Show F Folklorists oll Seek Seel Notions What store did Intermountain tain residents of yesteryear lay by goose bone weather prophecies did they plant and harvest by the signs of the moon and how did they prescribe home remedies Corman for Cor forman forman man and beast THESE questions and scores like them will be part of a week 10 folklore survey carried carried carried car car- ried out in Utah's town small-town weekly press Heading the survey will be Austin E. E Fife FiCe professor proCessor of oC French and a leading American Ameri Ameri- can folklorist at Utah State University and Wayland D. D Hand former Cormer Utahn now a professor proCessor of Comparative Folklore at UCLA who is teaching in the Summer Session 1 MATERIAL A gathered from timers old throughout the Utah Idaho Wyoming area will be archived at and studied for the light it will throw on the spread of American Ameri Ameri- can folklore in the Great Basin Professors Fife FiCe and Hand are quick to point out that many old items of oC weather lore animal and plant husbandry husbandry husbandry hus hus- bandry and the like are still observed in rural areas and that descendants of timers old-timers still remember old and often oCten out farm fann practices FOR ONE thing folklorists are looking for notions about the groundhog tradition Was it ever observed on Valentines Valentine's Valentines Valentine's Valentines Valentine's Valen Valen- tines tine's day as well as on February 2 in the Mountain West country and was the term used in connection connection connection con con- with Groundhog Day Were the European beliefs about bears and badgers seeing seeing seeing see see- ing their shadows on this day ever thought to foretoken spring or failure to do so to indicate six more weeks of winter Informants are asked to describe these beliefs and practices in detail KINDRED weather beliefs little reported from Crom Utah involved in- in involved involved in in- rain on St. St Swithin's Day July 15 It is thought for instance that if it rains on this day it will rain for 40 days following Is the name of the English saint ever associated associated associated as as- with July 15 in Utah What curious beliefs surround concomitant rain and sunshine sunshine sun sun- shine Is the devil said to be beating his wife or has a tailor just paid his debts or has a sailor just gone to heaven when the sun shines while it is raining NUMEROUS other folk sayings sayings sayings say say- ings on the subject are known elsewhere in the United States as well as in Europe and elsewhere elsewhere elsewhere else else- where Fife and Hand report But what about the And old North Carolina weather belief says that if you can find a patch of blue bluesky bluesky bluesky sky large enough to make a Dutchman's jacket the rain will stop OTHER ITEMS of clothing used in this figure of speech elsewhere are a sailors sailor's britches a mans man's shirt an anold anold anold old womans woman's apron a Scotsman's Scotsman's Scotsman's Scots Scots- mans man's plaid a patch of blue bluesky sky as large as a handkerchief handkerchief handkerchief chief etc Are these colorful comparisons compari compari- sons found in Western folk speech having to do with the weather and which others are used AMONG the mountain people people people peo peo- of Maryland it is said that if Mary goes over the mountain on June look for Cor six weeks of dry weather This goes back to the Biblical Biblical Biblical cal account of oC Marys Mary's visit to Elizabeth when both were great with child Luke 59 What about the saying the lithe milkmaid walking in inthe inthe inthe the clouds Finally are cloud formations formations formations forma forma- above mountain peaks ever referred to as weather indicators such as When Mt Bunyan puts on his cap we may soon expect a drap drop etc THE UTAH folklorists invite in invite invite in- in vite a hearty response to these questions and solicit a full line of weather lore lorein lorein lorein in response to this first feature feature feature fea fea- ture release Simply write all the weather lore you know together with background back- back ground information when first hand place heard information in information information in- in formation on informant Send to to- to Professor ProCessor Austin E. E Fife Utah's Folklore Heritage Utah State University Logan Utah |