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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
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IN THE GYM AT MY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WE USED TO HAVE A ROPE
ABOUT THIRTY FEET LONG THAT HUNG DOWN FROM THE CENTER OF
THE CEILING. EVERY YEAR EACH PERSON WAS REQUIRED TO TRY TO
CLIMB THE ROPE AS FAR AS THEY COULD FOR GYM CLASS. EVERY
BOY THAT TRIED CARRIED A PENCIL IN HIS MOUTH. IT WAS BELIEVED
THAT IF YOU GOT TO THE TOP AND WROTE THE NAME OF THE GIRL YOU
LIKED ON THE CEILING, SHE WOULD LIKE YOU BACK. THE TEACHERS
USUALLY ENCOURAGED THIS PRACTICE AND EVERY YEAR THE CEILING
WAS CLEANED TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE NEXT YEAR'S CLASS.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; SAGINAW
| Subject headings: | Favorites CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- School BELIEF -- School BELIEF -- Marriage BELIEF -- Word Letter |
Thumper
This is a drinking game that my sister taught me.
In order to play there must be at least 7 people,
actually the more the better. Another requirement
is that all the people must have at least a good
"buzz." This makes the game all the better.
Everyone should sit around a table with a glass of
whatever they are drinking. Now comes the fun part.
The rules of the game are not very difficult under
normal conditions. One person is chosen to be the
leader. Everyone playing has a certain sign or
symbol. These signs are usually a hand gesture or
a combination of hand gestures. The players then
go around the table to review the signs before the
game starts just to make sure they understand them.
The leader then calls the start of the game, does
their ( his or her) sign first, then another player's
sign. This other player does their sign first,
then another person's. This goes on like this in
any order until a person forgets their sign, does
a wrong sign, or signs in the wrong order. As the game
progresses the pace gradually gets to a point where
it is very fast. This all sounds easy but it can become
very confusing. I'll give an example of how it's
played with the exception of some words since they
are not appropriate. All of this is said at the top
of your lungs.
Leader: What's the name of the game?
All: Thumper!
Leader: How do you play?
All: Dirty!
Leader: How dirty?
All: #!?%'n Dirty!
Leader: (their sign ... then a player's sign)
Player: (their sign ... then a player's sign)
This goes on until someone makes a mistake then that
player must take a drink. A last note is that a player
can also pass back to the leader. This is actually
quite a fun game to watch to see everyone make fools
out of themselves.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WARREN
| Subject headings: | Favorites Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Bodily Activity Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Memory SPEECH -- Gesture |
While looking at a friend's scrap book I noticed
that they had pictures of their old pets, but
no current pictures of current pets. When I asked
why, the response was that if you took a picture of
your pet it would soon die afterwards. This was
said with conviction and firm belief. The reason
the belief was so strong was that this happened
to 4 of their pets after they took their picture.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): Post hoc reasoning
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Animal BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness |
Date learned: 00001988 ca
Light as a Feather
I first learned this game while at a slumber party.
This game is best played in the dark with 2 or more
people.
One person lies in the middle of the floor on his/her
back with their arms at their sides, as if in a
coffin. The remaining people gather around the person
lying on the floor and place their index fingers
under them as if they were going to pick them up.
One of the people gathered around begins to tell a
story in which the person lying down has died. The
person lying down is supposed to concentrate very
hard and imagine their own death and dying. The
object is to get the person to concentrate so hard
that they "leave their body" and the people around
the person should be able to pick them up off
the floor with their index fingers. This should be
able to be done since the person left their body,
making it lighter.
Submitter comment:
My informant said that while she was playing it
didn't work, although someone she knew tried it
and it worked.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WARREN
| Subject headings: | Favorites Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Special Object or Implement |
Date learned: 00001979 ca
Balinese custom
If a set of twins are born, a boy and a girl, one of the
babies must be given away or left out on the street for three
days until someone else takes it.
Where learned: Bali ; Indonesia
Date learned: 00-00-1955
Chinese custom
When a close family member dies, you still may give them gifts
by making the gift out of paper in its actual size and then by
burning it.
Where learned: CHINA
Date learned: 00-00-1955
When my family and friends are sitting around the
house watching television, we have a saying when
you get up to go to the bathroom or get something
from the refrigerator. The saying is "Place back."
Saying "Place back" means that when you come back
you get your seat back. If you don't say "Place
back," anyone can take your seat from you. When
you come back and see that your seat is gone,
the person sitting in your chair must say,
"Move your meat, lose your seat" before you say
"Place back."
Submitter comment:
The game came about from not having enough
comfortable seats in the house. We were always
arguing who got to sit in the best chair.
