DINKIE THE GOOPHER KING,
A CONJURE DOCTOR IN MISSOURI IN 1840
by William Wells Brown, M.D. 1880
This is an extract from "My Southern Home: or, The South and Its People"
by the ex-slave author William Wells Brown, M.D. (1814?-1884).
It was first published in 1880, but the section extracted here
is a memoir of Brown's early life as a slave in Missouri prior to
about 1840, when he escaped to the North.
William Wells Brown was a prolific author;
other titles he wrote include
"Sketches of Places and people Abroad," "Clotelle,"
"The Black Man," "The Negro in the Rebellion," and "The Rising Son."
The entire work is quite lengthy and can be accessed in
its entirety elsewhere on the internet, as noted below.
The material archived here
consists of extensive comments on conjuration, tricking, and witchcraft in
Missouri during the era of slavery, as practiced by a slave named Dinkie.
This is not the only book of Brown's to mention
conjure: See also
the extract about Uncle Frank the fortune teller from Brown's book,
"Narrative of William W. Brown, an American Slave, Written by
Himself" (1847), which also contains some genealogical and
autobiographical material about Brown's early life in Missouri.
Because this author
used terms unfamiliar to modern readers and employed spellings not commonly
found in the literature of hoodoo, a few explanatory notes have been added
[in brackets].
From the Table of Contents:
[Chapter] VII.
The Goopher King--his dealings with
the Devil; he is feared by Whites and Blacks.
How he mastered the Overseer. Hell exhibited in the Barn.
CHAPTER VII.
FORTY years ago, in the Southern States, superstition held
an exalted place with all classes, but more especially with
the blacks and uneducated, or poor, whites. This was shown
more clearly in their belief in witchcraft in general, and
the devil
in particular. To both of these classes,
the devil
was a real being, sporting a club-foot, horns, tail, and a
hump on his back.
["Forty years ago"
places this personal narrative in 1840, but other autobiographical
information may suggest that it took place a bit earlier. The term "witchcraft"
was used by both whites and blacks at that time to refer to
magical practices of all types; the words
"conjure," "cunjure," and "conjuration" generally referred only
to African American folk magic and its practioners. The
"uneducated, or poor, whites" were, at that time, and generally speaking,
people of Scots-Irish descent.]
The influence of
the devil
was far greater than that of the
Lord. If one of these votaries had stolen a pig, and the
fear of the Lord came over him, he would most likely ask the
Lord to forgive him, but still cling to the pig. But if the
fear of
the devil
came upon him, in all probability he would
drop the pig and take to his heels.
In those days the city of St. Louis had a large number who
had implicit faith in Voudooism.
["Voudooism," as
evidenced elsewhere in 19th century documents at this site, was a term
used by educated and literate writers, both whites and blacks,
to describe
conjure or hoodoo.
The intent was not to identify
contemporary black folk magic with a Haitian or African religion
or its pantheon, but to emphasize the perceived African or
"primitive" character of its practitioners and their activities.]
I once attended one of
their midnight meetings. In the pale rays of the moon the
dark outlines of a
Page 69
large assemblage was visible, gathered about a small fire,
conversing in different tongues. They were negroes of all
ages -- women, children, and men. Finally, the noise was
hushed, and the assembled group assumed an attitude of
respect. They made way for their queen, and a short, black,
old negress came upon the scene, followed by two assistants,
one of whom bore a cauldron, and the other, a box.
["Conversing in
different tongues" would seem to indicate that these slaves
had been born in Africa and still spoke their various
native languages.]
The cauldron was placed over the dying embers, the queen
drew forth, from the folds of her gown, a magic wand, and
the crowd formed a ring around her. Her first act was to
throw some substance on the fire, the flames shot up with a
lurid glare -- now it writhed in serpent coils, now it darted
upward in forked tongues, and then it gradually transformed
itself into a veil of dusky vapors. At this stage, after a
certain amount of gibberish and wild gesticulation from the
queen, the box was opened, and frogs, lizards, snakes, dog
liver, and beef hearts drawn forth and thrown into the
cauldron. Then followed more gibberish and gesticulation,
when the congregation joined hands, and began the wildest
dance imaginable, keeping it up until the men and women sank
to the ground from mere exhaustion.
