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James Callow Folklore Archive

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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

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Superstition: Pregnancy

Cat Belief:

Never place a baby unattended in the same room as a cat, because the cat will leap up onto the child and take hold of the child's tongue and strangle the child.

Submitter comment:

Informant said she saw a cat do this and was able to save the child before the child expired.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P740] crossed out / replaced with current classification

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; KALAMAZOO

Keyword(s): ASPHYXIATION ; BABY ; CAT ; CHILD ; FEAR ; Feline ; infant ; Newborn ; STRANGULATION ; SUFFOCATION ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Superstition

Cats:

It isn't good to keep a cat in the house while sleeping, for it would soon become fascinated in watching your Adam's Apple moving up and down, would try to catch it and eat it.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P750. P400] crossed out / replaced with current classification

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): Adam's Apple ; CAT ; Consumption ; Devour ; FEAR ; Feline ; SLEEP ; SUPERSTITION ; SUPERSTITION ; Throat

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Superstition: Pregnancy

Cats:

Never let a Tom Cat sleep in the same bedroom with a child, it will take the child's breath away and smother it, killing the child.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P549] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: OHIO ; LUCAS COUNTY

Keyword(s): ASPHYXIATION ; BABY ; CAT ; CHILD ; FEAR ; Feline ; SUFFOCATION ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Superstition

Black Cat:

If a black cat crosses your path to the left you'll have bad luck. If he crosses to the right you'll have good luck.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [B440, P880] crossed out / Replaced with current classification

Where learned: HOME ; WINSTON SALEM ; NORTH CAROLINA

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; Black ; CAT ; Feline ; LEFT ; LUCK ; OMEN ; RIGHT ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Ethnic: Roman

Rome is the city of cats, stones and priests becasue all three of these are very plentiful. The cats can be found everywhere and are respected by the people and are feed [sic] by them. Cats are never killed and always cared for because it is said that the Roman spirit is reincarnated in them.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P752, B440] crossed out / replaced with current classification

Where learned: ITALY ; ROME

Keyword(s): CAT ; DEATH ; ETHNIC ; Feline ; Priests ; REINCARNATION ; Roman ; Rome ; Soul ; STONES

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Proverb

Draft beer not students.

Submitter comment:

Sit-ins.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

[Common saying at sit-ins and picket lines.]

Located in pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects

KW:5ZM

Keyword(s): ALCOHOL ; BEER ; Beverages ; COLLEGE ; DRINK ; DRINKING ; Picket Line ; Protest ; Sit-In ; Students

Subject headings: PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

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Proverb

Spare the rod, spoil the child

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [V300, V600] crossed out. Replaced with current classifications.

Located in pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects.

KW:EZX

Keyword(s): CHILD ; DISCIPLINE ; Parenthood ; PUNISHMENT ; Raising ; Rearing ; Rod ; Spoil

Subject headings: PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor

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Proverb

Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Located in pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ;

Keyword(s): CHILD ; DISCIPLINE ; Parenting ; PUNISHMENT ; Rod ; Spare ; Spoil

Subject headings: PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor

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Proverb

You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [V500] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Located in pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects

Keyword(s): BEAUTY ; Ear ; Pig ; Purse ; Silk ; Sow ; UGLINESS

Subject headings: PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor

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Proverb

Old Proverb:

You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

Submitter comment:

Informant's grandmother says this quite often.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [V400] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Located in pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): BEAUTY ; Improvement ; Pig ; Purse ; Silk ; Sow ; UGLINESS

Subject headings: PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor

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Proverb

Cleanliness is next to Godliness.

Submitter comment:

Favorite Comment

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [V600] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: OHIO ; Sylvania

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Clean ; CLEANLINESS ; God ; Godliness ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; VERSE

Subject headings: PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

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Proverb

Cleanliness is next to Godliness.

Submitter comment:

Gathered from Memory

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

original BN [V600] Crossed out, Replaced with current classification.

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Clean ; CLEANLINESS ; God ; Godliness ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; VERSE

Subject headings: PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

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Entertainment: Game

Engine, engine, number 9

Going down Chicago's line,

If the train should jump the track,

Would you want your money back?

yes, no, maybe.....(repeat until a miss)

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE

Keyword(s): CHICAGO ; Engine ; Entertainment ; GAME ; Jump ; Jump Rope ; Line ; MONEY ; Nine ; NUMBER ; RHYME ; Track

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse Game Verse

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Ghost Tale

In Chapel Hill, TN, There is a ghost that roams next to the railroad. All you can see is his light as he flashes it up and down the tracks. It is supposedly a lineman who had fallen off the train many years before. When he fell he lost his head. Now he roams the track swinging the light looking for his head.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE

Keyword(s): Beheaded ; DECAPITATION ; GHOST ; HEAD ; Lineman ; RAILROAD ; Story ; SUPERNATURAL ; Tale ; Urban Legend

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Ghost Spirit Phantom Specter

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Saying

Step on a crack you'll break your mother's back

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE

Keyword(s): Back ; Crack ; Line ; MOTHER ; Saying ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness

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BELIEF

ONE MUST NEVER SWEEP TOWARD A DOOR.
YOU MUST SWEEP TOWARDS THE MIDDLE OF THE ROOM TO PREVENT YOURSELF
FROM SWEEPING OUT MONEY AND GOOD FORTUNE OUT THE DOOR.

Submitter comment:

A BELIEF PASSED DOWN FROM GRANDFATHER.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: DETROIT ; MI

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; CLEANLINESS ; DIRECTION ; Domesticity ; fortune ; Housekeeping ; LUCK ; SUPERSTITION ; Sweep

James Callow Keyword(s): BROOM ; DIRECTION ; POSITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Home

Date learned: 09-20-1967

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SPORTS SUPERSTITION

WHEN DOING BAD IN BOWLING OR GOLF, DRAW A FENCE ON THE SCORE
CARD AND YOU HAVE BETTER LUCK.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; GROSSE POINTE

James Callow Keyword(s): FENCE = ZIG-ZAG LINE ON SCOREBOX

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Entertainment Diversion
BELIEF -- Good luck P881.2

Date learned: 04-18-1971

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