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James T. Callow Computerized Folklore Archive
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Superstition: Pregnancy

When you're pregnant is you see a fire there will be a mark on your child.

Data entry tech comment:

motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Reference

Original BN [P870] crossed out. Replaced with P542

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Hall, Gloria ; DEARBORN HEIGHTS

Keyword(s): Birthmark ; CHILD ; CURSE ; FIRE ; Mark ; Offspring ; SUPERSTITION

James Callow Keyword(s): Reference

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Birth

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Superstition

"Mouse"

My brother has a birthmark on his thigh. But my grandmother refuses to believe that it did not come about inthis way: She says that when my mother was pregnant a mouse must have frightened her and she must have grabbed her leg at the thigh, in the place where my brother has the "mouse." Her proof is that my uncle has the same kind of mark in the same place on his leg, and she is sure that she was scared by a mouse when pregnant with him.

Data entry tech comment:

motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Reference

Original BN [P840] crossed out and replaced with current classification.

Where learned: Myself

Keyword(s): BIRTH ; Birthmark ; CHILD ; CURSE ; FEAR ; Mouse ; Offspring ; Scare ; SUPERSTITION

James Callow Keyword(s): Reference

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Birth

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Custom/Belief

Tie a diamond ring to a piece of string with the diamond hanging at the lowest point. Hold the string at eye level. Hold it steady and place someone's hand palm down under the diamond. If the ring sways from left to right that is the sign that the expectant mother will have a baby boy. If it sways to and fro, the baby will be a girl.

Data entry tech comment:

motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Reference

Original BN [F500] crossed out. Replaced with current classification

Where learned: Shetler, Sue

Keyword(s): BABY ; BELIEF ; BIRTH ; DIVINATION ; gender ; Old Wives Tale ; Ordaining ; SEX ; SUPERSTITION

James Callow Keyword(s): Reference

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Birth

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Superstition: Pregnancy

Prediction Belief:

If a pregnant woman looks at an ugly animal, her child may be ugly.

Submitter comment:

Prediction / Belief

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Reference

Original BN [P800] crossed out / replaced with current classification

Where learned: HOME ; Popp, Minerva

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; BIRTH ; CHILD ; CURSE ; jinx ; Offspring ; Old Wives Tale ; PREGNANCY ; SUPERSTITION

James Callow Keyword(s): Reference

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Birth

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Superstition: Pregnancy

Birth Omen:

When you are pregnant, if you thread a needle and hold it over your left arm with your right hand, you can learn what the sex of the child is. If it swings across the arm, it is a boy. If it swings up and down the arm, it is a girl.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Reference

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; BIRMINGHAM ; Newhard, Thomas

Keyword(s): BIRTH ; CHILD ; DIVINATION ; gender ; Ordaining ; PREGNANCY ; SEX

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Birth

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Ethnic: German

Superstition:

In German villages it is believed that if a boy has a dog and the dog runs away, then the boy must follow the dog in search of his fortune. If the dog returns without his master, then the boy is dead. If the dog does not return, the boy has found his fortune.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P800] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Zinser, Jerome

Keyword(s): Boy ; DIVINATION ; DOG ; ETHNIC ; FATE ; fortune ; GERMAN ; Ordaining ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Superstition: Pregnancy

Cats:

Cats shouldn't be allowed in the same room as a sleeping baby because the smell of milk on a baby's breath will cause the cat to suffocate the baby when the cat attempts to suck the milk out of the baby through the baby's mouth.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P400] crossed out / replaced with current classification

Where learned: HOME ; Lewandowski, Eugenia

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; ASPHYXIATION ; BABY ; CAT ; CHILD ; DEATH ; FEAR ; Feline ; FOOD ; Kill ; Milk ; Newborn ; Offspring ; Suffocate ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Superstition: Pregnancy

Cats and Babies:

Many mothers will not leace cats in the same room as an infant. They believe a cat can suck all the aior out of a baby's lungs and kill it.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT ; Ciciori, Jim

Keyword(s): ASPHYXIATION ; BABY ; CAT ; CHILD ; FEAR ; Feline ; infant ; Newborn ; Suffocate ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Superstition: Pregnancy

Cat Belief:

Never place a baby unattended in the same room as a cat, because the cat will leap up onto the child and take hold of the child's tongue and strangle the child.

