Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
Your search for CURSE returned 37 results.
IN AUSTRIA-HUNGARY IN THE PAST CENTURY THERE WAS A WOMAN WITH FIVE
CHILDREN WHO ONE DAY REFUSED A GYPSY MALE SOME FOOD OR MONEY. HE
MUTTERED SOMETHING AND WENT AWAY. THE NEXT MORNING, WHEN THE WOMAN
OPENED THE WINDOW IN HER KITCHEN - THE WINDOWS OPENED INWARDS - SHE
FOUND A DAGGER STICKING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SILL. BEFORE THE YEAR
WAS UP SHE HAD LOST ALL OF HER FIVE CHILDREN TO DEATH, EACH SEPA-
RATELY. SHE TURNED TO DRINK AND LOST HER WILL TO LIVE. HER HUSBAND
REFUSED SYMPATHY AND BEAT HER UP INSTEAD. SHE FELL, BROKE HER HIP
AND DIED SHORTLY AFTER.
Submitter comment:
INFORMANT SAYS THAT AS HER MOTHER TOLD HER THE STORY, IT WAS HER
MOTHER'S SISTER THAT THIS HAPPENED TO - THE INFORMANT'S GREAT AUNT.
Data entry tech comment:
Updated by TRD
James Callow comment:
THE COLLECTOR'S GREAT AUNT?
CK[ CURSE
Where learned: OHIO ; CLEVELAND
James Callow Keyword(s): CURSE
| Subject headings: | PROSE NARRATIVE -- B439 BELIEF -- Magic of Speech, Sign, Color |
Date learned: 09-10-1972
CURSE OF DONERAILE
ALAS HOW DISMAL IS MY TALE;
I LOST MY WATCH IN DONERAILE.
MY DUBLIN WATCH, MY CHAIN AND SEAL
PILFERED AT ONCE IN DONERAILE.
MAY FIRE AND BRIMSTONE NEVER FAIL
TO FALL IN SHOWERS IN DONERAILE.
THE FATE OF POMPEY AT PHORSALE
BE THAT CURSE OF DONERAILE.
MAY EGYPT'S PLAGUE AT ONCE PREVAIL
TO THIN THE KNAVES OF DONERAILE.
MAY EVERY POST, GAZETTE, AND MAIL
SAD TIDINGS BRING OF DONERAILE.
MAY FROST AND SNOW AND SLEET AND HAIL
BENUMB EACH JOINT IN DONERAILE.
MAY WOLVES AND BLOODHOUNDS TRACE AND TRAIL
THE CURSED CREW OF DONERAILE.
MAY EVERY MISCHIEF FRESH AND STALE
ABIDE HENCEFORTH IN DONERAILE
MAY NEITHER FLOUR NOR OATENMEAL
BE FOUND OR KNOWN IN DONERAILE.
MAY CURSES WHOLESALE AND RETAIL
POUR WITH FULL FORCE ON DONERAILE.
MAY EVERY TRANSPORT WONT TO SAIL
A CONVICT BRING FROM DONERAILE.
MAY COLD AND HUNGER STILL CONGEAL
THE STAGNANT BLOOD OF DONERAILE.
MAY CHARON'S BOAT TRIUMPHANT SAIL
COMPLETELY MANNED FROM DONERAILE.
AND MAY GRIM PLUTO'S INNER JAIL
FOREVER GROAN WITH DONERAIL.
Submitter comment:
IT IS A GREAT CURSING BALLAD; WRITTEN IN THE YEAR 1808, IT IS AS
POPULAR TODAY AS IT WAS THEN. IN DONERAILE AT THE TIME, LIVED
A GALWAY SCHOOLMASTER, PAT O'KELLY, WHO FANCIED HIMSELF A BIT OF
A POET. ONE DAY HE LOST HIS WATCH IN THE LOVELY NORTH CORK
VILLAGE AND WAS NEVER RETURNED. HE IMMEDIATELY SAT DOWN AND WROTE
THIS BALLAD. FAR TOO LONG TO GIVE IN FULL, HERE ARE A FEW COUPLETS.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT ; UNION
Keyword(s): CURSE ; IRELAND ; OVERREACTION
| Subject headings: | Favorites Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Hate BELIEF -- Curse |
Date learned: 11-26-1972
NEVER TAKE A TUB BATH OR WASH YOUR HAIR DURING YOUR
MENSTRUAL PERIOD.
