirt previously given and more to follow this subsec- tion (2), what is the reader to do? Remember only, graveyard dirt full of the spirit refuses to be confined within man-made schemes of order.]
Entry 8471
( Get a person's photograph. Yo' kin take that an' use the best of whis- key an' put it in a dark closet. An' yo' kin take their photograph an' turn it bottom upwards. Well, they won't be satisfied till they see the person according tuh the wishes yo'd make. If yo'd wish fer them to stay away, they'll stay; if yo' wish fer 'em tuh come tuh yuh, they'll come.
(What do you do with that whiskey?)
Yo' takes the whiskey an' puts in a glass. Yo' turns the photo bottom upwards over the glass.
(The photo doesn't touch the whiskey at all?)
No.
(I see, it just sets over the glass of whiskey.)
But yo' is standing on your head.
Entry 8711
Yo' go to a place - if yo' know de place where yo're goin' an' know de people's name [name of person who hires]. Yo' git chew a piece of pastebo'd an' yo' cut it down as a shoe sole, de print of a shoe sole [an insole]. Yo' write dem people name down nine times wit a indelible pencil. (You just write one right after the other?) One right aftah de othah, nine times. (Now, if the boss's name was Sam Jones, you just write Sam Jones right underneath Sam Jones?) Yassuh, an' den aftah yo' do dat, yo' git chew some cinnamon an' yo' git chew some sugah. An' yo' puts dat in yore shoe an' yo' weah dat. An' yo' git yo' a piece of John de Conkah root, an' yo' chews dat root, an' as yo' go in dere yo' spits, an' make yore wish fo' whut chew goin' dere, whut kinda job yo' goin' dere tuh be successful. Yo' git dis job.
(You just make one sole [insole] or two?)
Jes' one sole.
(For either shoe?)
Fo' either shoe, it don' make no diff'rence.
(It doesn't make any difference what shoe.)
Either one.
Entry 8766
Yo've got to get a plain piece of papah wit no lines drawn on it. Now, ah'm goin' tuh give yo' an idea. Ah'm goin' tuh write yore name. If yo' want tuh get even wit [someone], ah'll write yore name dis way nine times, an' ah'll turn dis papah aroun' an' ah'll write my name nine times until ah get it across yores. Den ah'll fold dat papah two turns, an' den ah'll put dat in a lamp...
(Fold that paper kitty-corner.)
[I try a folk term rather than catercornered.]
Now, dis what yo' call kitty-corner, see [demonstrates] ah'll take it jes' lak dis an' den ah'll take it again jes' lak dis. An' now when it's off, dat gives me a cornah here an' a cornah here. When dis is off, dat'll give me a cornah here.
(It's in the shape of a triangle.)
[Here as often, I am annotating for my future understanding.]
Ah'll put dat in a lamp or undah a candle an' ah'll burn it an' ah can make whatevah ah burn it fo'. Ah can wish fo' what ah want an' ah'll get it in dat papah what yore name wrote on. [For names in oil bowl of burning lamp, see, many rites under margin title LAMP RITES AND NAMES in present section NAMES; for ob- jects beneath burning candles, see section CANDLES, Pp.797-862.]
Entry 9337
Yo' kin take a aig, lak now a person livin' in de nex' house ovah dere. Well, yo' kin take a aig an' mark it [write name of victim on, see later], dis aig an' make a wish, an' goes somewheres by dem at de crack of sunrise. Well, do dat fo' nine mawnin's an' let de sun be lak de same, an' carry dat aig. An' evah way yo' go back dere fo' de nine mawnin's, go back anothah way, see. If yo' hap- pen tuh go round or go back dis way, let it be a object [opposite or different] mawnin'. Evah mawnin' be a new way comin'. See whut ah mean. If it happen tuh be de las' mawnin' de way yo' went de firs' time, let it be a new way comin' roun' de same thing. [Never go over the same path or road twice during the rite.] Well, yo' kin take dat aig in de last ninth mawnin' an' jes' haul off an' chunk it up on dat house an' let it bust, an' make yore wish befo' yo' bust it, one of dem names in de house. Jes' make a wish an' chunk it up dere. Write his name on de egg. See, dey goin' tuh leave. (You first get you the egg, don't you?) Yeah, git holt de aig. Take dis aig, an' well, fo' nine mawnin's yo' take up dis aig an' walk to someone yo' don't like. See, whut ah mean. Yo' want 'em tuh move out from roun' dere, from dis heah home. Yo' don't undah- stan' why people leave, yo' don't want 'em disturb. Yo' git dat aig an' yo' says, "Ah want dese heah people leave heah wit'out fussin'." Take dis aig an' carry de aig ovah heah, well jes' de time yo' see de sun jes' comin' tuh be. Well, take it out...
