Back to Top
Top Nav content Site Footer
University Home
James T. Callow Computerized Folklore Archive
search for

Offensive content Filter is ON

Your search for ILLINOIS returned 362 results.

prev | items
| next

Nuts & Candy

Informant's father, on Christmas Day and New Year's Day, throws nuts and candy at everyone and wishes them good luck and good health.

 

Where learned: ILLINOIS ; CHICAGO

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 21 solstice to March 20

View just this record

Pennies

Between Christmas and New Year's, informant puts pennies on all the window sills and this brings wealth in the next year.

Where learned: ILLINOIS ; CHICAGO

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 21 solstice to March 20

View just this record

Three Kings

Informant writes the name of the Three Kings above the door after Christmas time for good luck (The Feast of the Three Kings).

 

Where learned: ILLINOIS ; CHICAGO

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 21 solstice to March 20

View just this record

Old and New Spirits

On New Year's, just at 12 o'clock, open the front and back doors or windows to let the old spirits out and the new ones in.

Where learned: ILLINOIS ; CHICAGO

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 21 solstice to March 20

View just this record

Nobody Loves Me

Nobody loves me, everybody hates me.
Think I'll eat some worms.
Big ones, little ones, ishy, gishy, goo ones,
Ones that squiggle and squirm.

First one's greasy -- goes down easy
Second one sticks to your tongue.
Third one's custard, fourth one's mustard
Fifth one tries to run.

First you cut the heads off
Then you suck the juice out
Then you throw the skins away.
No one knows how (name) can live on worms three times a day.

 

Where learned: CHILDHOOD ; ILLINOIS ; CHICAGO ; PLAYGROUND

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Children

View just this record

Ten Little Children

There were ten little children lying in bed
And the last one said: Roll over.
So they all rolled over and one fell off
And there were nine little children lying in bed
And the last one said: Roll over.
So they all rolled over and one fell off
And there were eight little children lying in bed
And the last one said: Roll over.
So they all rolled over and one fell off
And there were seven little children lying in bed
And the last one said: Roll over.
So they all rolled over and one fell off
And there were six little children lying in bed
And the last one said: Roll over.
So they all rolled over and one fell off
And there were five little children lying in bed
And the last one said: Roll over.
So they all rolled over and one fell off
And there were four little children lying in bed
And the last one said: Roll over.
So they all rolled over and one fell off
And there were three little children lying in bed
And the last one said: Roll over.
So they all rolled over and one fell off
And there were two little children lying in bed
And the last one said: Roll over.
So they all rolled over and one fell off
And there was one little child lying in bed
And he said: Good night!

 


 

Where learned: CHILDHOOD ; ILLINOIS ; CHICAGO

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Children

View just this record

Modification of Historical Poem

Listen my children and you shall hear,
The midnight ride of the can of beer.
Down the alley and over the fence,
I've got the beer,
Who's got the ten cents?

 

Submitter comment:

Taught by Sister M. Eulalia in grade five. She learned this when she was a child which is easily seen by the price of the beer.


 

Where learned: ILLINOIS ; PEORIA ; 5th grade teacher

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Narrative Verse

View just this record

It's Raining

It's raining, it's pouring,
The old man is snoring.
He went to bed, bumped his head,
And couldn't get up in the morning.

 

Where learned: CHILDHOOD ; ILLINOIS ; CHICAGO

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Children

View just this record

If a bird flies in your window or sits on a window ledge it's a sign of bad news.

 

Data entry tech comment:

Informant and collector share the same surname.

 

Where learned: ILLINOIS ; CHICAGO

Subject headings: Observation
BELIEF -- Bird
BELIEF -- Bad luck

View just this record

Even moderation ought not to be practiced to excess.

 

Submitter comment:

On a church bulletin board in Fairbury, Illinois; recorded in Catholic Digest Magazine.

Data entry tech comment:

Informant and collector are the same person.

 

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; GARDEN CITY ; ILLINOIS ; church bulletin board ; Catholic Digest Magazine ; Fairbury

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Art Craft Architecture Art, Craft, Architecture

View just this record

Winter Warning

Drive carefully! The doctors are vacationing in Florida!

 

Submitter comment:

News Bee Pub. 1968 Havey Illinois - Anonymous Author

Data entry tech comment:

Informant and collector are the same person.

 

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; GARDEN CITY ; ILLINOIS ; News Bee

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Art Craft Architecture Art, Craft, Architecture

View just this record

Graffiti

Please help me, I am trapped behind this cement wall

(written backwards as if written from the inside)

 

Submitter comment:

Informant found this written in a subway tunnel.

 

Where learned: ILLINOIS ; CHICAGO ; subway tunnel

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Art Craft Architecture Art, Craft, Architecture

View just this record

prev | items
| next

Back to Top