Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
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THREE KINGS DAY
ON JANUARY 6 THE CHILDREN RECEIVE GIFTS AS CONMEMORATION OF THE THREE
WISE MEN'S VISIT TO CHRIST. THE NIGHT BEFORE THE CHILDREN PUT GRASS
AND WATER UNDER THEIR BEDS FOR THE CAMELS TO EAT.
Submitter comment: THIS FESTIVAL HAS GOTTEN TO BE OF AS MUCH IMPORTANCE AS CHRISTMAS.
Where learned: PUERTO RICO ; LATIN AMERICA
| Subject headings: | Favorites CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- January 5 CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- January 6 Twelfth Day Epiphany |
Date learned: 00-00-1979
TALE OF THE CHRIST OF HEALTH CHAPEL IN OLD SAN JUAN.
IN THE COLONIAL TIMES THERE WAS CELEBRATED AN ANNUAL HORSERACE THAT
WENT ALL OVER THE OLD CITY. ONE OF THE HORSES GOT OUT OF CONTROL AND
STARTED RUNNING SO FAST THAT THE JOCKEY WAS SURELY GOING TO GET
KILLED. AT THAT MOMENT A WOMAN CRIED - OH CHRIST OF HEALTH, PLEASE
STOP THAT HORSE. - THE HORSE STOPPED INSTANTLY AND THE RIDER WAS
SAVED. IN THAT SAME SPOT WAS BUILT THE CHAPEL OF THE CHRIST OF HEALTH
HONORING THE MIRACLE.
Where learned: PUERTO RICO ; SAN JUAN
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Religious hero PROSE NARRATIVE -- Product or activity of man or animal |
Date learned: 00-00-1979
GHOST IN GUAJATACA
IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE GHOST OF A WOMAN KILLED IN A CAR ACCIDENT
STILL ROAMS ASKING FOR RIDES AND DISAPPEARING AFTERWARDS. SHE IS
DRESSED IN WHITE. SEVERAL PEOPLE CLAIM TO HAVE SEEN HER.
Submitter comment:
SIMILAR TALES LIKE THIS ONE HAVE BEEN TOLD IN DIFFERENT TOWNS OF THE
ISLAND.
Where learned: PUERTO RICO ; GUAJATACA
James Callow Keyword(s): AUTOMOBILE
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Ghost Spirit Phantom Specter |
Date learned: 00-00-1979
GUESSING GAME
A GROUP OF PERSONS HAVE TO GUESS WHAT THE LEADER IS THINKING ABOUT.
THEY GET CLUES WHEN HE TELLS THEM WITH WHICH LETTER IT STARTS AND
WITH WHICH LETTER IT FINISHES. IN SPANISH THE QUESTIONS ASKED RHYME.
FOR EXAMPLE VEO VEO, QUE VEZ; UNA COSITA, CON QUE LETRECITA; CON LA
LETRECITA----------.
Where learned: PUERTO RICO
| Subject headings: | Favorites Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Guessing |
Date learned: 00-00-1979
SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST'S NIGHT.
ON THE EVE OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST'S DAY EVERYBODY GOES TO THE
BEACHES TO SPEND THE NIGHT THERE. THERE ARE CERTAIN RITUALS DONE ON
THAT NIGHT THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BRING GOOD LUCK THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
FOR EXAMPLE: AT MIDNIGHT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO THROW YOURSELF THREE
TIMES BACKWARDS IN THE SEA FOR GOOD HEALTH. A YOUNG GIRL SHOULD PUT
TWO NEEDLES IN A GLASS OF WATER,SYMBOLIZING HERSELF AND HER BOYFRIEND
IF THE NEXT DAY THE NEEDLES ARE TOGETHER SHE WILL MARRY THAT MAN.
ALSO SHE SHOULD PUT THREE BEANS UNDER HER PILLOW THAT NIGHT. ONE
SHOULD HAVE THE SKIN ON WHICH MEANS SHE WILL MARRY A RICH MAN. THE
SECOND ONE SHOULD BE HALF PEELED SIMBOLIZING MIDDLE CLASS WEALTH AND
THE THIRD ONE SHOULD BE COMPLETELY PEELED MEANING POVERTY. IN THE
MORNING SHE SHOULD PUT HER HAND UNDER THE PILLOW WITHOUT LOOKING,
AND TAKE ONE BEAN. THIS WILL DETERMINE HER ECONOMICAL STATUS IN HER
MARRIAGE. PUT A GLASS OF WATER UNDER YOUR BED TO KEEP THE EVIL SPIRIT
AWAY THE REST OF THE YEAR.
Where learned: PUERTO RICO
Date learned: 00-00-1979
POCKET CALCULATOR PUZZLE/RIDDLE
THE NUMBER 71,077,345 IS PUNCHED OUT ON THE CALCULATOR KEYBOARD
SO THAT IT APPEARS ON THE READOUT. THE FOLLOWING QUESTION IS THEN
ASKED WHILE SHOWING THE NUMBER TO THE PERSON QUESTIONED: "WHAT
BIG OIL COMPANY MADE THIS AMOUNT IN PROFITS LAST YEAR?" WHEN
THE PERSON QUESTIONED INDICATES HE OR SHE DOESN'T KNOW THE ANSWER,
THE CALCULATOR IS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN. THE NUMBER ON THE
READOUT WILL NOW SPELL OUT THE WORDS "SHELL OIL."
Submitter comment:
THE ABOVE ONLY WORKS WHEN THE NUMBER IS DISPLAYED ON A CALCULATOR
VARIOUS COMBINATIONS OF HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL SEGMENTS (LINES),
VARIOUS COMBINATIONS OF HORIZONTAL AND VERTICLE SEGMENTS (LINES).