Submitter comment:

Informant said she saw a cat do this and was able to save the child before the child expired.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P740] crossed out / replaced with current classification

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; KALAMAZOO ; Ceru, Mrs. Joseph

Keyword(s): ASPHYXIATION ; BABY ; CAT ; CHILD ; FEAR ; Feline ; infant ; Newborn ; STRANGULATION ; SUFFOCATION ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Superstition: Pregnancy

Cats:

Never let a Tom Cat sleep in the same bedroom with a child, it will take the child's breath away and smother it, killing the child.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P549] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: OHIO ; VanEwegen, Catherine ; 2747 Bradford Dr ; LUCAS COUNTY

Keyword(s): ASPHYXIATION ; BABY ; CAT ; CHILD ; FEAR ; Feline ; SUFFOCATION ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Superstition

Bad Luck:

If you see a black cat on ground hog's day, destruction is at hand.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD.

Collector's last name may be: Supenski, Suprinski, Serpenski, Surpinski...

James Callow comment:

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

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT ; Peters, Helene

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; Black ; CAT ; Destruction ; Groundhog ; OMEN ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Superstition

 

Never cross the path of a black cat becasue bad luck will follow.

Data entry tech comment:

motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P752] crossed out. Replaced with current classification

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Myself

Keyword(s): Black ; CAT ; jinx ; LUCK ; OMEN ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Superstition

Black Cat:

If a black cat crosses your path to the left you'll have bad luck. If he crosses to the right you'll have good luck.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [B440, P880] crossed out / Replaced with current classification

Where learned: HOME ; WINSTON SALEM ; NORTH CAROLINA ; McCoy, Laurie

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; Black ; CAT ; Feline ; LEFT ; LUCK ; OMEN ; RIGHT ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Superstition: Animals

Cat Superstitions:

If a human touches kittens before their eyes are open the mother cat will let them starve.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P752] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Ayotte, Christopher ; 14587 ROBSON

Keyword(s): Abandon ; ANIMALS ; BELIEF ; Cats ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Belief: Animal

Mammal:

The excess handling of any or all of a litter of kittens may cause the mother cat to abandon the one kitten or the whole litter.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [B442] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: Staperfenne, Mrs Wm

Keyword(s): Abandon ; ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; CAT ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Superstition: Animals

Cats:

If there is a cat you want to get rid of, put some beans in a sack and tie it on the cat's tail, hit him on the backside and he will run himself to death.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Brown, Norris L

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; Beans ; CAT ; DEATH ; Eliminate ; Pest ; Rid ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Belief: Animal

Catty Belief:

Blue eyed cats are deaf

(They are usually green eyed)

Submitter comment:

The date 11/7/69 is written in tiny numbers on the bottom left hand of the card.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P500] crossed out. Replaced with Current Classification

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Pietras, Mary

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; BLIND ; BLINDNESS ; Blue ; CAT ; COLOR ; Eye ; eye color ; Green

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Superstition: Pregnancy

IF A HARE PASSES IN FRONT OF A PREGNANT WOMAN, HER CHILD WILL BE BORN
WITH A HARELIP UNLESS SHE MAKES A TEAR IN HER SLIP.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added and information updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WARREN ; 31319 Newcomb ; informant's home

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; CURSE ; Deformity ; Hare ; Offspring ; PREGNANCY ; Rabbit ; SUPERSTITION

James Callow Keyword(s): IMITATIVE MAGIC

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Body part Senses
BELIEF -- Body part Senses Mouth, teeth, lips, tongue
BELIEF -- Mammal
BELIEF -- Birth

Date learned: 01-22-1970

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Belief: Luck

Belief/Luck:

If a rabbit crosses your way from right to left, it will be lucky for you, but it will be unlucky of he crosses from left to right.

Submitter comment:

Informant and I work together

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

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

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WARREN ; NATIONAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY ; Streven, Fritz

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; CHANCE ; DIRECTION ; FATE ; Hare ; LUCK ; Rabbit ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Myth

Easter Bunny:

The Easter Bunny - A big rabbit with a white tail who hides eggs around your house.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P429] crossed out. Replaced with current classification

Where learned: CHILDHOOD ; HOME

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; Bunny ; CUSTOM ; Easter ; Eggs ; Hare ; holiday ; MYTH ; Rabbit

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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