Informant: Another story is something that happened to my dad when he was at a funeral. I guess the folklore part is that, uh, when you’re at a funeral, you shouldn’t be, ah, like, overly, I guess, happy-looking? Because it’s disrespectful to the dead, um, and, well, the way it goes is if you do… Continue Reading »
Context: The following informant (S) is a 20 year old bike/ski enthusiast. He explains the avoidance of the words “last run” while skiing and the bad luck it can bring to the end of the day. The conversation took place when I asked the informant of any superstitions he held. The informant told me he… Continue Reading »
Text: You’re not allowed to whistle at night because you will awaken spirits that will be drawn to your whistling. I’ve gotten in a lot of trouble with that one. Context: KT was born in Okinawa, Japan and lived there with his Japanese mother and British father for the first nine years of his life…. Continue Reading »
Informant Info: The informant is an 18-year-old from St. Louis, Missouri. She is currently a freshman studying Public Policy at USC. Interview Transcript: Interviewer: With it being Friday the 13th, do you have any fears or superstitions regarding it? Interviewee: I don’t like superstitions like Friday the 13th, because 13 is just another number. But,… Continue Reading »
The 26-year-old informant was born in Russia, but moved to the U.S. at a young age. During his undergraduate studies at Dartmouth College, he was a teaching assistant for a Russian folklore class and found these pieces of folklore to be particularly interesting or representative of Russian culture. On shaking hands: “One superstition is you’re never… Continue Reading »