Category Archives: Gestation, birth, and infancy

Generally up to the first year.

The Bull that Leads to Gold

Informant: The informant is a very good friend of mine. She and I met in my sophomore year of high school. She is currently an undergraduate at Cal State Dominguez Hills. The following transcript is a retelling of a ghost story that she heard from her mom and that has been passed down by the family. 

Context: This story took place in Jalisco, Mexico, around the late 1980s. It was an experience and encounter that the informant’s mom had. My informant states that this story is a little hard to believe yet based on how there is evidence of such occurrence, she has now been obligated to believe it. The informant states that the reason why she believes this ghost bull might have appeared in front of her mom was because children are innocent, and unselfish.

Story: “This is another story from my mom that took place in Mexico when she was a kid. She was at home with her younger brother, just playing and her mom was out. They saw this full-sized bull that ran from one wall and ran to another wall straight through it and disappeared. The bull looked dark gray and a little bit of dark gray. A regular bull-like light reflects off of it. She and her brother were scared out of their minds, and they ran out of their house. They went looking for their mom and ran around the small town and told a few people about what they saw. No one believed them. Present-day today, that house has been torn down and the wall where the bull had appeared from years ago was found out to contain a lot of gold.” 

Analysis: I find this ghost bull, a little hard to believe myself. It might be because I haven’t seen this wall of gold which my informant says to exists or because the individuals who experienced this where children. However, I think it’s important to note that children do not lie. Well at least, in Mexican culture, children as taught to not lie. Therefore, when my informant stated that the townspeople did not believe her mom demonstrates just how much children are not relied upon. If whoever at that time had listened to the informant’s mom, then they could have gotten away with so much gold/riches. I think it is important to have faith and trust children a little more. Although, a child might have a crazy imagination, children do not make up stories to scare themselves.

Cold Wind on a mother’s back

Context:

J is a 23-year-old Salvadorian-american and resides in Southern California. She’s heard various superstitions and stories from her family and friends. She heard this one from her mother after a family reunion.

The context of this piece was over a dinner when J was asked if she had heard of any folk beliefs from her family.

Text:

J: “I know of one that we always make sure to follow no matter how like dumb people think it is. Like my mom told me about this one so that when I have babies I wont get sick or anything like that. She told me stuff like women need to be wrapped up after having a baby. Kanda like a baby themselves. If they didn’t then stuff like the wind would get to them,”

Me: “The wind? What do you mean by it getting to those women?”

J: “Like if a woman left her back exposed after having a baby, then they’d get really bad back pain because of the wind. My mom said that the cold wind was the worst thing a woman could be touched by after giving birth. It’s because wafter having a baby the woman’s body is like weak and its sensitive. So she has to be covered in clothes or blankets so that her and her back stay like warm.”

Me: “So if the wind touches her back, it hurts her?”

J” Yeah so like wind is cold and since the baby took all of her warmth and strength the wind would leave her in pain. We just say the back is the most important part because that’s where they put like the shot thing for the pain so its left more out in the open. So yeah, now you know to always have you back covered up after having a baby”

Analysis:

I think it’s really interesting to hear about this folk belief because something as simple as wind could have a greater affect on someone’s body. I know that the wind is usually avoided as it brings the feelings of coldness but the way it is spoken of in this belief is somewhat animalistic. This belief connotes the wind negatively as it makes it clear that the wind is something that can hurt a woman and should be outright avoided. I think this belief is especially interesting because it revolves around a woman’s body post-birth. I know that in many cultures birth is sacred and the creation of a new life in the world is highly valued, so it was interesting to hear how the birthing process needs the after-care.

No children by a cemetery

Context:

M is a Mexican immigrant from the state of Nayarit. She immigrated to the United States when she was young and resides in Southern California. She relays the superstitions of her culture to others and uses it as a conversation topic. She does this as a way of preserving her culture while being away from her homeland.

The context of this piece was during a road trip with M as we passed a cemetery while in the car.

Text:

Me:, ¿podrías contarme alguna superstición o tradición que tengas sobre los cementerios?

M: Bueno, en México, al menos en el pueblo del que vengo, creen que los cementerios son un mal presagio para los niños. Sí, creo que permiten que los muertos descansen en un lugar tranquilo, pero para los vivos, al menos, hace lo contrario. Es especialmente malo para los bebés o los niños más pequeños.