THAT IS, A SEVEN-SEGMENT READOUT.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Favorites Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Special Object or Implement RIDDLE -- True Riddle |
Date learned: 00-00-1979
HOW NOVI, MICHIGAN GOT ITS NAME
ACCORDING TO MY LATE FATHER, THE CITY OF NOVI, MICHIGAN GOT
ITS NAME BY ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE STORY, A MAP MAKER
MISTOOK A SURVEYOR'S NOTATION ON A ROUGH, EARLY MAP OF THE AREA.
THE SURVEYOR HAD MARKED "NO. VI" ON THE MAP, DESIGNATING THE
LOCATION OF STAGE COACH STOP NUMBER SIX ON THE RUN BETWEEN
DETROIT AND CHICAGO. THE MAP MAKER THOUGHT THE NOTATION WAS A
WORD AND RAN ALL THE LETTERS TOGETHER. THUS, "NO. VI" BECAME NOVI.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Explanation of a name SPEECH -- Folk etymology |
Date learned: 00-00-1968
SAYING
GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT.
Submitter comment: THIS REFERS TO HUMAN ERROR IN PUNCHING CARDS FOR A COMPUTER.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): COMPUTER PROVERB
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor |
Date learned: 00-00-1964
PROVERB
THE GIRL WHO CANNOT DANCE SAYS THE BAND CANNOT PLAY.
Where learned: UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; STUDENT UNION BUILDING
Keyword(s): CRITICISM
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor |
Date learned: 03-30-1971
PROVERBIAL COMPARISON
THE GIRL WHO CAN,T DANCE SAYS, 'THE BAND CAN'T PLAY.'
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ALLEN PARK
Keyword(s): CRITICISM
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor |
PROVERB GIRLS WITH CURVES ARE USUALLY SURROUNDED BY MEN
Where learned: EAST DETROIT
Keyword(s): ANTITHESIS
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim |
Date learned: 00-00-1970
PROVERBIAL METAPHOR
GIVE A MAN A FISH AND HE EATS FOR ONE DAY. TEACH A MAN HOW TO FISH AND HE EATS FOR A LIFETIME.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; TROY
Keyword(s): ANTITHESIS
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor |
Date learned: 00-00-1971
PROVERB
POLISH: BO'G WDOMU, GOSE' WDOMN. TRANSLATION: GOD AT HOME, GUESTS AT HOME.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): ELLIPSIS ; HOSPITALITY? ; PARALLELISM
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim |
Date learned: 03-08-1970
PROVERB GOD GAVE US MEMORIES THAT WE MIGHT HAVE ROSES IN
Where learned: DEARBORN
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor |
Date learned: 03-00-1968
PROVERB GOOD FIREWOOD IS NOT WITHOUT ANTS. THE AMERICAN
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): COMPENSATION
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor |
Date learned: 09-15-1971
TYPOGRAPHICAL DISPLAY
00000()00000
"WAH, WHO BROKE MY BALLON?"
Where learned: BELFAST ; NORTH IRELAND
| Subject headings: | Favorites SPEECH -- To Be Seen |
Date learned: 00-00-1965
THE DRESS.
A GIRL, PRESUMABLY A RELATIVE OF A FRIEND OR CLASSMATE, BOUGHT A
DRESS FOR A HIGH SCHOOL PROM. WHILE WEARING THE DRESS, SHE BECAME
VIOLENTLY ILL AND DIED LATER AT A LOCAL HOSPITAL. UPON INVESTIGATION
IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE DRESS HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY PURCHASED
FROM THE STORE AND RETURNED. THE FIRST " OWNER " WAS A GIRL OF
THE SAME AGE WHO WORE THE DRESS TO BE LAID OUT BEFORE HER FUNERAL
IT WAS THE EMBALMING FLUID WHICH CAUSED THE SECOND OWNER'S DEATH.
Where learned: ILLINOIS ; CHICAGO
Keyword(s): FATAL DRESS. ; THE POISONED DRESS. TY Z551 IN BAUGHMAN
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Product or activity of man or animal |
Date learned: CA00001965
DEATH CAR
IN 1963 A MAN DIED IN A CAR AND WAS NOT FOUND FOR A NUMBER
OF WEEKS. AFTER THEY FOUND HIM THE CAR HAD A HORRIBLE SMELL
WHICH THEY COULD NOT GET RID OF. THE CAR WAS A CORVETTE
WHICH SELLS FOR USUALLY OVER $4000, WAS ON SALE FOR $300.
Where learned: UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Product or activity of man or animal |
Date learned: 11-02-1968
KNOCK, KNOCK
A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO A GIRL WAS KILLED BY A CAR ON AN EAST SIDE
STREET. WHEN THE CAR WAS RUNNING OVER HER, SHE WAS KNOCKING ON
THE CAR TO LET THE DRIVER KNOW THAT SHE WAS THERE. SHE WAS KILLED
ANYWAY. NOW WHEN A CAR DRIVES DOWN THE STREET THERE IS THE
SAME KNOCKING ON THE CAR THAT HAPPENED WHEN THE GIRL WAS KILLED
Where learned: UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): KNOCK - KNOCK STREET
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Product or activity of man or animal |
Date learned: 11-01-1968
PLANT LEGEND
THERE IS A TREE IN THE JUNGLES OF PANAMA
WHICH WHIPS PEOPLE IF THEY DO NOT SAY
" I HAVE SEEN YOU" IN SPANISH.
Submitter comment:
(MISS ZITZEWITZ STATED THAT THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED TO HER
FATHER WHEN HE FIRST MET HER MOTHER IN PANAMA.)
Where learned: UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): PUNISHMENT
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Plant BELIEF -- Plant |
Date learned: 10-02-1963