Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
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TOAST VERSE
THIS IS A KIND OF GAME. DRINKERS GET AROUND A TABLE AND
EACH ONE PICKS A NUMBER AND PERSON AT HEAD OF TABLE
STARTS WITH THIS: "THE PRINCE OF WALES HAS LOST HIS
HAT AND NUMBER 6 HAS FOUND IT. NUMBER 6 MUST REPLY:
"WHO SIR? MR SIR? NO SIR, NOT I SIR." IF HE SAYS IT
PERFECTLY WITHOUT SLURRING OR MISPRONOUNCING, HE
CALLS ANOTHER NUMBER AND THAT PERSON MUST SAY THE
WORDS. IF HE MESSES IT UP HE MUST DOWN HIS DRINK.
THE PRINCE CALLS ANOTHER NUMBER AND THE GAME
CONTINUES UNTIL ALL ARE SMASHED (DRUNK).
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HARPER WOODS
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Memory |
Date learned: 10-06-1971
UPSIES
TRYING TO MAKE A JACK KNIFE STICK IN THE GROUND BY
THROWING IT FROM DIFFERENT POSITIONS.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HARPER WOODS
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Special Object or Implement |
Date learned: 00-00-1961
INFORMANT, WHEN A YOUNG CHILD, WOULD TIP HIS BICYCLE
UPSIDE DOWN, AND TURN THE WHEEL, BY GRABBING THE
PEDAL, PRETENDING THAT IT WAS AN ICE CREAM MACHINE.
IT WAS USUALLY DONE WITH A TRICYCLE. THIS ACTION
GENERALLY WOULD BE ACCOMPANIED BY YELLING, "ICE
CREAM, ICE CREAM."
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HARPER WOODS
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Pastime |
Date learned: 10-00-1970
500 BASEBALL GAME
GAME BEGINS BY ONE PLAYER, THE BATTER, THROWING A BALL
UP IN THE AIR AND HITTING IT TO THE PLAYERS ON THE
FIELD. DEPENDING ON HOW THE BALL IS FIELDED, BY ONE
OF THESE PLAYERS, THEY ARE AWARDED A CERTAIN NUMBER
OF POINTS. IF THEY MISFIELD THE BALL, DEPENDING ON
WHAT TYPE OF HIT IT IS, THAT NUMBER OF POINTS IS
SUBTRACTED FROM THEIR SCORE. THE FIRST PLAYER TO
REACH 500 POINTS BECOMES THE NEW BATTER AND THE WHOLE
PROCESS STARTS ALL OVER AGAIN.
THE POINT VALUES ARE: "FLYBALL"--100 POINTS; "LINEDRIVE"
--75 POINTS; "GROUNDBALL"--50 POINTS.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HARPER WOODS
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Special Object or Implement Special Object or Implement |
Date learned: 11-23-1970
RUNNING BASES
YOU WOULD ESTABLISH TWO AREAS AS FIRST AND SECOND
BASE, A DETERMINED DISTANCE APART. SOMEONE WOULD
RUN BETWEEN THE BASES WHILE TWO PEOPLE, ONE
STATIONED AT EACH BASE, WOULD THROW THE BALL BACK AND
FORTH TRYING TO TAG OUT THE RUNNER, AS IN BASEBALL.
Submitter comment: INFORMANT PLAYED THIS GAME AS A CHILD.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HARPER WOODS
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Special Object or Implement Special Object or Implement |
Date learned: 10-00-1970
UPON BREAKING A MIRROR, THE PERSON WHO DID THE
BREAKING IS SAID TO HAVE SEVEN YEARS BAD LUCK.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HARPER WOODS
| Subject headings: | 686 Seven / Sevenths / Several BELIEF -- Bad luck Mirror |
Date learned: 10-27-1969
IT IS CONSIDERED BAD LUCK IF A BLACK CAT WALKS
ACROSS YOUR PATH.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HARPER WOODS ; DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): POSITION DIRECTION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Color BELIEF -- Bad luck Animals |
Date learned: 10-27-1969
WHEN BIRDS SQUAWK A GREAT DEAL AND FOR A PROLONGED
PERIOD, IT MEANS THAT RAIN WILL COME SHORTLY.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HARPER WOODS
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Bird BELIEF -- Cloud Fog Mist Rain Hail Ice Snow Frost Dew |
Date learned: 11-23-1970
DURING BAD STORMS, HOLY CANDLES WERE LIT TO PREVENT
DISASTER.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HARPER WOODS
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Weather sign or control |
Date learned: 11-23-1970
IF BUBBLES FORM IN RAIN PUDDLES DURING A STORM, IT
MEANS THAT THERE WILL BE RAIN FOR THE NEXT THREE
DAYS.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HARPER WOODS
| Subject headings: | 686 Thirds / Thrice / Three / Triple BELIEF -- Cloud Fog Mist Rain Hail Ice Snow Frost Dew |
Date learned: 11-23-1970
EATING CARROTS WILL ENSURE GOOD EYESIGHT.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HARPER WOODS
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Plant |
Date learned: 11-23-1970
EVERYTIME A GIRL WHISTLES, IT MAKES THE BLESSED
MOTHER CRY.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HARPER WOODS
Keyword(s): BLESSED VIRGIN
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal |
Date learned: 11-23-1970
A STUDENT AT MACOMB COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE MUST WAIT
TEN MINUTES FOR AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR BEFORE LEAVING,
AND 20 MINUTES FOR A PROFESSOR.
