Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
Your search for P860 returned 331 results.
THIS IS A SUPERSTITION THAT IS HELD IN MY FAMILY.IT IS
BELIEVED THAT ONE SHOULD BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL ABOUT
THROWING AWAY HAIR, BECAUSE IF RETRIEVED BY ONE WHO
KNOWS VOODOO A SPELL CAN BE PLACED ON THAT INDIVIDUAL.
Submitter comment:
I WAS TOLD THAT IN THE SOUTH VOODOO IS WIDELY BELIEVED IN
AND THAT THIS IS A WIDELY BELIEVED SUPERSTITION.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Lansing
| Subject headings: | Charm / Enchantment / Conjuration BELIEF -- Body part Senses Hair, on head, mustache, widow's peak BELIEF -- Use of Object |
Date learned: 00001980S
HOW TO FIND SOMETHING YOU LOST
IF YOU LOSE SOMETHING IN YOUR HOUSE, YOU SHOULD TAKE AN EMPTY
GLASS, AND IT MUST BE GLASS, AND TURN IT UPSIDE DOWN NEAR
RUNNING WATER (A SINK, ETC.). LEAVE THE GLASS THERE UNTIL YOU
FIND WHAT YOU LOST. YOU WILL FIND IT, AS LONG AS IT IS IN THE
HOUSE. THIS ALWAYS WORKS.
Submitter comment:
MR. SNIDER LEARNED THIS FROM HIS MOTHER IN OHIO WHO IS NOT THE
LEAST BIT SURPRISED WHEN SOMEBODY FINDS SOMETHING BY EMPLOYING
THIS METHOD. IT IS TAKEN FOR GRANTED THAT THIS WORKS.
Where learned: OHIO ; CLEVELAND
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Use of Object |
TO DETERMINE THE SEX OF A PREGNANT WOMAN'S BABY, TAKE
A NEEDLE AND THREAD IT WITH A LONG PIECE OF THREAD.
HOLD IT BY THE END OF THE THREAD SO THAT THE NEEDLE CAN
SWING FREELY. HOLD IT OVER THE PREGNANT WOMAN'S BELLY.
IF THE NEEDLE SWINGS IN A BACK AND FORTH DIRECTION THEN
THE BABY IS A BOY. IF THE NEEDLE SWINGS IN A CIRCULAR
MOTION, THEN THE BABY IS A GIRL.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): ANAPEL
James Callow Keyword(s): SEX DETERMINATION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Birth BELIEF -- Use of Object |
Date learned: 00001930ca
Turkish Coffee
To drink Turkish Coffee it must be poured into a little
specially made cup and saucer usually decorated with
nice art work. After drinking the coffee flip the saucer
over. Turkish Coffee has a heavy sediment build-up on the
bottom of the saucer. The coffee sediment will then dry and
take shape. The end result is your fortune which could be
good or bad. This fortune is depicted through the sediment
formations. After everybody has drunk their coffee the little
cups are brought over to the eldest people in the group and
those are the people who will tell the coffee drinkers their
good or bad fortunes.
Submitter comment:
My grandmother is the woman who described this good or bad
fortune tale to me. I have never tried Turkish Coffee
before because it is to thick and strong. The only good
thing that I like about this coffee is the rich smelling
aroma which it possesses.
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Use of Object |
Date learned: 00-00-1935
If you light a candle and pray to St Christopher, whatever
direction the candle flicker points to is the direction of a
lost item.
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Prayer BELIEF -- Use of Object |
Date learned: 00001970'S
Old English Saying
Mirror, mirror tell me
Am I pretty or plain?
Or am I downright ugly, and ugly to remain?
Shall I marry a gentleman?
Shall I marry a clown?
Or shall I marry old knives and scissors
Shouting through this town?
Submitter comment: A saying of women in fear of becoming an "old maid."
Where learned: ENGLAND ; LONDON
Keyword(s): Knife Grinder
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Lyrical Verse BELIEF -- Marriage BELIEF -- Use of Object |
Date learned: 00-00-1990
In many English Weddings, the shoe of the bride is thrown
by the principal bridesmaid, and the others run after it.
It is supposed that she who gets it will be married first.
It is then thrown amongst the men and he who is hit
will be first wedded.
Submitter comment: Old English custom.
Where learned: ENGLAND ; LONDON
| Subject headings: | 686 Properties attributed to specific numbers or numerals individually. CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Marriage BELIEF -- Use of Object |
Date learned: 00-00-1990
My grandmother used to read tea leaves in order to see the
future. She predicted several things with astounding accuracy.
The most astounding prediction was that of her daughter's
blond friend having some sort of medical problem in her throat.
Several months later one of the daughter's blond haired friends
was rushed to the hospital with a burst thyroid.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; CENTERLINE
| Subject headings: | Prophet / Seer / Soothsayer BELIEF -- Use of Object |
Date learned: 00-00-1973
Before you eat an apple, take the stem and twist it around
until it comes off. Every time you make a twist, say a letter of
the alphabet, and the last letter that you say when the stem
breaks will be the first letter of the name of your husband.
Submitter comment:
Christine did this with her friends when she was younger to
see what her husband's name would be.
Where learned: MICHIGAN
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Plant BELIEF -- Marriage BELIEF -- Word Letter BELIEF -- Use of Object |
Date learned: 00001970S
It is believed in Greece that if an unmarried woman places three
"koufetta," meaning sugar-coated almonds, taken from a priest's tray
(meaning they were blessed) during a wedding, and places them under
her pillow at night while she is sleeping, she will see in her dreams
who she is to marry. The same is true for an unmarried male.
Where learned: GREECE
Date learned: 00001950CA
Funeral Superstition
One should never count the number of cars in the line of a
funeral procession. For every car which one counts, he/she will
lose a year of his/her life.
Submitter comment:
My grandmother, who is Italian, told me of this superstition
when I was five years old. The reason that she told me of this
particular belief is that I had just learned to count and I began
to count all of the objects that I looked at. For example,
railroad cars were a favorite of mine to count. Therefore, she
believed that if she told me of this belief, I would have a long
and prosperous life.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; KALAMAZOO
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial BELIEF -- Measure of time Year BELIEF -- Number Counting beliefs BELIEF -- Use of Object |
Date learned: 00-00-1975
Take a necklace a hang it over a lady's arm. If it swing in a
circle it will be some time before she has a baby. If it swing
horizontal she will have a little girl. If it swings vertical she
will have a little boy.
Where learned: DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): ANAPEL
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Birth BELIEF -- Use of Object |
Date learned: 00001960S
Wedding receptions
It is customary for the bride to throw her bouquet away at her
reception. The lady who catches it is said to be the next one to
marry. A friend of mine is getting married on May 2 and all of us
are predicting that another friend of ours named Bridget (who is
the last of us to be married) will be the one to catch the
bouquet.
Submitter comment: Hopefully she will be the one to marry next.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Marriage Bouquet toss BELIEF -- Use of Object |
IN HER FAMILY, A WEDDING CAKE HAS A RING IN IT AND
THE FIRST ONE TO GET THE RING ON THEIR PLATE WILL
BE MARRIED NEXT.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Marriage Wedding cake BELIEF -- Use of Object |
Date learned: 03-00-1971
BULGARIAN CUSTOM
ON NEW YEAR'S EVE IN RURAL BULGARIA, THE OLDEST PERSON IN
THE HOUSEHOLD BREAKS FRESH LOAF OF BREAD OVER HIS HEAD.
IF WHEN THE LOAF BREAKS, THE LARGEST CHUNK REMAINS IN
THE RIGHT HAND, THERE WILL BE A GOOD HARVEST FORTHCOMING.
THERE WILL NOT BE A GOOD HARVEST IF THE LARGEST PIECE OF
BREAD BREAKS INTO HIS LEFT HAND.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 31 New Year's Eve Food Drink -- Typical menus for the various meals For meal hours, see F574.84. Special or festive meals BELIEF -- Use of Object |
Date learned: 03-21-1970
ON NEW YEAR'S EVE AT MIDNIGHT, YOU CAN SEE THE FUTURE IF
YOU WALK BACKWARDS AND LOOK INTO A MIRROR. YOU WILL SEE
YOUR BOYFRIEND IN THE MIRROR, AND YOU CAN SOMETIMES SEE
THE DEVIL IN IT.
Submitter comment:
INFORMANT SAID SHE ONCE HAD THE MIRROR READY TO LOOK AT
MIDNIGHT BUT SHE GOT SCARED AND PUT IT AWAY BECAUSE SHE
WAS AFRAID SHE WOULD SEE THE DEVIL.
GRANDMOTHER OF COLLECTOR=MRS. MARY ABRAMS.
Where learned: HOME
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 31 New Year's Eve BELIEF -- Use of Object BELIEF -- Fate Destiny Luck Chance |
Date learned: 11-10-1970
ON NEW YEAR'S EVE, FINNISH CHILDREN MELT LEAD OVER
A FIRE, THEN TOSS IT--IT HARDENS AND THEY PROPHESY THEIR
FUTURE FROM THE SHAPE IT TAKES.
Submitter comment:
HEARD FROM HELEMI WILEMIUS, A SALESLADY AT THE J. L.
HUDSON CO.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 31 New Year's Eve BELIEF -- Use of Object |
Date learned: 00001964 SUMMER
SWEDISH CUSTOM
MELT PIECES OF SILVER IN A PAN AND TELL FORTUNES BY THE
FORMS THE SILVER TAKES.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; BIRMINGHAM
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 31 New Year's Eve BELIEF -- Use of Object BELIEF -- Use of Object BELIEF -- Fate Destiny Luck Chance |
Date learned: 10-01-1967
IF YOU LOOK IN THE MIRROR AT MIDNIGHT ON NEW YEAR'S EVE,
YOU WILL SEE THE FACE OF THE MAN YOU WILL MARRY.
Submitter comment: UNKNOWN SOURCE.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 31 New Year's Eve BELIEF -- Use of Object BELIEF -- Use of Object BELIEF -- Fate Destiny Luck Chance |
Date learned: 00001967 FALL
ON NEW YEAR'S EVE, BREAK AN EGG AND DROP THE EGG WHITE IN
A GLASS OF WATER. PUT THE GLASS IN A COLD PLACE OVERNIGHT.
IN THE MORNING THE SHAPE OF THE EGG WHITE IN THE GLASS
OF WATER WILL PREDICT YOUR FORTUNE FOR THE YEAR.
EXAMPLES: A SHIP MEANS TRAVEL; TALL BUILDINGS MEAN BUSINESS
IN THE CITY; LOTS OF LITTLE PEARLS MEAN EXTRA GOOD LUCK.
NO SHAPE AT ALL MEANS THERE COULD BE SICKNESS OR SOME
LITTLE PROBLEM OUT OF THE ORDINARY.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WARREN
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 31 New Year's Eve BELIEF -- Use of Object BELIEF -- Use of Object BELIEF -- Fate Destiny Luck Chance BELIEF -- Good luck |
Date learned: 09-17-1968