Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
Your search for 850 returned 142 results.
Lightning Bugs (night light)
As a child, we would catch these bugs and put them in a jar.
Whoever caught the most bugs had the brightest light. We had no
street light and the only light we had was from the moon.
Where learned: GEORGIA ; ATHENS
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Insect |
Date learned: 01001952 CA
Yard brooms
People would gather branches, tree limbs and straw, tie them
together to make a yard broom.
Where learned: GEORGIA ; ATHENS
| Subject headings: | ART CRAFT ARCHITECTURE -- Raw Material ART CRAFT ARCHITECTURE -- Household furniture and utensil |
Education (11th grade)
High school was and still is a four-year program. Where I
grew up the high schools graduated students after the 11th grade,
the reason is that high schools started with the 7th grade.
Where learned: GEORGIA ; ATHENS
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- School |
Date learned: 01001954 CA
Dogs howling at night (or singing as elders would say) was a
sign of death, meaning that someone was dead or someone was going
to die.
James Callow comment: See Hand, North Carolina, nos. 5208-5214.
Where learned: GEORGIA ; ATHENS
| Subject headings: | Observation BELIEF -- Mammal BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial BELIEF -- Measure of time WeekDayHour |
Date learned: 01001950 CA
Putting your hat on the bed meant you would bring yourself
bad luck.
James Callow comment:
See Puckett, Ohio, nos. 3368 ("the boggyman will spank you"),
13928 ("you will be an old maid"), 18283, 18284 ("bad luck to the
owner of the hat"), 18285, 18288 ("new hat"), 18289 ("man's
hat"), 18291 ("bring a house bad luck"), 18292 ("on a friend's
bed"), 18295 ("and the police will be involved"), 18296 ("spit in
it three times before setting it down"), 18297 ("Never put your
hat on the bed upside down"), 18298 (the hat "should always be
placed upside down"), 27634 ("after a funeral"). Puckett has
many more items on this topic; I have selected only those items
which come from Africa
Where learned: GEORGIA ; ATHENS
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal BELIEF -- Bad luck |
Date learned: 01001960 CA
IF YOU TALK WHILE FISHING, YOU'LL SCARE THE FISH AWAY.
Where learned: GEORGIA ; ATHENS
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Mammal BELIEF -- Fish BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal |
Date learned: 07-22-1968
PUT HEMP ROPE AROUND ANYTHING TO KEEP A SNAKE FROM IT.
Where learned: GEORGIA ; ATHENS
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Mammal |
Date learned: 07-22-1968
WHATEVER DAY YOU ARE BORN ON, YOUR FIRST CHILD WILL BE BORN
ON. (THIS PERTAINS TO DAYS OF THE WEEK.)
Where learned: GEORGIA ; ATHENS
| Subject headings: | 686 Properties attributed to specific numbers or numerals individually. BELIEF -- Birth BELIEF -- Measure of time WeekDayHour |
Date learned: 07-22-1968
PUTTING A KNIFE UNDER THE BED DURING CHILDBIRTH WILL CUT
THE PAIN.
Where learned: GEORGIA ; ATHENS
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Mineral BELIEF -- Birth BELIEF -- Remedy |
Date learned: 07-22-1968
IT IS BAD LUCK TO SET UP HOUSEKEEPING WITH A NEW BROOM AND A
NEW COFFEEPOT.
Where learned: GEORGIA ; ATHENS
| Subject headings: | 686 Properties attributed to specific numbers or numerals individually. BELIEF -- Home BELIEF -- Good luck Eating utensils BELIEF -- Good luck Broom Sweeping |
Date learned: 07-22-1968
THERE IS A CANNON ON THE AUBURN UNIVERSITY CAMPUS IN ALABAMA
THAT WILL SUPPOSEDLY FIRE ITSELF IF A VIRGIN WALKS BY.
Where learned: GEORGIA ; ATHENS
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Use of Object |
Date learned: 07-22-1968
IF YOU HOLD A PENCIL OVER YOUR WRIST, YOU CAN DETERMINE THE
NUMBER AND SEXES OF YOUR CHILDREN. A MOVEMENT THAT IS
VERTICAL TO THE ARM DENOTES A BOY, HORIZONTAL IS A GIRL,
AND A CIRCULAR MOVEMENT MEANS A MISCARRIAGE. WHEN THE PENCIL
STOPS MOVING, THERE WILL BE NO MORE CHILDREN.
Where learned: GEORGIA ; ATHENS
James Callow Keyword(s): POSITION DIRECTION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Use of object for determining number of children or sex of unborn |
Date learned: 07-22-1968
IF YOU ROCK A ROCKING CHAIR WITHOUT ANYONE IN IT, YOUR
MOTHER WILL DIE.
