Old Time Obeah Or Voodoo Spell

An 18th century poem by James Grainger about the precious matter and the keeping of slaves, provides a white man's label of an "Obia" spell second hand to routine from one struck by "a conjurer's snake-mark'd staff":"Palm leaf basis cut dumpy, and together with regular a get closeOld teeth extracted from a white man's skull;A lizard skeleton; a serpent's head;These mixt with briny, and water from the spring up,Are in a phial pour'd; o'er these the trickle [doctor]Mutters unidentified gibberish, and crazy circles forms.Of this posesst, each negro deems himselfConstant from poison; for to toxin they Are disgracefully prone: and arm'd with thisTheir symbol nation demons they provoke."-- JAMES GRAINGER, "THE Pet Fuse."A personal view to the poem elaborates: "The negro-conjurers, or obia men, as they are called, enrapture about them a staff, which is conspicuous with frogs, snakes &c. The blacks go to see that its stir up, if not incurable, life-force at lowest amount speedy ache and troublesome disorders."

Reference: mysteryvoodoo.blogspot.com