cow tongue 'hoodoo' spell found in cornfield

[Aislin Ni MorRhiaghan]

Cow tongue ‘hoodoo’ spell found in cornfield



© 2009 Longmont Times-Call

LONGMONT — A severed cow’s tongue with notes and a woman’s photo sewn inside was discovered Saturday inside of a box placed in a shallow hole on city open space, according to police.


Three farmers discovered the box along the edge of a cornfield buried just inside the rows of corn off a short dirt road near Weld County roads 5 and 28, according to police reports.


The package was wrapped in a black cloth and tied with a yellow cord. Once police determined it was not an explosive, an officer opened it and discovered what police believe was a severed cow’s tongue with stitching. The officer cut the plastic thread of the stitching and found a photo of a woman dressed in white and four folded notes written in Spanish with red ink. There was also a powdery substance in the tongue that officers said looked and smelled like it contained pepper.


Chad Musick said he and his grandfather farm the fields, which they lease from the city. The men spotted the box wrapped in the black cloth and decided to call police immediately. While he believes it is weird, he does not believe they were targeted.


“Stuff like that happens. Personally, I don’t think it is anything towards us,” he said.

An officer who investigated took into evidence the cloth, cord, note and photograph, but reburied the tongue in the hole.


The case report was partially redacted, but it said “The approximate translation of these notes was asking (redacted) to forget for the sake of his son.”


Longmont Police Cmdr. Tim Lewis said the notes specifically referenced Weld County Sheriff’s Office case numbers, and detectives are attempting to contact the deputies investigating those cases.


Lewis said the package is reminiscent of “hoodoo” spells, which are easily found on the Internet, that are intended to silence witnesses in court cases or curry favor with judges or juries.


In some variations, the person casting the spell may choose to cook and eat the tongue, freeze it or leave it on the doorstep of the person they intend to silence, according to one of the sites.

[Aislin Ni MorRhiaghan]

Cow tongues can also be used to stop liars, slanderers, gossips, and generally any issue that affects the oral properties of a person's speech. The goal is to put it somewhere in the offending person's backyard or property close enough to be effective but hidden enough not to be found. I have to wonder though why the police would think it was a bomb in the middle of an unplowed cornfield. I imagine the looks on the officers' faces must have been priceless.

Eternally,

Aislin

[deacongray]

Well better ritual and spells then threats and bribes.

[Aislin Ni MorRhiaghan]

LOL!! Very true. An exploding cow tongue could be nasty, as if it isn't nasty enough.

~ Aislin

[EzikielTempted]

I find it strange that they took evidence, even though there wasn't a crime committed (aside from littering, of course). Why would they disturb someones magical talisman, if they recognized it as one?

[deacongray]

I wounder how the ACLU would look at it if someone filed a complaint saying their religious rights were violated when the cop broke up the ritual pieces? I suppose because it was done on some one elses property it might be difficult to press the point.

[EzikielTempted]

That's really the only reason I can think of that I was taken at all.

[The Madame X]

I think my mom has a recipe for cow tongue stew with beans... I~ll find out and post it.
hehe

[Aislin Ni MorRhiaghan]

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