[The use of the
cauldron and an "explosive substance" (probably
gunpwder) would seem to indicate that this was a
Congo-style ceremony. Similar handlings with respect to
gunpowder and cauldrons are found
in Congo-derived Cuban Palo -- but note, however, that there is no
animal sacrifice and no mention of drummers in this ceremony. Also
there is no mention of the purpose of the ceremony or
whether the "frogs, lizards, snakes, dog
liver, and beef hearts" formed an offering to a deity
or whether these zoological elements were being prepared for
distribution as a magical potion, ointment,
or charm for the use of the congregation.]
In the ignorant days of slavery, there was a general belief
that a horse-shoe
hung over the door would insure good luck.
[The author seems
unaware that this is a European rather than an African custom.]
I have seen negroes, otherwise comparatively intelligent,
refuse to pick up a pin, needle, or other such object,
dropped by a negro, because, as they alleged, if the person
who dropped the articles had a spite against them, to
Page 70
touch anything they dropped would voudou them, and make them
seriously ill.
[It is unusual to see the
word "voudou" as a verb (to voudou them); this locution underscores
my contention that the word was not intended to refer to a religion or
its pantheon; it is also common, i should note, to see the word
"hoodoo" used as a verb (to hoodoo them).]
Nearly every large plantation, with any considerable number
of negroes, had at least one, who laid claim to be a
fortune-teller, and who was regarded with more than common
respect by his fellow-slaves. Dinkie, a full-blooded
African, large in frame, coarse featured, and claiming to be
a descendant of a king in his native land, was the oracle on
the "Poplar Farm." At the time of which I write, Dinkie was
about fifty years of age, and had lost an eye, and was, to
say the least, a very ugly-looking man.
[It is tempting to speculate that Dinkie
may have been a member of the Mandinka tribe of West Africa, one-third of
whom were captured and taken into slavery in the Americas, but all we actually
know is that, unlike many slaves in the United States by 1840,
he was a "full-blooded African." The term "full-blooded African" does not mean
that Dinkie himself had been born in Africa, merely that
both his parents were Africans. If Dinkie was 50 years old
in 1840, he was born in 1790.]
No one in that section was considered so deeply immersed in
voudooism,
goopherism,
and fortune-telling, as he.
[Here, in addition to
"voudouism," we see the novel term
"goopherism."
This refers to the use of
goofer dust or African killing powder as a
generic term for
conjuring with powders.]
Although he had been many years in the Gaines family, no one could
remember the time when Dinkie was called upon to perform manual labor.
He was not sick, yet he never worked. No one interfered with him. If he
felt like feeding the chickens, pigs, or cattle, he did so. Dinkie
hunted, slept, was at the table at meal time, roamed through the woods,
went to the city, and returned when he pleased, with no one to object,
or to ask a question. Everybody treated him with respect. The whites,
throughout the neighborhood, tipped their hats to the old one-eyed
negro, while the policemen, or patrollers, permitted him to pass without
a challenge.
[Poplar Farm was a tobacco
plantation located ten miles north of Saint Louis, Missouri. Elsewhere
in "My Southern Home" Brown described its proprietor, his former
slave-master and owner, a physician: "Dr. Gaines, the proprietor of 'Poplar
Farm,' was a good-humored, sunny-sided old gentleman, who, always
feeling happy himself, wanted everybody to enjoy the same blessing.
Unfortunately for him, the Doctor had been born and brought up in
Virginia, raised in a family claiming to be of the 'F. F. V.'s,' {'First
Families of Virginia'} but, in reality, was comparatively poor. Marrying
Mrs. Sarah Scott Pepper, an accomplished widow lady of medium fortune,
Dr. Gaines emigrated to Missouri, where he became a leading man in his
locality." Brown also noted that Dr. Gaines, although ostensibly a
devoutly religious Christian, had fathered children among his slaves,
which was a source of great resentment and bitter anger to his wife.]
