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Ethnic Joke: Italian

Why couldn't Christ have been born in Italy?

There aren't three wise men or any virgins...

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Italian

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WARREN ; Chateau, Anne

Keyword(s): Christ ; ETHNIC ; HUMOR ; Italian ; JOKE ; Off-Color ; Stereotype ; Virgin

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Ill humor Ridicule Mockery
RIDDLE -- W566

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Historical record from James Callow Folklore Archive.

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE NEW CEREAL "QUEERIOS?"
YOU POUR ON THE MILK AND THEY EAT THEMSELVES.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD on 12-21-2010

Where learned: Massachusetts ; LAWRENCE

Keyword(s): DEROGATORY ; Homophobia ; HOMOSEXUAL ; HUMOR ; JOKE ; Off-Color ; Stereotype

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Jest Anecdote
Filter - Mature Content

Date learned: 00-00-1972

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Custom/Belief

School Belief:

In the middle of the "diag," the diagonal sidewalk bisecting the campus at the University of Michigan, there is embedded in the walk a large brass 'M.' If a freshman walks on this 'M,' it is assured that he will fail his next test.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Reference

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Myself ; ANN ARBOR

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; COLLEGE ; CUSTOM ; MICHIGAN ; Student ; SUPERSTITION ; TEST ; University ; University of Michigan

James Callow Keyword(s): Reference

Subject headings: BELIEF -- School

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Custom/Belief

Craving of Pregnant Woman:

If a pregnant woman has a craving for something and does not get it, the baby will have a birthmark resembling the food that was craved.

Submitter comment:

Informant is a friend's mother, and she remembers this from all her life.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Reference

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

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; FERNDALE ; Kantz, Mrs Robert

Keyword(s): BABY ; Birthmark ; Craving ; Craving ; Disfigure ; FOOD ; Lore ; Old Wives Tale ; PREGNANCY

James Callow Keyword(s): Reference

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Birth

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Superstition

Italian Superstition:

Our family doesn't believe this, but my grandmother and some relatives do: when a pregnant woman craves for some specific food, and doesn't satisfy this crave, she will get a beauty mark in the shape of that food somewhere on her body. My cousin has a beauty mark similar to a pork chop and her mother claims to have craved for pork.

Data entry tech comment:

motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Reference

Original Bn [P680] crossed out and replaced with current classification

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; GROSSE POINTE WOODS ; Myself

Keyword(s): BABY ; BELIEF ; CHILD ; Craving ; ETHNIC ; FOOD ; Italian ; Old Wives Tale ; SUPERSTITION

James Callow Keyword(s): Reference

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Birth

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Superstition

Belief:

If a pregnant woman gets frightened and touches some part of her body, her child will be born with a birthmark on the same part of its body. The birthmark will be the same shape as the thing which frightened the mother.

Data entry tech comment:

motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Reference

Original BN [P438] crossed out and replaced with current classification

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Brukwinski, Anna

Keyword(s): BABY ; BELIEF ; CHILD ; FRIGHT ; Offspring ; Old Wives Tale ; PREGNANCY ; Scare ; SUPERSTITION

James Callow Keyword(s): Reference

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Birth

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Superstition

Belief:

A pregnant woman should avoid being scared or shocked because this will disfigure or mark the baby.

Examples:

1. During a fire, a terrified pregnant woman grabbed her face with her hands and the baby was born with a red streak on its face.

2. A pregnant woman was scared by a mouse, and her baby was born with a marking on its shoulder similar to a mouse.

Submitter comment:

The informant heard of these two instances while she as a young girl in Poland.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Reference

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; 5678 TARNOW ST ; Wojtowicz, Mary

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; Biology ; BIRTH ; Birthmark ; CHILD ; FEAR ; FIRE ; Mouse ; Offspring ; Old Wives Tale ; PREGNANCY ; RODENT ; SUPERSTITION

James Callow Keyword(s): Reference

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Birth

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Superstition

Pregnancy Belief:

When the informant was a student nurse in obstetrics at Mt. Carmel Hospital in 1968, she had a Slavic patient who had a patch of hair on her back at the base of her spine. the woman haad been told by her mother that she had been frightened by a bear while she was carrying her daughter. She was extrememly frightened when she suddenly saw the bearbut as she made the spontaneous gesture of clutching herself, she thought it would be dangerous to her child if she raised her hands to her face in fear in the front, so she reached behind and grabbed her back. She belived this had caused the patch on her daughter's back.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Reference

Where learned: Bauer, Patricia ; Public Health Nurse

Keyword(s): BABY ; Bear ; BELIEF ; CHILD ; CURSE ; FEAR ; infant ; jinx ; Offspring ; Old Wives Tale ; SUPERSTITION

James Callow Keyword(s): Reference

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Birth

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Superstition

If a pregnant woman is frightened by fire, the baby will have a red or purple birthmark.

