Monthly Archives: March 2011

Folk Ritual – Jewish

Nationality: American
Age: 91
Occupation: Retired
Residence: Boca Raton, FL
Performance Date: April 4, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Yiddish

Jewish Funeral Rituals:

“Immediately after the funeral of a close relative, Jewish families observe a mourning period of seven days and are said to be “sitting shivah”. Immediate family members remove their shoes, don slippers, and sit on stools or hard benches, customs derived from ancient mourning rituals. All household wall mirrors are covered with sheets. As a symbol of grief, mourners wear garments with a rip in the label and, during this shivah period, mourners remain in the house and do no work. A minyan comes to the house, morning and evening, to hold services and enable the mourners to recite a prayer for the dead called “the Kaddish”. Friends pay visits out of respect to the deceased and to honor the mourners. The first meal served to the mourners when they return from the funeral is prepared by neighbors and customarily includes hard-boiled eggs, which are said to be symbolic of the need for the mourners’ lives to go on.  The anniversary of the death of a family member is called the “yahrzeit” and is commemorated by having a memorial candle lighted in the home and another in the synagogue from sunset to sunset and by reciting the prayer for the dead (the Kaddish). Orthodox Jews fast all day at Yahrzeit.”

Irving, born and raised in New York City, learned these Jewish customs somewhat through experience of going to funerals.  “Particularly, after the Second World War, when Jewish American soldiers had ceremonies back in the states is when I picked up most of the customs.  I’m not too religious but after going to several funerals and talking to the mourners myself, I have learned these customs.  I’m not too sure where or when the funeral rituals began, but I believe that the meaning behind a seven day mourning, is to honor one’s life through an entire week, representing an entire lifetime.  Especially at an older age, I have become overly depressed by attending funerals and would rather send my prayers and regards to the family members of the deceased.”

The Jewish funeral rituals differ greatly from many cultures.  It doesn’t celebrate the dead or mourn for just one day; instead, it is a weeklong ritual to honor the deceased and their life to its entirety.  Family members sitting on hard stools might symbolize the idea of not being relaxed and comfortable, almost as if to suffer slightly just as the deceased did.  I am very baffled by the covering of the household mirrors.  The Jewish religion is not known for believing in spirits, which would be one way to look at the mirror ritual as a way to have the dead reappear.  My hypothesis is that by covering the mirrors, anyone in the household is prevented from looking at themselves, and more specifically reflecting upon themselves.  It further emphasizes the reflections, thoughts, and prayers to all be dedicated toward the deceased.  I think that idea carries over into the fact that no one in the house is supposed to work the entire week; instead, time should be focused on mourning and honoring the dead.

I particularly find it interesting that there is an annual ritual, honoring the day that the person died.  I feel it is a way for those who are alive to never forget those who passed.  The candle represents light and hope for the future, and is the only bright part of the funeral/death ritual. The overall Jewish funeral ritual is packed with symbolism, mourning, and honoring that lasts more than just a single day unlike most cultural funerals.

Folk Speech – North Jersey, New Jersey

Nationality: Italian-American
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: North Jersey, NJ
Performance Date: March 19, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Italian

Biddy: a good-looking girl

Mega Biddy: a one-of-a-kind very attractive girl

Biddy Cave: where several Mega Biddies coexist

Michael learned the term Biddy in the schoolyards back in his hometown of North Jersey.  “The terms Mega Biddy and Biddy Cave I learned while at a party in the neighbor town of Nutley, which is also located in North Jersey.  I feel like the etymology behind the term is that it is spelled similar to “buddy” meaning that at one point in time biddy meant a good female friend.  The mega in Mega Biddy clearly implies that this girl is supreme and on a different level.”  When I asked Michael about others reactions to the term, he said that when he first came to USC, people who were not from the east coast had never heard the term before and didn’t understand him.  He claimed that it was just a part of his everyday language back in New Jersey.

Through paradigmatic analysis, I feel that the term biddy has more of a negative connotation than it is comparable to a “female buddy”.  I feel that the etymology is very close to the spelling of the word “bitch” and therefore was originally meant in a negative fashion.  Similarly, the term Biddy Cave suggests an image of women living like savages in a cave, almost like slaves.  I find it interesting how there is plenty of folk speech regarding names for females: broads, chicks, beezies, etc.

Through further research, there is a produced hip-hop song entitled “Hey Bitty” by the artist Nitty.  Although spelt differently, the term carries a derogatory connotation by reading the lyrics.  Also, this version of spelling is even closer to the spelling of the word “bitch”, further supporting that the etymology of the term came from “bitch” and carries a negative connotation.  Lastly, Nitty is from the Bronx in New York, which through historic geographic, begins to support the idea that the term originated in the east coast, specially the northeast.