Submitter comment:
INFORMANT'S MOTHER TOLD HER THIS, INFORMANT IS
NOT SURE OF THE SIGNIFICANCE, BUT ALL HER FRIENDS
WERE TOLD THE SAME THING FROM THEIR MOTHERS.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): CURSE ; MENSTRUATION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness |
Date learned: 00-00-1945
If you thank someone who gives you a plant, it will
not grow.
Submitter comment:
Elinor really believes this saying to be true, and states
that she is very careful to avoid thanking someone for a
plant.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; FRASER
Keyword(s): superstition, vegetation, curse
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Plant BELIEF -- P535 BELIEF -- Bad luck Plants |
Date learned: 00001950S
"Certain people have the power to give the evil eye.
Some would give it to you to make you sick, bring you
bad luck, etc. or they would say not to look in their
eyes so you would not get the evil eye (they could not
help themselves from giving the evil eye --- it was
beyond their control). Mr. DiSantis had the power. He
told my Dad and others about it when he was young,
(maybe age seven)."
Submitter comment:
This is a verbatim account from Maryann Leisner detailing
a story told many times by her Italian father, Mr. Phillip
Melone. Mr. Melone believes this to be true.
Where learned: ILLINOIS ; SKOKIE
Keyword(s): Curse, magic, harm
| Subject headings: | PROSE NARRATIVE -- Body part Senses Eyes, evil eye BELIEF -- Body part Senses Eyes, evil eye BELIEF -- Curse BELIEF -- Bad luck Body parts and functions |
Date learned: 00001930S
Irish Prayer
May those who love us, love us;
And those who don't love us,
May God turn their hearts.
And if He doesn't turn their hearts,
May he turn their ankles,
So we'll know them by their limp.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Marine City
Keyword(s): CURSE
James Callow Keyword(s): enemies
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Lyrical Verse BELIEF -- Prayer |
Date learned: 00-00-1991
You should never talk about other people. For example, never
make fun of the handicapped or people that you think are ugly. If
you do your children will be born just like the person you make fun
of.
Submitter comment:
My grandmother told my mother this to keep her from making fun of
other people.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): CURSE
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Physically handicapped Deformed BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal BELIEF -- Birth |
Date learned: 00001930S
If you ever make an ugly face and someone slaps you on the back
while you are making that face your face will become stuck like
that.
Submitter comment: Lisa saw this in a movie once.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; SOUTHFIELD
Keyword(s): CURSE
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness SPEECH -- Gesture |
Date learned: 00001990s
Autograph verse
Roses are red, violets are black.
You would look better, with a knife in your back.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Sandusky
Keyword(s): CURSE
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Lyrical Verse Lyrical Verse Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Autograph Verse |
Date learned: 00-00-1965
Superstition
Superstition:
Anything tried on Friday the 13th will fail.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P880.6] crossed out and replaced with P574.5
Where learned: CHILDHOOD ; HOME
Keyword(s): BELIEF ; CURSE ; DATE ; Day ; Friday ; jinx ; SUPERSTITION ; TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA ; Weekday
James Callow Keyword(s): TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA
| Subject headings: | 686 Specific number by specific number being described BELIEF -- Measure of time WeekDayHour |
Superstition
Pregnancy Belief:
When the informant was a student nurse in obstetrics at Mt. Carmel Hospital in 1968, she had a Slavic patient who had a patch of hair on her back at the base of her spine. the woman haad been told by her mother that she had been frightened by a bear while she was carrying her daughter. She was extrememly frightened when she suddenly saw the bearbut as she made the spontaneous gesture of clutching herself, she thought it would be dangerous to her child if she raised her hands to her face in fear in the front, so she reached behind and grabbed her back. She belived this had caused the patch on her daughter's back.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Reference
Where learned: Public Health Nurse
Keyword(s): BABY ; Bear ; BELIEF ; CHILD ; CURSE ; FEAR ; infant ; jinx ; Offspring ; Old Wives Tale ; SUPERSTITION
James Callow Keyword(s): Reference
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Birth |
Superstition
If a pregnant woman is frightened by fire, the baby will have a red or purple birthmark.
Submitter comment:
Belief: Means of Cursing
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Reference
Original BN [P740] crossed out. Replaced with current classification
Where learned: HOME
Keyword(s): BABY ; BIRTH ; Birthmark ; CHILD ; COLOR ; CURSE ; FEAR ; FIRE ; jinx ; Offspring ; Old Wives Tale ; Purple ; Red ; SUPERSTITION
James Callow Keyword(s): Reference
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Birth |
Superstition
Pregnancy Superstition:
If a pregnant woman is frightened her baby will be born marked in some way.
