Monthly Archives: April 2018

Hoco

Interview:

“I’m from Turkey, there are people called Hoco, who are religious leaders, people go to them as a way to heal their medical problem, problems can be physical problems or like psychological problems, like mental health issues, they would usually go to these people before doctors or after they try doctors and get no results.”

So kinda like a faith healer?

“They believe that these people have mystical powers that allow them to heal people.  They have certain stories that they believe they have djinn inside them.  They bring kids to hoco to remove spirits from the bodies. He uses medical herbs and medicine from nature.”

 

Background:

When asking about any particular things from his culture, the subject described a type of shaman like healer who is held at a great reverence in the country from where he’s from.  According to the subject, this type of faith healer is very prominent in Turkey, and often are the go-to for any type of ailment.

 

Analysis:

I couldn’t help but notice the similarities that tie these hoco to traditional practices of medicine.  While the healing with the power of the djinn might be merely a placebo effect, the use of these herbs reminds me much of traditional Chinese herbal medicine.  While many of these practices seem to be outlandish and impractical to foreigners, many of these remedies are from decades of trial and error.  The magic of these shamans are upheld by the religious and wives that keep these legends alive demonstrating an example of old folk traditions.    It was interesting to discover a country that also still practiced it’s ancient forms of healing through herbal medicine.

 

 

Mid-Autumn Festival

Interview:

Is there anything you retained through the years?

 

“In Taiwan?”

 

Anywhere, here, Taiwan, anything you retained through the years.

“During the Mid-autumn festival, we ate moon cakes, in Taiwan and also still here.  And we sit out and enjoy the moon.  And eat pomelos and turn the peel into a hat to put on the kids heads to wear. “

Is there anything else that happened?

“In Taiwan it was a day off. “

Background:

After doing some research, the Mid-autumn festival is a harvest festival that is celebrated by many of the southeastern countries of Asia.  It was often to give thanks for the harvest and gathering of family.  Often also a day seen for praying for longevity and a good future.  Searching up the curious event of fruit hats, it seems that pomelo hats were always mentioned alongside the terms “moon festival” or “Mid-Autumn festival” and even has spread amongst foreigners who know about that tradition.  My father who grew up in Taiwan recounted how this festival was a tradition that he celebrated with his family growing up, and now continued to pass on after he moved to the United States.

Analysis: 

Hearing this from my father filled me with an odd bit of nostalgia.  When I was a child, I recount moments I picked at the white pith of a pomelo peel that found itself onto my head.  Aside from being outfitted with fruit peels, the most vivid memories were seeing mooncakes on the counter and eating with relatives that come in from out of state to celebrate with my grandparents.  It stands as one of the symbolic holidays that represents the importance of family in Tawianese tradition.

Quicenera

Main Content:  A quincenera is when a girl turns 15 and they do a big party to celebrate that she is no longer alittle girl but instead a woman. Parents usually start to save money from the day theirdaughters are born because it is very expensive to throw a quincenera. For a quincenera girlsusually wear puffy dresses and have damas (female court) and chambelanes (male court) who are wearing the same color as her dress. First they have to go to church and have a mass. Then they go take pictures and then the party starts. In the middle of the party the girl’s dad takes off the girl’s flat shoes and puts on some heels. Then they give the girl a doll which is the last doll she is going to get meaning that she is no longer a little girl. After the dad and girl dance together. This is one of the most sentimental parts of the quincenera because the next time they would dance together would be at her wedding. After this, there is a surprise dance.  Context: This piece is an interview that I directly copied every word said. The participants name is Jonathan. I had asked the participate in advance over phone if he had any folklore and he asked what I meant by that. After giving a few examples he said he actually did have something to share. So we met in his apartment a few hour later. We entered the kitchen and sat down at the table. Background: Jonathan is a 19-year-old college student whose ethnicity is half Cuban and Half Mexican. He is a sophomore attending UCLA.  Analysis: A quincenera is a common example of Hispanic life cycle folklore. It is more common for woman, but it can also be for a male. A quincenera is transition from a child to an adult. In the quincenera there is a motif, the high heel. It represents a woman and therefore the father removes the flat shoe and puts on the heel. I find it fascinating that there is no scientific evidence stating that when a female turns 15, she become an adult. This transition from childhood to adult hood does have different variations across different cultures. For example, other cultures have a sweet 16. The basis is the same but instead of transitioning to adulthood at 15, it is at 16. 

reincarnation

The following story is collected from my friend. He is from U.S.A. This interview is done face-to-face. “A” refers to me, the collector. And “B” refers to the participant.

A: “Did you experience anything you would explain as supernatural?

 

B: “I can’t remember now but I know something happened to my best friend.”

 

A: “Can you tell me about it?”

B: “When he was a kid, at one point he didn’t talk with his aunt for 5 years, because she and my friend’s father had a disagreement and they were not allowed to talk. But when he was younger, he loved spending time with her. At the end of 5th year, it was her birthday and my friend finally found the courage to ask his day, if they can tell call and wish happy birthday to her. Then my friends father told him the sad news. Apparently, his aunt died 2 years ago and my friends father did not tell this to him. So my friend ran out of the house when he learned this and started to cry.”

A: “How old was he?”

B: “I am not too sure. Maybe 12”

A: “Continue the story please”

B: “So, he was crying in the street and he saw a parrot standing next to him. He told me that a lady come up to him and  said “oh look this birds like you”. Then my friend remembered that his aunt liked parrots and thought maybe this bird was someway connected to her. Because he never saw that parrot next to his home and the day he tried to connect with his aunt, he saw it.  ”

A: “Does he still believe in it or did he stopped believing once he grew?”

B:” I can’t really talk about my friends beliefs, but I know that, whenever he tells this story to someone, he gets emotional. So maybe he still believes.”

Whitney Levine 22: Russian Strong Man

“My whole family left Russia at the turn of the eighteenth century. My whole family was Jewish during the super anti semitic Minsk Russia. He’s really strong and has this long beard. A Russian cossack comes up to him, calls him an anti semitic slur and pulls his beard. My relative replies, thank you for putting me in my place. When the man puts his hand out to shake his hand, he broke his hand from shaking so hard.”

Context: This is the performance of a family legend by Whitney Levine. Though she is American, her family comes from Russia and is very proud of this legend. She learned it from various family members, the tell the story at holidays and family get togethers, especially from her father who always retells the story to various family members. This legend is a testament to her family’s strength and tradition. In an era of avid anti-Semitism, it is extremely empowering to hear that a family member fought back against injustice. She told it to me during our folklore class discussion, in which we were collecting folklore.
“It’s a story my dad always would tell me and would always tell the whole family the story. He’s not sure if it’s true but it’s a family legend that everyone knows now.”

Analysis: I think the story is inspirational, and depicts a man willing to fight against a bigoted establishment. In a time when so many Jews were oppressed, it is heartwarming to see someone fight back against injustice. That is probably why the story has been passed down through so many generations.