Where learned: MICHIGAN
James Callow Keyword(s): Reservation formula
| Subject headings: | Favorites Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech SPEECH -- Formula |
Date learned: 00-00-1978
What did the monkey say when it backed into the
fan? "It won't be long now."
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; LENNON
James Callow Keyword(s): Wellerism posed as a riddle
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROVERB -- Wellerism Quotation RIDDLE -- Riddle Question |
Date learned: 00-00-1981
To insure that a healthy baby will be born, make a sign of the
cross on the mother's belly every day before delivery.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; GRAND RAPIDS
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Birth SPEECH -- Gesture |
Date learned: 00-00-1990
If you sleep restlessly or are awakened in the middle of the
night, a spirit is trying to take away your soul. To get rid
of the spirit, turn your bedroom light on and off three times
and you will sleep sound the rest of the night.
Data entry tech comment:
Updated by TRD
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WARREN
Keyword(s): BELIEF ; Haunting ; LIGHT ; REMEDY ; SPIRIT ; SUPERNATURAL ; SUPERSTITION
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Devil Demon BELIEF -- Measure of time Sleeping |
TO KEEP FROM SNEEZING, THINK OF A COW AND YOU
WILL NOT SNEEZE.
Submitter comment: THIS REMEDY REALLY WORKS
Where learned: MISSISSIPPI
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Mammal BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness |
Date learned: 10-00-1987
"HAIR OF THE DOG"
MR. MOOR SAYS THAT THE BEST CURE FOR A
HANGOVER IS TO DRINK MORE OF WHAT GAVE THE HANGOVER.
Submitter comment: MR. MOOR SWEARS BY THIS REMEDY.
Where learned: MISSOURI ; DEXTER
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Mammal BELIEF -- P760B |
Date learned: 00001978 ca
On February 16, 1970 a baby girl was born,
bringing tremendous joy to her parents, Charlie
and Rosemary. They named her Stephanie. The
Millers typified the perfect family. They lived
in a small ranch house in Dearborn, close to the
Allen Park and Melvindale borders. This home was
the picture of gaiety and happiness, abundant with
plenty of flowers in the garden, and the sound of
a baby's laughter. "It was a family right out of
a storybook, all they needed was a white picket
fence...," reminisced Rosemary's sister Claire.
Every story must have an ending, though, and
this one happened to be tragic instead of happy.
On September 3, 1972, Rosemary died, and Charlie's
life was shattered. "If it had not been for
Stephanie, he would have fell off the deep end
right then," commented Claire. It was a horrible
tragedy for everyone concerned.
Charles dedicated all his energy and love on
Stephanie after Rosemary's death, really spoiled
her, and never let her out of his sight. He
even called her Rosie sometimes. In this way,
Stephanie became her father's entire world.
Nearly three years had passed after Rosemary's
death, when yet another tragedy took place as told
by Claire:
It was a real foggy and rainy day, just like
in those late night movies, and Charles and
Stephanie were playing inside. Well, as far
as I figured it, something happened that made
him (Charles) mad at Stephanie. Anyhow, he
yelled at her, which he rarely did, and she
ran outside, right into the street. There
was this big truck coming, one of those
dump trucks. Anyhow, Stephanie ran right
in front of it. It weren't his (the truck
driver's) fault. He slammed on his brakes,
but the road being wet and all... well she
was hit and killed right away.
Stephanie's death not only altered Charles' life,
but Charles himself. According to Claire, he ceased to
speak of anything coherently, and just sat around
rambling on and on about his lost daughter. "Then
one day, he got up, got dressed, and announced he
was going shopping," related Claire.
When he returned from his excursion, he had
purchased a plastic life-sized doll, which from then
on became his daughter Stephanie. Charles set the doll
in front of the picture window to show everyone that
she was still alive. "He was insane with guilt; he
just reverted to a fantasy world, because he could
not deal with the reality," explained Claire.
Charles formed a daily ritual of dressing, feeding
and playing with his substitute for Stephanie, and
has kept this up religiously for over nine years.
But, there is yet another twist to this sad story:
He (Charles) claims that every rainy day at 5 p.m.,
the time of Stephanie's death, you can actually hear
the tires of the truck screeching and squealing.
He runs to the window with the doll to make sure she
stays inside. But what gets me, is that others that
are in the area at that time have claimed that
they heard sounds also...
The flower gardens are now barren, and the house
seems dead in itself. The only visible sign of life
is a motionless child in the window, and the faint
sounds of tires screeching in the distance, believe
it or not.