Yo: ¿Es específicamente peligroso para los bebés?

M: Sí, especialmente para los pequeños e inocentes bebés. Hay una historia en los cementerios que dice que si pasas por uno, ya sea en coche o simplemente caminando, debes llamar a tu bebé. Tienes que ir diciendo su nombre y llamándolo hacia ti. No importa si están a tu lado, debes llamarlos hacia ti y decirles que vayan contigo.

Me: ¿Hay alguna forma de llamarlos?

M: Puedes decir simplemente “Vamos, cariño, vamos” y luego decir su nombre. Tienes que hacer saber a los bebés que te vas y que deben irse contigo. Esto es porque se dice que desde que un bebé es tan joven y frágil su alma podría ser robada por un espíritu del cementerio. Por eso tienes que llamar al alma de tu bebé para que se vaya con su cuerpo.

// Translation

Me: Well, could you tell me about any superstitions or traditions you have about cemeteries?

M: Well, in Mexico, at least in the town I come from, they believe that cemeteries are a bad omen for children. Yes, I think they allow the dead to rest in a peaceful place, but for the living, at least, it does the opposite. It’s especially bad for babies or younger children.

Me: Is it specifically dangerous for babies?

M: Yes, especially for small, innocent babies. There’s a story in cemeteries that if you pass by one, either by car or just walking by, you have to call your baby. You have to go around calling their name and calling them to you. It doesn’t matter if they are next to you, you have to call them to you and tell them to go with you.

Me: Is there a way to call them?

M: You can just say, “Come on, honey, come on,” and then say their name. You have to let the babies know that you are leaving and that they should go with you. This is because it is said that since a baby is so young and fragile its soul could be stolen by a spirit from the cemetery. That is why you have to call your baby’s soul to leave with their body.

Analysis:

Folklore surrounding cemeteries is a frequent topic across different cultures as its connections to the afterlife are strong. I found M’s interview interesting because it discussed a folklore that can be applied universally to any cemetery in the world. I like that folklore can be applied to any region in the world. I also found it interesting as M explained why it’s important to call for the name of the child as it is attached to its soul. It was also interesting to see the duality of cemeteries through M’s perspective. I always found cemeteries somewhat chilling, but I understood that it was someone’s final resting place so hearing about how cemeteries also take from the living.

Giving babies ”Ojo.”

A is a 59-year-old Hispanic American female originally from La Junta, a small town in Southeastern Colorado. A currently works as a background detective in Phoenix Arizona.

A informed me of this folklore over a dinner discussion. We were on the topic of family superstitions, and I asked A if she had any superstitions that she remembered her family believing in.

A: I was thinking about this a few days ago. I remember Nana and my aunts talking about giving a baby “ojo” by looking at them and falling over how cute they are it makes them sick if you do it too much. And then I read about it and I laughed because this is exactly what I remember hearing them talking about it, when I was little. I also remember in order for them to come back from the baby getting that, when you’re born they put a little bracelet on the babies made out of coral. I will call Nana to make sure but that’s what I remember. To help babies ward off the evil eye or “ojo” the babies would wear a little string with a piece of coral red coral. And then the mothers would put an egg in a cup of water near the bed to help them heal from the evil if they got it laughs.

Reflection: This folklore seems to be associated with the idea that too much of a good thing is a bad thing. It brings greater context into my own family, as I remember my grandmother scolding my cousins for fawning over a baby, and I never knew quite why. I find it interesting that specifically coral and eggs in water act as deterrent. Perhaps they both have an absorbent property that draws evil away when placed in the immediate proximity of a baby.

No Early Birthday Wishes in Germany

The informant is the daughter of two German immigrants. She was born in Germany, spent time in France, and grew up in the US. She is a college student.

Informant: In Germany it’s a big no-no to say happy birthday to people early or celebrate early or anything. If you do that it’s supposed to like… give them a year of bad luck so we just…don’t do that. And if you do that to someone else they definitely won’t be happy.

Me: Ohh my god I definitely wished you a happy early birthday this year several times 

Informant: Haha it’s okay it doesn’t really matter. Oh also, for my birthday this year I wanted to come home the day before my birthday to see my parents and ‘cause they wanted to give me a gift too but they were like, “No that’s bad”. So I ended up driving home a few days after my birthday because they’d rather celebrate it late than early.

Context: This was told to me during a recorded in person conversation.