(Take it out where?)
To de front - tote de aig tuh de sun. See, jes' take it out where yo' kin see de sun an' turn back - don't look back. An' yo' place dat aig right back in de same place. Well, de nex' mawnin' - yo' do dat fo' de nine mawnin's, goin' out...
(Just going out and seeing the sun?)
Yeah. But don' let de sun be no fu'thah den yo' see it de firs' mawnin'. Don't let it be too fer. Jes' do dat fo' nine mawnin's an' let de sun be de same object an' 'bout de same time. Set yore clock. Do dat fo' nine mawnin's. Make yore wish an' write his name on dat aig an' jes' walk out de same mawnin' 'bout de same time, throw it an' let it bust. Yo' won't have no trouble.
(Where do you throw that egg?)
Jes' throw it an' let it bust on de house. On de left side [as you stand in front of the house looking at the house].
(That will make them move out.)
Dey gone.
Entry 10174
To run crazv. stand pic- ture upside down behind bed, face to wall, light candle, red, burn "plum out" - make wish.
Entry 10186
An' then here's another thing. There's - some things are over others zhoo know. You see? Well the nex' thing to do, if you wanted to make 'em leave town or anything like that, you Write their name down 9 times. Understand? An' stop it up in a bottle an' go to the running water, to the river and throw it in. Throw it ovah the left shoulder an' don't look back, an' says, "I wan' zhoo to go." An' then you take a red candle. You get a red candle, you understand now, an you stick you three pins in it. You burn that at 12 a'clock at night, see, an' you make a wish. You says, "I wish my enemies would leave me alone In the Name Of the Lord."
Entry 10204
(St. Jule? St. Jude? or St. Jewel?)
St. Jewel, she is the boss of all saints. When every saint has turned his back on you, that one will work for you. You all set a light to him. (Do you know anything about him [her] about his life?) I don't know anything about his life but I know you sets a yellow light to him and make your wish and you get it. (His name is "Jul".
(You mean Jule.)
Yes, sir.
Entry 10571
Use his heart. Take him an' kill him an' take his heart. His heart De quivering jest lak dat [illustrates]. Ah don't know when it dies but it be's quivering aftah yo' clean it. An' then yo' sew that heart up. That's fo' gambling, that's fo' Ld, that's fo' jest anything that yo' wish to do, yo' see. But chew gotta have ething to keep it dressed after a certain time. What would you dress it with?) Becrts [hesitates]. Qou mean Hearts perfume. And you take this heart of the bat while he's alive L use that [Hearts] on it.) Ihat's right.
Entry 9735
[Similar to the preceding rite we have the following one:]
(The wire nails?)
Ah undahstan', whut chew build wit. Yo' take dose an' yo' cross 'em aftah folks, an' throw [salt] den, aftah yo's ti'ed [tired] of 'em. Yo' know, dey comin' in yore house. Yo' kin cross 'em at chure do' fo' nine mawnin's, an' aftah dey done been in dere, yo' kin sweep out fo' nine mawnin's in behin' dem, if yo' wanta keep 'em out. Sweep out fo' nine mawnin's across dem nails down dere lak yo' wuz mad at 'em [the nails]. Aftah yo' done swept, den make a wish dat dey will stay away: "Ah don' want chew in mah house." An' fin'ly dey will quit comin' dere. (You cross four nails, you cross them as twos, like you are making a picture frame. And you put them down before you sweep out?) [PICTURE FRAME HERE SHOWS THAT I GRASPED THIS RITE AT ONCE THOUGH THIS AND PRECEDING RITE, NO.9734. WERE SEPARATED BY TIME AND DISTANCE.1 No suh, aftah yo' sweep out.