Submitter comment:
I was able to speak with "Charles" himself, but his
sister-in-law who has lived with him since his wife's
death, helped fill me in on the details of this
story. I was also asked to leave out the actual
names of the people involved for discretion's sake.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT AREA
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Ghost Spirit Phantom Specter PROSE NARRATIVE -- Human Being |
Date learned: 02-00-1984
ONCE THERE WERE TWO COYOTES. ONE WAS FROM MONTANA
AND THE OTHER WAS FROM NORTH DAKOTA. ONE DAY THE
NORTH DAKOTA COYOTE GOT HIS PAW CAUGHT IN A
TRAP. THE MONTANA COYOTE HAPPENED TO BE WANDERING
BY, SO THE NORTH DAKOTA COYOTE ASKED THE
MONTANA COYOTE HOW TO GET OUT OF THE TRAP.
THE MONTANA COYOTE REPLIED, "YOU WILL HAVE TO
CHEW OFF YOUR PAW," AND THEN WENT ABOUT HIS
BUSINESS. A FEW DAYS LATER THE MONTANA COYOTE
HAPPENED TO BE PASSING BY THE SAME SPOT AND
SAW THE NORTH DAKOTA COYOTE STILL CAUGHT IN THE
TRAP. HE ASKED THE NORTH DAKOTA COYOTE WHY HE
HAD NOT ESCAPED. THE NORTH DAKOTA COYOTE
REPLIED, "I HAVE CHEWED OFF THREE OF MY PAWS
AND I STILL CANNOT GET OUT OF THIS TRAP!"
Submitter comment:
IN MONTANA THE BRUNT OF MOST JOKES ARE PEOPLE
FROM NORTH DAKOTA. NORTH DAKOTANS ARE THE
"POLLACKS" OF THE NORTHWEST.
Where learned: MONTANA ; FROMBERG
James Callow Keyword(s): ANIMALS
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Jest Anecdote PROSE NARRATIVE -- Stupid man or woman Food Drink -- NORT |
Date learned: 01-00-1980
BLOODY KNUCKLES
THIS IS A GAME OF PAIN TOLERANCE. THE OPPONENTS FACE
EACH OTHER WITH THEIR HANDS, FISTS CURLED, TOUCHING.
THE PERSON WHO WINS A TOSS OF THE COIN HAS HIS HANDS
SLIGHTLY ON TOP. THE OBJECT FOR THE PERSON WITH
HIS HANDS ON TOP IS TO BRING HIS KNUCKLES
DOWN VERY HARD ON THE OTHER PERSON'S HAND.
THE PERSON WHOSE HANDS ARE ON THE BOTTOM HAS TO
TRY TO ANTICIPATE THE MOVEMENT AND MOVE HIS HANDS, CAUSING
THE PERSON TRYING TO HIT TO MISS. THE PERSON ON TOP
CONTINUES TO TRY TO HIT UNTIL HE MISSES, AT THIS TIME THE
TWO HAND POSITIONS ARE CHANGED. THE LOSER IS THE ONE WHO
SAYS HE HAS HAD ENOUGH FIRST.
Submitter comment:
ANOTHER VERSION OF THIS GAME IS PLAYED WITH OPEN PALMS
AND IS CALLED SLAP.
BLOODY KNUCKLE PUNISHMENT IS OFTEN USED AS PUNISHMENT
FOR LOSING IN GAMES SUCH AS PAPER, SCISSORS, ROCK.
Where learned: MONTANA ; FROMBERG
| Subject headings: | Favorites Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Pastime Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Athletic sport and exercise Gymnastics |
This is a game that was first introduced to me as
a child, by my father. It is played while going
for a long ride in the car. Two or more people
are needed in order to play. The object of the
game is to be the first person to go through the
entire alphabet (letter by letter, starting with 'A')
finding objects that begin with each letter. These
objects can be words on a sign, buildings, people,
sayings on a passing car, or any other things that a
person sees while driving in a car.
For example, a billboard on the side of the road has
an advertisement for an "Apple orchard" that is in
the area. The player who spots the word "apple" on the
billboard yells "Apple" while pointing to it, so
other players can verify his claim. Once it is
verified, this person is now able to look for
something that begins with a 'B', while the other
players must still find something that begins with an
'A'. The game continues in this fashion until all 26
letters are exhausted. The winner is the person who,
after finding the first 25, spots and yells out
something that begins with a 'Z'. Since there is no
repeating what another player has already used, the
game can be quite lengthy. But a good way to keep
kids occupied while going on vacation, as my father
would say.
Submitter comment: The hardest letters to find are Q, X, Y, and Z.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): TRAVEL
| Subject headings: | Favorites Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Pastime |
Date learned: 00001970S
When I was a little girl our family used to sit
together on Friday nights and tell stories. One of
these stories was told in my family to at least 3 or
4 generations. It was a true story. My great, great
grandparents lived in a house that was moved from a
cemetery to its current spot. Unexplained noises and
voices could be heard coming from the attic and
therefore no one would go up to the attic because it
was strongly believed that there were ghosts up there.
