Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
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Belief: Animal
Catty Belief:
Blue eyed cats are deaf
(They are usually green eyed)
Submitter comment:
The date 11/7/69 is written in tiny numbers on the bottom left hand of the card.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P500] crossed out. Replaced with Current Classification
Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; BLIND ; BLINDNESS ; Blue ; CAT ; COLOR ; Eye ; eye color ; Green
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Mammal |
Myth
Easter Bunny:
The Easter Bunny - A big rabbit with a white tail who hides eggs around your house.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P429] crossed out. Replaced with current classification
Where learned: CHILDHOOD ; HOME
Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; Bunny ; CUSTOM ; Easter ; Eggs ; Hare ; holiday ; MYTH ; Rabbit
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Mammal |
Custom: Animal
Animal:
The men that work in the coal mines feed the mice in the mines. They do this because the mice save their lives. Just before a mine avalanche, the mice will squeal and scurry on the ground, warning the miners of the oncoming danger.
Submitter comment:
My mother's father worked in a coal mine in Penna. [Pennsylvania?] and actually experienced this.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P752] crossed out. Replaced with current classification
Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; Danger ; Mice ; Mine ; Mines ; Mouse ; OMEN ; Signal ; WARNING
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Mammal |
Belief: Animal
Miners Belief:
Coal miners never kill a rat in the mines because they can save a miners' life. Rats can sense if a mine is in danger of caving in. If there is any danger, the rats squeal and run in circles and the miners try to get out in time. If the cave in comes in an hour, or if tit takes three days, the rats will still give a warning, so the miners say.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P800] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.
Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): ; ANIMAL ; Cave ; Miners ; OMEN ; Rats ; RODENT ; Signal ; WARNING
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Mammal |
Belief: Animal
Legend about the Rhinoceros:
In the Far East the horn of a rhinoceros is thought to be an aphrodisiac. Becasue of this the rhinoceros is almost extinct in this region.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [ B444, N800] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.
Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; APHRODISIAC ; ETHNIC ; Extinct ; Far East ; Horn ; HUNTING ; Rhinoceros
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Mammal |
Belief: Animal
Warts/Toads:
This is the belief that a person gets warts on his hands from handling toads.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P740] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.
Where learned: HOME
Keyword(s): AMPHIBIAN ; ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; CURSE ; Disfigure ; SUPERSTITION ; Toad ; Toads ; Wart
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Animal |
Belief: Animal
Agricultural Belief:
A Bull Frog croaks and freezes 3 times before winter.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P870] crossed out. Replaced with current classification
Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; GRAND RAPIDS
Keyword(s): AGRICULTURE ; AMPHIBIAN ; ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; DEATH ; Fall ; Freeze ; FROG ; Frozen ; Rebirth ; SEASONS ; SUPERSTITION ; WINTER
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Animal |
Belief: Animal
If you touch a frog, it will cause warts.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P870] crossed out. Replaced with current classification
Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; BIRMINGHAM
Keyword(s): AMPHIBIAN ; ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; Disfigure ; FROG ; SUPERSTITION ; Wart ; Warts
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Animal |
Belief: Animal
Snake Legend:
If you kill a snake you have to do it late in the day, because otherwise the snake would suffer until sunset.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [B440] crossed out. Replaced wtih current classification.
Where learned: HOME ; MINNESOTA ; SAINT PAUL
Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; DEATH ; Kill ; Serpent ; Snake ; Sundown ; SUNSET ; SUPERSTITION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Animal |
Belief: Animal
How Snakes Eat Eggs:
The snake, which has no teeth with which to chew, will swallow an egg whole, climb a tree, and then fall out of it to break the egg.
Submitter comment:
Informant was told this by the family's cleaning woman who firmly believed it to be true.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; GROSSE POINTE
Keyword(s): Consume ; Egg ; FOOD ; Hunt ; Prey ; Serpent ; Snake ; Tree
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Belief BELIEF -- Animal |
Superstition: Animals
If you have a snake in a can with you while a magician is doing his tricks, none of his tricks will work since the snake breaks the magician's spell.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; CAN ; Expose ; MAGIC ; Magician ; Serpent ; Snake ; Tricks
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Animal BELIEF -- Fate Destiny Luck Chance |
Superstition: Animals
There is a legendary snake with a crown on its head and the crown had bells on it. The snake has a beard like a nanny goat. It is a huge and fearsome snake. It is said to come out once a year on a holy day and few have seen it.
