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PEOPLE IN DANVILLA, ILLINOIS BELIEVE THAT SWANS ARE KEPT
IN THE POND AT THE LOCAL CEMETARY BECAUSE SWANS REPRESENT
IMMORTALITY.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
James Callow Keyword(s): CEMETERY ; SYMBOL
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Bird BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal |
Date learned: 06-18-1972
WHEN WRITING OR PRINTING, IF YOU CIRCLE YOUR "I'S"
IT MEANS SOME SORT OF AFFECTION, USUALLY "I LOVE YOU."
IF YOU PUT A STAMP UPSIDE DOWN ON AN ENVELOPE,
IT MEANS, "I LOVE YOU."
Where learned: SCHOOL
James Callow Keyword(s): SYMBOL
| Subject headings: | SPEECH -- To Be Seen |
Date learned: 03-05-1968
STROKING YOUR CHIN (OR BEARD) IS A SIGN OF THOUGHTFULNESS.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): SYMBOL
| Subject headings: | SPEECH -- Body parts involved S602.16 SPEECH -- Thinking Remembering Forgetting |
Date learned: 11-16-1967
SNAPPING YOUR FINGERS IS A SIGN THAT YOU HAVE JUST
REMEMBERED SOMETHING THAT YOU HAD FORGOTTEN.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): SYMBOL
| Subject headings: | 602 Body Parts SPEECH -- Thinking Remembering Forgetting |
Date learned: 11-16-1967
Custom
The family of the deceased attends mass for six consecutive weeks. Each week the family brings fruit, candy, or fruit for the entire parish. At the end of the six week period an entire mass is said in memory of the deceased . The family brings wine, three large raisin breads, fruit, and boiled wheat for the parish. This is done to celebrate the first stage of the deceased's ascention into Heaven. The ritual is repeated at six months to celebrate the second stage. After a person has been dead for a period of one year, the ritual is repeated for the last time. This stage signifies that the deceased has ascended into Heaven.
Submitter comment:
Despite revisions in the Orthodox mass, this custom has been preserved. It is considered an important and beautiful ritual. This custom is so old that no one knows how it exactly originated.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Self ; 20295 Westbrook
Keyword(s): BURIAL ; CUSTOM ; DEATH ; FOOD ; Funeral ; RELIGION ; SYMBOLISM
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Death Funeral Burial |
After a funeral the best friend of the deceased is given a bowl of boiled wheat, a glass, and silverware. This little ceremony transfers the worldly goods of the deceased to the living.
Submitter comment:
Informant noted that this custom is not as popular as it used to be but it is still practiced.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD.
Where learned: HOME ; 10438 BONITA ; Zurawski, Anna
Keyword(s): DEATH ; Deceased ; FRIENDSHIP ; GLASS ; RELIGION ; RELIGIOUS ; RITUAL ; Silverware ; SYMBOL ; Symbolic ; SYMBOLISM ; UTENSILS ; Wheat
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Death Funeral Burial |
Scare Stories
44
1) Teenage Couple driving in the country, run out of gas.
2) Hear drip, drip, drip - its blood.
28
1) Next door neighbors in love.
2) Girl wore a yellow ribbon around her neck that she wouldn't take off.
3) She untied it, her head fell off.
1
1) Two children home alon eon Halloween see a ghost.
2) Turns out to be their uncle in costume
Data entry tech comment:
No information listed on card. Omitted: Collector data, informant date.
Unknown meaning of numbers preceeding each story.
Bogg Number added by TRD
James Callow comment:
18400 Praire
Corner of Pickford and Praire
Where learned: UNKNOWN
Keyword(s): Car ; Costume ; Drip ; Fable ; HALLOWEEN ; Ribbon ; Scary ; Stories ; SYMBOLISM ; Urban Legends ; Yellow Ribbon
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Prose Narrative |
Custom
Buddhists wear miniature images of buddha around their necks. When displaying the image of the Lord Buddha in the homes or elsewhere, the Thai are careful to place the image high enough so that no human can be at a higher level or walk above the image.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs and BN added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [F538] crossed out. Not replaced with anything.
