Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
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Custom/Belief
Belief, Custom - Planting:
On the feast day of St. Andrew everyone plants cucumbers to ensure a good planting season for the year.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P535, F643] crossed out and replaced with F535
Where learned: HOME
Keyword(s): BELIEF ; Cucumbers ; CUSTOM ; HARVEST ; Offering ; PLANT VEGETABLE ; RELIGIOUS ; St. Andrew ; VEGETABLE
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- F535 |
Belief: Children's Song
Step on a Crack-break mother's back
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P880] is crossed out. C860.740 replaces it.
The words Bad Luck are written across the top of the submission card, and subsequently crossed out.
Where learned: Myself
Keyword(s): Back ; BELIEF ; CHILDHOOD ; CHILDREN ; Crack ; GAME ; Line ; MOTHER ; RHYME ; SONG ; Spine ; SUPERSTITION ; VERSE
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Belief Belief |
Belief: Children's Song
DON'T STEP ON A CRACK OR YOU'LL BREAK YOUR MOTHER'S BACK.
Submitter comment:
IS AN OLD CHILDHOOD SAYING THAT THIS INFORMANT REMINDED ME OF.
Data entry tech comment:
Updated on 12-01-2010 / Motifs and Keywords added by TRD
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): Back ; BELIEF ; CHILDHOOD ; CHILDREN ; Crack ; GAME ; MOTHER ; RHYME ; SONG ; Spine ; SUPERSTITION ; VERSE
James Callow Keyword(s): ADVICE: NEGATIVE
Date learned: 03-30-1968
Belief: Children's Song
STEP ON A LINE,
BREAK YOUR FATHER'S SPINE.
STEP ON A CRACK,
BREAK YOUR MOTHER'S BACK.
STEP ON A HOLE,
BREAK YOUR MOTHER'S SUGAR BOWL.
Submitter comment:
CHILDREN SING THIS SONG WHILE WALKING TO SCHOOL.
Data entry tech comment:
Updated on 12-01-2010 / Motifs and Keywords added by TRD
Where learned: UNKNOWN
Keyword(s): Back ; BELIEF ; CHILDHOOD ; CHILDREN ; Crack ; Domestic ; GAME ; Hole ; Line ; MOTHER ; RHYME ; SONG ; Spine ; Sugar ; SUPERSTITION ; VERSE
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Children Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Belief Belief BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness |
Date learned: 01-21-1968
Belief: Children's Song
STEP ON A CRACK, BREAK THE DEVIL'S BACK.
Data entry tech comment:
Updated on 12-01-2010 / Motifs and Keywords added by TRD
Where learned: HOME
Keyword(s): AA ; Back ; BELIEF ; CHILDHOOD ; CHILDREN ; Crack ; DEVIL ; GAME ; MOTHER ; RELIGION ; RHYME ; SONG ; Spine ; SUPERSTITION ; VERSE
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Lyrical Verse Lyrical Verse Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Belief Belief BELIEF -- Devil Demon |
Date learned: 11-19-1969
Belief: Children's Song
(1) DON'T STEP ON A CRACK OR YOU'LL BREAK YOUR MOTHER'S BACK.
(2) IF YOU STEP ON A LINE YOUR MOTHER DRINKS WINE.
Submitter comment:
MY BLACK NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOORS TOLD ME THESE TALES WHEN I WAS A KID.
Data entry tech comment:
Updated on 12-01-2010 / Motifs and Keywords added by TRD
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; FRANKLIN VILLAGE
Keyword(s): ALCOHOL ; Back ; BELIEF ; CHILDHOOD ; CHILDREN ; Crack ; GAME ; Line ; MOTHER ; RHYME ; SONG ; Spine ; SUPERSTITION ; VERSE ; Wine
James Callow Keyword(s): NEGRO
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Lyrical Verse Lyrical Verse Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Belief Belief |
Date learned: 00001960S
Belief: Children's Song
STEP ON A CRACK, BREAK YOUR MOTHER'S BACK. STEP ON A LINE
BREAK YOUR FATHER'S SPINE.
Submitter comment:
INFORMANT USED TO SING THIS WHEN SHE PLAYED HOPSCOTCH ON
THE SIDEWALK.
Data entry tech comment:
Updated on 12-01-2010 / Motifs and Keywords added by TRD
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): Back ; BELIEF ; CHILDHOOD ; CHILDREN ; Crack ; Father ; GAME ; Line ; MOTHER ; RHYME ; SONG ; Spine ; SUPERSTITION ; VERSE
James Callow Keyword(s): GAME SONG
Belief: Children's Song
WHEN WALKING DOWN THE STREET SOME CHILDREN WILL CAREFULLY WATCH
WHERE THEY STEP AND SAY, "IF YOU STEP ON A CRACK YOUR MOTHER'S
GOT A BROKEN BACK, AND IF YOU STEP ON A LINE YOUR FATHER DRINKS
WINE.
Submitter comment:
I USED TO PLAY THIS GAME.
Data entry tech comment:
Updated on 12-01-2010 / Motifs and Keywords added by TRD
Keyword(s): ALCOHOL ; Back ; BELIEF ; CHILDHOOD ; CHILDREN ; Crack ; Father ; GAME ; Line ; MOTHER ; RHYME ; SONG ; Spine ; SUPERSTITION ; VERSE ; Wine
James Callow Keyword(s): COUNTING
Date learned: 00001958-00001966
Belief: Children's Song
STEP ON A CRACK (AS IN A SIDEWALK) (SIC) BREAK YOUR MOTHER'S BACK.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs and Keywords added by TRD
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE ; ASSUMED
Keyword(s): Back ; BELIEF ; CHILDHOOD ; CHILDREN ; Crack ; GAME ; MOTHER ; RHYME ; SONG ; Spine ; SUPERSTITION ; VERSE
James Callow Keyword(s): ELLIPSIS
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Lyrical Verse Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Belief C860.533 Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Belief Belief BELIEF -- Curse |
Date learned: 06-00-1972
Belief: Children's Song
If you step on a crack you'll break your mother's back.
Submitter comment:
Stepping on Cracks Superstition
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P880] crossed out and replaced with C860.740
Where learned: CHILDHOOD ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Myself
Keyword(s): Back ; BELIEF ; CHILDHOOD ; CHILDREN ; Crack ; GAME ; Line ; MOTHER ; RHYME ; SONG ; Spine ; SUPERSTITION ; VERSE
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Belief Belief |
Superstition
Don't say it, it might happen:
It is a superstition not to mention a possibility of a bad event to occur for fear that to say so would thus cause the feared event to occur. [sic]
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P880] crossed out and replaced with P477
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Myself ; BATTLE CREEK
Keyword(s): BAD LUCK ; BELIEF ; jinx ; LUCK ; SPEAKING TABU ; SUPERSTITION ; TABU
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal BELIEF -- Fate Destiny Luck Chance |
Superstition
Superstition:
Anything tried on Friday the 13th will fail.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P880.6] crossed out and replaced with P574.5
Where learned: CHILDHOOD ; HOME
Keyword(s): BELIEF ; CURSE ; DATE ; Day ; Friday ; jinx ; SUPERSTITION ; TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA ; Weekday
James Callow Keyword(s): TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA
| Subject headings: | 686 Specific number by specific number being described BELIEF -- Measure of time WeekDayHour |
Superstition: Academics
Belief:
Don't shave from the time of studying for an exam until the student takes the exam.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P880] crossed out and F537 is written next to it.
Where learned: SCHOOL ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Myself
Keyword(s): Academics ; BELIEF ; Books ; EDUCATION ; EDUCATION ADVICE ; GROOMING ; jinx ; Shaving ; Studying ; SUPERSTITION
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- School |
Superstition
Superstition: Bad Luck:
A howling dog means someone will die shortly.
Submitter comment:
[Informant] learned from her grandmother.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P880] crossed out and replaced with P870
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; J L HUDSONS COMPANY
Keyword(s): BAD LUCK ; BELIEF ; DOG ; Howling ; OMEN ; SUPERSTITION
| Subject headings: | Observation |
Superstition
Point at a shooting star or even speak of it and you lose your next wish.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Origina BN's [P600.880, P800, P880] crossed out and replaced with current classifications.
Where learned: SCHOOL
Keyword(s): ASTROLOGY ; ASTRONOMY ; BELIEF ; CUSTOM ; GESTURE ; jinx ; Point ; SPEAKING TABU ; SUPERSTITION ; TABU ; WISH
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Comet BELIEF -- Prayer SPEECH -- Gesture |
Ethnic: Irish/Scottish Superstition
Good Luck:
No man would ever leave Irelannd or Scotland without a bit of heather and a small bag of soil. Without these life in the new wold would be bitter.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN's [P880, F533, p880] crossed out and replaced with F533.
Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; WYANDOTTE
Keyword(s): BELIEF ; CUSTOM ; DIVINATION ; Earth ; ETHNIC ; Heather ; Herbal ; Irish ; LUCK ; NATURE ; New World ; SCOTTISH ; Soil ; SUPERSTITION ; TRAVEL
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank |
Superstition
Superstition:
That warts come from handling frogs
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P880.440] crossed out. Replaced with current classification
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): AMPHIBIAN ; ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; CURE ; Fallacy ; FROG ; HEALTH ; ILLNESS ; MEDICINE ; SUPERSTITION ; Touching tabu ; Warts
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness |
Destiny
If a cowboy dies without his boots on his soul is damned to limbo
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P880] crossed out and replaced with current classification.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): BELIEF ; BURIAL ; DEATH ; Funeral ; Limbo ; MYTH ; Soul ; SUPERSTITION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial |
Belief: Animal
When you see a white horse you lick your fore-finger and wipe it on your left palm, then double up your fist and hit your palm.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P880] is crossed out/replaced with current classifications
Written next to BN: [Since the collector used this nuimber himself, we must assume that this is done for luck.]
Written underneath the text of the submission: For Luck??
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; COLOR ; CUSTOM ; HORSE ; jinx ; LUCK
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Mammal BELIEF -- Color BELIEF -- Fate Destiny Luck Chance |
Ethnic: German
Prosperity Belief:
It is an old German belief that if you eat herring and shake coins in a tin box, you will not go hungry and will always have money.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P740, P880] crossed out/replaced with current classifications.
Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): BELIEF ; COIN ; ETHNIC ; FOOD ; fortune ; GERMAN ; Herring ; LUCK ; MONEY ; PROSPERITY
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Fish BELIEF -- Fate Destiny Luck Chance |