Monthly Archives: May 2026

Knocking on Wood Superstition

Context: The informant considers herself very supposition and aware of what others say. If her or her friends say something she is worried will happen, she and her friends must engage in this superstition.

Text:

A: “Ok, well I am a big believer of knocking on wood. To the point that I will make all of my friends anytime they say it, I will make them knock on wood.”

K: “Do you say it before you don’t want something bad to happen?”

A: “Yeah yeah yeah. So if they say something like ‘Oh this won’t happen” or ‘Hope that doesn’t happen’, I will literally look at them and say ‘Like find some wood’.”

K: “Like a tree or just wood?”

A: “Usually a tree”

Analysis:

This practice is a magical superstition and conversion ritual, where knocking on wood attempts to prevent future bad consequences. These small physical acts try to control for luck and uncertainty. Knocking on wood specifically connects to Frazer’s idea of sympathetic magic as contact with wood or a tree carries a sense of protection. The informant reinforces this behavior amongst her friends to create shared beliefs in smaller folk groups, highlighting the social and relational nature of folklore. This superstition demonstrates how belief is continually performed and situational, helping people manage uncertainty through everyday actions.

Huntington Beach Cult Legends

Context:

Two years ago, the informant went with her friends to Huntington Beach. When they took a walk on the beach, they noticed something washed up on the sand.

Text:

The informant and her friends noticed that there were dead birds with their heads cut off all along the beach. She cites seeing “at least thirteen dead bodies with their heads cut off” and the birds included doves, roosters, and pigeons. The informant asked the lifeguard on duty about the dead birds and the lifeguard noted that a local satanic cult practices at night. Additionally, the lifeguard admitted that he was not allowed to move or remove the heads since it is a state beach and the birds are presumed to have died naturally.

Analysis:

This account is a memorate, or personal experience narrative about a legendary event. The informant themselves was unsure of how much to believe the legend of satantic cults residing in Huntington, indicating how legends are presented as believable but their truth is ultimately debated. The involvement of the lifeguard adds vernacular authority to the story and reflects how legends help people make sense of disturbing events. As Lindahl examines in the cases of Hurricane Katrina legends, such narratives often act to process uncertainty and assign blame when events lack explanations. The story demonstrates how belief is fundamentally shaped by our interactions and stories that we tell.

Nicaraguan Saying – God Save Me from Innocent People

Age: 20

Context:

The informant’s family is from Nicaragua and has many culturally important sayings that are passed down from her grandmother and mother. In times of uncertainty or distress, they both tend to say the below in response to general circumstances.

Text:

A: “So the second saying – still from Nicaragua is : ‘Del agua manza libreme Dios que de la brava me cued yo’ and that basically means you’re asking God to save you from calm innocent looking people similar to the other one, because you stay away from turbulent waters. “

Analysis:

This saying is a form of verbal folklore that communicates cultural knowledge surrounding trust and deception. The contrast in the metaphor and symbolic imagery shows how calm appearances usually mask hidden dangers. The proverb circulated through the informant’s family, reflecting how proverbs can help to interpret difficult social situations in moments of uncertainty. The continued use of this phrase within the informant’s family reflects how diasporic communities hold onto culturally significant phrases as a way to make sense of unexplainable cultural phenomena and human behavior.

Nicaraguan Proverb – The Viper is Under the Stone

Age: 20

Context:

The informant’s family is from Nicaragua and often uses this proverbial phrase as a warning about the unseemly character of others. It is said to caution others in regards to friends or acquittances.

Text:

A: “Okay, so my grandma is from Nicaragua and so one of the sayings my mom will say to me sometimes it’s : ‘debajo de la piedra está la víbora. ‘ So, in English, it means the viper is under the stone.”

K: “The viper is under the stone?”

A: “Yeah, so that basically translates to for example somebody who seems nice on the outside or one way but behind the scenes they are not as nice as they seem and actually could be like manipulative or like rotten inside.

Analysis:

This Nicaraguan proverbial phrase is a part of verbal folklore and acts as a metaphor within the informant’s culture to warn against deceptive people. It follows the structure of proverbial phrases by commenting on the hidden character of manipulation, represented by the image of a viper. The passing down of the proverb shows how verbal folklore continues across generations to socialize and educate children. This metaphor highlights the role of folk belief in navigating personal relationship and uncertainty.

University of South Carolina Game Day Tradition: Burning Tiger

Context:

The informant attends the University of South Carolina, which has an intense football rivalry with Clemson University. This ritual is performed a week before the rivalry game each year.

Text:

Before the rivalry game between Clemson and the University of South Carolina, the students in the engineering school build a large tiger out of natural materials. The informant recalls that most recently they built this tiger out of wood. The tiger represents the mascot of Clemson University. The tiger is burned a week before the game occurs on the practice football field in front of all the students.

Analysis:

This ritual is a ritualesque performance that represents a sense of rivalry and shared group identities through the collective action of building and burning the tiger. This act connects to Jack Santino’s idea in “The Carnivalesque and the Ritualesque” that some events intend to create real effects (i.e. USC winning the rivalry game). Additionally, the construction and burning of the tiger reflects a form of homepathic magic that Frazer describes, where destroying a representation of Clemson’s mascot attempts to show superiority over them. This ritual helps reinforce both in-group and out-group boundaries by showing how folklore can strengthen group identity, while simultaneously sowing divisions within larger regional communities.