The negroes, everywhere, stood in mortal fear of "Uncle Dinkie."
The blacks who saw him every day, were always thrown upon their
good behavior, when in his presence. I once asked
Page 71
a negro why they appeared to be afraid of Dinkie. He looked
at me, shrugged his shoulders, smiled, shook his head and
said,--
"I ain't afraid of
de debble,
but I ain't ready to go to him
jess yet." He then took a look around and behind, as if he
feared some one would hear what he was saying, and then
continued: "Dinkie's got de power, ser; he knows things seen
and unseen, an' dat's what makes him his own massa."
It was literally true, this man was his own master. He wore
a snake's skin around his neck, carried a petrified frog in
one pocket, and a dried lizard in the other.
A slave speculator once came along and offered to purchase
Dinkie. Dr. Gaines, no doubt, thought it a good opportunity
to get the elephant off his hands, and accepted the money. A
day later, the trader returned the old negro, with a threat
of a suit at law for damages.
A new overseer was employed, by Dr. Gaines, to take charge
of "Poplar Farm." His name was Grove Cook, and he was widely
known as a man of ability in managing plantations, and in
raising a large quantity of produce from a given number of
hands. Cook was called a "hard overseer." The negroes
dreaded his coming, and, for weeks before his arrival, the
overseer's name was on every slave's tongue.
Cook came, he called the negroes up, men and women; counted
them, looked them over as a purchaser would a drove of
cattle that he intended to buy. As he was about to dismiss
them he saw
Page 72
Dinkie come out of his cabin. The sharp eye of the overseer
was at once on him.
"Who is that nigger?" inquired Cook.
"That is Dinkie," replied Dr. Gaines.
"What is his place?" continued the overseer.
"Oh, Dinkie is a gentleman at large!" was the response.
"Have you any objection to his working?"
"None, whatever."
"Well, sir," said Cook, "I'll put him to work to-morrow
morning."
Dinkie was called up and counted in.
At the roll call, the following morning, all answered except
the
conjurer;
he was not there.
The overseer inquired for Dinkie, and was informed that he
was still asleep.
"I will bring him out of his bed in a hurry," said Cook, as
he started towards the negro's cabin. Dinkie appeared at his
door, just as the overseer was approaching.
"Follow me to the barn," said the impatient driver to the
negro. "I make it a point always to whip a nigger, the first
day that I take charge of a farm, so as to let the hands
know who I am. And, now, Mr. Dinkie, they tell me that you
have not had your back tanned for many years; and, that
being the case, I shall give you a flogging that you will
never forget. Follow me to the barn." Cook started for the
barn, but turned and went into his house to get his whip.
At this juncture, Dinkie gave a knowing look to
Page 73
the other slaves, who were standing by, and said, "Ef he
lays the weight ob his finger on me, you'll see de top of
dat barn come off."
The reappearance of the overseer, with the large negro whip
in one hand, and a club in the other, with the significant
demand of "follow me," caused a deep feeling in the breast
of every negro present.
Dr. Gaines, expecting a difficulty between his new driver
and the conjurer,
had arisen early, and was standing at his
bedroom window looking on.
The news that Dinkie was to be whipped spread far and near
over the place, and had called forth men, women, and
children. Even Uncle Ned, the old negro of ninety years, had
crawled out of his straw, and was at his cabin door. As the
barn doors closed behind the overseer and Dinkie, a
death-like silence pervaded the entire group, who, instead
of going to their labor, as ordered by the driver, were
standing as if paralyzed, gazing intently at the barn,
expecting every moment to see the roof lifted.
Not a word was spoken by anyone, except Uncle Ned, who
smiled, shook his head, put on a knowing countenance, and
said, "My word fer it, de oberseer ain't agwine to whip
Dinkie."
Five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen minutes passed, and the
usual sound of "Oh, pray, massa! Oh, pray, massa!" heard on
the occasion of a slave being punished, had not yet
proceeded from the barn.
