Monthly Archives: April 2018

“So, It’s like you’ve grown wings, oshe” (a Nigerian Saying)

Nationality: Nigerian
Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: Abuja, Nigeria.
Performance Date: 4/22/18
Primary Language: English
Language: N/A

Michael Iluma, a senior studying International Relations and Acting at the University of Southern California, who hails from Abuja, Nigeria, provided two pieces of folklore for this collection.

The interview was run, within his bedroom, on West 30th Street in the outskirts of the University of Southern California campus.

Folk Performance: “So, It’s like you’ve grown wings, oshe” (a Nigerian Saying)

Folk Type: Folk-Speech.

“What about Nigerian parents, man they’re always saying the wildest things.” – Stanley Kalu

STORY: truuueeee. So, like, another thing too, is like when you’re at home and let’s say that you’re not being very—I guess whether you’ve been misbehaving at home and your mom or your dad will be like “Oh, so it’s like you’ve grown wings, oshe” which is like “oh, you think you can fly” or you’re like above what they’re trying to tell you or ask you to do. And then, like, what they end up saying is “ohhh, we’ll chop those wings.” Which is like, we’re gonna bring you down to our level which is a way of reminding you that they are your parents.

Background Information: The statement historically refers to poultry. Historically, Nigeria is an agrarian nation and, as such, many common sayings refer back to farming. Often times, a growing chicken will flap their wings and become aggressive. To counteract this, Nigerians will often clip the wings of their chickens.

Michael enjoys this statement because, as apart of the Nigerian Diaspora, he is currently displaced. The reenactment of statements of this sort remind him of home and provide an initial common, vernacular ground between himself and other members of the Nigerian Diaspora.

Context of performance: Michael performed this act, as many Nigerian children do, in an accent-heavy impression of his father. The Father, in Nigerian culture, is often the disciplinarian.

Thoughts: Nigeria, like most places around the world, is a culture that not only accepts, but also actively encourages beating children as a form of disciplinary action. My initial thought, despite the Abrahamic religious link that legitimizes such an action, is whether this attitude is derived from an agrarian perspective. If you beat an animal and it behaves, or in the case of poultry cut off it’s wings, then perhaps it’ll be the same for children.

 

 

 

 

My Grandma came back to sing

Nationality: Jewish
Age: 48
Performance Date: April 17, 2018
Primary Language: English

“So, my grandma was an opera singer. She had the most stunning voice I had ever heard so when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, she was more upset about losing the ability to sing then losing her memory of anything else. My sister and I absolutely loved when Grandma sang to us. I was eight years old when she died and her funeral was the first one I ever attended and I remember it really clearly.”

“At this point in time, my sister and I shared a room with two twin beds. The night after the funeral, I laid awake in bed for a while unable to sleep because I was sad. I turned over to my side and I started to hear the voice of my Grandma singing in my home. I was so terrified and upset because I knew no one would believe me. I remember thinking that I was crazy and never told a soul.”

“Years later as an adult, I was talking to my sister Lisa, who lied in the bed next to me the night after the funeral. It was out of the blue, but Lisa told me that she heard Grandma singing in our house that night. I quickly told her ‘I HEARD IT!’ It was crazy because we both corroborated the same story as adults. Lisa and I think that after Grandma was relieved of her pain from the disease her spirit came back home to sing for us.”

 

My interpretation of the story:

 

As it is said by the story teller, she and her sister had a very tight relationship with their Grandma. It can also be determined that both of them had associated her with song specifically and noted how hard it was for her to not be able to sing anymore. With emotions, it becomes evident that the mind can stray and make up things it believes to be true, or wants to be true. To me, this seems like a case of just that. Because this time for them was highly emotional due to the loss of their beloved Grandma, it is completely possible that the mind is playing tricks on both of them, rather than the Grandma being relieved from her pain and coming back to entertain her grandchildren. On the other hand, the children and the Grandmother do have familial ties in addition to emotional ties, so that does offer support to the idea that the Grandma had returned from the afterlife. With such strong bonds and connections and the presence of a lot of the Grandmothers stuff could “give entry” to the grandma back into the world as a ghost or a spirit. Personally, though, I believe that with such high levels of emotion in the situation, it is more possible that both sisters had mental lapses.

The Gray Man (A Ghost Story).

Nationality: American
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Charleston, South Carolina.
Performance Date: 4/10/18
Primary Language: English
Language: N/A

Owen Lord, a sophomore studying anthropology at the University of Southern California, who hails from Charleston, South Carolina, provided two pieces of folklore for this collection.

The interview was run, amidst dinner and drinks, at the University of Southern California located Greenleaf, a popular post-class bar for many students at the prestigious institution.

Folk Type: Legend.

“Tell me a scary story Owen, I want chills!” – Stanley Kalu

STORY: um, when it was thundering outside my grandma would tell us that the Gray Man was rattling his chains. The Gray Man was this kind of ghostly figure that haunted the beaches in South Carolina. I assume she told us that because she didn’t want us to go outside but it didn’t really seem like that was why. She seemed to just love getting us scared.

Background Information: The Gray Man, according to legend, is a ghost situated on Pawleys Island, South Carolina that appears before storms and hurricanes. The first recorded sighting of the ghost was in 1822, which predates the towns’ official formation. The Gray Man is said to be the ghost of a man on his way to visit his fiancée. He was then caught in a terrible storm and died. He now roams the beach, searching for his lost lover.

Context of Performance: As Owen mentioned, his grandmother would tell the story of the Gray Man in part to keep her grandchildren safe and indoors and, in part, for her own entertainment.

The context of Owen’s rehashing of the tale was done after our “Forms of Folklore” class taught by Tok Thompson because the both of us had a folklore collection project due.

