Black Hens... eggs, feathers, feet.. Oh, and some blood...

Black Hens have a curious place in both conjure and Appalachian folk magic, and I first became interested in their use when I was in my pre-teens.  My grandmother and great aunt loved to tell stories about growing up deep in the hills of Appalachia.  One such story involved an old Appalachian medicine woman and a black hen.  My grandmother was in her early teens at the time, and she came down with her first case of Shingles.  At the time they lived far back in the mountains and a doctor was not readily available, nor would one have been a lot of help.  However, everyone, especially the children, knew about the old *witch* woman who lived even farther back, mainly because they were told to stay away from that part of the woods.  So naturally, my grandmother, being much like me, didn't.  She persuaded her younger sister, my aunt, into accompanying her back to the old woman's house.  She cried and begged and told my aunt that she would die of the pain, until finally she agreed to take her.  So they snuck off towards her house one day.  They knew roughly where it was located because my great-grandfather had warned her of it on trips out to check his moonshine still.  "Watch your step," he would tell her, "That witch woman lives out there. Even the animals there are hers"  So, my aunt and grandmother headed "out there."  They said it did not take them long to find the place.  It was only a few hundred yards off their trail.

My grandmother said she was most surprised by the fact that the woman looked "normal."  I think they expected her to be grotesque in some fashion, with a long nose, a hunch back, and unruly hair.  Instead, she just looked like an ordinary old woman.  However, my grandmother did note that the woman's house smelled "funny."  Both sweet and dirty at the same time, like berries and hot, dry dirt.  The old lady didn't really act surprised to see them.  Simply asked the girls why they had come to visit and looked my grandmother over.  My grandmother told me that the woman looked at her sores, her eyes, her throat, and then felt around her head, wrists, hands, and feet.  Then, she instructed the girls to wait three days and slaughter a black hen.  They were to pour the blood over my grandmother's sores and also sprinkle some around their property.   The old woman told the girls that after three days the sores would be gone, and my grandmother and aunt both swore that they were. 

I was so fascinated by this story when I was younger that I didn't think to ask "Why?"  Why had the woman instructed them to use the blood of a black hen?  My aunt told me that she was very specific about those two points.  It must be a hen, and it must be black.  I never thought to ask "How?"  How was this suppose to help?  I think that I never imagined that they would know the answers.  I think part of me found the story too strange to be factual.  Now I've that I've witnessed much stranger, I can look at the story with a sense of intrigue rather than shock.  So, I decided to ask my aunt, my grandmother having passed years ago, why?  Why did the old woman tell you to use black hen's blood.  My aunt laughed and said, "The old woman believed that your grandmother had been cursed." 

One use of black hens in southern conjure and appalachian folk magic is to undo tricks layed against a person or their property.  Because foot-track magic is very popular among African American derived traditions, its easy to see why hens would become a popular tool of protection for conjurers in rural areas.  Foot-track magic is preformed by either placing something; a powder, water, or the like, such as War Water, in the path of the target so that they step on it and are thereby *infected* through their feet, or by using the dirt from a person's foot-track or a related item, such as a sock,  in a working intended to harm the subject in some way.   The *infected* person much then cleanse or remove the trick that was layed inorder to remove the hex or prevent future damage. In rural areas, hens roaming a persons yard are very good at *cleaning* up these tricks.  Hens are more commonly chosen for this task then roosters because they tend to scratch more.  The hens scratch and peck and remove the trick that was laid from the targets property.

The black hen is often associated with "the black man" or "the devil," sometimes also known as "Old Scratch." This European derived devil is not the Satan of Christianity, but rather a Teutonic wood-spirit that can be both benevolent and malicious, and frequently plays the trickster.  In Central and Eastern Europe, this devil under varies names, including Krampus, accompanies St. Nicholas during his Christmas gift deliveries.  In addition, this devil, as "the black man" has a strong connection to crossroads were it is believed that a person can make a pact with him if he is willing.  I have heard of conjurers keeping a black cock feather on their altar in tribute to "the man," or "the black man."  Now, just as "the devil" can be both malicious and benevolent, so can the use of black hens be. 

Conjurers use black hen products, such as feet, eggs, and feathers for various purposes, both protective and harmful.  Black hen eggs can be used to remove negativity from a person by rolling the whole, uncooked egg over their body.  This egg absorbs the ngative energies and then can be disposed of in one of a number of ways; at a crossroads, in running water, or by breaking the egg at the base of a tree.  To cause harm with an black hen egg, it is used in a form of foot-track magic.  A hoodoo will drill a small hole in the top of the egg and add various ingredients, such as powders and herbs, that are relavent to their working.  Then, this egg would be thrown against the target's door or on their walkway so that they would step in the mess.

Black hen feathers can also be used for both malicious and benevolent purposes.  I have read that black hen feathers can be used to lay tricks against a target, whereas black cock feathers can be used to remove those tricks because the hen is submissive to the rooster.  However, it is appropriate to use hen feathers for *sweeping* or purifying a place or person in most situations.  A simple way of doing this is to make a whisk  from the feathers and sweep it over your clients body from head to feet or around your house.  At right is a very simple black hen feather whisk that my husband made recently.  You may even use a whole wing, if one is available to you.  In addition, black hen feathers can be burnt and their ashes added to purification powders, which can then be sprinkled around your property for cleansing.     

Chicken feet are often use as a protective talisman in Southern conjure.  They can be worn, carried, or placed in doorways and windows or on walkways and gates to symbolicly *scratch up* any negative work or energy intended for the owner or property.  They can be fixed as an active form of protection where they *scratch* back at the person who intended you harm.  Also, they are used in cleansing work much like the whisk. For this purpose, the worker would use the chicken foot to physically *scratch* themselves, their client, or the area, removing negativity and any tricks that have be laid. 

