Dr. James T. Callow publications
Browse by
Questions or comments on this site? Please email davidsor@udmercy.edu.
The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
Your search for P453 returned 293 results.
MR. TWADOWSKI, THE MAN IN THE MOON
THERE WAS A MAN NAMED TWADOWSKI WHO WANTED SOMETHING VERY BAD.
HE WANTED IT SO BAD THAT HE MADE A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL TO SELL
HIS SOUL. WHEN THE DEVIL AND HIS HELPERS CAME TO COLLECT
TWADOWSKI, HE RAN FOR A CHURCH SO THAT HE WOULD BE SAVED. THE
CHURCH WAS LOCKED. TWADOWSKI WAS CLINGING TO THE DOOR KNOB WHEN
THE DEVIL'S HELPERS CAUGHT HIM. HE WAS CLINGING SO HARD THAT THEY
HAD TO PULL THE DOOR OFF THE CHURCH TO CARRY HIM AWAY. AS THEY
WERE CARRYING HIM, HE KEPT SAYING THE HAIL MARY. WITH EACH HAIL
MARY, THE DOOR AND TWADOWSKI BECAME HEAVIER. FINALLY THE DEVIL
AND HIS HELPERS COULD NO LONGER CARRY TWADOWSKI. SO THEY DROPPED
HIM OFF ON THE MOON. AND TO THIS DAY YOU CAN STILL SEE HIS
SMILING FACE IN THE MOON.
Submitter comment: THIS STORY CAME OVER FROM POLAND.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HAMTRAMCK
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Moon BELIEF -- Expression of Fixed Form |
Date learned: 00-00-1913
IT IS BELIEVED THAT WHEN THERE IS A FULL MOON, YOU SHOULD AVOID
PEOPLE BORN UNDER THE ZODIAC SIGNS, PISCES, LIBRA, SCORPIO AND
ARIES. THESE SIGNS ARE ALL LABELED TEMPERAMENTAL AND THE MOON
AT ITS FULLEST HAS A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON THEM.
Where learned: MICHIGAN
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Moon |
CIRCLE AROUND THE MOON, MEANS RAIN THE NEXT DAY.
Submitter comment:
INFORMANTS FATHER USED TO SAY THIS IF HE SAW A 'CIRCLE'
AROUND THE MOON AT NIGHT. INFORMANT SAYS IT IS SOMETIMES
A TRUE PROPHECY.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Moon BELIEF -- Cloud Fog Mist Rain Hail Ice Snow Frost Dew |
Date learned: 00001940S
CUT HAIR ON A GROWING MOON.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Body part Senses BELIEF -- Moon BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal |
Date learned: 10-00-1987
A FULL MOON BRINGS OUT THE WORSE BEHAVIOR IN PEOPLE.
Submitter comment: SOUTHERN BLACK AMERICAN SAYING
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Moon BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim |
Date learned: 10-00-1987
Once when I was visiting a friend up north a full
moon was out. I was quite young, 6 years old, when
I was up there. I think I was in the questioning
stage of development, and I asked why the moon has
got those dark spots from. My friend said that those
are called craters and they got there a long time
ago. . . A woman was trying to put her baby to sleep
one night but he couldn't fall asleep because it
was too bright outside. So she went outside to see
why it was so bright. She discovered that the moon
had fallen from the sky and was now only a few feet
from her backyard. So what was the woman to do?
Her baby needed sleep! An idea finally hit her. She
went inside and grabbed her broom. She walked up
to the moon and began to poke and jab at it with the
broom handle causing it to go back towards the sky.
All night long she did this until it was back where
it came from. Upon looking up she saw all the darker
spots where she had hit the moon with her broom handle
causing little dimples. That's how craters got
on the moon.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Alba
| Subject headings: | PROSE NARRATIVE -- Moon BELIEF -- Moon |
Date learned: 00001976 CA
Balinese custom
Every fifteen days the moon appears. Everyone must go to the
temple to give an individual silent prayer.
Where learned: Bali ; Indonesia
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Church BELIEF -- Moon BELIEF -- Prayer |
Date learned: 00-00-1955
IF ONE IS CUTTING THE HAIR OF A CURLY-HAIRED CHILD AND
WANTS TO ENSURE THAT THE CHILD'S HAIR WILL REMAIN CURLY,
THE HAIRCUT SHOULD TAKE PLACE WHEN THERE IS A FULL MOON.
Where learned: VIRGINIA ; SPLASHDAM
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Body part Senses BELIEF -- Moon |
Date learned: 00001930ca
NEVER HAVE A TOOTH PULLED WHEN THE MOON IS IN THE SIGN
OF THE HEAD OR BAD WILL COME OF IT.
