Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
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SHAMROCK BELIEF
THE SHAMROCK HAS BECOME ONE OF THE NATIONAL EMBLEMS OF IRELAND.
THE FOUR LEAFED VARIETY IS MUCH RARER AND IS SAID TO BE FOUND
ONLY WHERE THE MARE DROPS THE FIRST FOAL. IT IS SAID TO
HAVE SPECIAL POWERS.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HARPER WOODS
James Callow Keyword(s): ANIMAL PLANT
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Plant BELIEF -- Sign Color |
Date learned: NOT GIVEN
SHAMROCK BELIEF
THE SHAMROCK HAS BECOME ONE OF THE NATIONAL EMBLEMS OF IRELAND. THE FOUR-LEAFED VARIETY IS MUCH RARER AND IS SAID TO BE FOUND ONLY WHERE A MARE DROPS HER FIRST FOAL. IT IS BELIEVED TO HAVE SPECIAL POWERS.
Data entry tech comment:
Informant and collector are the same person.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HARPER WOODS
James Callow Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; PLANT
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Plant BELIEF -- Sign Color |
Date learned: NOT GIVEN
JODY CADENCE
JODY WAS HOME WHEN YOU LEFT.
(TROOPS ECHO) YOUR RIGHT.
YOUR MOTHER WAS HOME WHEN YOU LEFT.
(TROOPS) YOUR RIGHT.
YOUR FATHER WAS HOME WHEN YOU LEFT.
(TROOPS) YOUR RIGHT.
SOUND OFF.
(TROOPS) ONE! TWO!
SOUND OFF.
(TROOPS) THREE! FOUR!
CADENCE COUNT.
(TROOPS) ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR.
(TROOPS) ONE, TWO.
(TROOPS) THREE, FOUR!
Submitter comment:
The words "troops" and "echo" added by me
Data entry tech comment:
Keypunched by R.J.Miller 11/82
Updated by TRD 01/12
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HARPER WOODS
Keyword(s): Cadence ; March ; MILITARY ; RHYME ; SONG
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- War cries |
Date learned: 10-00-1970
"JODY" CADENCE
MAINLY CADENCE IS USED TO HELP KEEP STEP WHEN THE TROOPS
ARE MARCHING AND TO KEEP STEP WITH THE MARCH AND THE COUNT.
THE DRILL INSTRUCTOR OR THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF THE PLATOON
OR THE ELEMENT, WHATEVER IT WAS, WOULD CALL CADENCE, JUST
TO KEEP YOU IN STEP AND IT KIND OF PASSES THE TIME AND I
MEAN, AH, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A DRAG. EVERYBODY'S GOT THEIR
FAVORITE CADENCES, AND HERE'S A FEW OF MINE.
AS YOU START OUT, EVERYONE STARTS MARCHING WITH THEIR
LEFT FOOT. YOUR LEFT FOOT IS "ONE," YOUR RIGHT FOOT IS
"TWO," LEFT FOOT "THREE," RIGHT FOOT "FOUR;" "ONE, TWO,
THREE, FOUR." SO THEN THEY WOULD START OUT WITH, "JODY
WAS HOME WHEN YOU LEFT, YOUR RIGHT." AND EVERYONE WOULD SAY,
"YOUR RIGHT." AND THE MAIN PART OF THE CADENCE WAS CALLED
BY THE DRILL INSTRUCTOR AND EVERYONE WOULD SOUND OFF WITH
EITHER "YOUR LEFT" OR "YOUR RIGHT," WHICHEVER FOOT THEY
WERE ON, OR THEY'D SOUND OFF WITH "ONE," "TWO," "THREE,"
OR "FOUR."
Data entry tech comment:
Keypunched by R.J.Miller 11/82
Updated by TRD 01/12
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HARPER WOODS
Keyword(s): Cadence ; Keep Time ; Marching ; MILITARY ; RHYME ; SONG
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- War cries |
Date learned: 10-00-1970
Entry filtered.