Submitter comment:
This is a superstition common in the Oswald family
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Reference
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): BABY ; BELIEF ; Birthmark ; CHILD ; CURSE ; FEAR ; jinx ; Mark ; Offspring ; PREGNANCY ; Scare ; SUPERSTITION
James Callow Keyword(s): Reference
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Birth |
Superstition
My grandmother has a mark, which she calls a "fire mark" on her upper arm. It is oddly similar ro a birthmark, bu this is the story of its origin according to my grandmother:
When her mother was pregnant with her, there was a fire in the Russion town where they lived. Her mother went out to look at it, and the night was quite cold. She grasped her upper arm because of this cold, and so my grandmother was born with a mark in the same place her mother had held her arm.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Reference
Original BN [P840] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.
Where learned: Myself
Keyword(s): BABY ; BIRTH ; Birthmark ; Cold ; CURSE ; FEAR ; FIRE ; jinx ; Offspring ; Russia ; Scare ; SUPERSTITION
James Callow Keyword(s): Reference
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Birth |
Superstition
Belief:
If you're frightened during pregnancy after the 7th month the child will be born with a birth mark such as a strawberry or in the shape of a thing that produced the fright.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Reference
Original BN [P880] crossed out. Replaced with Current Classification
Where learned: HOME
Keyword(s): BABY ; BIRTH ; CHILD ; CURSE ; FEAR ; jinx ; Offspring ; Old Wives Tale ; Scare ; SUPERSTITION
James Callow Keyword(s): Reference
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Birth |
Superstition
Superstition:
Pregnant women should not look at strawberries because then their children will develop red blotches on themselves (which look like strawberries).
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Reference
Original BN [P740] crossed out. replaced with current classification
Where learned: HOME
Keyword(s): BABY ; BIRTH ; Birthmark ; CURSE ; jinx ; Mark ; Offspring ; Old Wives Tale ; PREGNANCY ; STRAWBERRY ; SUPERSTITION
James Callow Keyword(s): Reference
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Birth |
Superstition: Pregnancy
When you're pregnant is you see a fire there will be a mark on your child.
Data entry tech comment:
motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Reference
Original BN [P870] crossed out. Replaced with P542
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DEARBORN HEIGHTS
Keyword(s): Birthmark ; CHILD ; CURSE ; FIRE ; Mark ; Offspring ; SUPERSTITION
James Callow Keyword(s): Reference
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Birth |
Superstition
"Mouse"
My brother has a birthmark on his thigh. But my grandmother refuses to believe that it did not come about inthis way: She says that when my mother was pregnant a mouse must have frightened her and she must have grabbed her leg at the thigh, in the place where my brother has the "mouse." Her proof is that my uncle has the same kind of mark in the same place on his leg, and she is sure that she was scared by a mouse when pregnant with him.
Data entry tech comment:
motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Reference
Original BN [P840] crossed out and replaced with current classification.
Where learned: Myself
Keyword(s): BIRTH ; Birthmark ; CHILD ; CURSE ; FEAR ; Mouse ; Offspring ; Scare ; SUPERSTITION
James Callow Keyword(s): Reference
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Birth |
Superstition: Pregnancy
Prediction Belief:
If a pregnant woman looks at an ugly animal, her child may be ugly.
Submitter comment:
Prediction / Belief
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Reference
Original BN [P800] crossed out / replaced with current classification
Where learned: HOME
Keyword(s): BELIEF ; BIRTH ; CHILD ; CURSE ; jinx ; Offspring ; Old Wives Tale ; PREGNANCY ; SUPERSTITION
James Callow Keyword(s): Reference
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Birth |
Superstition: Pregnancy
IF A HARE PASSES IN FRONT OF A PREGNANT WOMAN, HER CHILD WILL BE BORN
WITH A HARELIP UNLESS SHE MAKES A TEAR IN HER SLIP.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added and information updated by TRD
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WARREN ; informant's home
Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; CURSE ; Deformity ; Hare ; Offspring ; PREGNANCY ; Rabbit ; SUPERSTITION
James Callow Keyword(s): IMITATIVE MAGIC
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Body part Senses BELIEF -- Body part Senses Mouth, teeth, lips, tongue BELIEF -- Mammal BELIEF -- Birth |
Date learned: 01-22-1970