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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

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Religion

An extremely grim account of religious confraternities in New Mexico and Colorado which practice self-flagellation and other penitent practices, especially on Good Friday.

The article explores the history behind and classifies different types of Muerte (death images) which are pulled on carts by penitents.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

Where learned: Journal of American Folklore ; The Origin of the Penitence Death Cart

Keyword(s): Colorado ; CUSTOM ; DEATH ; Flagellation ; Images ; Inflicted ; Muerte ; New Mexico ; REGIONAL ; RELIGION ; Self

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Custom

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Custom

Grammaw's Average Day:

"...go milk the cow and put the milk in the springhouse...churn sum buttermilk 'n make the butter...'n make a batch of hominy...rest a little whilst shelling peas...hoe and weed the garden 'n carry sum vegetables back to the cabin...take sic Mandy Lou sum soup on the next farm 'n gather sum herbs to doctor wid later on...shell sum butterbeans...gather sum pears 'n make sum preserves...git the aigs outta the nests 'n get the goat outta the garden...cook three meals a day."

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE ; Boiling and Baking ; Booger Hollow

Keyword(s): ; Average ; Beans ; Chores ; CUSTOM ; Day ; Domestic ; Excerpt ; FARMING ; GARDEN ; Goat ; Grandma ; Narrative ; Peas ; Prose ; Shell ; Story ; VEGETABLE ; WORK

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Measure of time Routine activity

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Proverbial Saying

Retort:

Can't come in cans; cans come in success.

Submitter comment:

In school, 7th grade St. Theodore, SSJ, had on blackboard.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Meaning?

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; CAN ; Can't ; Language ; Maxim ; PLAY ON WORDS ; PROVERB ; PUN ; RETORT ; SUCCESS ; VERSE ; WORDPLAY

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Formula

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Retort

Next day after never when two Sundays come together.

Submitter comment:

I heard it from my father.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Should be under Rotten Verse?

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): COMEBACK ; Day ; Language ; Never ; Never ; Next ; RETORT ; RHYME ; SLANG ; Sundays

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Formula

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Verse

Worry:

Mama mia (means my mother)

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [S550] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Keyword(s): Expression ; Italian ; MOTHER ; Term ; Worry

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Formula

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Taunt

Drop Dead!

Go play sea hunt in the toilet!

Submitter comment:

Can't remember.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

T?

Keyword(s): Dead ; Drop ; Expression ; INSULT ; INSULT ; Play ; SEA ; TAUNT ; Term ; Toilet

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Formula

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Saying

See you later alligator.
In a while, Crocodile
Not too soon, baboon.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [S550, S57] crossed out. Replaced with current classifications.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Alligator ; Baboon ; Crocodile ; Expression ; SLANG ; Term

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

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Maxim

A light heart insures good digestion

Submitter comment:

Written in an old cook book

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

James Callow comment:

SO?

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; BODY ; Digestion ; FOOD ; HEART ; LIGHT ; Maxim

Subject headings: SPEECH -- S5570

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Maxim

A dream of sweets is worth a pound of sours

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

James Callow comment:

?

Keyword(s): Apothegm ; Dream ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; Saying ; Sour ; Sweet ; VALUE ; VERSE ; Worth

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Formula

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Entry filtered.

Greetings

Historical record from James Callow Folklore Archive.

Greeting an Intimate:

Among Negro adolescents of Detroit, greetings of "Hello, Momma," and "Hello, Daddy," exchanged between a boy and a girl indicate that they are sexually intimate. HOwever, a boy greeting a girl as "Hello, Momma" as a proposition is likely to get swatted with a purse.

Submitter comment:

The informant observed this while teaching in the Detroit Public School system.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

James Callow comment:

T?

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Daddy ; Detroit ; GREETING ; Innuendo ; Intimate ; Momma ; PROPOSITION ; Sexuality ; SLANG

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Formula
Filter - Mature Content

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Saying

When someone says "I thought..." you say "You know what Mr. Thought did."

