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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

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Superstition: Animals

Cats:

If there is a cat you want to get rid of, put some beans in a sack and tie it on the cat's tail, hit him on the backside and he will run himself to death.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; Beans ; CAT ; DEATH ; Eliminate ; Pest ; Rid ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Belief: Animal

Catty Belief:

Blue eyed cats are deaf

(They are usually green eyed)

Submitter comment:

The date 11/7/69 is written in tiny numbers on the bottom left hand of the card.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P500] crossed out. Replaced with Current Classification

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; BLIND ; BLINDNESS ; Blue ; CAT ; COLOR ; Eye ; eye color ; Green

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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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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Myth

Easter Bunny:

The Easter Bunny - A big rabbit with a white tail who hides eggs around your house.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P429] crossed out. Replaced with current classification

Where learned: CHILDHOOD ; HOME

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; Bunny ; CUSTOM ; Easter ; Eggs ; Hare ; holiday ; MYTH ; Rabbit

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Custom: Holiday

On February 2nd, the groundhog is said to come out of his place of hibernation to see if winter is over. If it is over, he will see his shadow, and if he does not see it, the groundhog returns for another six full weeks of winter.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

original BN [B462.642] crossed out. Replaced with current classification

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; CUSTOM ; Groundhog ; holiday ; SEASONS ; Shadow ; Spring ; WINTER

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Custom: Animal

Animal:

The men that work in the coal mines feed the mice in the mines. They do this because the mice save their lives. Just before a mine avalanche, the mice will squeal and scurry on the ground, warning the miners of the oncoming danger.

Submitter comment:

My mother's father worked in a coal mine in Penna. [Pennsylvania?] and actually experienced this.

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): ANIMAL ; Danger ; Mice ; Mine ; Mines ; Mouse ; OMEN ; Signal ; WARNING

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Belief: Animal

Miners Belief:

Coal miners never kill a rat in the mines because they can save a miners' life. Rats can sense if a mine is in danger of caving in. If there is any danger, the rats squeal and run in circles and the miners try to get out in time. If the cave in comes in an hour, or if tit takes three days, the rats will still give a warning, so the miners say.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P800] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): ; ANIMAL ; Cave ; Miners ; OMEN ; Rats ; RODENT ; Signal ; WARNING

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Custom: Animal

Hunter's and Woodsman's Belief:

Although there is an open season on them all year a Good Sportsmen or Hunter will never shoot a porcupine. This is because if a person was ever lost in the woods without any food or a gun a porcupine can be easily killed with a stick or a club and the meat is very nutritious.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

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

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; Club ; FOOD ; Gun ; Hunt ; LOST ; Porcupine ; Survival ; Woods

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Language

Equidae - Horse Family

Data entry tech comment:

Motif added by TRD

The only informatino given on the card is the BN and the three words.

Where learned: UNKNOWN

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; Biology ; Classification ; DEFINITION ; Equine ; FAMILY ; HORSE ; Language

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal
SPEECH -- Vocabulary
SPEECH -- Folk Name for Animal

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Belief: Animal

White Horse:

make a wish, and it will come true if you see a white horse.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P800] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: PENNSYLVANIA ; ERIE

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; COLOR ; Equine ; HORSE ; LUCK ; SUPERSTITION ; White ; WISH

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Belief: Animal

IF YOU TAKE A HAIR OUT OF A HORSE'S TAIL AND PUT IT IN A
GLASS OF WATER, IT WILL TURN INTO A WORM.

Submitter comment:

HEARD FROM HER MOTHER.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; PEABODY COLLEGE ; NASHVILLE

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; HAIR ; HORSE ; MAGIC ; SUPERSTITION ; TRANSFORMATION ; WATER ; Worm

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Creation and Order of Animal Life
BELIEF -- Animal
BELIEF -- Mammal
BELIEF -- Magic of Speech, Sign, Color

Date learned: 03-07-1969

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Belief: Animal

Belief in Magic:

If you place a horsehair in vinegar it will turn into a worm.

Submitter comment:

This was told to the informant by her grandmother many years ago.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P600] crossed out. Replaced wtih current classifications.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; WORK ; CHILDRENS HOSPITAL

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; HAIR ; HORSE ; MAGIC ; SUPERSTITION ; TRANSFORMATION ; VINEGAR ; Worm

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Creation and Order of Animal Life
BELIEF -- Animal
BELIEF -- Mammal
BELIEF -- Magic of Speech, Sign, Color

View just this record

Belief: Animal

Crosses on Donkeys:

The fur on a donkey's back seems to make a dark cross length-wise. According to the informant, the cross is there because Christ rode the donkey into Jerusalem. When she told me this, another person who was present said she had always heard it was there because Mary rode on the donkey.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P682.4, M247.3] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; OAKLAND UNIVERSITY ;

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; ASS ; Christ ; CHRISTIANITY ; Cross ; DONKEY ; DONKEY ; Fur ; HAIR ; Jerusalem ; JESUS ; Mary ; RELIGION ; SYMBOL ; VIRGIN MARY

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Belief: Animal

How to catch a Monkey:

The way to catch a monkey is to take a cocnut and druill a hole with a one inch diameter into it. Hollow out the coconut and fill it with nuts, and place it in a tree. A monkey will come and stick his hand in the hold to grab the nuts because of his greed. In fact, even when the monkey is caught, the coconut will have to be cracked from around the monkey's hand.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [B600] crossed out. Replaced with current classifications.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; Bait ; CATCH ; Coconut ; FOOD ; Monkey ; NUTS ; Primate ; Trap ; TRICK

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

View just this record

Belief: Animal

Legend about the Rhinoceros:

In the Far East the horn of a rhinoceros is thought to be an aphrodisiac. Becasue of this the rhinoceros is almost extinct in this region.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [ B444, N800] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; APHRODISIAC ; ETHNIC ; Extinct ; Far East ; Horn ; HUNTING ; Rhinoceros

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Belief: Animal

It is a belief among hunters that is a bear looks at you eye to eye at the instant you kill it, its spirit will haunt you after its death.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Regarding set-up of the submission card:

By moving the circumstances of collecting information to the right (taking up 2 instead of 1 line with it) you'll leave room for a title.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Pioneer

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; Bear ; BELIEF ; DEATH ; Haunting ; HUNTING ; SPIRIT ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Belief: Animal

The Pig's Look:

In Haiti, if walking down the street at midnight, one spy's a pig; he looks and runs the other way, for if the eyes of the pig meet yours simultaneously, you will immediately be transformed into a pig.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; ETHNIC ; Haiti ; Haitian ; MAGIC ; Pig ; TRANSFORMATION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

View just this record

Belief: Animal

Warts/Toads:

This is the belief that a person gets warts on his hands from handling toads.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

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

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): AMPHIBIAN ; ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; CURSE ; Disfigure ; SUPERSTITION ; Toad ; Toads ; Wart

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Animal

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Belief: Animal

Cause for Warts:

If you touch a frog or a toad, you will get warts.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P400] crossed out. Replaced with P440

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): AMPHIBIAN ; ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; CURSE ; Disfigure ; FROG ; SUPERSTITION ; Toad ; Warts

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Animal

View just this record

Belief: Animal

Toads give warts.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P600] crossed out. Replaced with current classification

Where learned: UNKNOWN

Keyword(s): Amphibians ; ANIMALS ; BELIEF ; CURSE ; Disfigure ; SUPERSTITION ; Toads ; Wart

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Animal

View just this record

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