Dr. James T. Callow publications
Browse by
Questions or comments on this site? Please email davidsor@udmercy.edu.
The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
Your search for DEATH returned 183 results.
After a funeral the best friend of the deceased is given a bowl of boiled wheat, a glass, and silverware. This little ceremony transfers the worldly goods of the deceased to the living.
Submitter comment:
Informant noted that this custom is not as popular as it used to be but it is still practiced.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD.
Where learned: HOME
Keyword(s): DEATH ; Deceased ; FRIENDSHIP ; GLASS ; RELIGION ; RELIGIOUS ; RITUAL ; Silverware ; SYMBOL ; Symbolic ; SYMBOLISM ; UTENSILS ; Wheat
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Death Funeral Burial |
Yellow Ribbon
This is a story about John and Jane. They lived next door to each other, went to school together, and loved each other very much. John was a normal happy boy and Jane was a happy girl who always wore a yellow ribbon . Jane kept answering "perhaps some day I'll tell you."
Time went by, and John and Jane were engaged. Jane told John she would tell him about the ribbon on their wedding day. On their wedding day, they forgot about the yellow ribbon. Next day, however, John asked why she wore it again. She replied that they were happily married so what difference does it make?
Time went by and it was their golden anniversary and John asked about the ribbon again. Jane asked him to wait a little longer since he has waited so long already. Finally, Jane became very ill and was dying. John asked again to please tell him why she wore the yellow ribbon.
"All right," said Jane. "You can untie it." So John untied the yellow ribbon and Jane's head fell off.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original Boggs Numbers [B600 B642] are crossed outand B667.1 is substituted.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Myself
Keyword(s): Anniversary ; BEHEADING ; BODY ; CURIOSITY ; Curious ; DEATH ; DECAPITATION ; DYING ; HEAD ; LOVE ; MARRIAGE ; Neighbors ; SECRET ; Yellow Ribbon
| Subject headings: | 6677 Formula Tale |
Ethnic: Native American
Destiny:
If an indians is [sic] killed in battle without his weapon, his soul will be damned in limbo.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P880] crossed out. Replaced with current classification
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): AFTERLIFE ; DEATH ; Destiny, Warrior, Weapon, Ethnic, Indian, Native American ; Limbo ; Soul
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial |
Destiny
If a Norse is killed without a weapon, his soul is damned to limbo.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P546] crossed out and replaced with current classification
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): AFTERLIFE ; BURIAL ; CUSTOM ; DEATH ; MYTHOLOGY ; Norse ; Soul ; Warrior ; Weapon
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial |
Destiny
Apache Indians will never attack at night, because if they are killed at night their souls will be damned to limbo.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P880] crossed out and replaced with current classification.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): Attack ; DEATH ; ETHNIC ; Limbo ; Native American ; Nighttime ; Soul ; WAR ; Warrior
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- War |
Destiny
If a cowboy dies without his boots on his soul is damned to limbo
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P880] crossed out and replaced with current classification.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): BELIEF ; BURIAL ; DEATH ; Funeral ; Limbo ; MYTH ; Soul ; SUPERSTITION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial |
Entertainment: Gambling
In poker, a full house - aces and eights- is a Dead Man's Hand. Supposedly Wild Bill Hickok had this hand when he died.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P880] crossed out/ replaced with current classifications
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): Aces ; CARDS ; Dead Man's Hand ; DEATH ; Eights ; Entertainment ; Hero ; Legend ; NUMBERS ; Outlaw ; Poker, Gambling ; Wild West
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Secular hero BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial SPEECH -- Folk etymology |
Entertainment: Gambling
Belief:
Aces and Eights - this is the Dead Man's Hand. Wild Bill Hickok was killed in a poler game with this hand.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P880] was written twice and crossed out each time/replaced with current classifications
Where learned: SCHOOL
Keyword(s): Aces ; CARDS ; Dead Man's Hand ; DEATH ; Eights ; Entertainment ; Hero ; Legend ; NUMBERS ; Outlaw ; Poker, Gambling ; Wild West
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Secular hero BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial SPEECH -- Folk etymology |
Maxim
Sun and Rain:
Happy is the bride the sun shines on;
Lucky is the corpse that rain falls on.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P880, P45] crossed out/ replaced with current classifications.
Keyword(s): BELIEF ; Bride ; BURIAL ; Corpse ; DEATH ; Funeral ; MARRIAGE ; Maxim ; OMEN ; SUPERSTITION ; WEDDING
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Marriage BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial |
Entry filtered.
Ethnic Joke: Hollander
Hollander Joke:
When the Hollanders bury their dead, they bury them standing up with the top half sticking out of the grave. These are used as the tombstones.
Submitter comment:
This joke was told to me by a boy from Flanders.
Hollander jokes are typical in Belgium.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs and BN added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Written in the bottom left of the card: Does this imply that the Hollanders are cheap? A response in different handwriting (probably the collector's): YES!!