(You sweep out for nine mornings. Then you put these nails down?)
Yo' put dem nails down fo' nine mawnin's. (You don't put the nails down for nine mornings, you only put them down for one morning, don't you?) Dey said put 'em down nine mawnin's, dose nails, aftah yo' done swept out. Yo' puts 'em down nine mawnin's aftah yo' done swept. Yo' sweep fo' nine mawn- in's. (You sweep one morning, then what do you do the next morning? Do you sweep again?) Sweep ag'in.
(When do you put the nails down, each time you sweep?)
Each time lak yo' sweep. (That means four nails each morning. That's four nails each of the nine Dornings? That is 36 nails altogether?) Yo' put dem same nails back down.
(You only use four nails altogether?)
Yessuh, jes' only dose fo'.
(You take them up afterwards?)
Aftah dose nine mawnin's yo' take dem up. [To summarize this rite: the first morning you arrange 4 nails into a picture frame design on the floor at the door. Over them you sweep unwanted visitors foot tracks or prints. Take up the nails. Repeat this rite 9 successive mornings.
crossing nails at a doorway, with separately prompted material and frame interpretation. Keep the exact interviewer→informant role order; the later frame explanation belongs to interviewer/editorial context. keeping unwanted visitors out in printed informant dialogue. Retain the explicit out polarity; it is not retention at home or object possession. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Read full source (printed page 3836) · Read full source (printed page 3837)
Entry 9762
Yo' take nine nails an' drive 'em into a pine tree on de sunrise side an' make yore wish, In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' Holy Ghost. An' yo' kill a person dataway. (And you wish to kill that per- son when you are driving those nails in the tree?) Yes sir.
Entry 10920
Mix hair from a male dog and a female cat, burn and make wishes to break up a man and woman. [Elizabeth City, N. Car., 394:1.]
Entry 11101
Woman can wear any clothes man left, or put it some place in house, make wishes, he'll come back. [Norfolk 475:3.]
Entry 11145
Well, I've heard of that but it's at night in- stead of daytime, at twelve o'clock in the night. Take a black hen, find one that crows, you go to the fork of that road and at midnight that hen will crow. Go there for nine nights though and go to that fork of the road every night at twelve o'clock and that hen crows, that will bring what you call you - you call, kin call, the devil. That's what I understand. But you gotta read the Sixth and Seventh Book of Moses and just what you desire at the fork of the road after you read that Sixth and Seventh Book of Moses, you get your desire. That is how they sell themselves to the devil. And he will meet you at the fork of that road and just what you want to learn and what you want to do, that's where you get them - out there. You have to read the book while you are out there, and have your mind on your desires.
(When does the devil appear, on the first night?)
No, on the third night, but you gotta go for nine nights to get what you desire.
Entry 11185
Ah heard dat yo' could git devil's-shoestring an' go to de window fo' nine mornings [face] tovards de sunrise an' make a wish. Jest whatsomevah yo' wish to come true. And loop [circle] say whatsomevah yo' wish [through it] an' tie it in one knot fo' nine mornings till yo' git nine ties. Then take it an' put it up ovah yore do'. De wish will come true.
(Any wish will come true.)
Yes sir... [I turned off machinetooquickly, hadto repeat his lost words.l (And you look through this loop as you tie it?) Look as de sun, jest as de sun be rising. (You look through that loop that you are making.) Yes sir.
Entry 11267
Like if you running rooming house, anything like that. Well, you take, get you some brimstone, put sugar on it, and you burn that brimstone every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and make a wish. An' yo' get choo some oil of bergamine [essence of bergamot, (Citrus Bergamia)], saltpeter an' alum, and Red Seal Lye [trade name] and sugar. And you mop from the front on back and you make your wishes. You mop exactly at 6 o'clock in the morning or either 6 o'clock at night. An' yo' burn this brimstone, you throw it in the fire an' you make your wish. [(960), 1544:6.]
