Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
Your search for FUNCTION returned 213 results.
WHEN I WAS A CHILD, MY GRANDMOTHER USED TO TELL ME
THAT THE SHEENY-MAN, A MAN WHO DROVE A HORSE-DRAWN WAGON
THROUGH HER ALLEY AND COLLECTED THINGS, WOULD TAKE ME
AWAY IF I MISBEHAVED.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): FUNCTION
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Human Being |
Date learned: 00-00-1950
"YOU SHOULD NOT LEAVE ANY GRAINS OF RICE ON THE DISHES AFTER A
MEAL OR YOUR HUSBAND'S OR WIFE'S FACE WILL HAVE ACNE."
Submitter comment: BELIEF PROBABLY TO PREVENT THE WASTE OF FOOD.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT ; CAMPUS
James Callow Keyword(s): FUNCTION
Date learned: 04-00-1984
CHINESE EATING CUSTOM (GOOSE)
"IN CHINA, ANYONE YOUNGER THAN 15 YEARS IS NOT ALLOWED TO EAT
GOOSE BECAUSE THE CHINESE BELIEVE THAT THEIR FINGERS WILL CURL
AND BLISTER."
Submitter comment:
INFORMANT BELIEVED SUCH BELIEFS WERE MADE UP BY ELDERS SO THAT
THEY WOULD BE THE ONLY ONES TO ENJOY GOOSE WHICH IS EXPENSIVE.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT ; CAMPUS
James Callow Keyword(s): FUNCTION
Date learned: 04-00-1984
IF A GIRL HAS BEEN BAD TO HER PARENTS OR HAS TRIED TO HIT
THEM, HER HAND WILL COME OUT OF HER GRAVE UNTIL IT IS SLAPPED
DOWN.
Submitter comment:
THIS WAS TOLD TO THE INFORMANT BY HER BOYFRIEND. HIS
GRANDMOTHER TOLD HIM THIS STORY WHEN HE WAS A LITTLE BOY.
SHE SAID THAT IT COULD ONLY HAPPEN TO GIRLS.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): PUNISHMENT
James Callow Keyword(s): FUNCTION ; JUSTICE ; SEXISM
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Body part Senses BELIEF -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial SPEECH -- Gesture |
BELIEF
IF YOU SWALLOW WATERMELON SEEDS, YOU WILL GROW A WATERMELON
IN YOUR STOMACH.
Submitter comment:
INFORMANT USED TO TELL HER CHILDREN THIS SO THAT THEY
WOULD NOT SWALLOW WATERMELLON SEEDS.
James Callow Keyword(s): FUNCTION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Plant BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness |
LESSON
"THIS IS A LESSON ABOUT NOT MINDING YOUR PARENTS TOLD
TO ME BY MY MOTHER: ONCE THERE WERE TWO BOYS DOING THEIR
HOMEWORK, A GOOD BOY AND A BAD BOY. THEIR MOM CALLED THEM
TO COME AND EAT THEIR SUPPER, THE GOOD BOY WENT BUT THE BAD
BOY STAYED TO DO HIS HOMEWORK. AFTER DINNER WHEN THE BOYS
WENT BACK TO THEIR ROOM, THE GOOD BOY FOUND HIS HOMEWORK HAD
BEEN COMPLETED IN GOLD BY ANGELS. WHEREAS, THE BAD BOY FOUND
THAT THE EDGES OF HIS PAPER HAD BEEN BURNED AND THAT HIS
HOMEWORK HAD BEEN COMPLETED ALL WRONG IN RED INK. THE DEVIL
HAD COME TO DO THE BAD BOY'S HOMEWORK."
Where learned: NEW JERSEY ; CARTERET
James Callow Keyword(s): FUNCTION
| Subject headings: | PROSE NARRATIVE -- Angel PROSE NARRATIVE -- Devil Demon PROSE NARRATIVE -- Religious |
Date learned: 00001973CA
NEVER RAISE YOUR HAND TO YOUR MOTHER
IN ANGER, FOR IF YOU DO YOUR HAND WILL
NEVER GO DOWN AND WHEN YOU DIE YOUR
HAND WILL HAVE TO BE WHIPPED DOWN.
Submitter comment:
TOLD TO MICHAEL SO HE WOULDN'T
DISOBEY.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): FUNCTION
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Body part Senses BELIEF -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank |
Date learned: 00001970S
DO NOT SIT ON THE KITCHEN TABLE BECAUSE
THERE ARE ANGELS ON TOP. "MY GRANDMOTHER
USED TO SAY THIS TO ME WHEN I WAS YOUNGER."
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROYAL OAK
James Callow Keyword(s): FUNCTION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Angel |
Date learned: 00-00-1970
IF YOU SUCK YOUR THUMB IT WILL FALL OFF.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROYAL OAK ; JACK AND JILL NURSERY SCHOOL
James Callow Keyword(s): FUNCTION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Body part Senses Hands, palms, fingernails BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness |
Date learned: 00-00-1985
IF YOU SUCK YOUR THUMB, SANTA WON'T BRING YOU PRESENTS.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROYAL OAK ; JACK AND JILL NURSERY SCHOOL
James Callow Keyword(s): FUNCTION
| Subject headings: | -- |
Date learned: 00-00-1985
"Nobody Likes Me"
Nobody likes me
Everybody hates me
I'm gonna eat some worms. MM
Big ones little ones
Ooshy gooshy wooshy ones
Ones that wriggle and squirm. MM
Nobody knows how much I like them
All three meals a day.
