Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
Your search for SUPERSTITION returned 465 results.
Superstition: Animals
If a household lizard falls into the soup and the soup is accidently eaten, the person will develop scales on his body.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P800] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; Consume ; CURSE ; Eat ; FOOD ; Lizard ; PET ; REPTILE ; Soup ; SUPERSTITION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Animal |
Superstition: Animals
Turtles:
A belief in N.E. [New England?] states that if a snapping turtle bites you, it will hang on to you till the full moon and it will then let go.
Submitter comment:
I learned this from an old Fisherman.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P600, P752] crossed out. Replaced with Current Classification
Where learned: UNKNOWN
Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; Bite ; Full Moon ; New England ; Region ; Snap ; SUPERSTITION ; Turtle
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Animal |
Superstition: Animals
Turtle:
If a turtle clamp your toe or your finger, it won't let it go until it thunder.
Submitter comment:
Informant learned from childhood
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P752] crossed out. Replaced with current classification
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; Bite ; BODY PART ; Finger ; SUPERSTITION ; Thunder ; TOE ; Turtle ; WEATHER
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Animal |
Belief: Animal
Warding off Snake Belief:
If you see a snake, say "my back, my belly" ten times and it should go away.
Submitter comment:
Informaer has tried it several times and it worked
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P752] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; Serpent ; Snake ; SUPERSTITION
| 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 won't die until after sundown.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: PENNSYLVANIA ; SCRANTON
Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; Night ; Serpent ; Snake ; Sundown ; SUNSET ; SUPERSTITION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Animal |
Belief: Animal
The Hoop Snake:
It is believed that a certain snake in the Southwest, the hoop snake, can travel by rgabbing its tail in its mouth and rolling like a hoop.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Collector last name possibilities: Ston, Stan, Star, Stor, Stair, Stain, Stoin, Stoir.
Where learned: UNKNOWN
Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; Hoop ; REGIONAL ; Serpent ; Snake ; Southwest ; SUPERSTITION ; TRAVEL
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Animal |
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
Reunion of Snakes Belief:
If you cut a snake in two it will come back together after sundown.
Submitter comment:
Original Title was; Reunion of Snakes Bodily... The word bodily was crossed out and replaced with Belief.
The letter B is crossed out in the upper left hand corner. Possibly intended to be a BN.
Collector's phone number is listed at bottom right of card: XXX-5459
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRL
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): BELIEF ; 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 |
Superstition: Animals
There is a legendary snake with a crown on its head and the crown had bells on it. The snake has a beard like a nanny goat. It is a huge and fearsome snake. It is said to come out once a year on a holy day and few have seen it.
Submitter comment:
My father's dad claims to have seen it. He saw the ground shaking all around a house and he saw the head of this snake come out of the ground. He claims that 10 to 15 feet of ground was shaking.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): BELIEF ; Crown ; Fearful ; Holy ; Legend ; MYTH ; Serpent ; Snake ; SUPERSTITION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Animal BELIEF -- Mammal |
Belief: Animal
Snake:
When a snake wishes to hurry down a hill, he grabs his tail in his mouth, and, forming a circle, rolls down.
Submitter comment:
The words Rapid Transit and Item Card are written in the top left and right hand corners (respectively) of the card. They are all crossed out.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [M247] crossed out. Reoplaced with Current Classification
Keyword(s): BELIEF ; Serpent ; Snake ; SUPERSTITION ; Tail ; TRAVEL
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Animal |
Superstition: Animals
There is said to exist an animal which is snake-like in form and which crawls up a cows leg and drinks all her milk. This it has its name the milk-snake.
Submitter comment:
A Sly Poacher
and Item Card are written in the top left hand and right hand corners of the card, respectively. A Sly Poacher is crossed out.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P440] has been crossed out. Replaced with current classification.
Keyword(s): BELIEF ; Cow ; Drink: consumption ; FOOD ; Milk ; PUN ; Serpent ; Snake ; 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 |
Entry filtered.
Superstition
Protection Against Vampires:
Garlic is a charm to be used against vampires.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P400] crossed out. Replaced with current classification
Where learned: ENGLAND ; WORCESTER
Keyword(s): Garlic ; Lore ; MYTH ; Protection ; Protective ; SPICE ; SUPERSTITION ; Vampire
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Werewolf Vampire |
Entry filtered.
Superstition: Pregnancy
Remedy:
If a woman is frightened during her pregnancy, the child will have a birth mark.
Submitter comment:
Learned at home on the farm.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): BABY ; BELIEF ; Birth Mark ; CHILD ; CURSE ; FEAR ; Frightened ; Offspring ; PREGNANCY ; SUPERSTITION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Remedy |
Superstition: Pregnancy
Superstition:
A Polish pregnant woman must be shielded from the sight of cripples, any people that are ugly, abnormal or diseased for fear of "marking" the child.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Keyword(s): Able-ism ; Able-ist ; BELIEF ; BIRTH ; ETHNIC ; Ignorant ; POLAND ; POLISH ; PREGNANCY ; PREGNANT ; SUPERSTITION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness |