Author Archives: Anne Fitzgerald

Phone Call Premonition

Age: 59

Folklore: “I remember going on a trip once where I saw a man and a woman in Chicago. They were my ex-husband’s aunt and uncle. We had talked quite a bit and spent time with the whole family. When we flew home and walked in the door the phone was ringing. I immediately knew that Mike had died and he did, that was the call alerting us that Mike had died.”

I asked to clarify if she saw them in real life and she said,

“Yes, I had been visiting them in person and then when I flew home from Chicago and arrived home opened up the door and the phone was ringing as the door opened. I knew that Mike had died and that is indeed what that phone call was telling me. There was absolutely no reason to think that Mike had died because the entire visit was perfectly normal and it was a surprise death like a heart attack or something.”

Context: This story came from my mother who said she was 25 when this happened. She had just met her ex-husband’s aunt and uncle that week, and said she “knew” just as much as I knew that I was talking to her. 

Interpretation: This is a memorate, a personal supernatural experience, that reinforces beliefs about death and intuition. This story is similar to a larger folkloric pattern where individuals have gut feelings, especially surrounding and near the death of people close to them. Experiences like these add to the belief that interpersonal bonds transcend physical space and reflect the broader idea that people are more in tune with the spiritual world. 

Communication after Car Crash

Age: 59

Folklore: “One day, I was in a car crash and that was before cell phones. I had to let my person at home know that I had been in a car crash and that I wouldn’t be home but I was perfectly fine. I reached inside a very specific part of my brain and I was sending messages that I was in a car crash but I was perfectly fine. I was in a car crash but I’m perfectly fine. I arrived home probably about five or six hours later and the person said to me, ‘I know you were in a car crash, but I knew you were perfectly fine, so I didn’t worry.’”

Context: This story came from my mother who was 22 when this happened. She was coming back from a skiing trip in Washington State with a friend in an old Volkswagen bus and a drunk driver crashed into them. She tried to mentally send a message home because cell phones didn’t exist then. 

Interpretation: Telepathy appears across the world in many forms and still circulates today. Culturally, this reinforces a belief that emotionally close people can sense each other, especially in moments of crisis. It is similar to how we often view gut feelings and intuition as trustworthy knowledge. Here it was an intentional act that speaks to the folk belief in the power of the mind. 

Dream about Grandfather before Passing

Age: 59

Folklore: “Two nights before my grandfather died, I had a dream about him sitting on my bed and he was saying goodbye to me. It was a very real dream and he and I talked for a long time, although I don’t remember what about. He said that it was time for him to go. Two days later, my grandfather passed away. I got the message on my answering machine that he had died, but I already knew he was going to die because he and I had talked about it.”

Context: This story came from my mother, who experienced this when she was 21 years old in college. It felt real to her and her first dream where she was actually communicating with someone so it felt unfamiliar. She was in her dorm room and her grandfather was in Germany. 

Interpretation: This memorate reflects a common motif of the dead appearing to loved ones in dreams before or after their death. It feels more than just a coincidence because of the timing of the dream. It was both a supernatural experience where she connected with someone far away and personal closure as she was away from her grandfather. This is her own personal experience that validates a greater folk belief.

School Sports Chant

Nationality: American
Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: Claremont, CA
Language: English

Text: “Puck Fomona”

Context: A. told me about how people at Scripps College, Harvey Mudd College, and Claremont McKenna College say this at sports games. It’s to cheer against Pomona College. It switches the first letters of “Fuck Pomona” to “Puck Fomona.” They do this so they can express the rivalry without outright profanity. A. is a part of Scripps College.

Analysis: This phrase is a competitive sports chant that reinforces healthy rivalry between Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Pomona-Pitzer. It’s a unique phrase within the community as it is only used in games between the two teams, who are part of a larger school consortium of the five schools. Chanting this strengthens the CMS group identity and fosters school spirit. It lets students actively participate in traditions within the community.

Song for Sick Children

Nationality: American
Age: 58
Occupation: Retired
Residence: Seattle, WA
Language: German

German text: Armes häschen bist du krank, dass du nicht mehr huepfen kannst
English Translation: Poor bunny, you’re so sick that you can’t hop anymore

Context: This is a Swiss song that H.’s mother used to sing to her when she was sick. She still sings it today and it still comforts H. H. also sings it to her friends. She only sings one line of the song.

Analysis: This song holds personal significance for H., in that it serves as a comforting ritual. When she sings it to her friends, she continues this feeling of care and community. Hopping is a bunny’s fundamental movement, so the bunny’s loss of hopping in the song emphasizes that the bunny is sick. It suggests that this culture cares about their children and sees them as full of life. This song is a symbol of enduring love and connection.