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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

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A pregnant beautician will make your hair grow during the middle
months of the pregnancy and fall out at the end.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

James Callow Keyword(s): OCCUPATION

Subject headings: 686 Ninths / Nine
Favorites
BELIEF -- Body part Senses Hair, on head, mustache, widow's peak
BELIEF -- Work Commerce Business
BELIEF -- Birth
BELIEF -- Measure of time Month
BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness

Date learned: 00-00-1991

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Polish Belief

Many Polish people used to (some still may) collect rain water
in barrels or pan and use it to wash their hair. They say this
made the hair more manageable and shiny.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HAMTRAMCK

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Body part Senses Hair, on head, mustache, widow's peak
BELIEF -- Cloud Fog Mist Rain Hail Ice Snow Frost Dew

Date learned: 03-00-1992

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You should never cut your hair; that's where your strength
is.

Where learned: LOUISIANA ; New Orleans

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Body part Senses Hair, on head, mustache, widow's peak
BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal
BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness

Date learned: 00-00-1970

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An old family graveyard had to be dug up and moved to make
room for a major highway that was being made in the Detroit,
Michigan area. It was found that one woman had been buried while
she was still living. This was known to be true because the
deceased had rolled over on to her abdomen in her casket and had
pulled all of her hair out of her scalp.

Submitter comment: This was told to the informant by a Grosse Pointe teacher who
knew it to be true because the deceased was her grandmother.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; GROSSE POINTE

James Callow Keyword(s): PREMATURE BURIAL

Subject headings: Favorites
BELIEF -- Body part Senses Hair, on head, mustache, widow's peak
BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal
BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial

Date learned: 00-00-1983

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When I was a young boy my father was always trying to get me
to drink my milk. He would always tell me that it was good for
me and that it would put hair on my chest and that without hair
on my chest I was not a real man.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ALLEN PARK

Subject headings: Food Drink -- Drink from animal product Milk
BELIEF -- Body part Senses Hair, on head, mustache, widow's peak

Date learned: 00-00-1975

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When I was on the island of Freeport in the Bahamas I learned
of a traditional way that the Bahamian people wear their hair.
They braid all of their hair into tiny braids called cornrows and
decorate these braids with colorful beads. These braids last up
to three months. During this time the hair can still be washed.
They like this style because the weather is very warm and the
braids keep the hair away from their face and it is also a very
carefree style.

Where learned: FREEPORT ; Grand Bahamas

Subject headings: ART CRAFT ARCHITECTURE -- Human or animal body
BELIEF -- Body part Senses Hair, on head, mustache, widow's peak

Date learned: 00-00-1992

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NEVER THROW YOUR HAIR AWAY. IF A BIRD USES IT TO BUILD HIS
NEST, YOU WILL HAVE HEADACHES.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Body part Senses Hair, on head, mustache, widow's peak
BELIEF -- Bird
BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness
BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness

Date learned: 10-00-1963

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Polish custom

When a child has his/her first haircut, it has been the custom
to keep a lock of hair. People from our family who came over from
Poland kept the locks of hair so the children would have nice hair,
as the legend goes.

Submitter comment: This custom was practiced by both of my great-grandmothers, and
was passed down to my mother and her siblings.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Mount Clemens

Subject headings: 686 Properties attributed to specific numbers or numerals individually.
BELIEF -- Body part Senses Hair, on head, mustache, widow's peak
BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness

Date learned: 00001920S

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ARABIAN WOMEN ARE NOT JUDGED BY FACIAL BEAUTY,
BUT THE BEAUTY OF THEIR HAIR. THE BLACKER THE HAIR
THE PRETTIER THE GIRL.

Submitter comment: OLD COUNTRY TRADITION.

Where learned: J L HUDSONS COMPANY

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank
BELIEF -- Body part Senses Hair, on head, mustache, widow's peak

Date learned: 11-25-1967

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NEVER PART YOUR HAIR ON THE RIGHT; IT BRINGS BAD LUCK.

Submitter comment: BARBARA LEARNED THIS FROM HER HUNGARIAN UNCLE.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Body part Senses Hair, on head, mustache, widow's peak
BELIEF -- Bad luck Body parts and functions

Date learned: 09-23-1967

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I HEARD SOMEWHERE THAT IT IS BAD LUCK TO WASH YOUR
HAIR ON SUNDAY, BUT GOOD LUCK TO WASH IT ON
MONDAY.

