Author Archives: Kelly Williams

Proverb – Polish

“gdy kota nie ma, myszy harcuja”

“When cat not has, mice play”

“When the cat’s away, the mice will play”

Marysia told me that she learned this proverb from her mother when she was allowed to stay alone at home for the first time. Marysia learned this proverb in her home in Texas but is sure her mom learned it in Poland when she was growing up. The proverb is often said to teenagers and young kids when they are given responsibility. It serves as a forewarning to the kids, that the parents know that the kids want to misbehave. It is also is used to talk about other people who were caught doing something they knew they shouldn’t such as throwing an unauthorized party when parents are out of town. This proverb has also been used by the kids as an excuse for their bad behavior- telling the parents that because they are not present they should expect that the kids will misbehave.

This proverb’s translation into English is also commonly used in the United States. Personally, I have heard this proverb used on television, by teachers and authority figures and I’m sure I may have used it as well. The mice represent a misbehaving group, usually younger and prone to misbehave. The cat is always represents an authority figure that usually keeps the “mice” in line.

Marysia doesn’t know the origin of the proverb but imagines it is at least 50-60 years old when mice in homes were a problem. In the past households would keep cats as

Myth – Mexico

In Northern Mexico the farmers tell the story of a blood-sucking beast known as the Chupacabra. The farmers claim to have found their goats with all of their blood drained from their bodies. The only bite marks present are two, circular, vampire-fang like holes, usually close to the neck. These bite marks are said to be from the Chupacabra. The beast is said to only strike at night, after sundown.

Ryan, my brother, said he first heard this story when he was in elementary school. He heard the story from his Mexican friends who were told the story by their parents. Ryan said that the story also circulated in the rural southern parts of Arizona close to the border, where the communities were predominantly Mexican.

Ryan believes that parents told these stories to their kids to keep them from staying out late at night. Even though he didn’t know of any variations that said the Chupacabra would attack kids the thought of a blood-sucking animal was scary enough to keep the kids in at night. Ironically baby goats are called kids, and perhaps the Chupacabra would want the blood of any type of kid, goat or human.

This myth has close similarities to a traditional vampire story often found in eastern Europe. In these stories a vampire can never be seen during the daylight and sucks the blood of his victims by biting their necks. Because goat farming is a common practice in Mexico and goats are necessary to make cheeses and milks used in the diet the loss of a goat could be detrimental to a farming family. My brother said that some people believe the Chupacabra is responsible for the disappearance of livestock in rural areas.

Ryan has spend a lot of time in Spanish speaking countries and has heard differing descriptions of the Chupacabra and says that a form of the myth is found throughout Spanish speaking countries in the Americas but he prefers the story he was first told as opposed a different version of the story. The Chupacabra myth is widespread and therefore has many believers and skeptics.

An online search brought up thousands of websites about the creature as well as videos depicting alleged sightings. On one website I also found unofficial Chupacabra merchandise including t-shirts, street signs and mugs. This popular myth has been exploited to make a profit and provoke questions of its existence, including conspiracy theories. Personally, I agree that it was started as an explanation for missing cattle and a means for parents to keep their children from staying out at night.

Legend – Vietnamese

In 15th century ancient Vietnam emperor Le Loi was credited for driving the Chinese invaders out of Vietnam. The legend holds that Le Loi was given a magic sword from the gods that enabled him to drive out the invaders. After his victory Le Loi was at a lake, known as the Green Water Lake. While he was there a giant turtle emerged from the lake and told him to return the sword to the Dragon God. Suddenly, the sword shot out of its sheath into the mouth of the turtle and the turtle disappeared.

Kevin learned this story from his parents when he was growing up. Kevin and his family lived in Vietnam for most of his childhood. He said it was common for parents to pass down stories to the children about the history of the country and its rulers. Kevin said that he has never visited the lake but knows that locals hold it in much esteem.

Kevin believes this story is told to keep the ancient traditions and mythology alive in future generations despite the growing industrialization and globalization of the developing country. Also, because the story has close ties to history and ancient Vietnamese it is considered part of the Vietnamese mythology. The Vietnamese people also consider the lake where the legend took place sacred. Today, according to Kevin if the turtle reappears at the lake an extraordinary event will take place.

Interestingly a news story related to this legend recently made headlines. In Vietnam researchers recently identified a rare giant soft shell turtle in Northern Vietnam previously believed to be extinct. The turtle was measured at about 3.5 feet long and close to 400 pounds. These turtles are also able to live more than 100 years, but the age of this particular turtle is unknown. This turtle has great cultural significance to the Vietnamese people because it personifies the description of the turtle in the legend.

Reporters also said that the recent discovery of this turtle will help revive the legend among Vietnamese people. Doug Hendrie, the Vietnamese coordinator of the US zoo’s Asian Turtle Program said: “This species has legendary status among the people of Vietnam, so this is perhaps an opportunity for the legend to live on.” This scientific evidence gives credibility to the legend, that indeed a giant turtle may have appeared, however the probability that the turtle actually spoke is still very legendary.

