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Superstition: Animals

Resurrection of a Snake Belief:

If you kill a snake it will come back to life after sundown

Submitter comment:

The letter B is crossed out in the upper left hand corner of the submission card. Possibly intended as a BN

Collector's phone number is listed on the bottom right of submission card: XXX-5459

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Des Jardin, Margie

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; DEATH ; Resurrection ; Serpent ; Snake ; Sundown ; SUNSET ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Animal

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Superstition: Animals

There is a legendary snake with a crown on its head and the crown had bells on it. The snake has a beard like a nanny goat. It is a huge and fearsome snake. It is said to come out once a year on a holy day and few have seen it.

Submitter comment:

My father's dad claims to have seen it. He saw the ground shaking all around a house and he saw the head of this snake come out of the ground. He claims that 10 to 15 feet of ground was shaking.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Frabotta, Vincent

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; Crown ; Fearful ; Holy ; Legend ; MYTH ; Serpent ; Snake ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Animal
BELIEF -- Mammal

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Belief: Animal

Snake:

When a snake wishes to hurry down a hill, he grabs his tail in his mouth, and, forming a circle, rolls down.

Submitter comment:

The words Rapid Transit and Item Card are written in the top left and right hand corners (respectively) of the card. They are all crossed out.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [M247] crossed out. Reoplaced with Current Classification

Where learned: Petix, James

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; Serpent ; Snake ; SUPERSTITION ; Tail ; TRAVEL

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Animal

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Superstition: Animals

There is said to exist an animal which is snake-like in form and which crawls up a cows leg and drinks all her milk. This it has its name the milk-snake.

Submitter comment:

A Sly Poacher
and Item Card are written in the top left hand and right hand corners of the card, respectively. A Sly Poacher is crossed out.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P440] has been crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: Trompeter, Tom

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; Cow ; Drink: consumption ; FOOD ; Milk ; PUN ; Serpent ; Snake ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Animal

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Belief: Animal

A hoop snake puts its tail in its mouth and rolls; Anything hit by it will die.

Submitter comment:

Perswon remembers as a child being afraid of this snake and always running in a zig-zag path to avoid being struck by it.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: Freer, Dr James ; CLASS

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; DEATH ; MYTH ; Serpent ; Snake ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Animal

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Belief: Animal

Historical record from James Callow Folklore Archive.

Belief in Oysters:

Oysters make a man sexually potent.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P500, N245.8] crossed out. Replaced with current classifications

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; GROSSE POINTE ; French, Henry ; 221 Merriweather

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; APHRODISIAC ; BELIEF ; Male ; Oysters ; Potent ; Prowess ; SEX ; Sexuality ; SHELLFISH ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Animal
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Superstition

Protection Against Vampires:

Garlic is a charm to be used against vampires.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P400] crossed out. Replaced with current classification

Where learned: ENGLAND ; Wurman, Tom ; WORCESTER

Keyword(s): Garlic ; Lore ; MYTH ; Protection ; Protective ; SPICE ; SUPERSTITION ; Vampire

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Werewolf Vampire

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Superstition: Pregnancy

Historical record from James Callow Folklore Archive.

Marks on the Body:

If a pregnant woman has any desires and touches herself, the baby will be marked on that spot.  

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P680, P870] crossed out. replaced with current classifications

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; WORK ; Bell, Mrs. Fred

Keyword(s): BABY ; BELIEF ; BIRTH ; CONCEPTION ; Desire ; MASTURBATION ; Offspring ; PREGNANCY ; SEX ; Sexuality ; SUPERSTITION ; Suppression ; TABU ; Unborn ; Woman

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness
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Superstition: Pregnancy

Remedy:

If a woman is frightened during her pregnancy, the child will have a birth mark.

Submitter comment:

Learned at home on the farm.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Loomis, Mrs Otto

Keyword(s): BABY ; BELIEF ; Birth Mark ; CHILD ; CURSE ; FEAR ; Frightened ; Offspring ; PREGNANCY ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Remedy

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Superstition: Pregnancy

Superstition:

A Polish pregnant woman must be shielded from the sight of cripples, any people that are ugly, abnormal or diseased for fear of "marking" the child.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: Kominski, Anna

Keyword(s): Able-ism ; Able-ist ; BELIEF ; BIRTH ; ETHNIC ; Ignorant ; POLAND ; POLISH ; PREGNANCY ; PREGNANT ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness

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Ethnic: Isreali Superstition

The Druse, a tribe in Isreal, protect their babies from the Evil Eye by painting a circle around each eye of the child with a dye called Kehl.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: Cohen, Ida Marie

Keyword(s): BABY ; CHILD ; CURE ; CURSE ; Druse ; Dye ; ETHNIC ; EVIL EYE ; Israel ; Israeli ; Kehl ; Protection ; REMEDY ; SUPERSTITION ; Tribe

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness

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Ethnic:Polish Superstition

Superstitions:

A Polish pregnant woman must not eat twin pears, apples, or other fruits for fear of bearing attached twins.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

The card has been stamped as KEYPUNCHED, but the word has been crossed out.

