Preventing a vampire from returning to his casket before sunrise by hiding or burning his casket or separating it from its "native soil" will kill him.

Data entry tech comment:

Collector stamped a home address stamp onto the card in the place of "collector data."

Original Stamp: Mrs. W.E. Givens, Jr.

They then crossed out the Prefix and first initials [Mrs. W.E.] and scrawled over the suffix [Jr.]. Indecipherable writing over suffix, but may be Rev. or Esq.

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original Boggs number [P408] is crossed out and replaced with P427.

Where learned: ENGLAND ; WORCESTER

Keyword(s): Casket ; FIRE ; Undead ; Vampire ; Vanquish

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Werewolf Vampire

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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

If a pregnant woman is frightened by fire, the baby will have a red or purple birthmark.

Submitter comment:

Belief: Means of Cursing

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Reference

Original BN [P740] crossed out. Replaced with current classification

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): BABY ; BIRTH ; Birthmark ; CHILD ; COLOR ; CURSE ; FEAR ; FIRE ; jinx ; Offspring ; Old Wives Tale ; Purple ; Red ; SUPERSTITION

James Callow Keyword(s): Reference

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Birth

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Superstition

My grandmother has a mark, which she calls a "fire mark" on her upper arm. It is oddly similar ro a birthmark, bu this is the story of its origin according to my grandmother:

When her mother was pregnant with her, there was a fire in the Russion town where they lived. Her mother went out to look at it, and the night was quite cold. She grasped her upper arm because of this cold, and so my grandmother was born with a mark in the same place her mother had held her arm.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Reference

Original BN [P840] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: Myself

Keyword(s): BABY ; BIRTH ; Birthmark ; Cold ; CURSE ; FEAR ; FIRE ; jinx ; Offspring ; Russia ; Scare ; SUPERSTITION

James Callow Keyword(s): Reference

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Birth

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Superstition: Pregnancy

When you're pregnant is you see a fire there will be a mark on your child.

Data entry tech comment:

motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Reference

Original BN [P870] crossed out. Replaced with P542

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DEARBORN HEIGHTS

Keyword(s): Birthmark ; CHILD ; CURSE ; FIRE ; Mark ; Offspring ; SUPERSTITION

James Callow Keyword(s): Reference

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Birth

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Proverb

A house without a woman and firelight is like a body without a soul or sprite.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [V700] crossed out. Replaced with current classfication.

Located in a pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects

Keyword(s): BODY ; Domesticity ; Feminine ; FIRE ; Firelight ; PROVERB ; RHYME ; Soul ; SPIRIT ; Warmth ; Woman

Subject headings:

PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor

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Environmental Factor

Background and Environmental Factors:

Mitten Mountain, Montana - rare name - named because of a fire scar causing the shape of a mitten.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE ; American Place Names

Keyword(s): Background ; Environmental ; ETYMOLOGY ; FIRE ; Mitten ; Montana ; MOUNTAIN ; Nickname ; Scar ; SHAPE

Subject headings:

PROSE NARRATIVE -- Explanation of a name

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Custom

Speech - Professional Group:

At St. Thimas Hospital - the operator will page a Mr. Salamander to come to a certain ward if there's a fire in that ward - so as not to alarm patients and visitors.

Data entry tech comment:

Entered by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE

Keyword(s): Code ; FIRE ; FIRE ; HOSPITAL ; Page ; Salamander

Subject headings:

SPEECH -- Trade & commerce

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Entertainment: Song

Girl Scout Song

She sailed away on a happy summer's day
on the back of a crocodile
You see, said she, he's as tame as he can be.
I'll float him down the Nile.
Well the croc winked his eye,
and she waved them all good-bye,
wearing a happy smile.
At the end of the ride,
the lady was inside,
And oh, the smile on the crocodile!

Data entry tech comment:

Entered by TRD

Keyword(s): Campfire ; Crocodile ; Entertainment ; GIRL SCOUTS ; Lyric ; RHYME ; SONG

Subject headings:

Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Ballad Epic

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BE PREPARED IS THE BOY SCOUT'S MARCHING SONG
BE PREPARED AS IN LIFE WE MARCH ALONG
BE PREPARED TO HOLD YOUR LIQUOR WELL
DON'T WRITE NAUGHTY WORDS ON BOARDS
IF YOU CAN'T SPELL.

Submitter comment:

INFORMANT LEARNED WHEN HE WAS ABOUT 13, SUNG AS A MOCK ON
BOY SCOUTS BY "INDEPENDENTS".