Submitter comment:

Belief: Means of Cursing

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Reference

Original BN [P740] crossed out. Replaced with current classification

Where learned: HOME ; Kaminski, Anna

Keyword(s): BABY ; BIRTH ; Birthmark ; CHILD ; COLOR ; CURSE ; FEAR ; FIRE ; jinx ; Offspring ; Old Wives Tale ; Purple ; Red ; SUPERSTITION

James Callow Keyword(s): Reference

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Birth

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Superstition

My grandmother has a mark, which she calls a "fire mark" on her upper arm. It is oddly similar ro a birthmark, bu this is the story of its origin according to my grandmother:

When her mother was pregnant with her, there was a fire in the Russion town where they lived. Her mother went out to look at it, and the night was quite cold. She grasped her upper arm because of this cold, and so my grandmother was born with a mark in the same place her mother had held her arm.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Reference

Original BN [P840] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: Myself

Keyword(s): BABY ; BIRTH ; Birthmark ; Cold ; CURSE ; FEAR ; FIRE ; jinx ; Offspring ; Russia ; Scare ; SUPERSTITION

James Callow Keyword(s): Reference

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Birth

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Superstition

Belief:

If you're frightened during pregnancy after the 7th month the child will be born with a birth mark such as a strawberry or in the shape of a thing that produced the fright.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Reference

Original BN [P880] crossed out. Replaced with Current Classification

Where learned: HOME ; Takacs, Elsa

Keyword(s): BABY ; BIRTH ; CHILD ; CURSE ; FEAR ; jinx ; Offspring ; Old Wives Tale ; Scare ; SUPERSTITION

James Callow Keyword(s): Reference

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Birth

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Superstition

Superstition:

Pregnant women should not look at strawberries because then their children will develop red blotches on themselves (which look like strawberries).

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Reference

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

Where learned: HOME ; Lucas, Eleanor

Keyword(s): BABY ; BIRTH ; Birthmark ; CURSE ; jinx ; Mark ; Offspring ; Old Wives Tale ; PREGNANCY ; STRAWBERRY ; 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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Ethnic: Polish

House Initiation / Polish Custom:

Put  a cat in a house before you move into it and there will always be good luck.

Submitter comment:

A neighbor came over to borrow our cat for one of their relatives who had just bought a new house. These relatives of ournaighbors had just recently come over from Poland. I don't know the people's names and the neighbor doesn't live around here any more.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [F532] crossed out. Replaced with current classifications.

Message on the bottom of card:

[Please copy this item on the yellow card below so it will ALSO be filed under F686]

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Myself

Keyword(s): CAT ; ETHNIC ; fortune ; Good ; House ; Housewarming ; LUCK ; OMEN ; POLAND ; POLISH ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Initiation rite Hazing
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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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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Custom: Holiday

On February 2nd, the groundhog is said to come out of his place of hibernation to see if winter is over. If it is over, he will see his shadow, and if he does not see it, the groundhog returns for another six full weeks of winter.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

original BN [B462.642] crossed out. Replaced with current classification

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; CUSTOM ; Groundhog ; holiday ; SEASONS ; Shadow ; Spring ; WINTER

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Language

Equidae - Horse Family

Data entry tech comment:

Motif added by TRD

The only informatino given on the card is the BN and the three words.

Where learned: UNKNOWN

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; Biology ; Classification ; DEFINITION ; Equine ; FAMILY ; HORSE ; Language

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal
SPEECH -- Vocabulary
SPEECH -- Folk Name for Animal

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Belief: Animal

White Horse:

make a wish, and it will come true if you see a white horse.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

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

Where learned: PENNSYLVANIA ; Kosiorek, Regina ; ERIE

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; COLOR ; Equine ; HORSE ; LUCK ; SUPERSTITION ; White ; WISH

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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