Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
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IF YOU SEE THE MOON OVER YOUR LEFT SHOULDER, YOU WILL DIE.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Observation BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial |
Date learned: 10-01-1968
SEEING LITTLE CHILDREN DANCING IN THE SKY IS AN OMEN THAT
SOMEONE YOU KNOW WILL SOON DIE.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Observation BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial |
Date learned: 10-20-1970
SEEING A FULL MOON OVER ONE'S LEFT SHOULDER IS GOOD LUCK.
Submitter comment: FROM HER HUSBAND.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Observation BELIEF -- Good luck P881.111 |
Date learned: 07-24-1964
WHEN THE HOT WINDS BLOW OUT OF THE DESERTS INTO CALIFORNIA,
THE CRIME RATE WILL RISE IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA.
Submitter comment: COULDN'T REMEMBER WHERE HE LEARNED THIS.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Observation BELIEF -- Sign or prediction through Natural atmospheric phenomenon |
Date learned: 09-00-1967
KNOCK-KNOCK STREET
ON A DARK, FOGGY NIGHT SOME YEARS AGO ON A STREET NEAR MY HOME
(I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME ANYMORE), A BOY WAS RUN OVER BY A CAR
AND KILLED. THE HIT AND RUN DRIVER WAS NEVER FOUND. FROM THAT
TIME ON, ANYTIME MY FRIENDS AND I WERE RIDING DOWN THE STREET,
STRANGE NOISES CAME FROM BENEATH THE CAR. WE BELIEVED THAT THIS
BOY WHO WAS KILLED WAS BOTHERING PEOPLE BECAUSE THE KILLER WAS
NEVER FOUND. THE NOISE WAS NOT THE FAULT OF A DEFECTIVE CAR,
SINCE THIS NOISE WOULD ONLY OCCUR ON THIS PARTICULAR STREET.
THE NICKNAME FOR THIS STREET WAS KNOCK-KNOCK STREET.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | PROSE NARRATIVE -- Outlaw Criminal Bandit Pirate PROSE NARRATIVE -- Product or activity of man or animal BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial |
Date learned: 03-31-1970
ROCKING AN EMPTY ROCKER IS A SIGN OF DEATH.
Submitter comment: HER HUSBAND.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Observation BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial BELIEF -- Number Emptiness, nothingness, zero |
Date learned: 07-23-1964
IN A JEWISH STORE, IF THE FIRST CUSTOMER TO COME IN
IN THE MORNING IS A WOMAN, THE DAY WILL NOT BE A
PROSPEROUS ONE.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | 686 Properties attributed to specific numbers or numerals individually. Observation BELIEF -- Work Commerce Business |
Date learned: 11-15-1968
A FOUR-LEAF CLOVER IS GOOD LUCK. A FIVE-LEAF CLOVER
IS BAD LUCK.
Submitter comment: THIS IS A SUEPRSTITION COMMON IN THE OSWALD FAMILY.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Observation BELIEF -- Plant BELIEF -- Good luck P881.11 BELIEF -- Bad luck P882.11 |
Date learned: 09-20-1967
IT ONCE WAS CONSIDERED A SIGN THAT THEY WOULD LOSE IF A
BASEBALL TEAM SAW A WAGON FULL OF BARRELS ON THE WAY
TO A GAME. OPPOSING COACHES SOMETIMES WOULD PAY
SOMEONE TO DRIVE IN FRONT OF A TEAM WITH A LOAD OF
BARRELS.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Observation Favorites Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Athletic sport and exercise Gymnastics BELIEF -- Use of Object Manufactured objects, homemade, machined |
Date learned: 11-00-1968
IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR SHADOW AND CANNOT SEE THE SHADOW OF YOUR
HEAD YOU ARE GOING TO DIE.