They probably will want to know what he did so you tell him: "He thought a razor blade was toilet paper and he cut his behind."

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [V501] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Taste??

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Answer ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; QUESTION ; razor ; RETORT ; Saying ; Think ; Thought ; Toilet Paper

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Formula

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TO FIX A MOUSE EATEN HOLE IN A GARMENT BRINGS BAD LUCK
TO THE MENDER.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated on 09-01-11

Where learned: MISSISSIPPI ; BELZONI

Keyword(s): BAD LUCK ; Fix ; Garment ; Hole ; LUCK ; Mend ; Mouse ; Sew

James Callow Keyword(s): MENDING SEWING

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Bad luck Activities

Date learned: 06-06-1973

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A BABY'S HAIR TEXTURE CAN BE MADE DIFFERENT FROM ITS
MOTHER'S OR FATHER'S HAIR BY THE PREGNANT MOTHER
RUBBING HER HAND OVER THE HEAD OF A PERSON HAVING
THE DESIRED COLOR AND TEXTURE.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MISSISSIPPI ; BELZONI

Keyword(s): BABY ; BELIEF ; CHILD ; COLOR ; Father ; HAIR ; MOTHER ; PREDICTION ; PREGNANCY ; Texture

James Callow Keyword(s): CONTAGIOUS MAGIC

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Body part Senses Hair, on head, mustache, widow's peak
BELIEF -- Birth

Date learned: 09-00-1973

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A LACK OF PRE-NATAL EXERCISE WILL MAKE THE BABY ONESIDED.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MISSISSIPPI ; BELZONI

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; EXERCISE ; Physical ; PREGNANCY

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

Date learned: 08-18-1973

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FREQUENT USE OF LAXATIVES WILL RESULT IN CLEAN BABIES
AT BIRTH.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MISSISSIPPI ; BELZONI

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; BIRTH ; Clean ; Laxatives ; PREGNANCY

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

Date learned: 09-13-1973

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IF THE BABY BEFORE BIRTH IS ACTIVE, IT WILL BE A BOY;
IF INACTIVE, A GIRL.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MISSISSIPPI ; BELZONI

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; Boy ; gender ; Girl ; Movement ; PREDICTION ; PREGNANCY

James Callow Keyword(s): SEX DETERMINATION

Subject headings: Observation
BELIEF -- Birth

Date learned: 09-13-1973

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A CHILD CONCEIVED ON THE QUARTER MOON WILL BE A BOY.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MISSISSIPPI ; BELZONI

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; Boy ; Conceived ; gender ; PREDICTION ; PREGNANCY

James Callow Keyword(s): FRACTION ; SEX DETERMINATION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Moon
BELIEF -- Birth
BELIEF -- Number Properties attributed to specific numbers or numerals individually

Date learned: 09-00-1973

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IF THE NEWBORN BABY LIES ON HIS LEFT SIDE, HE WILL BE
LEFT-HANDED.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE

Keyword(s): BABY ; BELIEF ; Dexterity ; LEFT ; RIGHT

James Callow Keyword(s): POSITION DIRECTION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Birth
BELIEF -- Measure of time Sleeping

Date learned: 10-13-1973

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GOING OUT OF A HOUSE THROUGH THE SAME DOOR BY WHICH
YOU ENTERED IS BAD LUCK.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; CORNERSVILLE

Keyword(s): Door ; Enter ; Exit ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank
BELIEF -- Bad luck

Date learned: 00001972-00001973 (ASSUMED)

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A CONVERSION TO SEEING A BLACK CAT CROSS THE ROAD
WHILE DRIVING IS TO MAKE AN "X" ON THE WINDSHIELD.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; CORNERSVILLE

Keyword(s): Black ; CAT ; Cross ; DRIVING ; Road ; SUPERSTITION ; X

James Callow Keyword(s): AUTOMOBILE

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank
BELIEF -- Sign Geometric figure Cross and its various modifications
BELIEF -- Bad luck Animals
BELIEF -- Conversions

Date learned: 00001972-00001973 (ASSUMED)

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