Many of the older negroes gathered around Uncle Ned, for he
and Dinkie occupied the same cabin,
Page 74
and the old, superannuated slave knew more about the affairs
of the conjurer
than anyone else. Ned told of how, on the
previous night, Dinkie had slept but little, had closely
inspected the snake's skin around his neck, the petrified
frog and dried lizard, in his pockets, and had rubbed
himself all over with
goopher;
and when he had finished, he
knelt, and exclaimed,--
"Now, good and lovely
devil,
for more than twenty years, I
have served you faithfully. Before I got into your service,
de white folks bought an' sold me an' my old wife an'
chillen, an' whip me, and half starve me. Dey did treat me
mighty bad, dat you knows. Den I use to pray to de Lord, but
dat did no good, kase de white folks don't fear de Lord. But
dey fears you, an' ever since I got into your service, I is
able to do as I please. No white dares to lay his hand on me;
and dis is all owing to de power dat you give me. Oh, good
and lovely devil!
please to continer dat power. A new
oberseer is to come here to-morrow, an' he wants to get me
in his hands. But, dear devil,
I axe you to stand by me in
dis my trial hour, an' I will neber desert you as long as I
live. Continer dis power; make me strong in your cause, make
me to be more faithful to you, an' let me still be able to
conquer my enemies, an' I will give 'you all de glory, and
will try to deserve a seat at your right hand."
[It would appear from this speech that
Dinkie had sold his soul to the
devil, possibly
at a crossroads.]
With bated breath, everyone listened to Uncle Ned. All had
the utmost confidence in Dinkie's "power." None believed
that he would be punished,
Page 75
while a large number expected to see the roof of the barn
burst off at any moment. At last the suspence was broken.
The barn door flew open; the overseer and the
conjurer
came out together, walking side by side, and separated when
half-way up the walk. As they parted, Cook went to the
field, and Dinkie to his cabin.
The slaves all shook their heads significantly. The fact
that the old negro had received no punishment, was evidence
of his victory over the slave driver. But how the feat had
been accomplished, was a mystery. No one dared to ask
Dinkie, for he was always silent, except when he had
something to communicate. Everyone was afraid to inquire of
the overseer.
There was, however, one faint chance of getting an inkling
of what had occurred in the barn, and that was through Uncle
Ned. This fact made the old, superannuated slave the hero
and centre of attraction, for several days. Many were the
applications made to Ned for information, but the old man
did not know, or wished to exaggerate the importance of what
he had learned.
"I tell you," said Dolly, "Dinkie is a power."
"He's nobody's fool," responded Hannah.
"I would not make him mad wid me, fer dis whole world,"
ejaculated Jim.
Just then, Nancy, the cook, came in brim full of news. She
had given Uncle Ned some "cracklin bread," which had pleased
the old man so much that he had opened his bosom, and told
her all that he got from Dinkie. This piece of information
flew
Page 76
quickly from cabin to cabin, and brought the slaves hastily
into the kitchen.
It was night. Nancy sat down, looked around, and told Billy
to shut the door. This heightened the interest, so that the
fall of a pin could have been heard. All eyes were upon
Nancy, and she felt keenly the importance of her position.
Her voice was generally loud, with a sharp ring, which could
be heard for a long distance, especially in the stillness of
the night. But now, Nancy spoke in a whisper, occasionally
putting her finger to her mouth, indicating a desire for
silence, even when the breathing of those present could be
distinctly heard.
"When dey got in de barn, de oberseer said to Dinkie, 'Strip
yourself; I don't want to tear your clothes with my whip.
I'm going to tear your black skin.'
"Den, you see, Dinkie tole de oberseer to look in de east
corner ob de barn. He looked, an' he saw hell, wid all
torments, an' de de debble, 'wid his cloven foot, a-struttin'
about dar, jes as ef he was cock ob de walk. An' Dinkie tole
Cook, dat ef he lay his his finger on him, he'd call
de debble up to take him away."
"An' what did Cook say to dat?" asked Jim.
"Let me 'lone; I didn't tell you all," said Nancy. "Den you
see de oberseer turn pale in de face, an' he say to Dinkie,
'Let me go dis time, an' I'll nebber trouble you any more.'
"
This concluded Nancy's story, as related to her by old Ned,
and religiously believed by all present.