Where learned: GEORGIA ; ATHENS
| Subject headings: | Observation BELIEF -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial BELIEF -- Number Emptiness, nothingness, zero |
Date learned: 07-22-1968
WHEN YOU SEE A FALLING STAR, YOU MUST SAY "MONEY" THREE TIMES
WHILE THE STAR IS STILL IN VIEW AND THEN YOU WILL GET SOME
MONEY.
Where learned: GEORGIA ; ATHENS
| Subject headings: | 686 Thirds / Thrice / Three / Triple BELIEF -- Celestial body come to earth SPEECH -- Game Pastime Sport |
Date learned: 07-22-1968
WHEN A WOMAN IS PREGNANT, TO BARE HER STOMACH TO THE MOON
INSURES THAT THE BABY WILL BE HEALTHY.
Where learned: GEORGIA ; ATHENS
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Body part Senses BELIEF -- Moon BELIEF -- Birth |
Date learned: 07-22-1968
DOOR KNOB GHOST
DURING WORLD WAR II, IN DARIEN, GEORGIA, TWO WOMEN LIVED
ALONE WHILE THEIR HUSBANDS WERE IN SERVICE. ONE NIGHT
WHEN ALONE THEY SAW THE DOORKNOB TO THEIR BEDROOM DOOR
TURN. DECIDING TO FIND OUT THE CAUSE OF THIS, ONE
STOOD BY THE DOOR TO JERK IT OPEN WHILE THE OTHER WAS
GOING TO HIT THE ASSAILANT OVER THE HEAD. WHEN THE
DOORKNOB TURNED AGAIN, THEY OPENED THE DOOR TO FIND
AN EMPTY HALL ON THE OTHER SIDE. IN THIS SAME HOUSE,
THEY FREQUENTLY HEARD BABY CRIES WHEN THERE WAS NO
BABY IN THE HOUSE.
Where learned: GEORGIA ; ATHENS
James Callow Keyword(s): HAUNTED HOUSE
| Subject headings: | PROSE NARRATIVE -- Ghost Spirit Phantom Specter PROSE NARRATIVE -- Product or activity of man or animal |
Date learned: 07-22-1968
PARTY GHOST
IN DARIEN, GEORGIA, TWO FARM COUPLES SHARED A HOUSE JUST
BEFORE WORLD WAR II. ONE OF THE FARMERS WAS AN
ACCOMPLISHED VIOLINIST. ONE NIGHT, THE OTHER FARMER
AND HIS WIFE WERE RETURNING HOME FROM A PARTY. AS THEY
APPROACHED THE HOUSE THEY SAW LIGHTS AND HEARD VIOLIN
MUSIC. THINKING TO SURPRISE THE PARTY OBVIOUSLY GOING
ON, THEY OPENED THE DOOR WITHOUT KNOCKING. THE HOUSE
WAS SUDDENLY DARK AND SILENT. ON GOING TO THE BEDROOM
OF THE OTHER COUPLE, THEY FOUND THEM IN BED. THE VIOLIN
WAS IN ITS CASE AND ALL THE KEROSENE LAMPS WERE COLD.
Where learned: GEORGIA ; ATHENS
| Subject headings: | PROSE NARRATIVE -- Ghost Spirit Phantom Specter PROSE NARRATIVE -- Product or activity of man or animal |
Date learned: 07-22-1968
THE UNFILLABLE HOLE
IN NEWTON, ALABAMA, THERE IS A HOLE IN THE GROUND WITH A
STRANGE LEGEND BEHIND IT. DURING THE WAR BETWEEN THE
STATES, A MINISTER WHO WAS FIGHTING FOR THE CONFEDERACY
RETURNED HOME WITHOUT LEAVE BECAUSE HIS WIFE WAS VERY ILL.
THE TOWNSPEOPLE BECAME ANGRY AND ACCUSED HIM OF DESERTING.
THEREFORE, THEY HANGED HIM FROM A LOW TREE. IN HIS DEATH
THROES, HE KICKED OUT A HOLE IN THE GROUND. TO THIS DAY
THE HOLE IS THERE, AND ANYONE TRYING TO FILL IT IN WITH
DIRT WILL FIND THE HOLE DUG OUT ANEW THE NEXT DAY.
Where learned: GEORGIA ; ATHENS
| Subject headings: | PROSE NARRATIVE -- Formation PROSE NARRATIVE -- Product or activity of man or animal |
Date learned: 07-21-1968
RIDDLE
WHAT IS NEVER SEEN BUT OFTEN CHANGES?
YOUR MIND.
Where learned: GEORGIA ; ATLANTA
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- True Riddle |
Date learned: 00-00-1990
RIDDLE
WHERE DO OLD VOLKSWAGENS GO WHEN THEY ARE JUNKED?
THE OLD VOLKS HOME.
Where learned: GEORGIA ; ATLANTA
James Callow Keyword(s): AUTOMOBILES
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- True Riddle |
Date learned: 00-00-1990