Thoughts: I find it interesting that the ghost story tradition often uses heartbreak/lost love archetype to describe the un-dead. I suppose it reflects our societies obsession with love and, perhaps more so, the lack of it. Is a life without a partner akin to death? I’m also interested in The Gray Man’s practical function of appearing before storm. This seems to invert the tradition of a ghost being a haunting, menacing nuisance and turns it into something that actually serves the community.

The painting in the living room

Nationality: Jewish
Age: 52
Performance Date: April 15, 2018
Primary Language: English

“Whenever someone asks if I believe in ghosts, I instantly shout ‘YES’ because one time I had the most bizarre experience that convinced me that there are, in fact, spirits existing amongst the living. Most of my friends think I am crazy and hardly believe this story but I am going to tell it to you anyways.”

“So when I was 15, my family moved in to a new, smaller home on a creepy street in New Jersey. My dad lost his job so we had to downsize big time. The house gave off a haunted vibe but I swallowed my pride and acted content with our new place. The previous owners had cleared their things from the house but decided to leave a single painting hanging above the fireplace. Of course this painting was an outdated portrait of an old couple; both the woman and man depicted in the painting looked pretty creepy and somber. My brother and I were not fans of the portrait and demanded that our parents find a replacement for it. They laughed at us because we were so freaked out by it but they agreed.”

“Before they even had the chance to take down the painting, I experienced some really freaky paranormal activity in my new home and I am convinced that painting has everything to do with it. I had just gotten a new phone so my little brother begged me to play with it before he went to sleep. I handed him my phone and went in my room to watch some Netflix. In the middle of the night, around 4 AM, I realized that my brother still had my phone so I went in his room to grab it. I was shocked to see that neither my brother or my phone were in my room, so I walked in to the living room.”

“My brother, who almost always sleeps through the night in his own bed, was sprawled out on the floor in the living room sleeping right under the painting. I picked up my phone, woke up my brother, and put him back in to his own bed. When I got in to my own bed to go to sleep, I decided to check out my phone and see if my brother had done any damage. When I opened up my photos, there were about fifteen new photos on the camera roll. They were photos of my brother sleeping, above the painting, with the shadow of an old woman in the corner, taking the photo. I jumped up, went in to my parents room, and asked them if they had taken the photos. ‘Honey, no. I’ve been asleep since 11! You must have done it in your sleep’ my mom told me. I know for a fact that I did not do this in my sleep. I’ve never slept walked in my life and I am also a light sleeper! My parents took the painting down shortly after but the event was so weird that I looked in to it further. Turns out that the painting was 100 years old and depicted the faces of two serial killers. Try telling me that’s not a coincidence!!!”

 

My Interpretation of the story:
I have heard many ghost stories throughout my life and this one seems to be the most fascinating to me. There are many aspects to a ghost story that can help support the idea that it is true. In this story, there is photo evidence of a shadow that is thought of to be the ghost. In many myths and tales, ghosts are thought to be invisible to the naked eye, but sometimes can generate shadows. This story seems like a classic case of a shadow ghost. In addition, all other events leading up to the photos support the idea that there was actually a ghost haunting this house. The house contains many aspects of something that could be haunted. It was originally owned by someone else, therefor it has a history beyond this specific family. The fact that the painting depicts serial killers from over 100 years ago enforces the mystery of this story and gives it some sense of truth, noting that it could be possible that this painting is the link between the weird stuff that had been happening in the house.

Frog Went A-Courtin (English Language Folk Song.)

Nationality: American
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Charleston, South Carolina.
Performance Date: 4/10/18
Primary Language: English
Language: N/A

Owen Lord, a sophomore studying anthropology at the University of Southern California, who hails from Charleston, South Carolina, provided two pieces of folklore for this collection.

The interview was run, amidst dinner and drinks, at the University of Southern California located Greenleaf, a popular post-class bar for many students at the prestigious institution.

Folk Type: Folk Music.

“Tell about your childhood in North Carolina, were there any stories, songs, or proverbs that your parents would tell you growing up?” – Stanley Kalu

STORY: Hmm, lemme think, lemme think. Um…, wait okay so when I was a young lad, my mom used to bounce me on her knee and sing “froggie went a courtin’ and he did ride, he did ride.” I don’t really remember the rest but she would always sing that and I remember my first baby-sitter, um, wouldn’t do it and I was mad but I also understood. It’s kinda really awkward to bounce another person’s child on your lap. I remember being very conflicted.

Background Information: Owen, as aforementioned in the story section, learned this folk-song from his mother. The attachment he has to it is a nostalgic one, deriving from a place of comfort between he and his mother. The song was learned in Charleston, South Carolina.

The song itself, first appeared in Wedderburn’s Complaynt of Scotland (1548) under the name “The Frog cam to the Myl dur.” The earliest musical version of the tune is said to be in Thomas Ravenscroft’s Melismata  (1611).

It is noted that the original version of the song referred to Francois, Duke of Anjou attempts to woo Elizabeth I of England. This would make some historical sense, due to the fact that Elizabeth nicknamed Anjou, her favorite suitor, “the frog.”

Context of Performance: Owen’s Mother would perform the song in order to get him to sleep. This recontextualizes the song, at least in this instance, into a lullaby.

The context of Owen’s rehashing of the tale was done after our “Forms of Folklore” class taught by Tok Thompson because the both of us had a folklore collection project due.

Thoughts: I’m particularly interested in the way folklore changes over time. the original version of the song was, in a sense, political satire about an over eager lover. The irony of said song being sung to child is both hilarious and baffling. It also forces me to reflect upon angry rap songs about Donald Trump. Once they lose their political context, will they be sung to toddlers?