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 DEATH returned 183 results.
Custom: Death
Funeral:
During a funeral, at the Mass at the Offertory, any of the people who wished to show their respects and show everyone else present of their sympathy, would walk down the aisle around the casket, leave a token and leave. Many people would leave the ceremonies immediately afterward to return to their businesses. But everyone had known that he had take time to pay his respects to the deceased.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [S600] crossed out and replaced with current classification
Written in bottom left corner: [Belgian?]
Where learned: PENNSYLVANIA ; PITTSBURGH
Keyword(s): BURIAL ; Casket ; DEATH ; Funeral ; Offering ; RESPECT
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Death Funeral Burial |
Ethnic: Belium
Funeral:
In Belgium, during funeral processions, the children would carry boquets or wreaths of flowers which they had picked.
Submitter comment:
Recorded on tape
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: PENNSYLVANIA ; PITTSBURGH
Keyword(s): Belgium ; BURIAL ; CHILDREN ; CUSTOM ; DEATH ; ETHNIC ; FLOWERS ; Funeral ; RESPECT
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Death Funeral Burial |
Ethnic: Ukranian
If an unmarried girl dies, she is buried dressed as a bride, according to Ukranian tradition.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WARREN
Keyword(s): BURIAL ; Chastity ; DEATH ; ETHNIC ; Female ; Funeral ; Maiden ; UKRAINIAN ; Unmarried ; YOUTH
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Death Funeral Burial |
Ethnic: Belgium
Funeral Custom:
When a dead person is laid out, a photographer takes a picture of the corpse. The family keeps this picture.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: BELGIUM
Keyword(s): CUSTOM ; DEATH ; FAMILY ; Funeral ; Photograph ; Picture ; Soul
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Death Funeral Burial |
Superstition: Pregnancy
Cats:
Cats shouldn't be allowed in the same room as a sleeping baby because the smell of milk on a baby's breath will cause the cat to suffocate the baby when the cat attempts to suck the milk out of the baby through the baby's mouth.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P400] crossed out / replaced with current classification
Where learned: HOME
Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; ASPHYXIATION ; BABY ; CAT ; CHILD ; DEATH ; FEAR ; Feline ; FOOD ; Kill ; Milk ; Newborn ; Offspring ; Suffocate ; SUPERSTITION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Mammal |
Ethnic: Roman
Rome is the city of cats, stones and priests becasue all three of these are very plentiful. The cats can be found everywhere and are respected by the people and are feed [sic] by them. Cats are never killed and always cared for because it is said that the Roman spirit is reincarnated in them.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P752, B440] crossed out / replaced with current classification
Keyword(s): CAT ; DEATH ; ETHNIC ; Feline ; Priests ; REINCARNATION ; Roman ; Rome ; Soul ; STONES
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Mammal |
Superstition: Animals
Cats:
If there is a cat you want to get rid of, put some beans in a sack and tie it on the cat's tail, hit him on the backside and he will run himself to death.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; Beans ; CAT ; DEATH ; Eliminate ; Pest ; Rid ; SUPERSTITION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Mammal |
Belief: Animal
It is a belief among hunters that is a bear looks at you eye to eye at the instant you kill it, its spirit will haunt you after its death.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Regarding set-up of the submission card:
By moving the circumstances of collecting information to the right (taking up 2 instead of 1 line with it) you'll leave room for a title.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Pioneer
Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; Bear ; BELIEF ; DEATH ; Haunting ; HUNTING ; SPIRIT ; SUPERSTITION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Mammal |
Belief: Animal
Agricultural Belief:
A Bull Frog croaks and freezes 3 times before winter.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P870] crossed out. Replaced with current classification
Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; GRAND RAPIDS
Keyword(s): AGRICULTURE ; AMPHIBIAN ; ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; DEATH ; Fall ; Freeze ; FROG ; Frozen ; Rebirth ; SEASONS ; SUPERSTITION ; WINTER
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Animal |
Belief: Animal
A snake having been killed will not die until sundown
Submitter comment:
Informant was skeptical as to this belief
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: NEW YORK ; POUGHKEEPSIE
Keyword(s): BELIEF ; DEATH ; Kill ; Serpent ; Snake ; Sundown ; SUPERSTITION ; Time of day
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Animal |
Superstition: Animals
If you kill a black snake and throw him in a tree, it will rain until you take him down.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P435, P447] crossed out. Replaced wtih current classification.
