Author Archives: Tiffany Wen

Folk Item/Folk Remedy – Sicily, Italy

Italian Folklore- Talisman/ Folk Remedy from Sicily

“The bull horn is worn as a talisman to guard against demons and protect its wearers from the evil eye. Another similar symbol worn in Sicily is the image of a fist with the thumb and pinky fingers pointed outward.  These symbols come out of a superstitious culture, and Gramma says as good Catholic people we are supposed to trust in God to protect us and shouldn’t rely on old superstitions.  They continue to be worn however because it is tradition, and even Gramma has them.  One of them is in the form of a keychain and resembles a red chili pepper more than an actual horn which I find quite amusing.  Whenever I ask Gramma about old traditions she dismisses them saying, “What do we know, we’re dumb immigrants” and this sentiment reflects how, as for many immigrants of the early twentieth century, it was more important to become Americanized and adopt American traditions then to hold on to the old Italian ones.

Another tradition I recall Gramma telling me about is her famous folk remedy to cure ear infections. She was around five at the time she used to get pretty regular ear infections and ear aches. Her mother used to take her down to nursing mothers at the hospital and they would spray breast milk in her ears. Because she was so young, she doesn’t remember if the home remedy worked or not. I don’t think she uses this remedy anymore. She doesn’t get ear infections anymore, but more importantly, she abandoned a lot of her old Italian ways the more she accustomed to American traditions.” – Mary Z.

Analysis:

Mary later told me that the talisman, which looks like a chili pepper, evolved out of the phallic symbols of pre Catholic Italy, which she learned on the History Channel. More women than men wear this talisman as a way to ward off the evil eye, which is the blanket term for a curse that someone might cast on someone else’s family. Although her grandmother does not believe in the talisman’s power to ward off the evil eye, she continues to wear the amulet out of tradition. Her quick abandonment of Italian rituals probably had to do with the fact that she settled in Cleveland, Ohio, a city that does not particularly have a high concentration of Italian immigrants. This talisman, also known as the “corno,” which translates into “little horn,” can be coral, gold, or silver. The horn part of the amulet is always gold or coral. It is common for non-Italians to mistake this amulet for a chili pepper. At the same time, many Italians today don’t know the full origin of the corno and its homage to both the Lunar and Sea Goddess (Wikipedia.com)

Rose Scurria, Mary’s grandmother, is 89 years old and was a homemaker her whole life. She was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, but spent her childhood years travelling back and forth between the US and Sicily. Her family lived in the small mountain village of Lonngi. Lonngi is one of several poor mountain villages in Sicily, where residents wash clothes on rocks and essentially live backwards lives. Constant travelling and prior experience living in the mountain village of Lonngi has given Rose a wealth of knowledge as far as folklore and folk remedy go.

While I do not have a solid understanding of Italian culture, I can relate to the culture in terms of its belief in superstition and the power of talisman. I wear a cloth bracelet that I got from Brazil, which honors a saint in the Northeast city of Bahia. While the bracelet does not ward off evil spirits, it supposedly brings the person wearing it good luck if they tie the bracelet three times in a knot while making a wish. If anything, I wear the bracelet as a constant reminder of my Brazilian identity and belief in the good luck it brings.

Legend

Legend of Tannadoonnah

“There is a tribe of Indians who lived where camp is now…land of birches; you know, birch trees and a birch lake. They lead a simple, peaceful life…they farmed and gathered fish. They lived like this for many years and eventually the white settlers spread into Michigan. They felt their lives were interrupted because white men were taking things from them. Things were tense because they couldn’t communicate with each other and it looked like there was going to be a war. The chief’s daughter was the peacemaker between the Indian tribe and white man because she won affections of one of the white men. Instead of gaining trust from both, she made both sides suspicious of her. All the Indians were afraid she was betraying them. White men saw how close she was with her father and thought she was a fraud. But then, one day, fighting erupted between the Indians and white men, and the princess was scared and didn’t want her people to get hurt. She didn’t want her new friends to get hurt either, so she got in middle of it. She was killed. The main white man told them she wasn’t a spy…was trying to make peace all along, so the white men and Indian tribe gave Tannadoonah a nice burial site. They grew a tree on top of her grave. It grew and now it protects and watches over the land and is supposed to symbolize protection and friendship between nature (Indians) and white men (campers).

They say that campers are still haunted by Indians. Most of the time, Indians go back to their old ways and play tricks on white men. The council fire room at the camp site was the big council meeting room for Indians. You can go to this tree and her spirit is still there. You can see how she lives through the tree. The roots are twisted and you can see parts of her face and elbow in the tree. It’s her body being incorporated into tree.” –Caitlin Fitzgerald

Analysis:

One day when reminiscing about old summer camp memories, my roommate Caitlin shared this story with me. She went to Camp Tannadoonah, a camp affiliated with Campfire Girls. She learned about the story on a tour of the camp when she was five years old. Every summer when she went back to camp, her campfire leader would retell the story. Caitlin definitely believes in the story. The tree and council room have different connotations. While the tree represents princess Tannadoonah’s guardian spirit, the council room holds scary spirits (and continues to scare the campers).