Submitter comment:
INFORMANT ACTUALLY BELIEVED THAT THIS WAS A SCHOOL
REGULATION.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HARPER WOODS
Keyword(s): LATENESS
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- School |
Date learned: 11-00-1970
A CHILD WAS BORN WITH A HARELIP AS A RESULT OF HIS
MOTHER BEING SCARED BY A RABBIT.
Submitter comment:
INFORMANT RELATED THIS BELIEF, BUT WAS SKEPTICAL
ABOUT IT HIMSELF.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HARPER WOODS
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Birth BELIEF -- Sign Color |
Date learned: 11-23-1970
WHEN A WOMAN HAD A BABY, TO PREVENT IT FROM GETTING
WITCHED, YOU WOULD TAKE THE BABY AND PUT IT THROUGH THE
FLAP OF A PAIR OF LONG UNDERWEAR, FROM THE FRONT.
Submitter comment:
INFORMANT RELATED THIS BELIEF HELD BY PEOPLE WHEN HE
WAS A CHILD, HOWEVER, DID NOT PROFESS TO BELIEVE IT
HIMSELF.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HARPER WOODS
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Birth |
Date learned: 11-23-1970
WHEN SOMEONE HAD A WART THEY WOULD SELL IT TO THE WART
PERSON WHO CAME AROUND TO THE HOUSE. AFTER GIVING THE
PERSON A PENNY, THE WART PERSON WHO RUB IT WITH AN OLD
WASHCLOTH AND THEN YOU WOULD BURY THE WASHCLOTH IN YOUR
BACKYARD SEVEN FEET DEEP. WHEN THE WASHCLOTH STARTED
TO DECOMPOSE, THE WART WOULD BE GONE.
Submitter comment:
JEAN HEARD THIS FROM HER GRANDMOTHER WHO BELIEVES
IT COMPLETELY.
HEARD IN DETROIT (MICHIGAN) ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HARPER WOODS
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Curer |
Date learned: 11-06-1971
IF YOU HAD WARTS, A FRIEND WOULD CUT A POTATO IN HALF AND RUB
IT ON YOUR WARTS. THEN HE BURIED IT SOMEPLACE AND KEEPS IT A
SECRET FROM YOU AND YOUR WARTS WILL GO AWAY.
Submitter comment: THIS WAS TOLD TO THE INFORMANT BY HIS GRANDMOTHER.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HARPER WOODS
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Remedy |
Date learned: 11-22-1971
IF YOU HAVE A WART AND RUB IT WITH A POTATO, THEN BURY THE
POTATO, BY THE TIME THE POTATO DIES, IN THE GROUND, YOUR
WART WILL BE GONE.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HARPER WOODS
James Callow Keyword(s): PLUGGING TRANSFER
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Method of Curing |
Date learned: 10-30-1971
I HAD WARTS ON MY HAND. MY UNCLE HARRY AT THE DINNER TABLE ASKED
ME IF I HAD A PENNY. MY MOTHER TOLD ME TO BELIEVE IN HIM.
I WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD AND I DID. HE SAID, "HOLD MY HAND AND
CLOSE YOUR EYES AND SAY A LITTLE PRAYER TO YOURSELF." AS
HE HELD MY HAND, WITH HIS OTHER HAND HE RUBBED OVER THE WARTS
ON THE BACK OF MY HAND. THEN HE SAID, "O.K. I'VE BOUGHT
YOUR WARTS FOR A PENNY. WITHIN A SHORT TIME THEY'LL GO AWAY."
THE WARTS DISAPPEARED WITHIN A MONTH.
Submitter comment:
INFORMANT WAS AFFLICTED WITH THE WARTS FOR FOUR YEARS PRIOR.
HEALER WAS HARRY MEYERS, BROTHER OF SOPHIE BENITAUT, HEALER
OF PINCONNING (MICHIGAN?).
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HARPER WOODS
James Callow Keyword(s): SALE
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Method of Curing |
Date learned: 01-25-1967
ITALIAN WEDDINGS HAVE TO HAVE WINE OR ELSE THE MARRIAGE
WILL BE A FAILURE.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HARPER WOODS
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Marriage Dinner |
Date learned: 03-31-1971