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Styles, Amanda
On November 18, 1936 Amanda Styles ex-slave, was interviewed at her residence 268 Baker Street N. E. Styles is about 80 years of age and could give but a few facts concerning her life as a slave. Her family belonged to an ordinary class of people neither rich nor poor. Her master Jack Lambert owned a small plantation; and one other slave besides her family which included her mother, father and one sister. The only event during slavery that impresssd itself on Mrs. Styles was the fact that when the Yanks came to their farm they carried off her mother and she was never heard of again.
Concerning superstitions, signs, and other stories pertaining to this Mrs. Styles related the following signs and events. As far as possible the stores are given in her exact words. "During my day it was going ter by looking in the clouds. Some folks could read the signs there. A 'oman that whistled was marked to be a bad 'oman. If a black cat crossed your path you sho would turn round and go anudder way. It was bad luck to sit on a bed and when I was small I was never allowed to sit on the bed."
Following are stories, related by Mrs. Styles, which had their origin during slavery and immediately following slavery.
"during slavery time there was a family that had a daughter mid she married and ebby body said she was a witch cause at night dey sed she would turn her skin inside out and go round riding folks horses. Der next morning der horses manes would be tied up. Now her husband didn't know she was a witch so somebody tole him he could tell by cutting off one of her limbs so one night the wife changed to a cat and the husband cut off her forefinger what had a ring on it. After that der wife would keep her hand hid cause her finger was out off; and she knowed her husband would find out that she was the witch.
My mother sed her young mistress was a witch and she too married but her husband didn't know that she was a witch; and she would go round at night riding horses and turning the cows milk into blood. Der folks didn't know what ter do instead of milk they had blood. So one day a old lady come there and told em that a witch had been riding the cow, and to cast off the spell, they had to take a horse shoe and put it in the bottom of the churn and then the blood would turn back ter milk and butter. She nuff they did it and got milk.
Anudder man had a wife that was accused of being a witch so he cut her leg off and it was a cats' leg and when his wife came back her leg was missing.
They say there was a lot of conjuring too and I have heard 'bout a lot of it. My husband told me he went to see a 'oman once dat had scorpions in her body. The conjurer did it by putting the blood of a scorpion in her body and this would breed more scorpions in her. They had to get anudder conjurer to undo the spell.
There was anudder family that lived near and that had a daughter and when she died they say she had a snake in her body.
My husband sed he was conjured when he was a boy and had ter walk with his arms outstretched he couldn't put em down at all and couldn't even move 'em. One day he met a old men and he sed "Son whats der matter wid you? "I don't know he sed "Den why don't you put your arms down" I can't," So the old man took a bottle out of his pocket and rubbed his arms streight down 'till they got alright.
He told me too bout a 'oman fixing her husband. This 'oman saw anudder man she wonted so she had her husband fixed so he would throw his arms up get on his knees and bark just like a dog. So they got some old man that was a conjurer to come and cure him. He woulda died if they hadn't got that spell off him.
My father told me that a 'oman fixed anudder one cause she married her sweetheart she told her he nebber would do her any good and sho nuff she fixed her so dat she would have a spell ebby time she went to church. One day they sent fer her husband and asked him what was the matter with her and he told them that this other oman had fixed her with conjure. They sent for a conjurer and he came and rubbed some medicine on her body and she got alright.
During slavery time the master promised ter whip a nigger and when he came out ter whip him instead he just told him "Go on nigger 'bout your business. Der Nigger had fixed him by spitting as for as he could spit so the master couldn't come any nearer than that spit.
I know a Nigger that they sed was kin ter the devil. He told me that he could go out hind the house and make some noise and the devil would come and dance with him. He sed the devil learned him to play a banjo and if you wanted to do anything the devil could do, go to a cross road walk backwards and curse God. But don't nebber let the devil touch any of your works or anything that belonged to you or you would lose your power.
The nearest I ebber came ter believing in conjure was whan my stop mother got sick. She fell out with an 'oman that lived with her daughter cause this oman had did something ter her daughter; and so she called her a black kinky head hussy and this oman got fightin mad and sed ter her. "Nebber mind you'll be nappy and kinky headed too when I git through wid you. My Ma's head turned real white and funny right round the edge and her mind got bad and she used to chew tobacco and spit in her hands and rub it in her head; and very soon all her hair fell out. She even quit my father after living with him 20 years saying he had poisoned her. She stayed sick a long time and der doctors nebber could understand her sickness. She died and I will always believe she was fixed.
After relating the last story my interview with Mrs. Styles came to an end. I thanked her and left, wondering over the strange stories she had told me.