Before telling me her version of the story (the version her camp leader told her when she was five), she gave me the original story as it was presented on both the camp’s website and others who remember the original version. She says:

“Princess Tannadoonah was promised to be married to a warrior. There was a drought, so the men were in charge of finding food. The princess didn’t want to leave home. She decided to stay because her husband promised to come back for her. In the end, she died before he could come back. He buried her body and planted a tree over her grave. The tree, that is now the tree of Tannadoonah, grew over many years. All of its branches represent the amount of love that Princess Tannadoonah and her warrior had for one another.”

For a camp that has been around since 1921, the legend inevitably experienced multiplicity and variation. Today, according to Caitlin, there are endless variations of the story.

After hearing her story, I recalled my days at Camp Cayuga, sitting around a campfire at 9:00 pm (which was late for me at the time since I was in 8th grade), watching camp counselors and campers enact certain camp songs and stories. This daily ritual essentially brings folklore to life and emulates the traditional act of storytelling that Native Americans started hundreds of years ago. All in all, I could not think of a better place to find folklore than at summer camp. Camp brings people together, creates a sense of belonging, and preserves legends and rituals. I almost think of summer camp as a culture that kids engage in. Since I’m from the east coast (and apparently summer camps are more prevalent there than they are on the west coast), I always bring up summer camp rituals, only to find that no one else knows what I’m talking about. Caitlin was similarly surprised that I had never heard of Tannadoonah’s story.

Story – China

How My Grandfather’s Middle Name Came to Be (the Hong Mountain)

“My grandfather’s middle name is Hong. It is a prestigious name, it seems, after the Hong Mountain in the village of WuXi. The story goes that a close blood relative of a Chinese emperor was buried there; his tombstone standing alone on this mountain overlooking the village. This lonely man was the direct heir to the emperor’s throne. He, however, didn’t want to rule the Chinese empire. He wanted to be free of imperial duties so he could be a free man. He left the imperial palace and wandered off as far as he could. He ended up in the village of WuXi and entered a temple. There he became ill and was taken care of by the village people.

The emperor dispatched search parties all over the empire looking for his last relative. One of these search parties led by one of the emperor’s close ambassadors arrived at WuXi, after hearing news about a strange sick man, whose identity no one knew of, showing up at this village. Upon the search party’s arrival, the ambassador went straight to see this unidentified man. He immediately recognized the heir to the empire and sent out for the imperial doctors. Unfortunately, the illness was in such an advanced stage that no Chinese medicine or medical expertise could have helped. The heir to the throne died in this village. Before his death, he made his last wish. He wished to be buried in this village and not to be brought back to the imperial palace.

The village people wanted to honor this guest. They gave him a respectful and proper burial. They chose the highest site on the Hong Mountain where no one has ever been buried before and made a tombstone fit for a member of the imperial family.

That’s where my grandfather got his middle name.” –Lee Lee Wong

Analysis:

This legend is an example of ethnic folklore as manifested in a middle name. Every name stands for something different, whether it be a personal quality or in this case, the history of an emperor’s descendent. In the traditional Chinese culture, one’s middle name carries just as much value as the first name. A typical Chinese name reads in the order of last, middle, and first name.  Choosing a name in the Chinese culture relies heavily on the name’s underlying history and connotations. Perhaps my great grandfather’s parents gave him that name to honor the story of the emperor’s descendent. The story’s themes create the name’s significance, which include individualism and self-discovery. These were probably traits my great grandfather’s parents wanted to instill in him.

It is common for the Chinese to tell stories about the origins of a surname or middle name. Culturally, the Chinese honor their ancestors and look to the past for answers to the present. Unlike American culture, which is forward-facing in the social and cultural context, Chinese culture is reliant on past events and stories. A great deal of attention is paid to the surname, which can say a lot about a person’s character and background.

My mom learned about this story from her father. She unfortunately cannot write in Chinese as well as she can speak the language, which is why I could not document this story in its original language, Cantonese. She told me that her grandfather’s name is something he and our family should be proud of and has essentially become a part of our heritage. The name ties our family to royalty and reflects hopes for grand accomplishments in life. The name’s imperial traits include wisdom, culture, richness, and a long legacy of family ties. While my mother didn’t know him very well, she said he loved to read and learn which instill the name with even more meaning. My grandfather takes great pleasure in sharing stories of this kind because he believes the name’s significance will continue to run in our family and bring us good fortune.

Proverb – China

“????”