Where learned: ALABAMA
Keyword(s): BELIEF ; DEATH ; Kill ; Rain ; Serpent ; Snake ; SUPERSTITION ; Tree ; WEATHER
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Animal BELIEF -- Cloud Fog Mist Rain Hail Ice Snow Frost Dew |
Belief: Animal
Snake Legend:
If you kill a snake you have to do it late in the day, because otherwise the snake would suffer until sunset.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [B440] crossed out. Replaced wtih current classification.
Where learned: HOME ; MINNESOTA ; SAINT PAUL
Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; DEATH ; Kill ; Serpent ; Snake ; Sundown ; SUNSET ; SUPERSTITION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Animal |
Superstition: Animals
Resurrection of a Snake Belief:
If you kill a snake it will come back to life after sundown
Submitter comment:
The letter B is crossed out in the upper left hand corner of the submission card. Possibly intended as a BN
Collector's phone number is listed on the bottom right of submission card: XXX-5459
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): BELIEF ; DEATH ; Resurrection ; Serpent ; Snake ; Sundown ; SUNSET ; SUPERSTITION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Animal |
Belief: Animal
A hoop snake puts its tail in its mouth and rolls; Anything hit by it will die.
Submitter comment:
Perswon remembers as a child being afraid of this snake and always running in a zig-zag path to avoid being struck by it.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: CLASS
Keyword(s): BELIEF ; DEATH ; MYTH ; Serpent ; Snake ; SUPERSTITION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Animal |
Superstition: Animals
Hunting Superstition:
When a hunter shoots his game and he is sure it is dead he should never for any reason shoot it again as this will disturb its spirit and it will haunt him.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P752] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.
Where learned: NORTHERN MICHIGAN
Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; DEATH ; GAME ; Hunter ; HUNTING ; Kill ; Shoot ; SPIRIT
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Animal |
Proverb
God's Alive:
God's not dead; he's living in Argentina.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Possible combination spoof on the saying "God is Alive and Well and Living in your Heart," while the Argentina reference may refer to the British Foriegn Office's response to the requested extradition of Adolph Eichmann: ("Eichmann is alive and well and living in Argentina")
James Callow comment:
Original BN [V400] crossed out. Replaced with current classifications.
Card located in pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects.
Where learned: RATHSKELLER
Keyword(s): Alive ; Argentina ; DEATH ; Eichmann ; God ; PROVERB ; Spoof
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim PROVERB -- Blason Populaire |
Play on Words
Death is nature's way of telling us to slow down.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs and BN added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Submission card located in pile marked These don't sound traditional. Do not file yet.
James Callow Keyword(s): Calm ; DEATH ; LIFE ; PUN ; Slow
| Subject headings: | PROSE NARRATIVE -- Jest Anecdote |
Toast
May you be in Heaven a half an hour before the Devil knows your dead.
Submitter comment:
Well Wish
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Called a Toast by others.
Where learned: UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT
Keyword(s): DEATH ; DEVIL ; DRINKING ; ETHNIC ; HEAVEN ; Irish ; Social ; TIME ; TOAST ; Well Wish
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech SPEECH -- Formula |
Toast
May you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows you have died.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT
Keyword(s): DEATH ; DEVIL ; ETHNIC ; HEAVEN ; Irish ; Social ; TOAST
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech SPEECH -- Formula |
Toast
An Irish Toast:
May you be in heaven half an hour before the Devil knows your dead.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): DEATH ; DEVIL ; DRINKING ; ETHNIC ; HEAVEN ; HELL ; Irish ; Social ; TOAST
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech SPEECH -- Formula |