Author Archives: Adam Woodnutt

Don’t Bring a Feather into the House

Informant: Dr. Çulik-Baird is a 27-year-old professor. She was born and raised in Scotland, and moved to Los Angeles at 21. She recently moved to Boston for a job.

Main Piece:
Hannah: “When I was little, my mother would always warn me not to bring a bird’s feather into the house. My dad didn’t believe it, but my mother would always warn me against it.”

 

Interviewer: What would happen if you did?

Hannah: “Just bad luck, really. She never told me much more about it.”

Background Information about the Performance: The informant lives away from her family now but still practices this superstition that her mother told her. She said that doing so reminds her of home.

Context of Performance: This piece was told in the household of the informant when she was younger.

Thoughts: I have never heard of this superstition before, and the informant noted that it might have just been her mother’s belief. Nevertheless, I enjoyed learning that the piece kept the informant connected in some way to her family, despite living so far away.

 

Hot Water Cure

Informant: Hannah is an 18-year-old student, born and raised in China before moving to Los Angeles for college. Her parents now live in Japan, but they return to China to visit family during the summer.

Main Piece:
Hannah: “My mom always used to tell me when I was sick to drink hot water. It’s a thing in China that you see people carrying around like bottles of warm water. Nobody brings around cold water.”

Interviewer: Is hot water just healthier than cold, or does it actually help heal you?

Hannah: “Well, yeah, it’s supposed to be healthier, but it can also heal you. Like, if you have a headache or a stomachache. Even if you have a fever.”

Background Information about the Performance: The informant’s mother informed her of this folk medicine. The informant noted that even when she travels, she tries to drink warm water rather than cold water, and feels off if she does not.

Context of Performance: This is performed when people are feeling sick, or just to stay healthy.

Thoughts: I thought it was interesting that the informant felt ill if she drank cold water.

Nightmarchers

Informant: Uluwehi is a 21-year-old student from Hawaiʻi. She is from the island of Oʻahu.

Main Piece:
Uluwehi: “Nightmarchers play drums as they march through through the mountains and along paths as well that they have glowing eyes. They’re supposed to be malicious and they could kidnap you…they’re kind of ghosts of old warriors.”

Interviewer: Is there a way to ward them off?

Uluwehi: “Not really. You just don’t go out at night when you hear them roaming near your house.”

Background Information about the Performance: The informant learned this legend from her family. They live in Hawaiʻi and still practice many of the traditions, and so legends like this are important to her.

Context of Performance: Telling this legend usually occurs around certain times of year, specifically the nights that the Nightmarchers march.

Thoughts: It is interesting to me that there is no real way to ward the Nightmarchers off besides hiding from them. The informant also mentioned that the march would take place on nights related to the gods, so the Nightmarchers are in some way related to these important spiritual nights.

ʻaʻohe mālama, pau i ka ʻiole

Informant: Uluwehi is a 21-year-old student from Hawaiʻi. She is from the island of Oʻahu.

Main Piece:

Original: “ʻaʻohe mālama, pau i ka ʻiole”

Translation: “None take care, gone to the rat”

Transliteration: “If you’re not careful and you don’t take care of your things, they’ll disappear”

Background Information about the Performance: The informant was taught this piece in school. It is important to her because it reminds her to care for her belongings and not lose them.

Context of Performance: The piece was taught in school to remind children to keep their belongings neat.

Thoughts: The informant mentioned that proverbs were taught every week in school, which I found interesting as proverbs were never a formal part of my learning when I grew up.


This piece can also be found here:
“‘Ōlelo No’eau.” ‘Ōlelo No’eau. Aha Punana Leo, n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. <http://www.ahapunanaleo.org/index.php?%2Fprograms%2Fohana_info%2Folelo_noeau%2F>.

White Lighter

Informant: Samantha is a 23-year-old artist living in Southern California. She uses marijuana and is an active participant in cannabis culture.

Main Piece: “Okay so…the white lighter myth is all about how a bunch of famous musicians, like Kurt Cobain and I think Jimi Hendrix, died when they were 27. And then, when they did the autopsy, they all had white bic lighters in their pockets. So, the idea is, if you’re 27 and you’re smoking, you shouldn’t use a white lighter or you die. For safety you probably shouldn’t ever use a white lighter, just in case.”

Background Information about the Performance: This piece was originally told to the informant by her friend and drug dealer at a party. The informant finds it important to remember in order to not make a mistake and use a white lighter, thus instigating bad luck.

Context of Performance: This piece is told at parties or among marijuana smokers as a warning. It is very serious, and smokers will be upset if somebody brings a white lighter to a party.

Thoughts: I have actually heard of this superstition as part of the belief of the 27 Club, alluding to the group of celebrities who have died at age 27. Although some sources have attempted to dispel this superstition – finding, for example, that Bic only began making white lighters after Jimi Hendrix’s death – it still remains popular.

For another version of this myth, see Jack Pendarvis’ Cigarette Lighter.
Pendarvis, Jack. Cigarette Lighter. London: Bloomsbury, 2016. Google Books. 28 Jan. 2016. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.