“Sai Won Shi Ma”

“Farmer’s Lost of Horse”

“Don’t get easily discouraged by a misfortune and don’t get too excited about a fortune”

“There is a farmer and son living on a farm. They raise nice horses. One night, the barn’s gate is accidentally left open and one of the black stallions disappears. The following morning, the villagers hear about the news and commensurate with the farmer and his son. For days, the son searches for the horse, but to no avail. In response to the villagers’ consolation, the farmer remains calm and tells them he is not too concerned. The following day, the black stallion returns to the farm with a white horse. The villagers rejoice and congratulate the farmer. Not only did the black stallion return, but they also gained a new horse, which was big news at the time. The farmer, however, does not partake in the celebration of the horses; he tells the villagers not to get too excited. He tells them they may not be so fortunate. A few days later, the son is riding the horses, loses control, and falls and breaks his leg. The village people sympathize with the son and express their sincere apologies for the misfortune. The farmer, however, tells the villagers that he wouldn’t call the accident a “misfortune.” Two months later, the village is invaded by enemies. As a result, everyone has to fight in the army, with the exception of the son who is still recovering from the accident. Ninety percent of the young men who fight in the army are killed. The moral of the story is that one should not get discouraged after a misfortunate event. At the same time, one should not get overly triumphant over good news, because it can easily be followed by misfortune.” – Ping Hu

Analysis:

I collected this proverb from Ping, a good family friend. She was born and raised in Beijing. She moved to New York for high school and attended undergraduate and graduate schools in the States. Altogether, she has lived in the country for 19 years. However, she currently travels back and forth between Beijing, Switzerland, and the States for work. According to Ping, both stories- the “monkey” and “the boy who lost his horse”- are extremely popular and originated in mainland China.

Ping remembers learning all kinds of proverbs during her elementary school years, which sheds light on the functional and cultural role of proverbs. According to Ping, proverbs are used in a wide range of contexts, whether that be in public speaking, education, business gatherings, etc. Often times, people hold contests to see who knows more proverbs, since they are so prevalent in the Chinese culture and play such a big role in the way people communicate.

Like most people I interviewed for folklore, Ping prefaced her stories by telling me she could go on and on about proverbs. Her favorite aspect of a proverb is that it can convey a powerful message in only four Chinese characters. She says, “No one needs to rehash the long story to make the point which comes handy in social networking and business speaking.  I guess that’s what we usually refer to as “culture” – it’s a set of understanding, value and belief deeply embedded in the people who shared the same background.” This one in particular is one of her personal favorites. It has guided her in both her personal and professional life. The moral of the story is as follows: “you will not be successful if you don’t keep your perspective intact. By the same token, a major setback in life is not necessarily a lost cause if you approach the situation with calm and patience.” Ping told me that she constantly reflects on this proverb when faced with either triumphs or setbacks as a way to boost her confidence and maintain an optimistic outlook on a situation. Perseverance is not as easy task but is rewarded once a person overcomes whatever obstacle presents itself.

I myself take comfort in the story’s message. It takes will power and a positive attitude to be able to come to terms with reality and face life’s difficulties. I am further drawn to the message because people have pointed out that I am a “Negative Nancy” and have a hard time staying positive in unfavorable situations. The proverb calls us to question and re-evaluate our attitudes because attitudes ultimately drive our behavior and the way we outwardly live our lives. It also stresses the importance of balance; we should not be overly accepting or critical of life’s fortunes and misfortunes. We should learn from our mistakes and constantly push forward no matter how difficult a situation is.

Another interesting element of the underlying story is its attention to luck. The father never seems to engage in celebratory actions, but rather detached from the triumphs and setbacks that take place in the story. He constantly reminds the villagers to stay levelheaded across good and bad situations, which is similar to the saying, “the bad is always followed by the good” and “the good is always followed by the bad.” The proverb is commonly used in social networking and business practices, which demonstrates its functional nature in the Chinese culture.

Recipe – Finnish

Krospu- Finnish Pancake Recipe

3eggs
2 C milk
½ C sugar
1/3 tsp salt
1 1/4 C flour
½ C butter

– Mix all ingredients except butter together.
– Melt butter in 4 9” glass pie pans in 375 degree oven.
– Pour batter over hot butter and bake approximately 30 minutes
– Serve warm with powdered sugar and syrup.

Analysis:

This recipe was passed down by Natalie’s great grandmother, Faye Joki McLean, who is full Finnish. She passed away, but would be around 90 years old if she were still alive. She was a single mom who raised her large extended Finnish family in Couer d’Alene, Idaho, which has a large Finnish population. She spoke Finnish growing up, but as she got older, had fewer opportunities to speak to other people (outside of her family) in her native tongue.

Her great grandmother always made an effort to preserve their family heritage. Natalie has known about this recipe since childhood. She says they are a staple in Finnish food, sort of like American pancakes, but not as sweet. Her great grandmother passed it down to Natalie’s mother. Every now and then, her family eats Kropsu for breakfast. Also, they will eat them with a special Finnish meatball dish during large family gatherings.

There is no better way to preserve a culture than to preserve its food and pass down traditional recipes. Most often, the preparation of the food makes the dish unique to the culture. After all, the ingredients for Kropsu do not seem any different from the ingredients of a generic, American pancake. In my family, most of the recipes that have been passed down are relatively easy to make. The one that comes to mind is the Brazilian dessert, brigadeiro, which requires only condensed milk and Nesquick. However, it is the process and timing that make it distinct from other desserts that may require the same ingredients. If you cook it under time, it will not solidify into a concrete ball. If you cook it over time, it will be too hard and lose its smooth texture. The same idea probably applies to the Kropsu.