Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
Your search for 7472 returned 17 results.
IT'S BAD LUCK TO WALK WITH ONE SHOE ON AND ONE SHOE OFF.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; MOUNT PLEASANT
Date learned: 07-21-1968
IT'S BAD LUCK TO CUT YOUR TOENAILS ON SUNDAY.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; MOUNT PLEASANT
Date learned: 07-21-1968
BUILDING A FIRE
WITCHES BUILD A FIRE IN THE OPEN AND DRAW A MAGIC
CIRCLE ABOUT IT WITH A SWORD. MEN AND WOMEN ALTERNATELY JOIN
HANDS AND QUICKEN THEIR PACE FROM A WALK
TO A RUN, CHANTING ANCIENT RITES.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; MOUNT PLEASANT
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Witch Shaman |
Date learned: 10-28-1971
BELIEF ABOUT DEVILS
THE SUBJECT OF WITCHES IS CLOSELY RELATED TO BLACK CATS, THE
MOON, THE DEVILS, ASTROLOGY. IT IS JOKED TODAY THAT IF
A BLACK CAT CROSSES
YOUR PATH BAD LUCK WILL COME. IN EARLY YEARS IT WAS BELIEVED
DEVILS DISGUISE THEMSELVES AS BLACK CATS, DOGS OR GOATS.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; MOUNT PLEASANT
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Witch Shaman |
Date learned: 10-28-1971
Crow on a fence,
Rain will go hence.
Crow on the ground,
Rain will come down.
Submitter comment:
My ex-mother-in-law lived on a farm. She saw a crow in the
barnyard and repeated this poem to me.
James Callow comment:
Puckett, Ohio, no. 34342: "Crow on the ground, / Rain will
come down." -- Slovenian, 1959.
Puckett, Ohio, no. 34858: "Crow on the fence, / Rain will
go hence." -- German, 1961.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; MOUNT PLEASANT
| Subject headings: | Favorites Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Belief BELIEF -- Bird BELIEF -- Cloud Fog Mist Rain Hail Ice Snow Frost Dew |
Date learned: 00001970S
IF YOU SEE A BLACK CAT, TURN YOUR RING OR YOU WILL HAVE BAD LUCK.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; MOUNT PLEASANT
James Callow Keyword(s): POSITION DIRECTION ; REVERSAL
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Mammal BELIEF -- Magic of Speech, Sign, Color BELIEF -- Bad luck Jewelry (gems, rings, etc.) BELIEF -- Bad luck Animals BELIEF -- Conversions Animals |
Date learned: 07-21-1968
WHEN CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY WINS A FOOTBALL GAME, THE BAND
PLAYS A SONG TO A TREE. THE SONG IS THE SCHOOL FIGHT SONG, THE TREE
IS CALLED THE VICTORY TREE. WHEN THEY LOSE A FOOTBALL GAME,
THEY SING THE ALMA MATER TO THE VICTORY TREE.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; MOUNT PLEASANT
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Emotion CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Entertainment Diversion CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- School BELIEF -- Plant |
Date learned: 11-00-80
THE GHOST OF WORRINER HALL
MANY YEARS AGO ON CAMPUS WORRINER HALL BURNED. ONE PERSON
WAS BURNED TO DEATH IN FIRE. THE BUILDING STILL STANDS BUT IT
WAS GUTTED OUT IN THE FIRE. AT 3 A.M. SOMETIMES THE LIGHT
IN THE TOWER GOES ON. IT IS TURNED ON BY THE GHOST
OF THE BURNED PERSON, THE GHOST OF WORRINER HALL.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; MOUNT PLEASANT
| Subject headings: | PROSE NARRATIVE -- Product or activity of man or animal BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal |
Date learned: 11-00-80
GATE NIGHT
GATE NIGHT IS THE NIGHT BEFORE
HALLOWEEN. GATE NIGHT GOT IT'S NAME FROM THE PRANK IT IS ASSOCIATED
WITH. PRANKSTERS AROUND THE MT. PLEASANT, MICHIGAN AREA REMOVE
ALL OUTHOUSE DOORS.
Submitter comment:
GATE NIGHT IS WHAT WE CALL DEVILS NIGHT AROUND THE DETROIT AREA.