Submitter comment: INFORMANT LEARNED THIS IN THAILAND.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; THAILAND ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Observation BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial |
Date learned: 02-12-1971
IF YOU ARE LOOKING AROUND QUICKLY AND YOU SEE THE
SHADOW OF SOMEONE FALLING DOWN, IT MEANS SOMEONE
YOU KNOW DIED.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Observation BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial |
Date learned: 03-31-1968
THE BUBBLES ON THE SURFACE OF A CUP OF TEA FORETELL
HOW MUCH MONEY ONE WILL RECEIVE IN A BUSINESS
TRANSACTION.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Observation Food Drink -- Brew of leaf, bark, root BELIEF -- Work Commerce Business BELIEF -- Use of Object |
Date learned: 10-00-1967
IF YOU HEAR A KNOCKING AT YOUR DOOR AND YOU GO TO
ANSWER IT BUT NOBODY IS THERE, THIS MEANS DEATH.
Submitter comment: INFORMANT LEARNED THIS CUSTOM IN THAILAND.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; THAILAND ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Observation BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial |
Date learned: 02-02-1971
IF THERE'S A KNOCK ON THE WALL, THERE WILL BE A DEATH.
Submitter comment:
SYLVIA LEARNED THIS FROM HER SISTER, WHO HAD IN TURN,
LEARNED IT AT THE NURSES' LOUNGE AT BEAUMONT HOSPITAL
IN ROYAL OAK, MICHIGAN
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Observation BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial |
Date learned: 09-23-1967
IF A BANSHEE SQUEALS, THERE'S BEEN A DEATH IN THE FAMILY.
Submitter comment:
SYLVIA HEARD THIS ON THE "TONIGHT SHOW" ONE EVENING
WHEN MAUREEN O'SULLIVAN WAS ON. (AN ACTRESS).
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Observation BELIEF -- Fairy Elf Goblin Gnome BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial |
Date learned: 09-23-1967
IF YOU SPILL SALT, THAT IS A SIGN THAT YOU ARE
GOING TO GET IN DEBT.
Submitter comment: INFORMANT LEARNED FROM CHILDHOOD.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Observation BELIEF -- Mineral |
Date learned: 03-05-1971
WHITE SPIDER
IF YOU SEE A WHITE SPIDER, YOU'RE GOING TO GET A
LETTER.
Submitter comment: (LEARNED FROM) HER MOTHER.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Observation |
Date learned: 07-23-1964
ROPE JUMPING RIME
MY MOTHE SENT ME TO THE STORE
AND TOLD ME WHAT TO BUY
(CAN'T REMEMBER THE INTERVAL)
I GAVE HIM BACK HIS PEACHES, I GAVE HIM BACK HIS PEARS,
I GAVE HIM BACK HIS FIFTY CENTS
AND KICKED HIM DOWN THE STAIRS.
Submitter comment:
INFORMANT LEARNED THIS IN HAMMOND, INDIANA GRADE SCHOOL)
(ED. NOTE: THIS IS AN EXTREMELY SWEETENED STORY VERY SIMILAR TO ONE
FOUND IN DEEP DOWN IN THE JUNGLE.)
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT ; FOLEY HALL
Keyword(s): CHARACTER ; PLAIN-JUMP
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse Game Verse |
Date learned: 03-30-1967
PROVERB
DON'T CROSS THE BRIDGE UNTIL YOU REACH IT.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DEARBORN
James Callow Keyword(s): ADVICE: NEGATIVE ; ANTICIPATION
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor |
THERE WAS A GESTURE AT THURSTON HIGH THAT WAS USED
TO DESCRIBE STUDENTS WHO WERE CONSIDERED WEIRD.
{HOMOSEXUAL} YOU BEND YOUR WRIST AT THE JOINT AND
LET YOUR HAND HANG LIMP AND ALONG WITH THIS, YOU
LISP, "OH THAY {SAY}, FELLA."
Submitter comment: THIS WAS DURING THE YEARS 1967-1970.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; WALSH COLLEGE
Keyword(s): GAY
| Subject headings: | SPEECH -- Derision Scorn |
Date learned: 03-31-1970