Submitter comment:
THIS WAS TOLD TO ME BY MY GRANDMOTHER, WHO FOLLOWS THE
MOON'S CYCLE FOR A NUMBER OF THINGS. THE SIGNS OF THE
ZODIAC EACH CORRESPOND TO A DIFFERENT PART OF THE BODY,
THE HEAD BEING THE SIGN OF CAPRICORN, THE RAM.
Where learned: VIRGINIA ; SPLASHDAM
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Body part Senses BELIEF -- Moon BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal BELIEF -- Bad luck |
Date learned: 00-00-1930
Sixty years ago in Ireland, children, at their
first glimpse of a full moon, were taught, in
order to escape bad luck or some dire calamity, to
use the following invocation:
"I see the moon, and the moon sees me.
God bless the moon, and God bless Me."
Submitter comment: My grandmother taught me this when I was little.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; SAINT CLAIR
Date learned: 00001970'S
When there is a full moon, the crazy people come out.
Where learned: MICHIGAN
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Physically handicapped Deformed BELIEF -- Moon |
Date learned: 00001980S
When the first child is born in the family hold it up to the
moon the first night of its birth for blessing from God.
Submitter comment:
My cousin was born on New Year's Day and my grandfather held
him up to the midnight moon and said a prayer.
Where learned: ALABAMA ; Linden
| Subject headings: | 686 Properties attributed to specific numbers or numerals individually. BELIEF -- Moon BELIEF -- Birth BELIEF -- Measure of time WeekDayHour BELIEF -- Prayer |
How To Become Invisible
Find a black cat. On a full moon go to where the roads cross
and boil a kettle of water. Drop the cat into the water. Boil
the flesh off the bones. Put the bone between your eyes and then
in your mouth. This will allow you to become invisible. Take
the bone out of your mouth and you will become visible again.
James Callow comment:
See Hyatt 5: nos. 10061, 10076, 10078, 10082-10086, 10091-
10095, etc. for the invisibility (disappearance) effect. Also
see Hyatt 1: 74-97 for an earlier section on the black cat bone.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Lansing
| Subject headings: | Charm / Enchantment / Conjuration Favorites BELIEF -- Body part Senses BELIEF -- Mammal BELIEF -- Moon BELIEF -- Sign Geometric figure Cross and its various modifications BELIEF -- Color |
Date learned: 02-10-1992
DON'T CUT YOUR HAIR UNTIL A FULL MOON,
OR IT WILL FALL OUT.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Body part Senses BELIEF -- Moon BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness |
PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH FARMING BELIEF
POTATOES AND PEAS SHOULD BE PLANTED WHEN THE MOON'S
HORNS POINT DOWNWARD.
Submitter comment: THAT IS, WHEN THE MOON IS WANING.
Where learned: PENNSYLVANIA ; MAUCH CHUNK
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- F476 BELIEF -- Moon BELIEF -- Plant husbandry Farming |
Date learned: 00001961 SUMMER
CHINESE FESTIVAL
DURING THE CHINESE MOON FESTIVAL, CHUNG CHIU, AT
MIDNIGHT, PERONS TRY TO 'CATCH THE MOON' BY GETTING
THE FULL MOON'S REFLECTION IN A BASIN OF WATER.
Where learned: DETROIT ; MICHIGAN, ASSUMED
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Measure of time Year CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Movable Date BELIEF -- Moon |
Date learned: 11-01-1967
IT IS UNLUCKY TO SEE THE NEW MOON OVER YOUR LEFT
SHOULDER.
Submitter comment: INFORMANT DIDN'T KNOW WHY.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; EAST DETROIT
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Moon BELIEF -- Bad luck |
Date learned: 02-28-1967
BAD LUCK TO SEE MOON OVER LEFT SHOULDER.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROSEVILLE
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Moon BELIEF -- Bad luck |
Date learned: 10-08-1965
THE VIET CONG WILL NOT FIGHT WHEN THERE IS A FULL
MOON OUT BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE IT IS BAD LUCK.
THIS ALSO IS VERY PRACTICAL BECAUSE THEY CAN
BE SEEN EASILY BY THE ENEMY.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Moon BELIEF -- War BELIEF -- Bad luck Activities |
Date learned: 01-16-1968
IF YOU SEE A NEW MOON THROUGH GLASS, IT IS BAD LUCK.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; WALSH COLLEGE
| Subject headings: | 686 Properties attributed to specific numbers or numerals individually. BELIEF -- Moon BELIEF -- Bad luck Numbers |
Date learned: 03-31-1970