The pishtace are nocturnal murderers of Indians. The pishtaco murder Indians in order to obtain human fat to be sold as lubricants for machinery and to be used in pharmacuticals.

The legend derives from 16th and 17th centurey Spanish practices of using human body fats as treatment for wounds and diseases. the people who tell this tale are poor Indians and the pishtaco are usually wealthy industrial men in the area. The tale helps draw lines of social class.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: Journal of American Folklore ; The Pishtaco: Institutionalized Fear in Highland Peru

Keyword(s): BODY ; Cultural ; Culture ; Fat ; FEAR ; HORROR ; INDIAN ; INDUSTRY ; Kill ; Lubrication ; Machinery ; MEDICINE ; MURDER ; Native American ; Peru ; Peruvian ; Pharmaceutical ; Pishtaco ; Poor ; Social Class ; Wealthy

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal

View just this record

Language

In the summer of 1816 there were frosts during each of the summer months in Hyde Park Vt. and much of the surrounding area. These frosts during the summer months discouraged many of the local farmers who abandoned their farms and moved westward. During the summer of 1816 a poem was written which is often recalled by Vermonters and printed in Vermont newspapers when the summers are unusually cool. The poem discourages people from leaving the area. the poem says:

"Moses saud we are to inhabit all the world, warmer climates lead to more vices, one doesn't change wives because of a wrinkle or farms because of a cold summer.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

Where learned: New York Folklore Quarterly ; Fitch Against Immigration

Keyword(s): AGRICULTURE ; Chill ; FARMING ; Frost ; HARVEST ; Hyde Park ; Language ; Moses ; poem ; Region ; SEASON ; Summer ; Summer ; Vermont ; WINTER ; Wives ; Wrinkle

Subject headings:

CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Measure of time

View just this record

Environmental Factor

Product of Environmental Factor:

Making a scarecrow for vegetable garden.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE

Keyword(s): AGRICULTURE ; ENVIRONMENT ; Farm ; Scarecrow ; VEGETABLE

Subject headings:

ART CRAFT ARCHITECTURE -- Weaving material For costuming in dance or drama, see C484. Flax Hemp Jute

View just this record

Irish Blessing

May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face

The rains fall soft upon your fields and
Until we meet again...
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Leave Taking?

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Back ; BLESSING ; Culture ; ETHNIC ; Field ; God ; Irish ; Rain ; Road ; TRAVEL ; Wind

Subject headings:

SPEECH -- Formula

View just this record

Irish Blessing

An Irish Blessing

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
And Grains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again
May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

James Callow comment:

Leave-Talking?

Too long, so not included.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): BLESSING ; Culture ; God ; Grain ; Irish ; Road ; TRAVEL ; VERSE ; Well Wishes ; Wind

Subject headings:

Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech

View just this record

Entry filtered.

Toast

Ireland was Ireland when England was a pup,
And Ireland was Ireland when England had grown up.
and I'm an Irish Catholic and I go to early mass,
And if the lousy Limeys don't like it
They can kiss me bloomin' arse.

Submitter comment:

He heard it from an Irish Friend

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Catholic ; Culture ; England ; ETHNIC ; Ethnicity ; IRELAND ; Irish ; Limey ; Mass ; Slur ; TOAST

Subject headings:

Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech

View just this record

RED CLOUDS AT NIGHT,
SHEPARD'S DELIGHT.
RED CLOUDS IN THE MORNING,
SHEPARD'S WARNING.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; CORNERSVILLE

Keyword(s): AGRICULTURE ; Clouds ; Clouds ; COLOR ; Delight ; FARMING ; METEOROLOGY ; MORNING ; Night ; OMEN ; Portent ; Red ; Shepard ; SIGN ; WARNING ; WEATHER

Subject headings:

Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Belief Belief
BELIEF -- Weather sign or control

Date learned: 00001972-00001973 (ASSUMED)

View just this record

Superstition

You should not operate on pigs (geld) if the moon sign is in the heart or head. If you do, there is more sickness and loss.

Data entry tech comment:

Entered by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; SPRINGFIELD ; U.H. Garrett

Keyword(s): AGRICULTURE ; ASTROLOGY ; HEAD ; HEART ; MEDICINE ; MOON ; SIGN ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings:

CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Measure of time Working

View just this record

Super

Plant beans when the moon sign is in the arm. If you do, beans will hang out heavy with many pods like fingers. Otherwise the beans will be shaded inside under the leaves and there will not be as many pods.

Data entry tech comment:

Input by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; SPRINGFIELD ; L.G. Corbin

Keyword(s): AGRICULTURE ; Arm ; ASTROLOGY ; Beans ; FARMING ; GARDEN ; PLANT ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings:

CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Measure of time Working

View just this record

Superstition

My grandfather has always cut the end off a cucumber and rubbed the cut piece around on the cut end of the cucumber before eating it. He says it takes out the bitterness.

Data entry tech comment:

Input by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; SPRINGFIELD

Keyword(s): AGRICULTURE ; Bitter' Taste ; Cucumber ; FOOD ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings:

Food Drink -- Kind of Food and Its Preparation

View just this record