A pin on a thread, if held motionless over the wrist of an expectant mother, can determine sex of child by the motion which it takes up after it is perfectly still. If pin or needle takes up a circular motion than first child weill be a girl. If needle takes up back and forth motion then a boy. If pin stops and then moves again, this can be used to predict the future sex and number of children.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P860] crossed out. Replaced with current classification

Where learned: HOME ; NEW YORK ; ROCHESTER

Keyword(s): ANAPEL ; BELIEF ; Biology ; BIRTH ; CHILDREN ; CUSTOM ; Forecasting ; gender ; Ordain ; Pendulum ; Predictions ; SEX

Subject headings:

CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Birth

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Belief: Luck

Wedding Luck:

If it rains on a wedding day this is good luck; if it doesn't, the couple is sprinkled with champagne.

Data entry tech comment:

motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [I545] crossedo ut. Replaced with current classification

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; CUSTOM ; LUCK ; MARRIAGE ; OMEN ; SUPERSTITION ; WEDDING

Subject headings:

CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Marriage

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Custom/Belief

School Belief:

In the middle of the "diag," the diagonal sidewalk bisecting the campus at the University of Michigan, there is embedded in the walk a large brass 'M.' If a freshman walks on this 'M,' it is assured that he will fail his next test.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Reference

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Myself ; ANN ARBOR

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; COLLEGE ; CUSTOM ; MICHIGAN ; Student ; SUPERSTITION ; TEST ; University ; University of Michigan

James Callow Keyword(s): Reference

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- School

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Superstition

Italian Superstition:

Our family doesn't believe this, but my grandmother and some relatives do: when a pregnant woman craves for some specific food, and doesn't satisfy this crave, she will get a beauty mark in the shape of that food somewhere on her body. My cousin has a beauty mark similar to a pork chop and her mother claims to have craved for pork.

Data entry tech comment:

motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Reference

Original Bn [P680] crossed out and replaced with current classification

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; GROSSE POINTE WOODS ; Myself

Keyword(s): BABY ; BELIEF ; CHILD ; Craving ; ETHNIC ; FOOD ; Italian ; Old Wives Tale ; SUPERSTITION

James Callow Keyword(s): Reference

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Birth

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Superstition

Belief:

If a pregnant woman gets frightened and touches some part of her body, her child will be born with a birthmark on the same part of its body. The birthmark will be the same shape as the thing which frightened the mother.

Data entry tech comment:

motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Reference

Original BN [P438] crossed out and replaced with current classification

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): BABY ; BELIEF ; CHILD ; FRIGHT ; Offspring ; Old Wives Tale ; PREGNANCY ; Scare ; SUPERSTITION

James Callow Keyword(s): Reference

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Birth

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Superstition

Belief:

A pregnant woman should avoid being scared or shocked because this will disfigure or mark the baby.

Examples:

1. During a fire, a terrified pregnant woman grabbed her face with her hands and the baby was born with a red streak on its face.

2. A pregnant woman was scared by a mouse, and her baby was born with a marking on its shoulder similar to a mouse.

Submitter comment:

The informant heard of these two instances while she as a young girl in Poland.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Reference

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; Biology ; BIRTH ; Birthmark ; CHILD ; FEAR ; FIRE ; Mouse ; Offspring ; Old Wives Tale ; PREGNANCY ; RODENT ; SUPERSTITION

James Callow Keyword(s): Reference

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Birth

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Superstition

Pregnancy Belief:

When the informant was a student nurse in obstetrics at Mt. Carmel Hospital in 1968, she had a Slavic patient who had a patch of hair on her back at the base of her spine. the woman haad been told by her mother that she had been frightened by a bear while she was carrying her daughter. She was extrememly frightened when she suddenly saw the bearbut as she made the spontaneous gesture of clutching herself, she thought it would be dangerous to her child if she raised her hands to her face in fear in the front, so she reached behind and grabbed her back. She belived this had caused the patch on her daughter's back.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Reference

Where learned: Public Health Nurse

Keyword(s): BABY ; Bear ; BELIEF ; CHILD ; CURSE ; FEAR ; infant ; jinx ; Offspring ; Old Wives Tale ; SUPERSTITION

James Callow Keyword(s): Reference

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Birth

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Superstition

Pregnancy Superstition:

If a pregnant woman is frightened her baby will be born marked in some way.

