Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
Your search for P434 returned 35 results.
THERE IS A WHITE SLAVERY RING IN THE UNITED STATES WHERE THE VICTIMS
ARE TAKEN FROM SHOPPING MALLS. THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT TOOK PLACE
AT FAIRLANE MALL. TWO MEN APPROACH A WOMAN WHO IS BY HERSELF ON
EITHER SIDE OF HER. THEY INJECT HER WITH SOMETHING THAT KNOCKS HER
OUT. THE WOMAN IS THEN TAKEN TO SOUTH AMERICA. THIS HAPPENS IN
J. C. PENNEY STORES IN MALLS.
Submitter comment:
THE INFORMANT WAS TOLD THIS BY A STUDENT WHO BELIEVES IT TO BE TRUE.
THEY ARE KEEPING THIS STORY QUIET SO THAT PEOPLE WON'T BE AFRAID TO
GO TO THE MALL.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Outlaw Criminal Bandit Pirate |
Date learned: 11-00-1987
WHEN WE WERE LITTLE AND USED TO GO SWIMMING IN LAKE HURON
MY MOM WOULD WARN US NOT TO GO OUT TOO FAR IN THE WATER OR
THE GHOSTS OF PIRATES THAT DROWNED IN SHIPWRECKS WOULD DRAG
US UNDER THE WATER AND WE WOULD NEVER BE HEARD FROM EVER
AGAIN.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; SAGINAW
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Ghost Spirit Phantom Specter BELIEF -- Outlaw Criminal Bandit Pirate |
Mafia Tradition
Mafia members send white roses to the widow of an
enemy upon his death. This means that they will take
care of the widow. The grudge is broken because her
husband is dead.
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Death Funeral Burial BELIEF -- Outlaw Criminal Bandit Pirate BELIEF -- Plant BELIEF -- Color |
Date learned: 00001972CA
Mafia Tradition
Oldest child has the responsibility to take care
of his father when the father is over 65 years old.
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank BELIEF -- Outlaw Criminal Bandit Pirate BELIEF -- Number P686.1.66 |
Date learned: 00001972CA
Mafia Tradition
Oldest child has the responsibility to take care of
mother both financially and emotionally when the father
dies.
Date learned: 00001972CA
If you hit or slap your mother, your hand will stick up in
your coffin.
Submitter comment:
Basically an old wives' tale, although I did hear my aunt tell
my cousin that her coffin would be shaped funny after she
jokingly hit her.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Outlaw Criminal Bandit Pirate BELIEF -- Body part Senses BELIEF -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank |
In the old days beggars used to stand outside the churches
after services and ask for money from the worshippers. If
someone didn't give, he was cursed by the beggar. It is
believed that even today beggars have the power to curse
people.
Where learned: ENGLAND ; LONDON
Keyword(s): MAGIC
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Outlaw Criminal Bandit Pirate BELIEF -- Curse |
Date learned: 00-00-1991
My mother told me this story. Mr. Scott was a wealthy but much
disliked citizen of Detroit. When he died the city erected a
statue to him but nobody understood why they would erect a
statue to such a hated man. Apparently Mr. Scott left a large
sum of money to the city with the condition that it be spent on
a fountain in his honor. Therefore, the city had no choice but
to either let the money sit unused or to use it to build a
fountain to a man they hated and there the fountain is.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Outlaw Criminal Bandit Pirate |
Date learned: 00001970CA
The Legend of the Shoe Tree
This is the Legend of the Shoe Tree: If you drive down a
certain back road (road name not known) in Northville, Michigan
you will come across a tree with hundreds of shoes thrown up into
it. Legend has it that a murderer used to kill his victims and
leave his mark by throwing each victim's shoes into the tree. It
is also believed that anyone who touches the tree or anything in
it will be cursed and then die.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; LIVONIA
James Callow Keyword(s): Touching tabu
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Outlaw Criminal Bandit Pirate BELIEF -- Plant BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal BELIEF -- Curse BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness |
Date learned: 00-00-1990
Placing baking soda in a watermelon will cause stomach cramps
and diarrhea.
Submitter comment:
This informant's neighbor had a watermelon patch. Other
people were stealing watermelons from him. He cut a small hole
on the underside of the watermelon while it was still on the vine
laying on the ground, poured in baking soda, so those stealing
the watermelon would "pay" for stealing from his patch.
James Callow comment:
Cf. Puckett, Ohio, no. 27498: "Watermelon and soda bicarb
taken together will kill you."
Where learned: Camben ; Arkansas
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Outlaw Criminal Bandit Pirate BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness |
Date learned: 00-00-1944
Louie and the Ditch
When I was a little girl, all my cousins and aunts and uncles
would meet at my grandparents' house on Sundays for dinner. There
was a sandbox under a "helicopter tree" which was made for us to
play in. We also played down the hill, and rode bikes in the
driveway. The only place we were not allowed to play was in or
around "Louie's Ditch." This was a ditch by the road at the edge
of the farm which was covered by trees and would become filled with
water after the rains. Anytime we became too wild or were being
bad, Grandma or one of the aunts or uncles would remind us that
Louie comes and takes bad children into his ditch, so we had to be
good. This also worked if they wanted us to come into the house;
they would say that Louie was coming, or that they had just seen
him; this also kept us from going all the way to the back of the
field.
Submitter comment:
I asked my grandma how this had started, and she said she
started saying it after a stray dog came onto the property one day
and all of us kids were afraid of it. This technique was used for
years, and is still used today with my younger cousins. But,
within the past couple years, my grandparents had to sell off much
of their property because of high taxes, and a developer bought it.
There are now separated condominiums where the field used to be,
and a driveway to access the condominiums from the road where
"Louie's Ditch" used to be, so the use of this story has been
modified to keep the kids from going around the front of the house,
by the road.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Mount Clemens
James Callow Keyword(s): FUNCTION
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Entertainment Diversion BELIEF -- Outlaw Criminal Bandit Pirate |
Date learned: 00001970'S
IF A GIRL WEARS RED CLOTHES ON FRIDAY, SHE IS SUP-
POSED TO BE SELLING HER BODY.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): PROSTITUTION
| Subject headings: | ART CRAFT ARCHITECTURE -- Dress BELIEF -- Outlaw Criminal Bandit Pirate BELIEF -- Body part Senses BELIEF -- Measure of time WeekDayHour BELIEF -- Color |
Date learned: 11-17-1968
A PERSON UNABLE TO LOOK THE SUN IN THE FACE IS A THIEF.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
| Subject headings: | Spirit / Mind / Body BELIEF -- Outlaw Criminal Bandit Pirate BELIEF -- Sun |
Date learned: 10-04-1973
DON'T CUT A BABY'S FINGERNAILS WITH CLIPPERS OR SCISSORS
(BITE THEM) BECAUSE IT WILL MAKE HIM STEAL.
Data entry tech comment:
Updated by TRD
Where learned: NASHVILLE ; TENNESSEE, ASSUMED
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Outlaw Criminal Bandit Pirate BELIEF -- Body part Senses Hands, palms, fingernails BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal |
Date learned: 06-00-1972
IF YOU CUT AN INFANT'S FINGERNAILS BEFORE HE IS ONE YEAR OLD,
HE WILL BECOME A THIEF.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
James Callow Keyword(s): AGE
| Subject headings: | 686 Properties attributed to specific numbers or numerals individually. BELIEF -- Outlaw Criminal Bandit Pirate BELIEF -- Body part Senses Hands, palms, fingernails BELIEF -- Birth |
Date learned: 11-24-1977