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; FERNDALE

Keyword(s): Boy Scouts ; Campfire Song ; MUSIC ; SONG ; Tune

Subject headings:

Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Good humor Jest

Date learned: 04-00-1971

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PROTECTION AGAINST VAMPIRES

TORCHES WAVED WILDLY IS A PROTECTIVE DEVICE AGAINST VAMPIRES.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: ENGLAND ; WORCESTER

Keyword(s): SUPERNATURAL ; SUPERSTITION ; Torches ; Vampires

James Callow Keyword(s): FIRE

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Werewolf Vampire

Date learned: 04-00-1972

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FIRE PREVENTION- ALLGAU, BAVARIA, GERMANY

IN ORDER TO PREVENT HOUSE FIRES, ALWAYS KEEP A PICTURE
OF ST. FLORIAN IN THE HOME.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WARREN

Keyword(s): Bavaria ; FIRE ; GERMAN ; Germany ; Patron ; Picture ; PRAYER ; PREVENTION ; Saint ; Saint Florian

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Religious hero
BELIEF -- Fire

Date learned: 11-17-1968

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THE TURN OF THE CENTURY FOUND A GREAT DEAL OF THE
PRAIRIE LAND OF THE DAKOTAS OPEN FOR SETTLEMENT
THROUGH THE HOMESTEAD ACT. THIS ARID LAND WAS FAR
FROM THE BEST FOR FARMING. MY PARENTS TOOK ADVANTAGE
OF THIS ONLY TO FIND OUT YOU COULD ONLY EXPECT ONE
GOOD CROP EVERY SEVEN YEARS. AFTER THREE YEARS OF
FARMING THE LAND, IT BECAME THEIRS AND THEY SOLD IT
AND MOVED TO THE SMALL TOWN OF LEMON, S. DAKOTA, WHERE
I WAS BORN. ONE OF THE FEW MEMORIES I HAVE OF THE
DAKOTAS ARE THE MANY PRAIRIE FIRES IN THE HOT MONTHS
OF THE YEAR. THESE FIRES WOULD CREEP ALONG THE GROUND
AND TAKE EVERYTHING IN ITS WAY. WHEN A FIRE WAS SPOTTED
EVERY ABLE-BODIED MAN WOULD GO OUT TO FIGHT THE FIRES.
THESE WERE BLAMED ON THE MANY RUSSIANS WHO LIVED IN THE
AREA. I DOUBT IF THERE WAS EVEN ANY PROOF OF THE
RUSSIANS BEING RESPONSIBLE, AS THIS WAS AT A TIME
WHEN WORLD WAR I WAS GOING ON IN EUROPE AND THE U.S.
HAD NOT YET BEEN INVOLVED. A MORE LOGICAL REASON, WHICH
WAS PROVED ON MANY OCCASIONS WAS SPARKS FROM LOCOMO-
TIVES. ON ONE OCCASION, EVERY BODY HAD TO LEAVE TOWN
AS THE FIRE WAS ON THREE SIDES OF THE TOWN AND ONLY ONE
ROAD WAS USABLE AS AN EXIT.
MOVING FROM DAKOTA TO MINNESOTA WAS LIKE TRAVELING
FROM ONE WORLD TO ANOTHER, FOR THE CITY LIFE IN MINN-
ESOTA WAS VERY MODERN. IT WAS EVEN POSSIBLE TO GET ICE
DELIVERED TO THE HOUSE THREE TIMES A WEEK. THIS WAS
SUFFICIENT SERVICE TO KEEP THE ICEBOX COLD ALL OF THE
TIME AND THE VEGETABLE WAGON WITH ITS RINGING BELL
WAS A WELCOME SIGHT FOR THE HOUSEWIFE, AS IT WAS A
CHANCE TO BARGAIN FOR FRESH VEGETABLES AND FRUITS
IN SEASON. AS TIME WENT ON, MODERNIZATION SET IN AND
THE MILKMAN, ICEMAN AND VEGETABLE MAN CHANGED FROM
HORSE DRAWN CARTS TO TRUCKS BEFORE THEY EVENTUALLY
DISAPPEARED ALTOGETHER.
WITH THE ADVENT OF THE CAR, THE MAIL MAN ON THE ROAD
NO LONGER HAD THE RIGHT OF WAY AS A MATTER OF RESPECT.
MY GRANDFATHER ON MY MOTHER'S SIDE NEVER KNEW FOR SURE
JUST HOW OLD HE WAS OR WHEN HIS BIRTHDAY WAS, SO, WHEN
HE MARRIED, HE TOOK HIS WIFE'S BIRTHDAY AS HIS. AS
NEAR AS HE COULD RECALL, HE WAS ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE
YEARS OF AGE WHEN HIS PARENTS WERE MURDERED FOR THEIR
MONEY. HE WAS PLACED IN A CHICAGO ORPHANAGE WITH A
YOUNGER SISTER. HOW MANY YEARS HE SPENT IN THIS
ORPHANAGE IS NOT EXACTLY KNOWN, BUT IN HIS EARLY DAYS
HE WORKED ON A RIVERBOAT BETWEEN NEW ORLEANS AND
MINNEAPOLIS. LATER, HE WAS WORKING AS A FARMHAND
IN SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA, WHERE HE MET AND MARRIED
HIS LIFETIME PARTNER. ALL ATTEMPTS TO LOCATE HIS
SISTER WERE OF NO AVAIL, AS ALL RECORDS WERE LOST IN
THE GREAT CHICAGO FIRE.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: ILLINOIS ; PEORIA

Keyword(s): America ; CROPS ; Dakota ; FARMING ; Homestead Act ; Migration ; Modernization ; Prairie ; Russian ; Settlement ; Wildfire ; World War I ; WWI

Subject headings:

PROSE NARRATIVE -- Tale

Date learned: 11-01-1971

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