Page 77
Whatever caused the overseer to change his mind regard to
the flogging of Dinkie, it was certain that he was most
thoroughly satisfied to let the old negro off without the
threatened punishment and, although he remained at "Poplar
Farm," as overseer, for five years, he never interfered with
the conjurer again.
It is not strange that ignorant people should believe in
characters of Dinkie's stamp; but it is really marvellous
that well-educated men and women should give any countenance
whatever, to such delusions as were practised by the oracle
of "Poplar Farm."
The following illustration may be taken as a fair sample of
the easy manner in which Dinkie carried on his trade.
[By using the term "easy manner,"
Brown was pointing out that Dinkie was at his ease, not subservient
to his wealthy white female reading client, as might have been expected during
the era of slavery; Brown may also be indicating how easy it was for
Dinkie to charge money for his services and to thus earn a
private income independent of his legal status as a chattel slave.]
Miss Martha Lemmy, being on a visit to Mrs. Gaines, took
occasion during the day to call upon Dinkie. The
conjurer
knew the antecedents of his visitor, and was ready to give
complete satisfaction in his particular line. When the young
lady entered the old man's cabin, he met her, bade her be
welcome, and tell what she had come for. She took a seat on
one stool, and he on another. Taking the lady's right hand
in his, Dinkie spit into its palm, rubbed it, looked at it,
shut his one eye, opened it, and said: "I sees a young
gentman, an' he's rich, an' owns plenty of land an' a heap
o' niggers; an', lo! Miss Marfa, he loves you."
The lady drew a long breath of seeming satisfaction, and
asked, "Are you sure that he loves me, Uncle Dinkie?"
"Oh! Miss Marfa, I knows it like a book."
Page 78
"Have you ever seen the gentleman?" the lady inquired.
The conjurer
began rubbing the palm of the snow-white hand,
talked to himself in an undertone, smiled, then laughed out,
and saying: "Why, Miss Marfa, as I lives it's Mr. Scott, an'
he's thinkin' 'bout you now; yes, he's got his mind on you
dis bressed minute. But how he's changed sense I seed him de
lass time. Now he's got side whiskers an' a mustacher on his
chin. But, let me see. Here is somethin' strange. De web
looks a little smoky, an' when I gets to dat spot, I can't
get along till a little silver is given to me."
Here the lady drew forth her purse and gave the old man a
half dollar piece that made his one eye fairly twinkle.
He resumed: "Ah! now de fog is cleared away, an' I see dat
Mr. Scott is settin in a rockin-cheer, wid boff feet on de
table, an' smokin' a segar."
"Do you think Mr. Scott loves me?" inquired the lady.
"O! yes," responded Dinkie; "he jess sets his whole heart on
you. Indeed, Miss Marfa, he's almos' dyin' 'bout you."
"He never told me that he loved me," remarked the lady.
"But den, you see, he's backward, he ain't got his eye-teef
cut yet in love matters. But he'll git a little bolder ebbry
time he sees you," replied the negro.
"Do you think he'll ever ask me to marry him?"
Page 79
"O! yes, Miss Marfa, he's sure to do dat. As he sets dar in
his rockin-cheer, he looks mighty solem-colly - -looks like he
wanted to ax you to haf him now."
"Do you think that Mr. Scott likes any other lady, Uncle
Dinkie?" asked Miss Lemmy.
"Well, Miss Marfa, I'll jess consult de web an' see." And
here the conjurer
shut his one eye, opened it, shut it
again, talked to himself in an undertone, opened his eye,
looked into the lady's hand, and exclaimed: "Ah! Miss Marfa,
I see a lady in de way, an' she's got riches; but de web is
smoky, an' it needs a little silver to clear it up."
With tears in her eyes, and almost breathless, Miss Lemmv
hastily took from her pocket her purse, and handed the old
man another piece of money, saying: "Please go on."
Dinkie smiled, shook his head, got up and shut his cabin
door, sat down, and again took the lady's hand in his.
"Yes, I, see," said he, "I see it's a lady; but bless you
soul, Miss Marfa, it's a likeness of you dat Mr. Scott is
lookin' at; dat's all."