Entry 11639
You take the fish, you take the front part of his mouth and let it dry - dry good, perfect. And then maybe when yo're [yo'll?] be goin', it will come apt to be some kind of a rain, or somepin other like that. Then if you kin get [it] into the water where the woman drinks, uhen you [she] will come to love you too. The front part of his mouth, you know, iis' take the front part, that ring around his mouth. [Probably demonstrates by ruing a finger around the mouth.]
(Part of the upper and lower jaw there.)
Yea, that whole thing - jis' like that. And take it out, and then you let that dry. You put that away and let that dry. Then [put it into] the water that a woman drinks. Then you make wishes over that, you understand. Or any- thing that she drinks or eats, why then you use that fish mouth over that. Then she will come to love, too.
Entry 11933
Go to a swamp and on the north side of a black gum tree bore a hole into which you push victim's hair. Then trim a peg and gradually drive it into the hole, making one blow on the peg and wishing each morning for 9 days. What- ever you wish will happen. [This peg into a hole with one lick on each of 9 mornings is a common theme in HOODOO.] [Washington, D. C., 839:1.]
Entry 11983
Tie 9 knots in person's hair and throw into running water, having first turned around 9 times while wishing victim will never return. [Washington, D. C., 837:2.]
Entry 12043
Woman makes wishes while tying knots in some of man's hair and bury- ing it in the plaster of her house. [Elizabeth City 406:5.]
Entry 12215
Ah heard if yo' had a enemy, a unfeeling enemy who was hard an' bit- ter against chew, tuh go out in de morning befo' de sunrise in an open field, an' take salt an' olive oil, ah think it is, an' burn incense. An' take dis salt an' olive oil an' make yore wish, an' throw it toward de sunrise, before it rises, an' dey will feel to [for] yo'.
Entry 12258
You can get High John de Conkah or Eve-and-Adam [frequently called this but the name is Adam-and-Eve] or Samson's snakeroot and keep chewing it and spitting around, and make the wishes. And they say that'll keep the law from them. [Elizabeth City 558:11.]
Entry 12300
Take nine pins an' stick them into a lemon. See, stick dem nine pins into a lemon an' squeeze it good an' well. It will give yo' power. Give yo' influence to accomplish whut yo' desires to make yore fren' or whoevah yo' concerned with - make dem come to yore request.
Entry 12319
Yo' take some wood from a tree where de lightnin' struck an' throw it on yore hearth, make yore wishes, an' dere be wrath in dere all de time. An' yo' take dat light- nin'-struck tree an' throw it under dere house, dey'll have tuh move. Dey can't stay dere. (When you throw that piece of wood on the fireplace there will be fighting in the house all the time?) Yes sir.
Entry 12350
[Here is a hand from an excellent hoodoo woman whose material was lost before it could be transcribedl: Lodestone, John de Conkah, saltpeter, dime (silver one), make wish while sewing bag to you, anoint every 9 days with whiskey or Jockey Club Perfume, "feed it, ' a bag. [This is my original resume of the rite in pencil, attached to final manuscript.]
Entry 8788
[Here we are concerned with the great magic rite of wrapping, folding, rolling, turning, and twisting something to you or from you. I have added infor- mant's foot-track rite to show the "from you" aspect of the action.] Concernin' de moon, yo' wants tuh pick de new moon, growin' early, when de moon is in its infancy. Den yo', when yo' cravin' fo' luck, write chure name on a piece of papah, see, an' yo' begin tuh fold it. Roll it tuhwards yo', yo' undahstan'. An' yo' roll it tuhwards yo' an' den yo' wrap anothah piece of papah askin' or expressin' yore desire. Ask dem tuh be good enough tuh accomplish whut chews aftah. An' yo' wrap dat in a sepa- rate paper towards yo' den. Den yo' make a wish on de third papah. Roll it tuhwards yo', fold it up all de time. Yo' understan'.