I WOULD HAVE TO QUESS THAT GATENIGHT STARTED A LONG TIME AGO WHEN
OUTHOUSES WERE USED, BUT THE TRADITION IS STILL GOING ON ACCORDING TO
MY INFORMANT.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; MOUNT PLEASANT
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Entertainment Diversion |
Date learned: 11-00-80
ISAAC (AN OLD NEGRO PREACHER) TELLS OF HAVING A VISION OF SOME
BURIED GOLD ON AN OLD FARM RIGHT OUTSIDE HAMPSHIRE, TENNESSEE.
THIS GOLD WAS BURIED UNDERNEATH AN OLD PEACH TREE BY AN
EXPEDITION OF LEWIS AND CLARKE. THE PEACH TREE HAS LONG
SINCE GONE, BUT HE THINKS HE KNOWS ABOUT WHERE IT IS.
HOWEVER, SEVERAL ATTEMPTS (EVEN USING A METAL DETECTOR) TO
RECOVER THE HIDDEN TREASURE BY THE BELIEVERS HAS FAILED.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; HAMPSHIRE ; TENNESSEE, ASSUMED ; MOUNT PLEASANT
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Dreams Money |
Date learned: NOT GIVEN
BELIEF ABOUT DEVILS
THE SUBJECT OF WITCHES IS CLOSELY RELATED TO BLACK CATS, THE
MOON, DEVILS, ASTROLOGY. IT IS JOKED TODAY THAT IF
A BLACK CAT CROSSES
YOUR PATH BAD LUCK WILL COME. IN EARLY YEARS IT WAS BELIEVED
DEVILS DISGUISED THEMSELVES AS BLACK CATS, DOGS OR GOATS.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; MOUNT PLEASANT
James Callow Keyword(s): ANIMALS ; COLOR
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Witch Shaman BELIEF -- Moon BELIEF -- Bad luck P882.3 |
Date learned: 10-28-1971
WHEN A MEMBER OF THE FRATERNITY IN WHICH I(NEAL) BELONG BECOMES
ENGAGED HE IS THROWN INTO THE CHIPPEWA RIVER.
Submitter comment:
THIS TRADITION IS EXTREMELY INTERESTING TO ME.
IT IS MUCH LIKE THAT OF THE PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH THROWING THE
GROOM OVER THE FENCE. I ASKED MY INFORMANT WHO STARTED THIS AND
WHY IT WAS DONE BUT HE DID NOT KNOW.
THE CHIPPEWA RIVER RUNS THROUGH MOUNT PLEASANT, MICHIGAN
INFORMATION ASKED FOR OF THIS
INFORMANT WAS RESTRICTED TO LORE
ABOUT CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; MOUNT PLEASANT
| Subject headings: | Favorites CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Marriage |
IT'S BAD LUCK TO PAINT YOUR FINGERNAILS ON THURSDAY.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; MOUNT PLEASANT
Date learned: 07-21-1968
IF YOU WIN IN BASEBALL, DON'T WASH YOUR SOCKS BEFORE THE
NEXT GAME, FOR GOOD LUCK.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; MOUNT PLEASANT
| Subject headings: | 881 Games / Pastimes / Sports BELIEF -- Home BELIEF -- Entertainment Diversion |
Date learned: 07-21-1968
IF YOU FORGET SOMETHING WHEN YOU ARE GOING TO SOMEWHERE AND
YOU GO BACK TO GET IT, YOU HAVE TO SPIT BEHIND YOU FOR GOOD
LUCK.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; MOUNT PLEASANT
Date learned: 07-21-1968
BUILDING A FIRE
WITCHES BUILD A FIRE IN THE OPEN AND DRAW A MAGIC
CIRCLE ABOUT IT WITH A SWORD. MEN AND WOMEN ALTERNATELY JOIN
HANDS AND QUICKEN THEIR PACE, FROM A WALK
TO A RUN, CHANTING ANCIENT RITES.
Submitter comment:
Taken from 1967 "Life" magazine.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; MOUNT PLEASANT
| Subject headings: | 646 BELIEF -- Witch Shaman BELIEF -- Curse BELIEF -- Use of Object |
Date learned: 10-28-1971
Twenty years ago at Central Michigan University, a girl
mysteriously died in her dorm room. The university had a
problem with kids moving out of the dorm because of the
incident, so they changed the numbering in the dorm. Now
people complain of lights, radios and televisions that are
on when they come back from class because they know they
had turned them off before they left.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; MOUNT PLEASANT
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Ghost Spirit Phantom Specter BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal |
Date learned: 00-00-1985