Whether your purpose is to protect or cause harm, if you live in a rural southern area black hens can be an easy, relatively cheap tool for your hoodoo arsenal.  Talk to local farmers, visit the local farmers market, or the local fair.  Most breeders and farmers will be politely accommidating with very few questions.  They'll assume you have one quirky reason or another for specifying black hen products, they may even have their own beliefs or ideas about these hens and others.   Listen to them. :) After all, it's the nature of Southerners to be superstitious, and supersitions often hold truths. :) 

Happy Workings!

War Water

War Water, also known as Iron Water and Mars Water, is not native to hoodoo practices. Most likely, it is a European influence, as its name and purpose are derived from the Roman god of war, Mars. However, despite the fact that is it not historically traditional to hoodoo, War Water has earned such a prominate place in modern conjure it is worth talking about. 

What is War Water?

Essentially, War Water is rust iron suspended in water.  In its most basic form it is water in which cut iron has been allowed to oxidize and rust.  The water and iron used depends on both the purpose of the concoction and the conjurer preparing it.  To some conjurers the type of water does not matter, others will insist that it is necessary that you use thunderstorm water for the best results.  Still others will insist on running water as the base, specifically water that runs in a direction away from you and your home.  As for the iron used, some recipes call for cut nails, some coffin nails, and others railway spikes, depending on the purpose. 

After War Water sits for a while and the iron oxidizes, it is strained.  At this time, other ingredients may be added to the mix.  The these ingredients might include additional iron, graveyard dirt, thorns, urine, rotting oak leaves, and/or spanish moss.

Spanish Moss (seen at right) is a flowering plant that grows on trees in the South. It has become a common additive in War Water. It rots well in water giving the concoction a putrid or *swampy*smell and also a nice black color, which some prefer.

The following is pure spectulation on my part, but I personally believe that the spanish moss is a crossover from Tar Water.  Tar Water is made from bog water or swamp water and contains creosote and spanish moss.  It is traditional in conjure, and often contains nails and such, as well.  Zora Neale Hurston uses the words "Tar Water" and "War Water" interchangeably in "Mules and Men", and I believe over time the two recipes became intermingled.  However, War Water is *not* traditional hoodoo, while Tar Water is.  Furthermore, War (Mars) Water, in my opinion, should be red due to its connection with the Roman god Mars and iron. 

How is War Water used?

Unlike many gods of war, such as Ares, who is a primarily destructive and destabalizing force, Mars is military force meant to bring about peace.  Like its namesake, War Water, is an offensive tool meant to bring peace back into ones life by causing discord in another's.  Essentially, War Water's primary purpose is hostile foot track magic. 

Most accounts call for War Water to be contained in a glass jar, which would be thrown onto an enemies porch or against their door, breaking, and leaving a sharp dirty mess for them to step in.  The trick would cause dicord and stife for the person or family within and eventually drive the enemy away.  However, if breaking a glass jar on someone's door step does not seem feasible to you, it is not a necessity.  In a excerpt from Harry Middleton Hyatt's "Hoodoo - Conjuration - Witchcraft - Rootwork," one rootworker interviewed talks about an alternative way to lay down this trick:

War Water to Run Off an Enemy:

(Well, go ahead.)
You go to the drug store and you ask for war dust.
(You go to the drug store and.)
You go to the drug store and ask for war powder.
(What color would that be?)
And dey goin' give you a brown powder.
(What kind?)
A brown powder. He goin' give you a brown powder.
(Yes.) [Meaning - continue, go on.]

And then you'll turn back around and ask him for that war water. That's to
make you get out right now - get away from around 'em.
(I see. Well, now how would they use that war water to get you out of the
house?)

How would they nuse [use] it? They'll come by like they come to visit you -
just like some of your friends, [not] like your relatives - but supposed to be close
friends of you. They'll get into your house. When they get into your home, they
going to start and they going to throw it from your steps. You ain't going to never
see 'em because you don't have no idea of that. They'll put it in through the steps
and when they get into the house they'll just drop it down in there, but still an' all
you ain't afraid of just a little water whatmight be spilt from upstairs or somewhere
down. But it's a little vial about that long.

(And they call it war water?)
War water.

(And what will it do to you?)
It will run you away from there - you won't stay there at all.
(I see. All right.)

All you do - it's only a little simple thing, you see. You can take and go
to the drug store and ask the drug store man - it's the drug store they call the
Crackerjack Drug Store. You can't get those things without you get it out the
Crackerjack Drug Store. You see, when you get it out of the Crackerjack Drug
Store, you got to have somebody to get it what's been dealing with the hoodoo.

(I see.)
And they'll get it for you.
(I couldn't go down and buy it there?)
No, sir. You have to get it from someone what's been dealing with them.
(I see.) And they'll get it for you, everything what they would get. You see
ah cain't half tell you some of the things 'cause it'd take me some time to set here
and start to [laughs].

[New Orleans, LA; First Informant in New Orleans; a woman, Informant #780. Volume 2, pg. 1625]

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According to this informant, it would be prefectly acceptable to simply pour the water out.  In addition, I read an account of another rootworker who placed their war water inside an empty coke can.  An in-law was causing constant problems for their daughter and they wished to be rid of this person, so they paid them a visit.  When they got out of their car at the person's residence, they began pouring the water out like it was old coke.  They poured it right up to and across the person's door step.  They went inside, had a cup of coffee with the person, and then left.  Soon after those within the house began to quarrel and the offending person moved out and left the family, bringing peace back to the rootworker's daughter. 

Hey, rootworkers are nothing if not innovative! :)