(You make this wish on the third piece of paper. You write that down.)
Den yo' take dis piece of papah wit yore wish on it an' yo' bury it at chure front do', see. Bury it exactly at de centah of de steps so dat yo' could always walk ovah it, even if yo' not thinkin' of it at dat time. Yo' do dat especially fo' three mawnin's in succession, one right behin' de othah. Try to arrange tuh have tuh do all dis in de time of de new moon. Dat's de end of dat person.
(What do you do with those other two pieces of paper then?)
Dese two pieces of papah dat yo' have first written, yo' wrap dem up tuhgethah den in anothah piece of papah. Fold dat outer papah towards yo' ag'in at de same time. Den yo' repeat de 37th Psalm three times, an' each mawnin' yo' undahstan', but in de meantime yo' weah dat in yore right pocket. Keep dose two writin's in yore pocket, whilst de othah one is layin' at chure front door. (Then, how long are you supposed to wear those papers and keep that other paper under the steps?) Let dose papahs stay dere until dey have exhausted. Only yo' kin every mawnin' make yore urinate an' pour it right where yo' have dat buried.
(And what do you do all this for?)
Fo' good luck, tuh accomplish, tuh be successful in anythin' dat chew Want.
[Foot-track or "from you" rite begins:]
Dey will take dat, dis foot track an' dey will try to git every bit of it; yo' undahstan', don't leave any of it. Git dat an' put dat in a piece of papah - yes, papah. Wrap it up in three wrappin's, an' if dey wants to run yo' away, dey will take dat an' put it in de nearest runnin' stream of watah an' throw it ovah- bo'd an' den dey go ahead.
(What do you mean, wrap it in three wrappings - just one, two, three?)
Yo' wrap dat from yuh. An' den dey'll wrap it in three different papahs, see. Dat same wrappings. An' den take dat an' throw it ovahbo'd. An' dey do dat, too, in de new moon.
(And they get this dirt out of how many tracks or any particular track?)
Out of yore right track. (And do they take these three pieces of paper altogether, one, or just throw them separately into the water?)
[I knew what was done. This is merely a search for further details.]
No sir, put dem togethah, wrap 'em up. Dat is, ah mean dey wrap all dese three tuhgethah. An' every one of dem dey wrap, dey will wrap 'em goin' from dem. An' when dey wrap de last one, dey wrap it goin' from dem. An' den dey throw dat in a stream dat is goin' from de do' [throw downstream]. Dey don't throw it de way dat [stream is coming]. Dey always throw it behin' de stream. Yo' see, dey throw it so dat wrappah - so it goin' from yo', not comin' to yuh. Yo' undahstan' whut ah mean?
(I understand.) [St. Petersburg, Fla., (1051), 1705:6.]
[Closely connected with the preceding section NAME is the present section LETTERS AND HANDWRITING, the letter part of the latter title being concerned with the names of the writer and the person to whom the letter was written. Here in the written word we have magic action second only to the spoken word. As usual in hoodoo or witchcraft or magic, nothing belongs exclusively in one action, condition or location. Both letters and handwriting, therefore, are scattered throughout the complete text.]
burial of the written wish at the center of the front steps in the first rite. Preserve new-moon timing and three mornings; do not merge burial with the later from-you track rite. repeating the specifically named37th Psalm three times each morning in the first rite. No psalm text, translation, verse interpretation or outside scripture is supplied or consulted. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Read full source (printed page 3588) · Read full source (printed page 3589)
Entry 9196
If yo' wants tuh git outa trouble or anything lak dat, dey say if yo' take a aig - some people say if yo' take de aig at twelve a'clock in de night an' write de person's name on dis aig, an' yo' kin eithah go in one cornah of yore house an' bus' dat aig In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' de Holy Ghost at twelve a'clock... An' some people say tuh go in fronta de co'thouse or de jailhouse or wheresomevah de person am, see. An' take de aig an' throw it ovah dat an' let it bust ovah de topa it.
(Any kind of a chicken egg?)