This morsel of news gave great relief, and Miss Lemmy dried
her eyes with joy.
Dinkie then took down the old rusty
horseshoe
from over his cabin door, held it up, and said: "Dis
horseshoe neffer
lies." Here he took out of his pocket a bag made of the skin
of the
rattlesnake,
and took from it some
goopher,
sprinkled it over the
horseshoe,
saying: "Dis is de stuff, Miss Marfa,
dat's
Page 80
gwine to make you Mr. Scott's conqueror. Long as you keeps
dis goopher
'bout you he can't get
away from you; he'll ax you fer a kiss, de berry next time
he meets you, an' he can't help hisself fum
Page 81
doin' it. No woman can get him fum you so long as you keep
dis goopher 'bout you."
[The
fact that Dinkie "sprinkled" his
goopher from a snake-skin bag
indicates that it was a powder, and again demonstrates that,
to Brown,
"goopherism" was a generic term for
conjuring with powders. Also note that,
because rattlesnakes
are not found anywhere in Africa, but have always been
much revered in Native American religion and magic,
Brown is showing us that
Dinkie had adopted a custom
or manner of working from his Native American colleagues. Thus,
in Dinkie's keeping his African
goopher powder in a Native American style
rattlesnake skin
bag and sprinkling it onto a lucky European-style
horseshoe
to allow his white client to "conquer" her lover, we see an
early and clearly demonstrable example of a
"full-blooded African" root doctor in America
incorprating Native American and European
magic into the practice of
conjure.]
Here Dinkie lighted a tallow candle, looked at it, smiled,
shook his head, -- "You's gwine to marry Mr. Scott in 'bout
one year, an' you's gwine to haf thirteen children -- sebben
boys an' six gals, an' you's gwine to haf a heap of riches."
Just then, Dinkie's interesting revelations were cut short
by Ike and Cato bringing along Peter, who, it was said, had
been killed by the old bell sheep.
It appears that Peter had a way of playing with the old ram,
who was always ready to butt at any one who got in his way.
When seeing the ram coming, Peter would get down on his
hands and knees and pretend that he was going to have a
butting match with the sheep. And when the latter would come
full tilt at him, Peter would dodge his head so as to miss
the ram, and the latter would jump over the boy, turn around
angrily, shake his head and start for another butt at Peter.
This kind of play was repeated sometimes for an hour or
more, to the great amusement of both whites and blacks. But,
on this occasion, Peter was completely caught. As he was on
his hands and knees, the ram started on his usual run for
the boy; the latter, in dodging his head, run his face
against a stout stub of dry rye stalk, which caused him to
quickly jerk up his head, just in time for the sheep to give
him a fair butt squarely in the forehead, which knocked
Peter senseless. The ram,
Page 82
elated with his victory, began to back himself for another
lick at Peter, when the men, seeing what had happened to the
poor boy, took him up and brought him to Dinkie's cabin to
be resuscitated, or "brought to," as they termed it.
Nearly an hour passed in rubbing the boy, before he began to
show signs of consciousness. He "come to," but he never
again accepted a butting match with the ram.
[The incident of Peter
and the ram shows that Dinkie was also a physical or medical doctor and
healer as well as a fortune teller and
conjurer.]
This material is reprinted from
My Southern Home: or, The South and Its People
Wm. Wells Brown, M. D.
Boston
A. G. Brown & Co., publishers
1880
Text scanned (OCR) by Ellen Decker and Melissa Graham
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First edition, 2000
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Academic Affairs Library, UNC-CH
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
2000.
(c) This work is the property of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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Source Description:
(title page) My Southern Home: or, The South and Its People
(spine) My Southern Home
Wm. Wells Brown, M. D.
viii, 1-253, 2, ill.
Boston
A. G. Brown & Co., publishers
1880
Copyright, 1880,
BY ANNE G. BROWN,
ELECTROTYPED AND PRINTED BY
DUFFY, CASHMAN & CO., FAYETTE COURT, BOSTON.
Call number E185 .B88 (Rare Book Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/brown80/brown80.html
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