What is the "John the Conqueroo" made famous by blues singers?
Dear Cecil:
Ever since I heard the Willie Dixon tune Hootchie Cootchie Man with the lyrics:
I've got a black cat's bone
I've got a mojo tooth
I've got a John the Conqueroo
I'm gonna mess with you
... I've been obsessed with a craving for a John the Conqueroo. Where can I get one?
Dear Wesley:
A "John the Conqueroo," also known as a "High John de Conquer," is the root of the St. John's-wort plant. In southern American black folklore, this root is used to cast or break evil spells--thus all the references to "root rubbing" in blues songs.
Where do you get one? Look around--the St. John's-wort (Hypericum majus, Hypericum kalimanum, or any of the 23 other Hypericum species) is common to the Northern Hemisphere. Look for an herb with yellow, flesh-colored, or purplish flowers; there are usually five petals on each flower. Hypericum shrubs generally have cylindrical seeds and clustered stamens.
By the way, if someone casts an evil spell on you with a John the Conqueroo, you might be able to counteract the spell with a Jack, a red cloth shaped in a cylinder and filled with dirt, coal dust, and a silver dime.