Any kind from whut ah heard. Ah heard dat yo' kin take dis aig an' yo' kin take dat an' yo' kin make a wish In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' de Holy Ghost. Tell it whut chew want it tuh do fo' yuh an' bury it undah yore steps. Say dat will come true.
Entry 12671
Ah understan' about de snail an' a person's photo. Well, yo' kin take a photo an' bury it upside down in de graveyard, an' yo' take a snail an' yo' git some steel dust an' yo' write dat indivi- dual name down an' yo' glue it onto de snail yo' see. An' whatsomevah yo' make yore wish, whatsomevah yo' wants tuh, yo' know, make it fo'. If yo' want a person tuh drag lak dat [snail] an' as dat snail crawl yo' see an' de picture fade away, well, dat person will jis' drag until dey die. (You do those two things but you don't do anything to the photograph at all except bury it in the graveyard.) Yo' take de photograph an' yo' write de person name on it nine times, an' if yo' want 'em tuh drag or sompin, why yo' write whatsomevah yo' want, yo' know, tuh happen tuh 'em, an' turn it upside down [and bury it] in de graveyard. An' probably, maybe somebody whut chew know died bad yo' see. Yo' turn it, point it tuh where dey died [buried?] at yo' understan', upside down. An' yo' take de snail an' yo' git some steel dust an' yo' write dere name down on a piece of papah an' yo' put dat steel dust in dere, an' yo' take it - glue it, yo' know, onto de snail. An' yo' see, yo' know, a snail crawl away slow; an' jis' as dey [the snail] crawl an' dat picture fades away, well, dose people will drag an' dey'll pass out.
(Do you write this in any special way, with just an ordinary pencil or what?)
Well, yo' could write it with blue ink if yo' wanted tuh.
Entry 12994
If yo' want him tuh give yo' his money, all his money, sometime ask him fo' money. If he happen tuh han' yo' a silver dime, don't chew spend dat silver dime. Yo' take dat silver dime an' wrap it up in a piece of - it ain't cotton flannel either. It's woolen stuff. Yo' put chew two needles in dat, a short one an' a long one, an' yo' make a wish fo' tuh rule him an' fo' tuh have him bring yo' dat money. An' yo' git chew some oil from de drug sto'.
(What kind of oil?)
Oil of annis. An' keep it [wrapped up hard] anointed wit it an' put it in de bottom of yore trunk, an' he'll bring his money tuh yo'. Dat's whut ah kmoc 'bout dat. Dat's whut ah have experienced.
Entry 13235
Well, now, yo'll go an' get a good gol' ring, you know a nice quality of ring an' jes' rub that eye down like that [demonstrates] 9 mornings, 9 times, an' the tenth mornin' it'll be gone. Each mornin' 9 times, jes' like that [demonstrates]. An' make a wish, say, "Sty, go away."
Entry 2890
Get the rose incense, you know, and smoke your house up for luck and use dragon's blood. Have you ever heard talk of dragon's blood? [I must have nodded yes, because I mention dragon's blood in FACI, 1st ed.,1935, No.9379, p.501.] You take that [demonstrates] and scratch it like that on the stove, and like you Wanta wish for something at the time, you set your purple light and you know, use the dragon's blood. Like you got a stove or any hot oven, you know, just scratch it on the stove just like that - it smokes at the time, you know, and that's very, very lucky.
Entry 2892
Git a white an' a black candle an' burn that. Jis' burn it soon every mawnin' 'bout five or six a'clock an' de same time at night. See. An' yo' hol yore han' ovah dat smoke an' make a wish, an' prob'bly no doubt yo' li'ble tuh be lucky an' den yo may not. Dat's in gamblin (You burn both these candles together?) Uh ah - yo' burn one at de time. If yo' burn a white one dis mawnin', yo' burn a black one dis evenin' [alternate magic]. See. Burn a black one now an' de white nex'.
(You just simply reach your hands over the smoke?)
Yeah. Jis' make a wish. [See margin-title Smoke 'Em, p.723f.] [Memphis, Tenn., (930), 1512:1.] '