Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
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Superstition
Cut your hair or fingernails; then you must burn them so the witches cannot use them to cast a spell.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal |
Superstition
When there is death in a house you should cover the mirrors or turn them towards the wall. This is so that the spirit of the deceased cannot get into the mirror and haunt the house.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Death Funeral Burial BELIEF -- Ghost Spirit Phantom Specter |
Superstition
On New Year's Day in the north of England, the first person to come to your house brings coal, salt and bread. If the person has red hair it means bad luck, but if he has black hair it is good luck and any other color is alright.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
| Subject headings: | 686 Properties attributed to specific numbers or numerals individually. CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- January 1 New Year's BELIEF -- Good luck BELIEF -- Bad luck |
Black cats are lucky in England.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Animal BELIEF -- Good luck |
Birds flying into a house mean death.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
| Subject headings: | Observation BELIEF -- Bird BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial |
In the tower of London, Anne Boleyn can be seen with her head under her arm.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Ghost Spirit Phantom Specter BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal |
Put a tree up on the 1st of December, but take it down on the 25th for good luck.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- F120 CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 25 Christmas Also see F642, below. BELIEF -- Plant BELIEF -- Good luck |
Cut hair when there is a full moon and burn it don't let it lay around or you will have bad luck.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal BELIEF -- Bad luck |
I'm Pop-eye the sailor man
I live in the garbage can
I like to go swimming
with bald-headed women
I'm Pop-eye the sailor man
Data entry tech comment:
Informant and collector are the same person.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Children |
If asked where you lived and to be cute you would answer:
1045 Hobo Dr.
1st garbage can on the right hand side.
Data entry tech comment:
Informant and collector are the same person.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
| Subject headings: | SPEECH -- Formula |
To your boyfriend or husband:
Here I stand,
all ragged and dirty,
if you don't come kiss me,
I'll run like a turkey.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Lyrical Verse Lyrical Verse |
Latin is a dead language
taught by Sister C.
It killed all the Romans,
now it's killing me.
Data entry tech comment:
Informant and collector are the same person.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Lyrical Verse Lyrical Verse |
Fish on a key chain is a symbol of life and abundance and is a luck bringer.
Data entry tech comment:
Informant and collector are the same person.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- P6 BELIEF -- Good luck |
Never kill a toad or a storm will surely follow.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Animal BELIEF -- Sun |
Falling picture is an omen of death.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
| Subject headings: | Observation BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial |
Crush an eggshell and you end a sailor's life.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial |
Legend
There was a man that was so stingy he wouldn't get married because wives eat so much. One woman wanted a husband real bad, so she convinced him that she didn't eat. After they were married, she slipped out bits and pieces when he wasn't looking. But she was getting hungrier and hungrier.
One day the man had to go away for the day. The woman went to the food and found four hams. She was so hungry she ate one of them.
When the man came in, he went to look at his food. He was so shocked to find a ham missing that he fell dead.
The woman called the neighbors to bury her husband. They came and put him in a coffin. Then three of them started to carry him to the graveyard. On the way the man came to; he decided to make the best of his loss, so he spoke aloud, "I'll eat the three."
The three men thought it was the dead man speaking of them. They dropped the coffin and fled.
Data entry tech comment:
Informant and collector share the same surname.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
| Subject headings: | PROSE NARRATIVE -- Human Being |
The coon and the possum had a fight
They had a mighty scratchin'
The turkey gobbler ran so fast
The rooster ran a laughin'
Data entry tech comment:
Informant and collector share the same surname.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Lyrical Verse |
"Let's go to bed," said sleepy-head;
"Let's wait a while," said Slow.
"Put on the pot," said Greedy-gut,
"We'll eat before we go."
Data entry tech comment:
Informant and collector share the same surname.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Lyrical Verse C730.334 |