Submission card was located in pile labeled To Be Classified
Where learned: WHILE STATIONED IN THAILAND ; Helferty, Dennis
Keyword(s): BUDDHA ; Buddhism ; CUSTOM ; ETHNIC ; RELIGION ; RELIGIOUS ; RELIGIOUS CUSTOM ; SYMBOL ; THAILAND
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Custom BELIEF -- Use of Object Religious objects |
Destiny
Killing an albatross while on a ship means that the ship is going to meet disaster.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P870] crossed out and replaced with current classification.
Where learned: LIBRARY ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; Widenman, Tony
Keyword(s): Albatross ; ANIMAL SYMBOL ; DESTINY ; Disaster ; Lore ; LUCK ; Nautical ; OMEN ; Sailor ; SEA ; Ship
| Subject headings: | Observation |
Ethnic: Irish
Some more: when these men arrived they would not work either - it seems the air strip went over a large mound and this is Ireland is recognized as a grave yard for the "Little People" and to disturb it is unheard of. So to this day the strip is still uncompleted. [sic]
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs and BN added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Card was located in a pile marked with [?].
Where learned: UNKNOWN
Keyword(s): Airport ; Airstrip ; BELIEF ; BURIAL ; ETHNIC ; GRAVEYARD ; IRELAND ; Irish ; Legend ; Little People ; Mound ; SYMBOL
| Subject headings: | PROSE NARRATIVE -- Fairy Elf Goblin Gnome |
Ethnic: Native American
The Pipe:
The place to start in liturgical adaptation is to use the Sacred Pipe as a prayer instrument. This will probably in time lead to the Pipe as an official sacramental like holy water. The Pipe is a wonderful symbol of Christ because it is the instrument of the mediator in the Sioux Religion just as the Sacred Humanity is the instrument of Christ the Mediator in our Christian Religion. Christ fulfills the Pipe rather than destroys it since He does in a more perfect way what the person praying with the Pipe does in an imperfect way. The Pipe, then, is the great Sioux foreshadowing of Christ in HIs Priestly Office. A person who understands and appreciates the Sacred Pipe will be disposed and not hindered from accepting Christ. I have found this true from experience. The Pipe must be purified, even exorcised if necessary like Holy Water and "baptized." When this is done, it is no longer the same Pipe which the early missionaries condemned. Once a person, whether Indian or non-Indian had this vision, he can no longer pray with the Pipe in exactly the same way as before. This is most important to remember: we are no longer talking about the same exact Pipe as the early missionaries because they did not see it in this way.
The Sacred Pipe is the religious symbol which is at the center of every traditional religious ceremony which all Indians of the Plains performed. It would be well to read one book, The Sacred Pipe, by Joseph E. Brown, Oklahoma Press (republished this year). In this account of Nicholas Black Elk, one of the great Catholic catechists on the Pine Ridge Reservation, we see all that the Pipe might stand for. If we want to grasp and summarize all the true cultural religious values of the Sioux Religion, then we must make our approach to adaptation beginning with the Sacred Pipe. If someone would build a Gothic Church, sing (a) Gregorian chant and wear Roman vestaments and at the same time reject the Sacred Humanity of Christ, this would be faulty acceptance of the Catholic Religion. The same is literally true of adapting the externals of the Sioux Religion such as language, music, beadwork, etc. without the Pipe. Whatever is said of the Sioux Religion is true of all the Plains Indians.
By adapting the Pipe we are getting at the natural starting point in their own minds. When you have taken the Pipe into the Catholic Church, you have taken in the essential good of their religion. Does this mean that we need to take in all their religious values without careful examination? No, some of these must be purified or even rejected. The advantage of starting with the Pipe as a prayer instrument (which it always was in their tradition) is that it creates a frequent occasion for dialog with the Indian people and for becoming involved in conversations which were closed to one before. It is most important to talk to the Indian people in an atmosphere of sympathetic acceptance to learn what the Pipe really means to them.
