Devil’s Shoestring

“Dat laig straightened out an’ she went to walkin’ agin.” A Waycross informant said that of a crippled woman the doctors had given up on. A root worker wrapped and twisted three pieces of devil’s shoestring around her, and she walked.

Devil’s shoestring is one of the humble workhorse roots of hoodoo. Hyatt’s informants chewed it, wore it, tied it round their legs and waists, soaked it in whiskey, burned it and buried it. They used it for luck, for work and trade, for gambling, for love, and to stop the tricks laid down for them.

What it is

The name covers long, thin, stringy roots, dark and tough like an old bootlace. Hyatt identified one informant’s devil-shoestring as goat’s-rue, Tephrosia virginiana (Hyatt 1207 · Little Rock, Ark. · informant 903). In the root trade the name has also been used for certain viburnum roots.

Informants bought it by the handful from root doctors and druggists, or dug it themselves. They often worked it in threes and nines, and paired it with John the Conqueror, lodestone, dragon’s blood and Hearts Cologne.

What Hyatt’s informants said

A Florence informant paid a root man seven dollars for a handful, tied up. The instruction was to take a piece before asking for money or a job, “put it underneath yore mouth an’ chew it”, and speak (Hyatt 740 · Florence, S. Car. · informant 1311).

In Mobile, the root was worn long against the skin. People would tie it “’round dere waist under dere clothes next to dere hide” for good luck and strength (Hyatt 2292 · Mobile, Ala. · informant 667).

A Waycross informant carried it bundled with live lodestone and sweet oil when going to make a deal: “he’ll agree with chew” (Hyatt 2320 · Waycross, Ga. · informant 1129).

What it was used for

• Luck and trade. Soaked in whiskey or camphor and rubbed on the hands for luck in renting rooms or any business (Hyatt 2471 · Waycross, Ga. · informant 1147). Buried with green mistletoe at the store door to bring in customers (Hyatt 2470 · Waycross, Ga. · informant 1138).
• The house. Burned with dragon’s blood and incense so there are plenty of customers and nobody to bother you (Hyatt 2525 · Savannah, Ga. · informant 1260).
• Gambling. Cut into one-inch pieces and kept in a little sack soaked in Hearts Cologne, renewed before each game (Hyatt 1829 · Waycross, Ga. · informant 1161).
• Love and return. Buried with a person’s shoes under the doorstep to make them come back (Hyatt 5120 · Waycross, Ga. · informant 1104). Mixed with someone’s hair and tied in a pocketbook so they follow wherever you go (Hyatt 5851 · Sumter, S. Car. · informant 1362).

Against tricks

The root was a shield against foot track work. If something was laid down for you to walk over, a Waycross informant said, tie devil’s shoestring round your legs and leave it nine days, then tie nine knots in each string (Hyatt 1209 · Waycross, Ga. · informant 1138).

The cure of the crippled woman belongs here too. Three twisted pieces round her waist, arm and leg undid what the doctors could not (Hyatt 1208 · Waycross, Ga. · informant 1134). A Little Rock informant said simply to carry it in the purse with John the Conqueror root if anyone hurt you (Hyatt 1207 · Little Rock, Ark. · informant 903).

In their own words

“wear it – dat ‘ll keep luck”

(Hyatt 2254 · Brunswick, Ga. · informant 1203)

“Lucky tuh rent chure rooms or any kind of business yo’ in.”

(Hyatt 2471 · Waycross, Ga. · informant 1147)

“follow dem wherevah dey go”

(Hyatt 5851 · Sumter, S. Car. · informant 1362)

How it’s worked today

Devil’s shoestring is still sold in every root shop, usually as cut viburnum root. It is carried for job hunting, gambling and luck, often soaked in whiskey or camphor exactly as Hyatt’s informants did.

Its other name in the trade is a tripping root: pieces are laid across doorways and paths to trip up evil and enemies before they reach you, and worn or tied about the body to protect against foot track work.

It remains a common addition to mojo hands for employment, money and court, and to protection packets laid around the home.

Learn the work

← Back to The Hyatt Files

Source: Harry Middleton Hyatt, Hoodoo – Conjuration – Witchcraft – Rootwork, 5 vols., 1970-1978. Numbers refer to Hyatt’s own item numbers; the town and informant number follow. Written by Hoodoo Witch in our own words, with short quotations from Hyatt’s informants for reference.