Submitter comment:
My father's dad claims to have seen it. He saw the ground shaking all around a house and he saw the head of this snake come out of the ground. He claims that 10 to 15 feet of ground was shaking.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): BELIEF ; Crown ; Fearful ; Holy ; Legend ; MYTH ; Serpent ; Snake ; SUPERSTITION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Animal BELIEF -- Mammal |
Superstition: Animals
La Cicilia (Snake Belief):
This is a little short snake (type of viper) which is blind and hisses. It comes out once a year on the feast of the Madonna degli Angeli. On this feastday no child is left alone for the people believe that these vipers seek babies and small children. The vipers are believed to have the spirit of the devil within them and seek little children's souls.
Submitter comment:
My mother really believes this story and claims to have seen them.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Written on the right hand side of the card: Date? Unknown.
Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): Babies ; CHILDREN ; Feast ; FESTIVAL ; holiday ; Holy Day ; Prey ; Serpent ; Snake ; Soul ; Viper
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Animal BELIEF -- Mammal |
Belief: Animal
Belief About Snakes:
In many parts of Mexico and South America the snake serves as a symbol of fertility.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [B400] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.
Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; ETHNIC ; FERTILITY ; Mexican ; MEXICO ; REGIONAL ; Serpent ; SIGN ; Snake ; SOUTH AMERICA ; South American ; SYMBOL
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Mammal |
Entertainment: Game
Jump Rope Song:
High, Low, Jolly Pepper / Splits, Kicks, Touch the ground.
High - Regular Turns
Low - must jump in squatting position
Jolly - Turn round and round
Peppers - turn rope very fast
Splits - Jump with legs apart
Kicks - Kick as you jump
Touch - Touch the ground with one hand
Ground - Touch the ground with both hands
Whichever one you miss on, the next person must do it.
Submitter comment:
The informant learned it from the neighborhood kids.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [C570] crossed out. Replaced with Current Classification
Where learned: HOME
Keyword(s): Entertainment ; EXERCISE ; GAMES ; Jump Rope ; Pastime ; RHYME ; SONG
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse Game Verse |
Entertainment: Game
Jump Rope Rhyme:
Fudge, Fudge, Call the Judge / Moms Gonna Have a Baby / Not a Boy, Not a Girl / Just a Plain Ole Baby.
Submitter comment:
The informant learned it from the neighborhood kids
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [C570] crossed out. Replaced with Current Classification
Where learned: HOME
Keyword(s): Entertainment ; EXERCISE ; GAME ; Jump ; Jump Rope ; Pastime ; Play ; RHYME ; Rope ; SONG
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse Game Verse |
Superstition: Pregnancy
Birth Marks:
After giving borth to a child, an Italian woman will ask the doctor, "are there any marks?" Immediately, if there were any, they would disappear.
Submitter comment:
This is another Italian "in" story
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P740.542, F542] crossed out. Replaced with current classification
Where learned: HOME
Keyword(s): BABY ; BIRTH ; Birth Mark ; CURE ; CURSE ; Delivery ; ETHNIC ; Italian ; PREGNANCY ; REMEDY
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness |
Ethnic:Polish Superstition
Curing a Spell:
To cure a spell, especially the evil eye, cast on a small child, you remove all the clothes, and dress the baby again with all the clothes inside out. This is a Polish belief.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: HOME
Keyword(s): CHILD ; CLOTHING ; CURE ; CURSE ; ETHNIC ; EVIL EYE ; Fashion ; MAGIC ; POLAND ; POLISH ; REMEDY ; Removal
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Method of Curing |
Ethnic:Polish Superstition
Superstitions:
A Polish pregnant woman must not eat twin pears, apples, or other fruits for fear of bearing attached twins.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
The card has been stamped as KEYPUNCHED, but the word has been crossed out.
Where learned: HOME
Keyword(s): BABY ; BELIEF ; Conjoined ; CURSE ; Eat ; ETHNIC ; FOOD ; FRUIT ; Newborn ; POLAND ; POLISH ; PREGNANCY ; SUPERSTITION ; TABU ; TWINS
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness |
Belief: Weather
Weather Verse:
Rain before seven; Quit before eleven.
Submitter comment:
She says it usually worked.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Dup. of WPP
Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; JACKSON
Keyword(s): ; COLOR ; Hour ; NATURE ; Ocean ; PREDICTING WEATHER ; PREDICTION ; Sailor ; Sky ; TIME ; WARNING ; WEATHER
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Proverb Proverb |