Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
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ON LITTLE CHRISTMAS (JANUARY 7) WE HAVE A NICE DINNER WITH THE WHOLE
FAMILY AND RECOGNIZE THAT IT IS THE DAY THE THREE KINGS WENT TO THE
MANGER.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- January 6 Twelfth Day Epiphany CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- January 7 |
Date learned: CA00001963
PUTTING AN ONION SLICE ON A BEE STING WILL TAKE THE PAIN AWAY.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Insect BELIEF -- Plant |
Date learned: 00-00-1970
CHILDREN,S RHYME
I LIKE COFFEE, I LIKE TEA, I LIKE THE GIRLS, AND THEY LIKE ME.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Autograph Verse |
Date learned: CA00001980
SUPERSTITION
WHEN YOU SEE A DARK HORSEBACK RIDER FLOAT BY, IT MEANS THAT THERE
WILL BE A DEATH IN THE FAMILY.
Submitter comment:
THIS HAPPENED TO INFORMANT'S GREAT_GRANDMOTHER. SHE WAS SITTING ON
THE PORCH AND BOTH HER DATE WHO WAS WITH HER AND HER SAW THIS DARK
RIDER. THE NEXT MORNING, THEY GOT WORD THAT HER FATHER, WHO WAS ON
A TRIP, WAS KILLED BY A TRAIN HITTING HIS CAR.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS
| Subject headings: | Observation |
Date learned: 12-00-1970
SUPERSTITION
IF YOU WERE BORN AT NIGHT, YOU CAN SEE FAIRIES AND GOBLINS.
Submitter comment: THIS IS AN IRISH BELIEF.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS
| Subject headings: | Observation |
IN AUSTRIA, PEOPLE WEAR SCARY MASKS AT FASCHING OR CARNIVAL
TIME. THEY DANCE IN THE STREETS, LAUGH AND SING, RING BELLS
AND MAKE AS MUCH NOISE AS THEY CAN. PEOPLE SAY THAT ALL THE NOISE
WILL SCARY ( SCARE ) WINTER SO THAT SPRING CAN COME.
FASCHING IS LENT.
Data entry tech comment:
FASCHING IS BEFORE LENT, I.E., ON THE TUESDAY BEFORE ASH
WEDNESDAY.
IN PRE-CHRISTIAN TIMES, SPRING RITES WERE HELD MAINLY TO SYMBOLIZE A
FIGHT BETWEEN WINTER AND SPRING. THE PEOPLE FOUGHT AGAINST OR
SCARED WINTER BY WEARING MASKS AND COSTUMES AND MAKING LOUD NOISES.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Spring Planting Pre Lent |
CHILDREN,S RHYME
I LIKE COFFEE, I LIKE TEA, I LIKE THE GIRLS, AND THEY LIKE ME.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Autograph Verse |
My aunt heard this story from a friend whose
friend had it happen to her. She had gone to
a large nursery and bought a cactus that was
about two or three feet tall. She had just had
a baby and was home alone all day caring for it.
When she sat down to rest she thought she saw the
the cactus moving a little. When she told her
husband he just figured that she was fatigued from
taking care of the baby all day. One day it really
started to bother her so she called the store.
The manager got on the phone and told her not to
panic but to put the cactus in a dark closet and
to leave the house until he arrived. A few minutes
later, they arrived, went into the house, covered
it up and carried it to a truck. The manager was
also sending an exterminator to the house.
Apparently a whole shipment of cactuses from the
southwest had eggs laid in them by tarantulas.
When the sun warmed up the cactus, the eggs would
begin to hatch and that's what gave the cactus the
appearance of moving. If they don't eat their way
out, the cactus will literally explode from the
pressure created by all the baby tarantulas inside.
Submitter comment:
I thought that this story was true, but in the
last couple years I've heard other people tell
similar stories. I think my aunt also thought it
was true.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Animal PROSE NARRATIVE -- Plant BELIEF -- Animal BELIEF -- Plant |
Date learned: 00001980S
WHAT IS SMALL AND ORANGE AND WALKS THROUGH WALLS?
GIVE UP? CASPER THE FRIENDLY CARROT!!
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS ; WHERE I HEARD THIS
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- Riddle Question |
Date learned: 00-00-1985
"WHAT'S BLACK AND WHITE AND RED ALL OVER?"
GIVE UP? A SKUNK IN A BLENDER!