Where learned: BELGIUM
Keyword(s): BURIAL ; DEATH ; ETHNIC ; Funeral ; GRAVEYARD ; Headstones ; Holland ; Hollander ; Offensive ; Tasteless
James Callow Keyword(s): Hollander
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Ill humor Ridicule Mockery |
Ethnic: Native American
Prayer at the Time of a Wake:
Almighty God, we pray to you at this time so that we might understand your loving Providence in our lives. We know that the world is a sweat lodge, a place of purification, that our span of life is a time of trial. When our purification has been accomplished, we must step through the door of death into the light of eternal happiness. No one regrets leaving the hot darkness of the sweat lidge to the cool light og the world we live in. So lord, remove all spirit and rebellion from our hearts at a time when the soul of ______ had finished his (her) purification and gone into eternal life. Give us the strength to live by this vision, so that it can heal the wounds of grief and restore your peace in our hearts. Give us a greater understanding of the wonderful work of your redemption on the sacred Road of LIfe. Let us all be mindful that we share in Christ rising to a new life of complete happiness for all eternity. Let us pray that all traces of sin be removed from his (her) soul sop that the anfels of God may bring him (her) into paradise. We ask you these graces through the Blessed virgin Mary, St. Joseph and Jesus Christ who is and ever shall be the Living and Eternal Pipe. Amen.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: CANADA ; Tekakwitha Conference ; WINNIPEG ; MANITOBA
Keyword(s): AMERICAN INDIAN ; CUSTOM ; DEATH ; ETHNIC ; Funeral ; Native American ; PRAYER ; RELIGION ; Soul ; WAKE
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Prayer |
Ethnic: Native American
Before the prayers, say "remember man that the Pipe of your earthly life" will some day be broken. Then take bowl and stem apart and lay on coffin.
After the prayers in the ritual, then take two parts of the Pipe into your hands and say: "Through the Resurrection of Christ, the life of _____and all of us will be brought together into eternal happiness." Then in the four directions, point the Pipe to the sky and say "I am the Living and Eternal Pipe, the Ressurrection and the Life; he who believes in Me, even if he die [sic] shall live: and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die." Repeat this in each of the four direction. At the end point the Pipe to the sky and touch the Earth with the bowl.
Submitter comment:
The informant advises that the Pipe be already filled with tobacco. This is the most powerful prayer I have experienced with the Pipe and produces a deep impression on many people.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: CANADA ; Tekakwitha Conference ; WINNIPEG ; MANITOBA
Keyword(s): AMERICAN INDIAN ; BELIEF ; CUSTOM ; DEATH ; ETHNIC ; Funeral ; Native American ; PRAYER ; RELIGION ; RITUAL
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Prayer |
Ethnic: Native American
Lakota Burial Custom:
The Lakota Indians place the deceased bodies of their tribe not in the ground but upon poles until the corpses are either disintegrated or eaten.
Submitter comment:
The informant supposes that the practice places the body close to the Great Spirit, prevents other tribes from taking over Lakota Territory, and expresses the belief that the Lakotas - if they wandered away - would eventually return to this special area.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): AMERICAN INDIAN ; BURIAL ; CUSTOM ; DEATH ; ETHNIC ; Funeral ; Lakota ; Native American
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Death Funeral Burial |
Ethnic: Korean
Korean Death Custom:
In Korea, a male will straighten the tongue of the person who just died while female members of the family would have to leave the room.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): BURIAL ; CUSTOM ; DEATH ; ETHNIC ; Funeral ; Korean
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Death Funeral Burial |
Ethnic: Moravian
Moravian Burial Custom:
Moravian cemetary headstones are kept flat to show humility; their uniform size reflects the democracy of death. Burial is not by families but by choirs - grouping by age, sex, and marital status.
Submitter comment:
Read in National Geographic Magazine, Dec. 1970
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: Myself
Keyword(s): BELIEF ; BURIAL ; CUSTOM ; DEATH ; ETHNIC ; Funeral ; Moravian
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Death Funeral Burial |
Ethnic: Native American
Indian Burial Custom:
Informant noted a ritualistic use of pipe smoking in Indian Burial practices which - he bleived - is a co-mixture of Indian and Catholic beliefs.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): AMERICAN INDIAN ; BURIAL ; CATHOLICISM ; CUSTOMS ; DEATH ; ETHNIC ; Funeral ; Native American ; RELIGION ; RELIGIOUS
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Death Funeral Burial |
Ethnic: Native American
Indian Death Belief:
Among the Lakota Indians, the Informant believes that the death customs among these particular Indians shows a consciousness of ancestry but not ancestor worship.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): AMERICAN INDIAN ; ANCESTRY ; BURIAL ; CUSTOM ; DEATH ; ETHNIC ; Funeral ; Native American
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial |
Ethnic: Korean
Korean Death Custom:
In Korea, there is a three year mourning period for a parent since each child spent three years in the bosom before birth.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): Ancestors ; Beliefs ; BURIAL ; CUSTOMS ; DEATH ; ETHNIC ; Funeral ; Korean
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Death Funeral Burial |
Custom
Cemetery Practices:
When the informant was a child, he said that one made a day out of a trip to the cemetary. People carried their own sprinkling cans, their own shears for cutting the grass around the gravesite, their own garden tools to plant their own flowers. Most of the time you would take a lunch with you and eat it under the trees at the cemetery.
Submitter comment:
Grammatical corrections made to typed submission.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: HOME
Keyword(s): Ancestors ; BURIAL ; CEMETERY ; DEATH ; FOOD ; Funeral ; GARDEN ; Lunch ; Maintenance ; RESPECT
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Death Funeral Burial |