Annotation:

Nitty.  Player’s Paradise: “Hey Bitty”.  Universal Records: 2005.

Good Luck Charm – Italy

Nationality: Italian-American
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: North Jersey, NJ
Performance Date: March 19, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Italian

The Mano Cornuto.

The Mano Cornuto is an Italian good luck charm that Michael owns in the form of a necklace.  He received the necklace at the age of 14 from his grandfather who is from Southern Italy.  Michael wears the necklace around his neck everyday as a form of good luck.  Specifically, Michael says that, “The Mano, which is the hand, and the cornuto, which is the horn, are good luck charms acting as protection against the evil eye.”  In general, Michael wears the necklace for good luck and in respect of his grandfather.  He found out the meaning of the Mano Cornuto from his Grandfather, who learned it from his father.  Michael, an Italian American from New Jersey, stays very in touch with his Italian heritage and this charm is a way to stay connected on a daily basis.

I believe that the horn has more meaning than just the protection of the evil eye.  The horn can be representative of an animal, and this might be a good luck charm in keeping Italian farmers’ herds of animals healthy and even a good luck charm for a good crop.  The Mano or the hand gesture is very similar to the hang ten sign of Hawaiians.  Hang ten is another way of saying “hang loose” or “keep it real”, as a form of a comment when leaving a conversation.  It’s possible that hang ten and the Mano are somehow related as a form of having good luck.

Blason Populaire – University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California

Nationality: American
Occupation: Student
Residence: San Jose, CA
Performance Date: March 28, 2008
Primary Language: English

Fraternity Stereotypes:

Lambda Chi (LCA) – Rammed A Guy

Sigma Nu (SN) – Sigma Who?

Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) – (S)exual (A)ssaults (E)xpected

Zeta Beta Tau (ZBT) – (Z)ero (B)itches (T)here

Bobby, who this past year joined the fraternity ZBT at USC, discovered that there is a “Frat Row” lingo, which includes the above blason populaire.  He learned those jokes from several other students who are part of the Greek life here at USC, but are not in his fraternity.  Each of the above are stereotypes that are used to poke fun at the names of each fraternity.  For instance, the joke for Lamda Chi is claiming that the brothers in this fraternity are all homosexual, when in reality that is nowhere near true, that is why this is a stereotype.  Bobby was surprised when he first heard these jokes but learned that it is just part of the competitive fraternity mentality to put down other fraternities.  Being in Zeta Beta Tau and hearing that joke about his fraternity, Bobby was definitely disturbed at first but realized as the year went on that just like all stereotypes, some might believe them but they’re not always true.

Also being a member of ZBT at USC, I have heard this form of fraternity blason populaire but from older brothers in the fraternity.  It is in the nature of many Greek’s, specifically fraternity guys, to be competitive and talk down other fraternities.  All one needs to do is ask someone who is in a fraternity about another house, and most of the time these stereotypes will get brought up.  However, to build on Bobby’s analysis of these jokes, I believe they are not just spread by Greek male students, but also be females and non-Greek males.  Girls, whether they are in a sorority or not, tend to further support these stereotypes by using them when referring to houses they aren’t fond of.  Non-Greek males tend to do the same, however it as more of distaste for the Greek system in general rather than specific fraternities.

I did some further research on these Fraternity/Sorority fake names, and there is a website (http://thespinzone.com/greek.php) dedicated toward listing out all of the fake stereotypical names for fraternities and sororities.  The information is gathered from people across the country, proving that different universities have similar and diverse “spin names” (as the website calls them) for each fraternity and sorority.

Folk Medicine

Nationality: American
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Dallas, TX
Performance Date: March 27, 2008
Primary Language: English

To Cure a Hangover:

  • Pour a can of Coke in a glass
  • Put one tablespoon of salt in the Coke and stir
  • Chug the drink as fast as possible as the salt causes the Coke to bubble quickly

“I learned this remedy back home from a friend of mine.  He had told me that his older brother taught him about this hangover cure, so I tried it one day and it actually worked.  I think it has something to do with the carbon dioxide in the Coke reacting with the salt that causes it to fizz so much.  When you do chug the drink, it tastes kind of bad and it is actually difficult to drink the entire glass that quickly.  When you do chug the drink it is almost like getting a brain freeze from ice cream, but after that feeling fades away so does the hangover.  I don’t use this remedy all the time, in fact I’ve probably only used it three or four times, but I’m telling you, it does work.”

Many remedies for hangovers are a part of folk medicine; in fact, almost all are because there is not a scientific solution to cure a hangover.  I’ve heard another similar remedy of chugging a bottle of water before going to bed and waking up, after a night of drinking, however that does not immediately cure a hangover and can be linked to the scientific fact that alcohol causes dehydration.  I believe most hangover remedies are spread from older college students to younger siblings and peers, as it did in this case.