And in between.
Submitter comment:
This was a song that I learned when I was a child.
It was sung in a sarcastic manner to anyone who complained
of being "picked on," or to anyone who was pouting.
Where learned: OHIO ; CINCINNATI
Keyword(s): SARCASM
James Callow Keyword(s): FUNCTION
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Children |
Date learned: 00001950S
If you leave food uneaten at a big family gathering
you will have bad weather the next day. Conversely,
if you make sure that all the food has been consumed,
you will be sure to have good weather on the morrow.
Submitter comment:
Elinor heard this saying while a young girl. She has
been told that it is a German belief. To this day in her
family, the phrase "Finish it so it'll be a good day
tomorrow" is used to encourage everyone to eat.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; FRASER
Keyword(s): function, prediction, celebrations, meals
Date learned: 00001950S
"One day two brothers were fighting and beating each
other up, almost killing each other. The neighbor saw
it and moved in to try and stop the fight. The brothers
stopped fighting and beat up the neighbor, then they went
back to fighting. Lesson: Mind your own business and
keep out of family fights."
Submitter comment:
This is a verbatim account from Maryann Leisner which
retells a story her father learned from old (Italian)
relatives.
Where learned: ILLINOIS ; SKOKIE
Keyword(s): Fable, function, cautionary tale, warning
James Callow Keyword(s): Dramatic Irony ; Peacemaker
| Subject headings: | PROSE NARRATIVE -- Jest Anecdote BELIEF -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank |
Date learned: 00001930S
If you play with fire, you will wet the bed.
Submitter comment:
My parents stressed this to us when we were young.
I believed it then, but now I believe it was merely
told to us to deter us from playing with fire.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): FUNCTION
| Subject headings: | Observation Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Dance Verse BELIEF -- Fire BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal BELIEF -- Use of Object |
Date learned: 00001970S
If a woman or girl sings at the table, she
will marry a crazy man.
Submitter comment:
Informant said this happened to a friend of hers who
used to listen to the radio and sing while she was
eating. When she grew up she married a man who was
crazy.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): EATING ; FUNCTION ; Meals ; TABLE MANNERS
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Physically handicapped Deformed BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal BELIEF -- Marriage BELIEF -- Measure of time Eating For menu, see N222. |
Date learned: 00001940S
If you eat carrots you won't have to wear
glasses.
Submitter comment:
Informant believes this; however, she says that this
is told to children to get them to eat their carrots.
Children do not like to eat carrots but they dislike
wearing glasses even more.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): FOOD ; FUNCTION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Body part Senses BELIEF -- Plant BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness |
Date learned: 00001960S
When all the cows lie down in their
pasture, it will rain soon. My neighbors told
me this on my first trip to the country. We
had a long ride to reach our destination so I
think they might have just told us this so
we would look out the windows and keep ourselves
occupied.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WESTLAND
James Callow Keyword(s): FUNCTION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Mammal BELIEF -- Cloud Fog Mist Rain Hail Ice Snow Frost Dew BELIEF -- Weather sign or control |
Date learned: 00001980S
Putting tabasco sauce on bread and feeding it to ducks can
put a curse on you. And soon something degrading will
happen to you.
Submitter comment:
I learned of this story back in grade school when the
teacher scolded some of my friends for going to the pond
and feeding the ducks with bread soaked in tabasco sauce.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WEST BLOOMFIELD
Keyword(s): tabasco, hot, spicy.
James Callow Keyword(s): CRUELTY TO ANIMALS ; FUNCTION
| Subject headings: | Observation BELIEF -- Animal BELIEF -- Bird BELIEF -- Curse |
Date learned: 00-00-1983
I come to visit Miss Jenny Jones, Miss Jenny Jones,
Miss Jenny Jones.
I come to visit Miss Jenny Jones, Miss Jenny Jones,
Miss Jenny Jones.
Miss Jenny Jones is washing; she's washing, she's washing my
shirts.
Miss Jenny Jones is washing, you cannot see her now.
I come to visit Miss Jenny Jones, and how is she this day?
Miss Jenny Jones is ironing, she's ironing, she's ironing
my shirts.
I come to visit Miss Jenny Jones, Miss Jenny Jones,
Miss Jenny Jones.
I come to visit Miss Jenny Jones today, and how is she?
Miss Jenny Jones is sick, she is sick, she is sick in bed.
I come to visit Miss Jenny Jones, Miss Jenny Jones,
Miss Jenny Jones.
I come to visit Miss Jenny Jones today, and how is she?
Miss Jenny Jones is dying, she's dying, she's dying.
Miss Jenny Jones is dying; You cannot see her now.
I come to visit Miss Jenny Jones, Miss Jenny Jones,
Miss Jenny Jones.
Miss Jenny Jones is stiff and dead, she's stiff and dead,
she lies stiff and dead in her grave.
Miss Jenny Jones is dead, dead, dead.
You cannot see her now.
Submitter comment:
My mother learned this from her mother. My grandmother told my
mother this story because she never liked to visit her friends.
The story was to let my mother know her friends would not be around
forever so she had better see them while she can.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): FUNCTION
Date learned: 00001950S
What did Tennessee, what Arkansaw
Submitter comment:
My mother said that a lot of the time they learn different
things such as the states through riddles and these are just a few
she could remember.
Where learned: DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): FUNCTION
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- True Riddle |
Date learned: 00001960S