Author Archives: Aaron Fotedar

Hospital Room

Nationality: Indian- American
Age: 63
Occupation: Physician
Residence: Las Vegas, Nevada
Language: English

Text: When I was a medical student training in Philadelphia, there was a specific room in the hospital that was never occupied with a patient. Even during the winter time, when the hospital filled up, I never once saw or attended a patient in this room. It was located at the end of the hallway I would typically make rounds in, and it was always well maintained and kept. I asked an attending what the deal with the room was, and he explained that he was also unaware of why patient’s were never placed in the room. Training at Hahnemann for such a long time, I began to feel a sense of nervousness when I walked past this room. I never found out what was wrong with it, if anything was, but the mystery around it- at least for myself- made me feel physically uncomfortable when in its proximity.

Context: Informant first became exposed to this room during his second year at Hahnemann Hospital. He was allowed to begin making rounds completely unaccompanied, and this independence made the lack of presence in the specific room very noticeable. Informant admits to never getting closure over what was wrong with the room, if anything was wrong, but does recognize that its mystery caused some degree of discomfort in his daily life. He, in a logical way, believes nothing was wrong with the room. He believes that he simply became overly- aware of its vacancy, which led him to ponder any potential mishap that could have occurred.

Analysis: This memorate is representatives of common themes in hospital folklore, particularly the mental toll of uncertainty and the fear of holding another’s life in your hands. For new healthcare workers, early clinical experiences carry a much larger emotional weight, as they tend to form the foundations of one’s career. In an already stressed filled setting, an unusually empty room becomes distinctly unexplainable. Though it is very possible nothing was wrong with this room, its vacancy was viewed as a mistake in the mind of someone who was fearful of encountering mistakes on their medical journey. For this reason, these memorates tend to be shared, individually, within the healthcare community.

Staircase Ghost

Nationality: Korean- American
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, California
Language: English

Text: When I lived in Missouri, my room was located in the basement. My bed was positioned opposite to my doorframe, which was right next to the staircase. If my door was open, which it often was, I could see most of the basement and the first few steps at the bottom of the staircase. On numerous occasions, mostly when waking up from naps, I would see a black figure quickly move up the stairs and out of sight. I was never motivated enough to pursue it, but I always ended up closing my door to avoid the perceived threat. When informing my parents about this, they would always act like they went to check the basement out, but I was aware they didn’t believe me. I, truthfully, didn’t know if what I was seeing was real or not.

Context: Informant was in elementary school during this time of her life. They recall the previous owners of the home being of older age, and correlate this with the potential ghost near the staircase. Informant was never terrified of the figure, as they were not certain it was real. However, they felt a close- relationship to its presence because of their parents lack of belief in her sightings. Informant believes that, whether the figure existed or not, the chance of its presence promoted her habit of closing her door.

Analysis: This memorate reflects the turbulent boundary of deciphering the known and unknown. The informant cannot be sure of the existence of the figure, but it is clear that the events described had a long term impact on the informant. Drawing a possible conclusion that the figure could have been a past resident of the home, we can see a perpetuation of the commonly held cultural ideas revolving around property ownership and death. This retelling highlights the ambiguity of memorates as legends. Their truthfulness is not essential to their ability to shape behavior. In many cases, proof of presence is not needed for significance.

Slender Man

Nationality: Korean- American
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, California
Language: English

Text: I watched a youtube video in the fourth grade, with some of my friends, that described the lore behind Slender Man. I didn’t really believe in his existence, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t afraid of the possibility of him being real. I used to live in a densely forested area, and walking back from my friend’s home at night, during the peak of the distribution of Slender Man information, I would always run to avoid any possible encounters with this entity. Its not even that I saw him, or a figure resembling it at all, I was just worried at the possibility. When the trend of talking about slender man died down, though, I found myself not being fearful.

Context: Informant first became exposed to the idea of Slender Man in the fourth grade. They describe that it was a sort of “trend” to be knowledgable or discuss the figure at school and amongst friends. The informant believes that The Slender Man’s ability to scare the younger populations is what lead to its prevalence in the community. Informant believes that The Slender Man legend had the ability to create unity within younger populations through a collective fear.

Analysis: I find the contemporary legend of Slender Man to be very critical to understanding the interaction between folklore and the internet. It is undeniable that the propagation of his lore was attributed to social media, and many agree that his origin point was the web. Though he originated on a digital platform, he quickly took on the qualities of traditional folklore. He began to spread by means of oral tradition, and his stable presence proves that, even with technology, folklore continues to prosper.

A Ghostly Warning

Nationality: Iranian- American
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, California
Language: English

Text: I was sleeping on my mom’s bed with my older brother. I woke up to the sound of a creaking door and looked through the doorframe to see the figure of tall woman. She had the most wrinkly skin I had ever seen, and a distinctively red lipstick. She was looking directly at me, but her hand was pointing elsewhere. I followed it to my brothers sleeping body, and when I looked back to where she was standing she had disappeared.

Context: Informant was in elementary school when this event occurred. Informant’s parents had recently divorced, and this was the reason him and his brother were sleeping in the same bed as their mother. Following this event, the informant was worried for the safety of their brother. They believed the figure was warning him of something bad to come. Informant is now indifferent to the situation, as the brother is well, but still remembers the event vividly. They now believe the experience was likely fueled by emotions relating to their parent’s crumbling relationship.

Analysis: This memorate follows a typical structure in which the informant interprets a ghostly figure as a messenger. What makes this account particularly significant is the way it demonstrates how supernatural experiences are shaped not only by what is perceived, but also by the emotional state of the individual experiencing them. At the time, the informant was dealing with the emotional impact of his parents’ divorce, which may have heightened his sensitivity to perceived threats or signs. It’s possible that the figure pointing at his brother was not just an insignificant gesture, but a projection of the informant’s deeper fear of losing his sibling relationship. Without the emotional strain of that situation, the event may not have been interpreted, or even remembered, in the same way. I find this especially compelling because I have a similar memorate tied to my parents’ divorce, which leads me to believe that memorates can be shaped not only by cultural tradition, but also by shared emotional experiences. In this sense, supernatural encounters can become deeply personal expressions during times of internal trouble.

Myth of Rantas

Nationality: Indian- American
Age: 63
Occupation: Physician
Residence: Las Vegas, Nevada
Language: English

Text: Rantas was described to me as a creature with a woman-like stature. She had long and messy black hair, sharp teeth, and mutilated feet. She only existed in the midst of snowstorms, and in times of enjoyable weather she lived deep within the Pir Panjal mountain range. During these snowstorms she would come out and walk through our village. She would knock on the wooden doors of homes to trick children to come out. She would take these children and eat them.

Context: Informant describes first hearing this story when he started traveling to school on his own. Informant recalls his grandmother, on his mother’s side, being the first to tell him of Rantas. At the time he believed she was trying to scare him, but he realizes now that this myth was used to ensure his safety. Informant describes the severity of snowstorms in Kashmir, and how he had lost many childhood friends directly from the storm or from illnesses derived from the conditions. Because he was told this myth, he was never curious of these dangerous conditions.

Analysis: Hearing this myth, which serves to protect the growing generation, I found it very interesting that this common goal of folklore exists across the world, even in such a small region of India. Myth is often used as a protective tool, particularly for children, in dangerous situations. As an alternative to the blunt description of the harsh conditions of Kashmir’s winter storms, elders of the informants family chose to personify potential dangers in a way that would truly terrify any child. In doing so, they were able to pass down survival strategies and expected behaviors to the younger generation. This narrative was also insightful in the way that it encourages me to think back on potential falsehoods that may have been relayed to ensure my safety.