Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
Your search for B returned 4320 results.
A TRADITIONAL GIFT GIVEN FOR GOOD LUCK TO A NEW BORN
"BAIRN" WAS FRUIT OR COAL.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): BABY GIFT
Date learned: 00-00-1935
In Baghdad, Iraq swimming in the Tigris and Euphrates river
after the holy month of Ramadan is said to be the last
cleansing process of the soul. Only Moslems participate in
this religious ceremony.
Submitter comment:
My father told me this story because he knew of many
individuals who would participate in the ceremony.
James Callow Keyword(s): bathing
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Church BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal |
Date learned: 00-00-1948
Good Luck
Standing on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean just before
sunrise can put you in a great state of mind and can bring
you a world of good luck. If you then take a quarter out
of your pocket
and throw it out into the ocean as far as you can it will
bring you 25 days of good luck. This all must be done before
the sun rises.
Where learned: FLORIDA ; FORT LAUDERDALE
Keyword(s): Buying luck
James Callow Keyword(s): East ; POSITION DIRECTION
Date learned: 00-00-1991
If you feel pain in your right leg this means that something
bad is about to happen to you.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): Body, Hurt
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Sensations and involuntary actions BELIEF -- Bad luck |
Date learned: 00-00-1985
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
Wearing used clothes from a thrift shop may bring you either
good luck or bad luck, depending on how the original owners
conducted themselves when wearing those clothes.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WEST BLOOMFIELD
Keyword(s): Articles, Fashion
James Callow Keyword(s): BEHAVIOR
| Subject headings: | ART CRAFT ARCHITECTURE -- Dress BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal BELIEF -- Conversions |
Date learned: 00-00-1985
Sage will help cure stomach aches and
cardamon will help you feel better if you
ate too much.
Submitter comment: Usually the sage is prepared as a tea.
Keyword(s): Herb.
| Subject headings: | Food Drink -- Brew of leaf, bark, root BELIEF -- P745 |
Date learned: 00001960S
If you hang wolfbang (an herb) above the
kitchen door all will be well in your house.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): POSITION DIRECTION ; wolfbane?
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Plant BELIEF -- Home BELIEF -- Magic of Speech, Sign, Color |
Date learned: 00001985ca
New broom sweep clean, but old broom know the corners.
Submitter comment:
This is in reference to younger people taking over an
older person's job. The younger person may do a good job
but the older person can do it twice as well.
Where learned: VIRGIN ISLANDS ; Saint Thomas
James Callow Keyword(s): OBSERVATION
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor |
Date learned: 03-00-1991
If yo tink yo bundle of dirty clothes too heavy, try
picking up yo neighbor's own.
Submitter comment:
People always believe that they have the worst of everything
until they realize that other people have problems too.
Where learned: VIRGIN ISLANDS ; Saint Thomas
Keyword(s): tink = think ; yo = you or your
James Callow Keyword(s): Advice -- Positive ; Metaphor: problems = bundle of clothes ; RELATIVITY ; WEIGHT
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor |
Date learned: 02-00-1991
Drunk man talk what he tink when he sober.
Submitter comment: A drunk person says what he's thinking when he's sober.
Where learned: VIRGIN ISLANDS ; Saint Thomas
Keyword(s): tink = think
James Callow Keyword(s): INHIBITIONS ; OBSERVATION
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim |
Date learned: 02-00-1991
Yo have mo front 'n Katie Ben.
Submitter comment:
You have more "gumption" than Katie Ben. The story goes back
to the 1940's in Saint Thomas when there was a problem with
the congregation of a Methodist church. Everyone was afraid
to talk about it, including the minister, even though all knew
a problem existed. Katie Ben, a child, got up in church and
spoke out or took the "front." The informant has no idea what
the problem was at the time but that is where this saying came
from.
Where learned: VIRGIN ISLANDS ; Saint Thomas
Keyword(s): 'n = than ; mo = more ; Yo = you
James Callow Keyword(s): Effrontery Boldness Audacity ; Personal name in proverb
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim PROVERB -- Proverbial Comparison |
Date learned: 03-00-1991
A woman should never place her purse on the floor or she will
never receive any money.
Submitter comment:
The informant learned this from an older woman while she was
attending church. She also said that the older woman was
clutching her purse in her lap as if she fully believed this
to be true.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): POSITION DIRECTION ; Taboo ; Unnatural place
| Subject headings: | Observation BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal BELIEF -- Measure of quality Monetary systemMoneyWealth |
Date learned: 03-00-1991
It is bad luck to let your tears fall on the face of the dead.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): Coffin ; Corpse ; Crying taboo ; Tabu = taboo
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial BELIEF -- Bad luck |
Date learned: 03-00-1991
Soap and water clean hand and face but not evil heart.
Where learned: VIRGIN ISLANDS ; Saint Thomas
James Callow Keyword(s): OBSERVATION
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor |
Date learned: 03-00-1991
Fish trap don make noise, but it do good work.
Submitter comment:
A person's effectiveness is not measured by the amount of
noise he makes but by his accomplishments.
Where learned: VIRGIN ISLANDS ; Saint Thomas
Keyword(s): don = don't
James Callow Keyword(s): BRAGGING ; OBSERVATION
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Measure of quality PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor |
Date learned: 03-00-1991
When yo' dig up ol' graves, dem smell stink.
Submitter comment:
When you bring up old grievances and quarrels you can expect
for the unpleasant results to arise as well.
Where learned: VIRGIN ISLANDS ; Saint Thomas
Keyword(s): dem = them ; ol'= old ; Yo = you
James Callow Keyword(s): OBSERVATION
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor |
Date learned: 03-00-1991
If win' don' blow yo won' see foul under cloes.
Submitter comment:
You won't know the true circumstances until something
unexpected happens to upset the normal course of events.
Where learned: VIRGIN ISLANDS ; Saint Thomas
Keyword(s): cloes = clothes ; don' = don't ; win' = wind ; won' = won't ; Yo = you
James Callow Keyword(s): OBSERVATION
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor |
Date learned: 03-00-1991
Your Time is Now
What you do with your time
And how you use it are important.
You can help shape your own time and time to come.
You can make it better.
Submitter comment:
Jewish children are taught this poem as soon as
they are able to read.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): Ambition, Organization
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Lyrical Verse Lyrical Verse |
Date learned: 00-00-1976
In England myrtle is considered lucky. In Wales
myrtle is planted on each side of a home to
insure love & to keep the atmosphere peaceful.
Submitter comment: Many people still consider myrtle a sign of peace.
Where learned: ENGLAND ; LONDON
Keyword(s): nature, beauty
James Callow Keyword(s): POSITION DIRECTION ; SYMBOL
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Spring Planting BELIEF -- Plant BELIEF -- Good luck |
Date learned: 00-00-1990