Submitter comment:
Informant still believes that this is a true story.
Data entry tech comment:
Updated by TRD
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): CEMETERY ; HAUNTED ; House
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Ghost Spirit Phantom Specter PROSE NARRATIVE -- Product or activity of man or animal |
Date learned: 00001940S
If a woman or girl sings at the table, she
will marry a crazy man.
Submitter comment:
Informant said this happened to a friend of hers who
used to listen to the radio and sing while she was
eating. When she grew up she married a man who was
crazy.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): EATING ; FUNCTION ; Meals ; TABLE MANNERS
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Physically handicapped Deformed BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal BELIEF -- Marriage BELIEF -- Measure of time Eating For menu, see N222. |
Date learned: 00001940S
LUMINARI
LUMINARI IS FROM A SPANISH WORD MEANING LIGHT, AND
IS THE CUSTOM OF LIGHTING STREETS OF A NEIGHBORHOOD WITH
CANDLELIGHT TO SYMBOLIZE THE BONFIRES THE SHEPHERDS BUILT
TO LIGHT THEIR WAY TO THE MANGER IN BETHLEHEM ON THE
FIRST CHRISTMAS EVE. FOR THE MODERN DAY YOUNG-AT-HEARTS,
IT IS ALSO BE DESCRIBED AS LIGHTING THE WAY FOR SANTA.
WHEN DONE WITH UNANIMOUS COOPERATION, THE EFFECT IS
MOST IMPRESSIVE AND HEARTWARMING IN THIS SEASON OF
"GOOD WILL TOWARDS ALL MEN."
THE PROCEDURE INVOLVED IS RELATIVELY SIMPLE AND SAFE.
PLACE 2 INCHES OF SAND IN THE BOTTOM OF A BROWN PAPER
LUNCH BAG. THEN PLACE THE CANDLE IN THE BAG. KEEP THE
CANDLES IN A DRY AND WARM PLACE UNTIL CHRISTMAS EVE.
#ON CHRISTMAS EVE#
1. TAKE THE BAGS OUTSIDE PRIOR TO THE LIGHTING TIME AND
PLACE THEM IN A LINE ALONG THE STREET, SPACING THEM
ABOUT NINE (9) FEET APART. USE THE EXTRA BAGS TO LINE
YOUR DRIVEWAY.
2. PLACE EACH BAG WITH A SLIGHT TAMPING ACTION TO MAKE
SURE THE SAND IS EVENLY DISTRIBUTED IN THE BOTTOM OF
THE BAG. ALSO ENSURE THAT EACH BAG IS STANDING UP
ERECTLY AND THE TOP IS OPENED.
3. MAKE SURE THE CANDLE IS SET IN THE APPROXIMATE CENTER
OF THE BAG. IF THE DIRECTIONS ARE CARRIED OUT, THE
FLAME OF THE CANDLE WILL NOT TOUCH THE SIDE OF THE
BAG AND BURN SAFELY.
4. CANDLES ARE TO BE LIGHTED AT 5:30 P.M. SHARP ON
CHRISTMAS EVE.
5. IN THE EVENT OF INCLEMENT WEATHER ON CHRISTMAS EVE,
THE LIGHTING OF THE "LUMINARI" WILL BE POSTPONED
UNTIL CHRISTMAS NIGHT.
Submitter comment:
THIS TRADITION HAS BEEN GOING ON IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD
SINCE WE MOVED THERE IN 1975. IT LOOKS IN THE DARK
WHEN DRIVING THROUGH THE SUBDIVISION LIKE AN
AIRPORT RUNWAY.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; SAGINAW
| Subject headings: | Favorites CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 21 solstice to March 20 Lights and candles CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 21 solstice to March 20 Santa Claus |
Date learned: 00-00-1975
IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, THE PEOPLE LIVING IN THE
LOWER PENINSULA HOLD UP THEIR RIGHT OR LEFT HAND
LIKE A MITTEN AND POINT TO THE PLACE ON THEIR HAND
WHICH SHOWS THE LOCATION OF THE CITY IN WHICH
THEY LIVE.(POINT TO THE PALM ON THE RIGHT HAND OR
BACKHAND OF THE LEFT.)
Submitter comment:
THE LOWER PENINSULA OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN LOOKS
LIKE A MITTEN.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; SAGINAW
James Callow Keyword(s): GEOGRAPHY OF A STATE
| Subject headings: | Favorites SPEECH -- Gesture |
Date learned: 00001970S