There will be good Catholic Indians who will not want to accept the Pipe because it has been condemned by some Fathers. It is important here to give time for new ideas to seep in. It took three or four months for one of my good Catholic full bloods to accept the use of the Pipe by the priest because of past condemnation. But when the idea finally got across that we are "baptizing" the Pipe, he said with great joy that he "wanted to be the godfather." It wasn't that he did not love the Pipe, but rather he rejected whatever the Fathers told him was bad regardless of how dear it was to him. A person could have taken his first reaction to the Pipe during those first several months as an argument against using the Pipe. But as it turned out, just the opposite is true. In fact, the injustice on our part for denying him the use of his own religious culture which he valued becomes evident. That is why the only way we can continue to discuss liturgical adaptation of Indians culture and make decisions concerning it, is to actually use the Pipe, begin a dialog and give sufficient time for honest reactions to become known.
One great advantage to using the Pipe for many communities is that it does not necessarily involve the Lakota language or Indian language of any Plains Tribe. If a community is almost entirely Indian speaking, using the language is good. But if the community is split, then the Indian language drives the full blood and the mixed bloods into the disunity of the ghettos. I don't think it is advisable to have a Mass just for Indian speaking people and one for non-Indian speaking people. This will never create the Christian Community. On the other hand, the Pipe is a symbol and a symbol can mean different people. [sic] To many full bloods it still has a very literal appeal because they are still living in some way in the traditional world. These people have often been leading double lives. There are probably more Indians going through the sweat lodge and making a fast or vision quest on top of the hill than most people realize.
However, to the non-Indian speaking mixed blood the Pipe should be a symbol of his Indian identity and help enable him to accept his Indian identity with pride. Fr. Bryde's thesis is that there is a social pathology involved in today's Indian Culture and the place to start for everyone, full and mixed blood alike, is to build a pride in their Indian identity. This is what the use of the Pipe in the liturgy can do as well as to unite a fragmented community. In comparison to the above approach, the singing of a white man's son[g]s translated to the Indian was a useful but very weak approach to adaptation. It served its purpose in its own time.
In conclusion, the starting point is to use the Pipe as a prayer instrument and be prepared for open dialog with the Indian People. This use is in complete conformity with our Catholic Faith and should requite [sic] the permission of a local superior only. Eventually, it may become an official sacramental requiring the permission of the Bishop. Thus we are putting the Pipe in a very precise place that we can easily defend and explain so that we can have confidence that we know what we are doing. This is a small beginning since we can hardly do less. If we never go any further than this, we still have enriched the Catholic Church with a wonderful cultural gift and we have allowed the Indian people to accept their Indian identity at least to some extent when they become Catholic. However, when this step is taken, other developments will appear. I use the Pipe as a prayer instrument because I pray with more meaning and greater sincerity. The prayers and rituals will follow.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: CANADA ; Tekakwitha Conference ; Steinmetz SJ, Paul B ; WINNIPEG ; MANITOBA
Keyword(s): AMERICAN INDIAN ; BELIEF ; CATHOLICISM ; Colonialism ; Essay ; ETHNIC ; Native American ; RELIGION ; RELIGIOUS ; SYMBOL
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Prayer |
Ethnic: Ukraine
In the Ukranian village a girl would wear her hair in long braids. However, if she became pregnant while still unmarried, her hair would be cut short, symbolizing her loss of virginity.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P438, F545] crossed out. Replaced with current classification
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WARREN ; Klymyshyn, Eudokia
Keyword(s): Chastity ; ETHNIC ; HAIR ; MARRIAGE ; SYMBOL ; Ukraine ; UKRAINIAN ; VIRGINITY ; WEDDING ; Wedlock
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Marriage |
Belief: Animal
Crosses on Donkeys:
The fur on a donkey's back seems to make a dark cross length-wise. According to the informant, the cross is there because Christ rode the donkey into Jerusalem. When she told me this, another person who was present said she had always heard it was there because Mary rode on the donkey.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P682.4, M247.3] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; OAKLAND UNIVERSITY ; Schroeder, Mary Jo ;
Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; ASS ; Christ ; CHRISTIANITY ; Cross ; DONKEY ; DONKEY ; Fur ; HAIR ; Jerusalem ; JESUS ; Mary ; RELIGION ; SYMBOL ; VIRGIN MARY
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Mammal |
Belief: Animal
Belief About Snakes:
In many parts of Mexico and South America the snake serves as a symbol of fertility.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [B400] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.
Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Simpson, William ; 6319 LODEWYCK
Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; ETHNIC ; FERTILITY ; Mexican ; MEXICO ; REGIONAL ; Serpent ; SIGN ; Snake ; SOUTH AMERICA ; South American ; SYMBOL
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Mammal |
Proverb
Hit the nail on the head
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Located in pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects.
Where learned: Koch, Paul
Keyword(s): ACCURACY ; Correct ; Dead-on ; METAPHOR ; Nail ; SYMBOL
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Phrase |
Ethnic: Polish
IN POLAND, AND IN MANY POLISH-AMERICAN HOMES, THE VIGIL OF
CHRISTMAS IS A VERY SOLEMN OCCASION. A VARIETY OF FOOD IS SERVED,
TWELVE DISHES IN ALL, TO REPRESENT THE TWELVE APOSTLES. NO DAIRY
PRODUCTS ARE ALLOWED. IT ALSO CONSISTS OF SPECIAL WAFERS CALLED
OPTATKI, WHICH THE HEAD OF THE HOUSEHOLD DISTRIBUTES TO EACH
MEMBER OF THE FAMILY.
Data entry tech comment:
Updated / 02-24-2011 / TRD
Keyword(s): ABSTINENCE ; CHRISTMAS ; CUSTOM ; DAIRY ; Dinner ; ETHNIC ; FAMILY ; Feast ; FOOD ; holiday ; POLAND ; POLISH ; SYMBOL ; Symbolic ; Vigil
| Subject headings: | 122 Christmas 686 Seconds / Twice / Two CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 24 Christmas Eve F122.82 |
Date learned: 10-27-1968
Custom: Holiday
ON CHRISTMAS EVE EACH MEMBER OF THE FAMILY LIGHTS A BAYBERRY
CANDLE AND THEN MAKES A WISH. IF THE CANDLES ARE ALLOWED TO
BURN TO THE ENDS THEN THE WISH WILL COME TRUE.
Submitter comment:
THIS IS A CUSTOM CARRIED OUT IN THE INFORMANT'S FAMILY FOR
SEVERAL GENERATIONS.
Data entry tech comment:
Updated and Motifs added / 02-28-2011 / TRD
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; GROSSE POINTE ; 1001 CADIEUX
Keyword(s): Bayberry ; Candle ; CUSTOM ; FAMILY ; Herb ; holiday ; PLANT ; RELIGION ; RELIGIOUS ; SYMBOL ; WISH
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 24 Christmas Eve F122.2 CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 21 solstice to March 20 Lights and candles |
Wedding Custom
Wedding Custom:
At Jewish weddings there is a practice of the bride and groom smashing their champagne glass againsst the floor during the ceremony to symbolize that marriage sometimes involves disorder and discontent.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Keyword(s): CEREMONY ; Cultural ; Culture ; DISCONTENT ; Disorder ; GLASS ; Jewish ; MARRIAGE ; Practice ; RELIGION ; Smash ; SYMBOL ; Symbolic ; Symbolize ; tradition ; WEDDING
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Marriage |
Proverb
Little pitchers have big ears.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs Added By TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [V300] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.
Already Under V200, Who Said? Said to children who hear things they shouldn't.
Where learned: HOME ; 17287 GREENVIEW ; Maloney, Beatrice
Keyword(s): Big ; CHILDREN ; EARS ; Eavesdrop ; EUPHEMISM ; Little ; METAPHOR ; Overhear ; Pitchers ; SIMILE ; SYMBOL
| Subject headings: | SPEECH -- Formula |
IF YOU DREAM OF A DEATH, WEDDING IN THE FAMILY;
IF YOU DREAM OF A WEDDING, DEATH IN THE FAMILY.
Data entry tech comment:
Updated by TRD
Where learned: Arkansas ; RUSSELLVILLE ; Chesnut, Laurelyn
Keyword(s): DEATH ; Dream ; FAMILY ; Meaning ; Opposite ; SIGN ; SYMBOL ; WEDDING
James Callow Keyword(s): CHIASMUS ; CONTRAST ; ITERATION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Dreams Dreams about weddings, funerals, and other crucial moments of life |
Date learned: 10-20-1973