Gullah Folktales from the Georgia Coast

LX. Sperits

LX. SPERITS. Among the negroes of the coast region of Georgia and the Carolinas a belief in the existence of ghosts, "sperits," and superhuman influences was very general. Especially did it obtain among the ordinary fieldhands and those least educated. Comparatively few there were who could lift themselves entirely above the superstitious fears born in Africa and perpetuated by tradition in their new home. Memories of Fetichism, of Totemism, and of Anthropomorphism were strangely mingled with the teachings of Christianity, and in their religious exercises the emotional predominated over the intellectual. The potency of charms and philters was freely admitted, and it was necessary to restrain the practice of Fetichism by positive inhibition, or by labored persuasion of its utter absurdity. The fabrication of Fetiches, and their sale to those who desired to utilize the powers of the deities which they were supposed to represent , were monopolized by old women, who derived considerable gain from this calling. The idea was by such means to conjure the 169 neighbor against whom enmity was cherished , and thus subject him or her to the malign influences of the spirit or demon whose power was supposed to inhere in the evil charm. The ordinary Fetich consisted of a bunch of rusty nails, bits of red flannel, and pieces of brier-root tied together with a cotton string. A toad's foot, a snake's tooth, a rabbit's tail, or a snail's shell was sometimes added. In price it varied from twenty-five cents to a dollar. To insure the efficacy of the desired spell, it was necessary that the charm should be secretly deposited under the pillow of the party to be affected, placed upon the post of a gate through which he would pass, or buried beneath the doorsteps of his cabin. Once persuaded of the fact that he had been thus conjured, the patient became possessed of superstitious fears, and often complained of bodily "miseries," which apparently defied the power of the healing art, and were wholly dissipated only when some atonement was made for the alleged wrong, or payment offered to have the spell broken through the intervention of the conjurer who had devised it. 170 In the conduct of plantations, difficulty and annoyance were not infrequently experienced from the interference of these old negro women,—conjurers,—who, in plying their secret trade, gave rise to disturbances and promoted strife and disquietude. To the apprehension of the common fieldhand there was no gainsaying the fact that the spirits of the departed walked the earth and revisited the scenes of their former occupancy. It was not accorded to every one to see and to commune with them. Only those "born with a caul" were capable of doing so. Such were never terrified by these ghostly visitors. By their fellows they were held in special esteem. To this favored class did July belong. I inquired, on one occasion, whether he believed in ghosts and could see spirits. "Yes, Mossa," was his reply, "me kin shum. You know me bin born wid caul. People wuh no bin born wid caul kin yeddy sperit, but dem cant shum. Sperit kin skade um, too, but dem cant skade me. Me kin walk long um der road, talk ter um een de bush, see dem een me bed, and yeddy um een de grabe yad. Me an sperit good fren." 171 How do they look? "Same luk wen dem bin libe, ceptin dem look lucker shadder, an dem walk backwuds, an dem face tun back* wud, an de heel teh eh foot day way eh toe orter be. Dem dont tetch de groun wid dem foot, but dem sorter dis skim pon topper de grass. Dem so light dem cant mek track." What garments do they wear? "Same cloze wuh dem bury een. Way dem gwine git any mo? De cloze hab eh shape, but you kin see dey yent nuttne eenside er um." What do they do? "Nuttne, so fur es me know, cept walk bout, wisit dem ole home, an notus wuh duh gwine on sence dem leff." Do they ever trouble anybody? "No, me nebber see dem trubble nobody. Dem wunt talk ter you. Dem go een gang ob two er tree, an wander bout tel sich an sich er time, wen dem haffer go back ter dem grabe. Me see dem wuk dem mouf same luk dem bin er...