Submitter comment:

This is a superstition common in the Oswald family

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Reference

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): BABY ; BELIEF ; Birthmark ; CHILD ; CURSE ; FEAR ; jinx ; Mark ; Offspring ; PREGNANCY ; Scare ; SUPERSTITION

James Callow Keyword(s): Reference

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Birth

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Superstition: Sports

In order to keep a winning streak going for a team, the team members must not change their socks from game to game.

Submitter comment:

Belief, Predicition, Divination P880

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Reference

Where learned: Myself

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; CLOTHING ; jinx ; LUCK ; SOCKS ; SPORTS ; SUPERSTITION

James Callow Keyword(s): Reference

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Entertainment Diversion
BELIEF -- Fate Destiny Luck Chance

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Superstition: Sports

Winning Streak:

It was believed to be bad luck to wash your athletic socks during a winning streak. If the coach made you wear clean ones, you always wore your dirty ones underneath those so as not to jinx the team.

Data entry tech comment:

motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P500] crossed out. Replaced with current classification

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; Coach ; FATE ; GAME ; jinx ; LUCK ; SPORTS ; SUPERSTITION ; Win ; Winning Streak

James Callow Keyword(s): Reference

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Entertainment Diversion

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Custom/Belief

Holy Communion:

Sometime around her First Communion, Mary was told always to swallow the host because if you chewed it, Christ would cry out in pain and blood would fill your mouth.

Data entry tech comment:

motifs added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; CHILD ; Christ ; Communion ; Host ; RELIGION ; RELIGIOUS ; SUPERSTITION

James Callow Keyword(s): Reference

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Church

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Custom/Belief

Tie a diamond ring to a piece of string with the diamond hanging at the lowest point. Hold the string at eye level. Hold it steady and place someone's hand palm down under the diamond. If the ring sways from left to right that is the sign that the expectant mother will have a baby boy. If it sways to and fro, the baby will be a girl.

Data entry tech comment:

motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Reference

Original BN [F500] crossed out. Replaced with current classification

Keyword(s): BABY ; BELIEF ; BIRTH ; DIVINATION ; gender ; Old Wives Tale ; Ordaining ; SEX ; SUPERSTITION

James Callow Keyword(s): Reference

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Birth

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Superstition: Pregnancy

Prediction Belief:

If a pregnant woman looks at an ugly animal, her child may be ugly.

Submitter comment:

Prediction / Belief

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Reference

Original BN [P800] crossed out / replaced with current classification

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; BIRTH ; CHILD ; CURSE ; jinx ; Offspring ; Old Wives Tale ; PREGNANCY ; SUPERSTITION

James Callow Keyword(s): Reference

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Birth

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Superstition

Bad Luck:

If you see a black cat on ground hog's day, destruction is at hand.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD.

Collector's last name may be: Supenski, Suprinski, Serpenski, Surpinski...

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P880] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; Black ; CAT ; Destruction ; Groundhog ; OMEN ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Mammal

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Superstition: Animals

Cat Superstitions:

If a human touches kittens before their eyes are open the mother cat will let them starve.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P752] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Abandon ; ANIMALS ; BELIEF ; Cats ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Mammal

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Belief: Animal

Mammal:

The excess handling of any or all of a litter of kittens may cause the mother cat to abandon the one kitten or the whole litter.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [B442] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Keyword(s): Abandon ; ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; CAT ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Mammal

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Superstition: Pregnancy

IF A HARE PASSES IN FRONT OF A PREGNANT WOMAN, HER CHILD WILL BE BORN
WITH A HARELIP UNLESS SHE MAKES A TEAR IN HER SLIP.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added and information updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WARREN ; informant's home

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; CURSE ; Deformity ; Hare ; Offspring ; PREGNANCY ; Rabbit ; SUPERSTITION

James Callow Keyword(s): IMITATIVE MAGIC

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Body part Senses
BELIEF -- Body part Senses Mouth, teeth, lips, tongue
BELIEF -- Mammal
BELIEF -- Birth

Date learned: 01-22-1970

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Belief: Luck

Belief/Luck:

If a rabbit crosses your way from right to left, it will be lucky for you, but it will be unlucky of he crosses from left to right.

Submitter comment:

Informant and I work together

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P880] crossed out. Replaced with current classification

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WARREN ; NATIONAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; CHANCE ; DIRECTION ; FATE ; Hare ; LUCK ; Rabbit ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Mammal

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Belief: Animal

Omen:

It is believed that if a horse won't drink water, then ot os certain that the water is poisoned.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P870] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; Consumption ; DRINK ; HORSE ; OMEN ; SIGN ; Signal ; Survival ; thirst ; WATER

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Mammal

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