Entry filtered.
FEET
IF YOU WORE TENNIS SHOES TOO LONG THEN YOUR FEET WOULD GO FLAT.
THIS
WAS TOLD TO THE INFORMANT BY HER MOTHER WHEN SHE WAS 9 YRS. OLD.
Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; HARPER WOODS
Keyword(s): CAUSE
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness |
Date learned: NOT RECORDED BY COLLECTOR
NOT GIVEN
THERE WAS A MAN WHO WAS INSANE AND KILLED HIS WIFE AND AFTER HE
KILLED HER HE WAS FULL OF REMORSE. HE DIDN'T REALIZE THAT HE WAS
THE MURDERER AND IT IS SAID THAT HE TAKES HIS LANTERN IN THE
EVENING, AND GOES TO LOOK FOR HER BODY. IF YOU DRIVE OVER THAT
BRIDGE ON THE FAR EAST SIDE AND STOP, YOU ARE ABLE TO SEE THE
LIGHT COME AND GO UNDER THE BRIDGE AND AS IT GOES UNDER THE
BRIDGE, IT SHAKES IT. THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE MAN DOING IT.
Submitter comment:
JEAN AND I HAVE BOTH GONE TO THIS PLACE BUT DO NOT RECALL THE NAME
OF THE STREET AND ALL OF THE MYSTERIOUS THINGS DO HAPPEN BUT
THE EXPLANATION IS THAT IT IS THE SWAMP GAS AND WHEN IT SETTLES
UNDERNEATH THE BRIDGE IS WHAT CAUSES IT TO TREMBLE.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HARPER WOODS ; TOLD AT HER HOME
Keyword(s): GHOST
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Product or activity of man or animal |
Date learned: 11-06-1971
Entry filtered.
LEGEND
IF YOU WERE A BAD BOY WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG AND YOUR PARENTS
COULDN'T CONTROL YOU THEY WOULD SEND YOU AWAY TO THIS OLD
MAN'S HOUSE WHERE HE WOULD BEAT YOU TO MAKE YOU LISTEN. YOUR
PARENTS COULD ALSO CALL HIM ON THE PHONE AND TELL HIM YOU WERE
BAD AND HE WOULD COME TO YOUR HOUSE IF YOUR PARENTS WANTED HIM.
HIS NAME WAS MR. SKEEZIX. TO GET YOU TO OBEY YOUR PARENTS WOULD
SAY: "DO YOU WANT ME TO CALL MR. SKEEZIX?"
THAT WAS ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU LISTEN.
Data entry tech comment:
Updated by TRD
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HARPER WOODS
Keyword(s): Behave ; Boogeyman ; CHILD ; CHILDREN ; Misbehaving ; Mr. Skeezix ; Parent ; Punish ; THREAT ; Threaten
| Subject headings: | SPEECH -- Instructions Directions |
Date learned: 11-12-1971
English Ballad
The cottage was a thatched one,
The outside old and green;
Yet everything within that place
Was wonderous neat and clean.
A little worn out creature
Whose once bright eyes grew dim;
He was a collier's only child,
They called him "Little Jim."
Submitter comment:
There is more to the ballad but informant couldn't recall it.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HARPER WOODS ; collector's home
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Ballad Epic |
Hobson's Choice
My grandfather always used to say there was this stable owner named Hobson, and his stable had good horses, and also some that weren't so good. And people would always come in and ask for the good horses. But the good horses were getting worn out. So he gave them the next horse that was in line, and it was "Hobson's choice" what horse they got.
Submitter comment:
Hobson's choice is a saying used to describe a situation in which an object chosen from a number of the same objects had an equal possibility of being either good or bad. The informant described the origin of the saying as follows.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HARPER WOODS ; 20824 Kelly Rd.
| Subject headings: | PROSE NARRATIVE -- Explanation of a name |