Monthly Archives: May 2011

Baganda Rhyme

Nationality: Baganda; Ugandan
Age: 26
Occupation: Youth Association Director
Residence: Kampala, Uganda
Performance Date: April 1, 2011
Primary Language: English
Language: Luganda

Where are you going, little goat?

I am going to market to buy a new coat.

A coat for a goat? Can a goat have a coat?

People will laugh at a goat with a coat!

This was told by a Ugandan friend who said that it is just a fun rhyme to entertain kids and not necessarily used for any particular purpose.

I chose to include the above rhyme because of its very apparent meaning within the Baganda community, at least from an “outsider’s” perspective. The people place great importance on normalcy, or being “ordinary.” This has led the Baganda to use the word for “white person,” mzungu, even to describe members of their own society when they are not conforming to societal norms. For example, a commonality among all Baganda men is to maintain a considerably short hair length. If anyone chooses to deviate from this custom, they are labeled a mzungu, despite having the same skin color as those in their community. In other words, there is hesitancy to accept what is odd in terms of cultural standards. The goat being dissuaded to purchase a coat in the above rhyme serves to illustrate this aspect of the Baganda and remind its members to adhere to accepted societal conduct and tradition.

King’s Cup

Nationality: White
Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: San Diego, CA
Performance Date: 4/14/11
Primary Language: English

King’s Cup-Drinking Game

“You put a cup in the middle of the table filled with Baijiu (white rice liquor). And ring the cards around the cup face down.  Each person has a beer.  Each person goes around in a circle

Ace- “Waterfall”- it means that one person starts drinking and then the next person starts drink and so on.  But you can only stop when the person in front of you stops.

2- “You”- point to someone and they have to drink

3- “Me” – the person who draws the card has to drink

4- “Whore”- the girls have to drink

5- “Never have I ever”- each persons says something they have never done, and if you have done it you have you put a figure down, and the first person to put all five fingers down has to drink

6- “Dicks”- Guys have to drink

7- “Heaven”- the last person to point to the sky has to drink

8- “Mate”- you chose someone who also has to drink with you

9- “Busta Rhymthe” – you have to go around in the circle rhyming and the person who stops the rhyme has to drink

10- “Categories”- the person chooses a theme and each person has to say an item within that category, and who ever cannot think of one has to drink

Jack- “Make a Rule” – the person has to make a rule and everyone has to follow it and if they don’t you have to drink

Queen- “Questions”- you can only speak to each other in questions, and if you answer you have to drink

King- you have to add to the drink in the middle, but if you pull the last King you have to drink the King’s Cup in the middle

And if you break the circle you have to take a shot.”

The informant played this game while studying abroad in China.  She says the reason why they played this game was to drink and have fun.  She learned it from other Americans studying abroad.  She says that is a fun way to pre-game before going out or if just a bunch of friends are hanging out.

This game is reminiscent of American college party culture although there is a Chinese twist, as the King’s Cup is filled with rice liquor.  The purpose of the game is to get the participants drunk because every time someone picks up a card at least one person has to drink.  The idea of having the cards in a circle is a reoccurring theme in folklore; as the circle is a representation of time.  And once the circle is broken the participant must drink – and not a sip of beer but a shot of hard alcohol – as if breaking this circle is breaking something important so the punishment is greater.  The loser of this game has to drink the King’s Cup in the middle when they pull the last King from the deck.  This is contrary to popular belief that getting something called the “King’s Cup” would be a good thing.  The game allows for folk games within a folk game.  For instance, when you draw a 5 you all play the game “Never Have I Ever” which is a folk game in itself.  Also the symbol of a “King’s Cup” may have come from the Holy Grail, which was the cup that Jesus used during the Last Supper.  And thus the “King’s Cup” is a very important relic, and the game “King’s Cup”

This game is an example of how college students employ folklore in their lives on a daily (well hopefully not every day) basis.

Swedish Joke

Nationality: Swedish
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Performance Date: April 27, 2011
Primary Language: English
Language: Swedish

The following is a joke recorded from a Swedish friend: “So, this joke is not that common, but the theme is common. Ok, so, uh, do you know why Norwegians open the milk cartons in the store? Because it reads ‘open here.’ The point here, is like saying Norwegian people are dumb. It illustrates the rivalry between Norway and Sweden. Now in modern times there is not a real rivalry, I’m sure they have the same type of jokes as Swedes. But it does go back historically, like the 14th and 15th centuries when we were competing for power. It shows this competitiveness and tradition of making fun of each other.”

I completely agree with her analysis. The joke is an illustration of nationalism and the superiority of one nation over another. This is not uncommon, as we see similar examples within the United States pertaining to Mexican immigrants and also in Germany where the targeted group are the Turks. Examining these jokes provides the social constructions and political climates either currently or, as in the case of the aforementioned between Sweden and Norway, historically.

Hiccup Remedy

Nationality: American, German
Age: 24
Occupation: Mother
Residence: Cardiff by the Sea, California
Performance Date: 4/24/11
Primary Language: English

“If you scream “the Xena Warrior Princess cry” (AYAYAYAYA) at the top of your lungs, your hiccups will go away.”

The informant heard this piece of folk medicine from a friend who had heard it from other friends.  She says you perform this when you have the hiccups, and the hiccups will go away.  She did not know why in particular you have to yell or even why you yell “AYAYAYAYA” instead of some other phrase.  The informant believes that this folk medicine is extremely helpful in ceasing hiccups, and she performs it every time she has the hiccups.

I am not sure if I fully understand the reasoning behind screaming “AYAYAYAYA”.  There are several other wacky remedies people believe to get rid of hiccups like drinking water upside down or scaring the afflicted person.  Each remedy, including the one given by the informant, seems to cause an unorthodox way of breathing.  People use their own folk remedies to cure the hiccups.  I believe there are so many remedies for the hiccups because usually the hiccups are not cured through traditional medicine.

Southern Proverb

Nationality: Black
Age: 18
Occupation: student

Black

English

18, student

Atlanta, GA

23 April 2011

“If a child washes her hands, she can eat with kings”

Taylor chose this proverb because her grandmother used to tell it to her. To her it means that she needs to slow down, she finds herself constantly rushing into things. Her grandmother is Creole and used to say it when Taylor would bite into a candy without unwrapping it, run into the screen door, and any time she acted before thinking. Taylor likes the proverb because it reminds her to slow down and think before she tries something big.

This folk proverb teaches the lesson to wait to be patient and slow down. In the proverb the child is so rushed to eat with the adults that she forgot to wash her hands. Taylor told this proverb with a very authoritative tone as if she was preaching. Proverbs like these are all over the American south and exemplify proverbs that are intended to teach. Taylor learned this from her grandmother and it has been passed down for generations. The origins are unknown which makes it valuable folklore.

Annotation: This proverb can also be seen in several literary works including, Things Fall Apart. In which it means more that removing the past will bring about a better future.

Tim Perille

18

1027 W. 34th St. Los Angele CA