Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
Your search for BABY returned 92 results.
Superstition: Pregnancy
Birth Marks:
After giving borth to a child, an Italian woman will ask the doctor, "are there any marks?" Immediately, if there were any, they would disappear.
Submitter comment:
This is another Italian "in" story
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P740.542, F542] crossed out. Replaced with current classification
Where learned: HOME
Keyword(s): BABY ; BIRTH ; Birth Mark ; CURE ; CURSE ; Delivery ; ETHNIC ; Italian ; PREGNANCY ; REMEDY
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness |
Superstition: Pregnancy
Birthmarks:
Mother always said "if a child was born with a birthmark, to do this, before the child got into the bath or anything." Take the afterbirth, the sack the baby grows in, take the lining from the sack and rub the baby all over with that. The skin would come out clean and the birthmark would be gone.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P720, P760.750] crossed out. Replaced wtih current classifications
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): Afterbirth ; BABY ; BIRTH ; Birth Mark ; CURE ; CURSE ; Delivery ; Labor ; Newborn ; Placenta ; PREGNANCY ; REMEDY
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Remedy |
Ethnic: Isreali Superstition
The Druse, a tribe in Isreal, protect their babies from the Evil Eye by painting a circle around each eye of the child with a dye called Kehl.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Keyword(s): BABY ; CHILD ; CURE ; CURSE ; Druse ; Dye ; ETHNIC ; EVIL EYE ; Israel ; Israeli ; Kehl ; Protection ; REMEDY ; SUPERSTITION ; Tribe
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness |
Superstition: Pregnancy
To Spit on a New-Born Baby:
Whenever a woman looks at another's new-born baby, they must have a little saliva fall on the child. If not, the evil-eye is cast upon the baby.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Written in the bottom left hand corner of the card: [IA25 Mark again for S600 + S644]
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): BABY ; CHILD ; CURE ; CURSE ; EVIL EYE ; Newborn ; PREVENTION ; REMEDY ; Saliva
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness SPEECH -- Gesture SPEECH -- Shame |
Ethnic:Polish Superstition
Superstitions:
A Polish pregnant woman must not eat twin pears, apples, or other fruits for fear of bearing attached twins.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
The card has been stamped as KEYPUNCHED, but the word has been crossed out.
Where learned: HOME
Keyword(s): BABY ; BELIEF ; Conjoined ; CURSE ; Eat ; ETHNIC ; FOOD ; FRUIT ; Newborn ; POLAND ; POLISH ; PREGNANCY ; SUPERSTITION ; TABU ; TWINS
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness |
Language
Baby Bunting:
By bye baby bunting, daddy's gone a hunting, for to catch a rabbit skin to wrap the baby bunting in.
Submitter comment:
My mother repeated this to my brothers and sisters and myself when we were very young. It was told to her when she was a child. It is a small verse used to explain the absence of father when the child asks where he is.
Data entry tech comment:
Added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Verse?
Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): BABY ; infant ; Language ; Parent ; Prose ; RHYME
| Subject headings: | SPEECH -- Formula |
Proverb
Out of the mouths of babes.
Submitter comment:
From - Uncertain.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; GROSSE POINTE
Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; BABY ; Maxim ; Mouth ; PROVERB ; VERSE ; WISDOM
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Phrase |
Entertainment: Song
Hush-A-Bye:
Hush a bye, don't you cry, go to sleep little baby.
When you wake, you will find, all the pretty little horses.
Black ones and bays, white ones and grays, all the pretty little horses.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Keyword(s): BABY ; Bay ; Black ; COLOR ; Dapple ; Entertainment ; Gray ; HORSE ; LULLABY ; SONG ; White
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Children |
Autograph Rhyme
I wish you luck, I wish you joy, I wish you first a baby boy.
And when his hair begins to curl, I wish you then a baby girl.
And when her hair is straight and thin, I wish you next a set of twins.
And when they're crawling on the floor, for heanev's sake, don't have any more!
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Keyword(s): AUTOGRAPH ; BABY ; Boy ; Crawl ; Curl ; Floor ; Girl ; HAIR ; poem ; RHYME ; Signature ; Straight ; THIN ; TWINS ; VERSE
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Verse without Music |
Religion
Catholic Baptism:
At the baptism of a child the priest sprinkles salt over the tongue of the child to represent the bitterness of life he will face.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Keyword(s): BABY ; BAPTISM ; BAPTISM ; Bitterness ; Catholic ; CEREMONY ; CHURCH ; Original Sin ; RELIGION ; RELIGIOUS ; Rite ; RITUAL ; Salt ; SIN
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Baptism Naming rite |
Language: Rhyme
I wish you luck
I wish you joy.