Where learned: HOME ; Kaminski, Anna

Keyword(s): BABY ; BELIEF ; Conjoined ; CURSE ; Eat ; ETHNIC ; FOOD ; FRUIT ; Newborn ; POLAND ; POLISH ; PREGNANCY ; SUPERSTITION ; TABU ; TWINS

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness

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Proverb

Superstition:

Sing before breakfast, cry before supper.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P880] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Located in pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects

KW:EZX,X9X

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Larabell, Alberta ; 16586 Trinity

Keyword(s): Breakfast ; Cry ; Dinner ; Emotion ; FOOD ; PROPHECY ; Sing ; SONG ; SUPERSTITION ; Supper

Subject headings: PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

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Proverb

Wedding Proverb:

On your wedding day, you should wear something new, something old, and something borrowed.

Submitter comment:

Mrs. Malony learned this when she was a child. She did not know the verse form of the tradition and left out the rhyming "blue."

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

BN chosen because submission card was located in pile - all cards in pile were marked V300

James Callow comment:

Original BN [c880] crossed out. Not replaced wtih any classification.

Where learned: Malony, Mrs Louis

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; BORROW ; Maxim ; New ; Old ; PROVERB ; SUPERSTITION ; VERSE ; WEDDING

Subject headings: PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

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Superstition

Werewolf Moon

When the moon takes on a very orange color, this is said to be the time when werewolves come out.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: Myself

Keyword(s): COLOR ; FANTASY ; Man ; MOON ; Orange ; SUPERNATURAL ; SUPERSTITION ; Transform ; TRANSFORMATION ; Werewolf ; Wolf

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Werewolf Vampire
PROSE NARRATIVE -- Moon

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Urban Legend

Hookman of Percy Warner Park:

I can't recall when I first heard this tale, but it seems to have been with me as long as I remember. There is supposedly a large rock located somewhere in Percy Warner Park, Nashville, where many people have reported seeing a hookman. The hookman only appears after dark and people whop have parked near this rock have heard the scraping of metal against their car.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: St Charles, Anell

Keyword(s): HOOK ; PARKING ; Sexuality ; SUPERNATURAL ; SUPERSTITION ; TABU ; Urban Legend

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Legend

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Superstition

The fisherman have two kinds of folk belief: magic and empirical. Magic have no rational explanation-porpoises bring good luck. Empirical can be explained or have a rational line of thought - Circle around moon means bad weather. There is a rational connection between moon, ring, and bad weather.

Beneath the instrumental function of beliefs (to explain something) there is a phycological [sic] function (to ease the dangers of their hazardous occupation.)

Black suitcase is a very bad taboo object. Going out (in boat) on Friday - bad luck. The word alligator - bad luck. Throw change overboard - good luck.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: Mullen, Patrick B ; The Function of Magic Among Texas Coastal Fisherman ; Journal of American Folklore

Keyword(s): Alligator ; BELIEF ; Boat ; Change ; Empirical ; Fisherman ; Friday ; LUCK ; MAGIC ; MONEY ; MOON ; Ocean ; Porpoise ; Sail ; Sailor ; SEA ; Ship ; Suitcase ; SUPERSTITION ; WEATHER

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Still water Large body.
BELIEF -- Bad luck

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Saying

If you are serarated from the person you are walking with by a pole say "bread and butter."

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P880] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: OHIO ; TOLEDO ; Baratta, Clare

Keyword(s): BREAD ; Butter ; Pole ; Saying ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Formula

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Belief: Medical

Stand in front of house after losing baby tooth and repeat three times:

Little Mouse Little Mouse
Give me an iron tooth
For this bone tooth.

Then the tooth is thrown over the house in hope that new tooth is stronger.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P700] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Verse?

Where learned: HOME ; Pitz, Margaret

Keyword(s): BABY ; BELIEF ; Dentist ; House ; MEDICAL ; Mouse ; SUPERSTITION ; TEETH ; Tooth ; VERSE

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Formula

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Saying

Step on a crack you'll break your mother's back

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE ; Harwood, Nell Ann

Keyword(s): Back ; Crack ; Line ; MOTHER ; Saying ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness

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