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS ; WHERE I HEARD THIS
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- Riddle Question |
Date learned: 00-00-1984
IN IRELAND, THERE IS THE BELIEF OF FAERY, WHICH IS ON A DIFFERENT
PLANE THAN THIS UNIVERSE. ON HALLOWEEN THE DOOR BETWEEN THESE TWO IS
OPEN AND ANYONE FROM THIS UNIVERSE CAN FALL INTO FAERY, AND ANYONE
FROM FAERY CAN FALL INTO THIS UNIVERSE.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- October 31 Halloween BELIEF -- Creation and Order of Universe |
Date learned: NO DATE INDICATED.
WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THE REINDEER IN THE SONG "JINGLE BELLS?"
GIVE UP? BOB TAILS!
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- Riddle Question |
TAUNTING VERSE
I'M GOING DOWN TOWN TO SMOKE MY PIPE
AND I WON'T BE BACK 'TIL BROAD DAYLIGHT.
IF I CATCH YOU GONE WHEN I GET BACK,
I'LL BEAT YOU 'TIL YOU'RE BLUE AND BLACK.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Lyrical Verse |
Date learned: 00-00-1942
JOHNNIE OVER THE OCEAN, JOHNNIE OVER THE SEA,
JOHNNIE BROKE A MILK BOTTLE AND BLAMED IT ON ME.
I TOLD MA, MA TOLD PA, JOHNNIE GOT A SPANKING,
HA, HA, HA.
Submitter comment: THIS RHYME WAS REPEATED WITHOUT ANY REASON.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Narrative Verse |
Date learned: 00-00-1942
REMEMBER ME FONDLY,
REMEMBER ME TRUE,
REMEMBER ME ALWAYS,
I'LL REMEMBER YOU TOO.
Submitter comment: SHE WAS A CLASSMATE OF MINE
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Autograph Verse |
IF YOU TRIP, IT MEANS THAT MONEY WILL SOON BE COMING YOUR WAY.
Submitter comment:
MY MOTHER TOLD ME THIS WHEN I TRIPPED; I DID RECEIVE
MONEY THAT DAY!
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS
| Subject headings: | Observation BELIEF -- Measure of quality Monetary systemMoneyWealth |
TO PUT YOUR THUMB, THE NAIL FACING YOU, ONTO
YOUR FRONT UPPER TOOTH AND FLICK IT, MEANS "I SPIT ON
YOU!"
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS
| Subject headings: | SPEECH -- Gesture |
Date learned: 12-00-1984
TO SMILE TOO MUCH IS TO LET DEMONS OF UNHAPPINESS IN.
Submitter comment: IF YOU ARE TOO HAPPY, SOMETHING IS BOUND TO GO WRONG.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness BELIEF -- Bad luck SPEECH -- Gesture |
Date learned: 06-00-1983
Railroad Ghost
A true story about a train that was running through a
very thick fog one night with several VIP's aboard
including Queen Victoria. The engineer wanted to
make his run in record time. Suddenly up ahead he
thought he saw a black cloaked figure who was waving
him to stop. The engineer did so but could find no one
but decided to further investigate. He went up further
ahead and to his surprise and horror he found that
the bridge had washed out. After the bridge was repaired
and the engineer had made it home did he solve the mystery;
he found moth stuck to the engine's headlamp as to appear to
be a figure waving to stop, saving all, including the Queen.
Submitter comment:
This was told at a swapping of ghost stories at a
Halloween party. Roy waved his arms like a moth would.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS
| Subject headings: | PROSE NARRATIVE -- Insect PROSE NARRATIVE -- Product or activity of man or animal |
Date learned: 00001980S
The Golden Arm
A long time ago a man had a wife named Elvira who had a
golden arm and had her husband promise her that if she
died that her golden arm would be buried with her. She
soon died and the she was buried with the golden arm but
he soon changed his mind and went back to his wife's
grave and dug it up to get the arm. On his way home it
started to rain and hale and became very cold but he made
it home all right and put the arm in the bed, for he had
no place else to hide it. Later in bed he heard a voice
cry out in the darkness,
"W-H-E-E-R-E'-S M-Y G-O-O-L-D-E-N A-A-A-R-M?"
The man hid under the covers but still heard the voice
on the road...
W-H-E-E-R-E'-S M-Y
on the porch...
G-O-O-L-D-E-N
at the door...
A-A-A-R-M?
as the winds howled at the door...
W-H-E-E-R-E'-S M-Y G-O-L-D-E-N A-A-R-M?
as the man peeked out from under the covers he saw it.
It was by the bed.
And-(a pause)- it pounced
YOU'VE GOT IT
Submitter comment:
At the point when the man peeks under the covers the
person telling the story will lunge at another person's
arm unexpectedly to scare him. This was told by Roy
at a Halloween party.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS
| Subject headings: | PROSE NARRATIVE -- Formula tale |
Date learned: 00001980S