I wish you first a baby boy
And when his hair begins to curl
I wish you then a baby girl.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Keyword(s): Album ; AUTOGRAPH ; BABY ; Boy ; Curl ; Girl ; HAIR ; Language ; poem ; RHYME ; Signature ; VERSE ; WISH
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Lyrical Verse Lyrical Verse |
Language: Rhyme
When you get married and have twins
Don't come to me for safety pins.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Keyword(s): Album ; AUTOGRAPH ; BABY ; Language ; Pins ; poem ; RHYME ; SAFETY ; Signature ; TWINS ; VERSE
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Verse without Music Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Lyrical Verse Lyrical Verse |
Entertainment: Song
Song:
I gave my love a cherry that had no stone.
I gave my love a chicken that had no bone.
I gave my love a ring that had no end.
I gave my love a baby with no crying.
How can there be a cherry that has no stone?
How can there be a chicken that has no bone?
How can there be a ring that has no end?
How can there be a baby with no crying?
A cherry when it's bloomin', has no stone.
A chicken when it's pippin', it has no bone.
A ring when it's rollin', it has no end.
A baby when it's sleeping, has no crying.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
Keyword(s): BABY ; Blooming ; Bone ; Cherry ; Chicken ; CRYING ; Entertainment ; Folksong ; MUSIC ; Pippin ; RHYME ; RING ; Rolling ; Sleeping ; SONG ; STONE
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Love |
Jump Rope Rhyme
Susie and Johnnie sitting in a tree,
K-I-S-S-I-N-G
First comes love, then comes marriage, Then comes Johnnie with a baby carriage.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
Keyword(s): BABY ; Carriage ; Entertainment ; GAME ; Jump Rope ; KISSING ; Language ; MARRIAGE ; RHYME
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse Game Verse |
Jump Rope Rhyme
Blue Bells, Cockle shells,
Evy, Ivy Over
First comes love
Then comes marriage,
Here comes (name of jumper) with a baby carriage.
(For blue bells to ive - the rope swings back and forth, the jumper jumping over it. On over, the regular turning begins.)
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
Keyword(s): BABY ; Blue Bells ; Carriage ; Cockle Shells ; Entertainment ; GAME ; Ivy ; Jump ; Jump Rope ; Language ; MARRIAGE ; RHYME
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse Game Verse |
Language
Tongue-Twister:
Rubber baby buggy bumpers.
Submitter comment:
She learned it when she was growing up.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs Added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Why Verse?
Original BN [C870.570] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.
Keyword(s): ALLITERATION ; BABY ; Buggy ; Bumper ; Language ; Rubber ; TONGUE TWISTER
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech |
Belief: Medical
Stand in front of house after losing baby tooth and repeat three times:
Little Mouse Little Mouse
Give me an iron tooth
For this bone tooth.
Then the tooth is thrown over the house in hope that new tooth is stronger.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs Added By TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P700] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.
Verse?
Where learned: HOME
Keyword(s): BABY ; BELIEF ; Dentist ; House ; MEDICAL ; Mouse ; SUPERSTITION ; TEETH ; Tooth ; VERSE
| Subject headings: | SPEECH -- Formula |
PEOPLE USED TO CLIP THEIR HOGS' EARS TO IDENTIFY THEM.
THE RESPONDENT'S MOTHER WATCHED SOME HOGS BEING SO
MARKED WHILE SHE WAS PREGNANT, AND THE RESPONDENT WAS
BORN WITH ONE CLIPPED EAR.
Data entry tech comment:
Updated on 09-01-11
Where learned: MISSISSIPPI ; BELZONI
Keyword(s): BABY ; BELIEF ; Born ; Clip ; EARS ; Hog ; Pig ; PREGNANCY ; TRANSFERENCE
| Subject headings: | PROSE NARRATIVE -- Body part Senses Ears, noise in ear BELIEF -- Body part Senses Ears, noise in ear BELIEF -- Birth |
Date learned: 06-06-1973
A PREGNANT WOMAN'S FREQUENT READING DURING PREGNANCY WILL
WEAKEN HER BABY'S EYESIGHT.
Data entry tech comment:
Updated on 09-01-11
Where learned: MISSISSIPPI ; BELZONI
Keyword(s): BABY ; BELIEF ; EYESIGHT ; PREGNANCY ; READING
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Birth BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness |
GETTING WET IN THE RAIN BEFORE THE BABY IS TWO MONTHS OLD
WILL KILL THE NEW MOTHER.
Data entry tech comment:
Updated on 09-01-11
Where learned: MISSISSIPPI ; BELZONI
Keyword(s): BABY ; BELIEF ; DEATH ; Die ; infant ; Kill ; MOTHER ; MOTHERHOOD ; OMEN ; PREGNANCY ; Rain ; Wet
James Callow Keyword(s): AGE
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Birth BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness |
Date learned: 08-21-1973