Where learned: INDIANA ; INDIANAPOLIS

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Body part Senses Hair, on head, mustache, widow's peak
BELIEF -- Measure of time WeekDayHour
BELIEF -- Good luck P881.2
BELIEF -- Bad luck Body parts and functions

Date learned: NOT GIVEN

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THE POLISH PEOPLE CUT THE HAIR OF THE GIRLS SLIGHTLY
ON THE FIRST FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH. THIS WILL INSURE A
HEAVY TEXTURED HEAD OF HAIR.

Where learned: NOT GIVEN

Subject headings: 686 Properties attributed to specific numbers or numerals individually.
BELIEF -- Body part Senses Hair, on head, mustache, widow's peak
BELIEF -- Measure of time WeekDayHour
BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness

Date learned: NOT GIVEN

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HEALING COIN

IN YUGOSLAVIA, WHEN A YOUNG GIRL GETS MARRIED, HER
HAIR IS BRAIDED. A COIN IS THEN WEAVED INTO THIS
BRAID, WHERE IT MUST STAY FROM THAT DAY FORWARD.
NOW, THE COIN IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE HEALING POWER,
AND EVERYONE BELIEVES IT. THE STEPSISTER OF THE
INFORMANT ON A VISIT TO THE COUNTRY RECENTLY, WAS
APPROACHED BY A BOY WITH A CASE OF HIVES. SHE
TOOK HIM TO A POND, WASHED HIM AND DRESSED HIM.
THE BOY WAS HEALED BY THE NEXT DAY, ALL DUE TO THE
HEALING EFFECTS OF THE COIN.

Submitter comment:

TOLD BY A NEIGHBOR, MRS. BENESTELLI, AT THE RESIDENCE
FROM HER MOTHER WHO HAD JUST RETURNED FROM YUGO-
SLAVIA, ON TAPE.

Where learned: PENNSYLVANIA ; PITTSBURGH

James Callow Keyword(s): Yugoslavia

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Body part Senses Hair, on head, mustache, widow's peak
BELIEF -- Marriage
BELIEF -- Curer
BELIEF -- Use of Object

Date learned: 11-01-1970

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MY GRANDMOTHER (INFORMANT) BELIEVES IN THE SUPERSTITION
THAT IF ONE WEARS A HAT IN THE HOUSE, HE WILL GO BALD.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Body part Senses Hair, on head, mustache, widow's peak
BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness

Date learned: 01-31-1971

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IF A BABY IS BORN WITH A COWLICK ON THE SIDE OF ITS
HEAD, THE NEXT BABY WILL BE A BOY; IF THE COWLICK
IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HEAD, THE NEXT BABY WILL BE
A GIRL.

Submitter comment: HEARD FROM INGRID ZITZEWITZ, WHO HEARD IT FROM HER
MOTHER, WHO IS OF SPANISH DESCENT.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Subject headings: Observation
BELIEF -- Body part Senses Hair, on head, mustache, widow's peak
BELIEF -- Birth

Date learned: 08-09-1964

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IF A PREGNANT WOMAN CUTS YOUR HAIR, IT WILL GROW
THICK. (MEXICAN SUPERSTITION).

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Body part Senses Hair, on head, mustache, widow's peak
BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal
BELIEF -- Birth

Date learned: 07-03-1964

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IF THERE'S A GIRL YOU LIKE IN SCHOOL AND SHE DIDN'T LIKE
YOU ESPECIALLY, PUT A STRAND OF YOUR HAIR IN HER HAIR ON
THE SLY 'CAUSE SHE CAN'T COMB IT OUT, AND SHE'LL FALL
FOR YOU.

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE ; VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY

Subject headings: Charm / Enchantment / Conjuration
BELIEF -- Body part Senses Hair, on head, mustache, widow's peak

Date learned: 07-24-1968

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BREAD CRUST WILL PUT HAIR ON YOUR CHEST.

Submitter comment: MY FATHER USED THIS BELIEF TO CONVINCE MY SMALL

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; COLUMBIA

Subject headings: Charm / Enchantment / Conjuration
BELIEF -- Body part Senses Hair, on head, mustache, widow's peak

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BREAD CRUST WILL MAKE YOU HAVE CURLY HAIR

Submitter comment: MY FATHER TAUGHT ME THIS BELIEF WHEN I WAS FOUR

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; COLUMBIA

Subject headings: Charm / Enchantment / Conjuration
BELIEF -- Body part Senses Hair, on head, mustache, widow's peak

Date learned: 06-01-1972

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