I interpret that this story’s central message is humility. The emperor would not have been able to conquer the invaders without the god’s sword and from what Kevin told me it does not seem like Le Loi was willing to return the sword or be grateful for their help. Because of this the turtle had to forcibly take the sword from him. Because the emperor was not humble enough Mother Nature, wisdom, and strength, all personified by the turtle had to discipline him.

For the article about the turtle see annotation:

Turtle Holds on in Center of Vietnam’s Capital. NPR. Hanoi. 28 Mar. 2006. 30 Apr. 2008 <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89750339>.

Ghost Story – New York, New York

While the New Amsterdam Theater on W. 42nd St  was being renovated some of the construction men claimed that  they frequently saw a beautiful young woman wandering aimlessly through the theater when they were working. She is always dressed in a Follies costume and a blue glass in her hand. She wore a sash with the name Olive on it too. They think that she’s the ghost of Olive Thomas who died in the 1920s. She was a Ziegfeld Girl which were part of the Ziegfeld Follies that the theatre hosted. Olive died of syphilis in Paris. But once when reconstruction was going on the workers got freaked out because they saw her ghost and they ran out of the building screaming. Another time the ghost talked to a worker in the lobby saying “How are you doing, handsome?” but when he turned around she was gone.

Chauncey spends most of her weekends in New York City shopping, visiting friends from boarding school and going to shows. When Chauncey was about 13 years old she went to see the musical 42nd St. with her Mom. While she and her mom were waiting for the show to begin her mom told her the story of the ghost in the New Amsterdam theatre. Her mom heard the story from a friend of hers who knew the owner of the theatre. Chauncey and her mom both believe the story to be credible because the owner supports it.

The story of Olive Thomas is interesting, but has a fundamental flaw. First and probably most obvious is the fact that Olive Thomas died in Paris, where the follies show was originally conceived. It makes little sense that her ghost would return to New York City. When I asked Chauncey about this she said that she thought perhaps Olive’s most beloved memories are of her time in the theatre and that’s why she wanted to return.

The traits of Olive that came through in her appearances may also reveal reasons as to why she died of a sexually transmitted disease. Olive appears with a glass in her hands, it could be assumed that this glass had a cocktail in it, leading to the assumption that Olive often drank. Also, Olive hit on the workers in the theatre calling one handsome, this might imply that she was promiscuous.  Alcohol and sexual promiscuity are both likely the precursors to sexually transmitted diseases and perhaps Olive is looking to warn others of the dangers.  By appearing with the traits of her downfall maybe it will scare others from engaging in the acts.

Perhaps the only reason her ghost appeared is because the theatre was being gutted and completely reconstructed, this may have disturbed old spirits of the theatre and could be the main reason Olive appeared. As far as Chauncey knows, Olive was the only ghost who appeared to the construction workers. Currently the New Amsterdam theatre is owned by Disney productions and is in use on Broadway. Since it’s reopening in 1997 Chauncey and her mother have not heard any more accounts of Olive’s presence in the theatre, or any other haunting for that matter.

Architecture – Boston, Massachusetts

There’s a house in the old Historic region of Boston. Technically it’s in Boston’s North End, which is a part of the city with a lot of old buildings and stories. So in the North End there is a really, really skinny house wedged in-between two buildings. A midsize SUV takes up more space parallel parking than this house takes up on the sidewalk. This house is said to be a couple hundred years old, like most things in the North End. Supposedly the house was built to purposely block the view of another person. Everything in that part of Boston is really close together and so people probably got fed up with neighbors and such. Apparently someone got so mad that they built the house just to spite their neighbor and hence the name the Spite House.

Tom is grew up in the Boston metropolitan area. When he was in elementary school he used to hear a lot of stories about Boston’s history from school teachers, family, friends, and the media. Tom can’t remember exactly but thinks that he heard about the Spite House when he was about 6 or 7 years old. He thinks that he and his mom were in the North End for one reason (which he cannot recall) and they were near the Spite House so his mom took him down the street to look at it. His mom also told him why it was so skinny, which he recounted to me as best he could remember.

Tom says at the time the house seemed unusually small compared to the rest of the houses but didn’t really appreciate how small it was until he saw it again when he was in his teens. He’s not sure if the house was really built to spite a neighbor but hasn’t heard any other stories or reasons for why its so skinny. Tom didn’t know for sure but assumed that people live in the house because it is in a desirable neighborhood.

The Spite house’s purpose today is lost in the newer buildings built around it. The view that the house intended to block is now unknown because the house is surrounded by taller apartment buildings on either side.

The idea of a Spite house is not unique to Boston. In New York and Virigina I found Spite houses that each city claims as a historical landmark. They were built for the same reasons that the Boston house was and remain standing today. – See Annotation

Boston Spite House:

Annotation:

Bailey, Steve. “A Tiny, Beloved Home That Was Built for Spite.” New York Times 29 Feb. 2008. 1 May 2008 <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/29/travel/

escapes/29away.html>.