Author Archives: Elan Bialobos

Jumping Fire: Persian New Year

Nationality: American/Iranian
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Calabasas, California
Primary Language: English

The Folklore:

K: Would you like me to tell you about a Persian New Year tradition?

E: Yes, please do.

K: Every Persian New Year everyone  jumps over a burning fire. A contained fire of course.

E: Does everyone participate?

K: Older people and young children don’t. But those who aren’t sick and are able bodied all do it.

E: That is so interesting. Do you know where this tradition originated?

K: Early Persians practiced Zoroastrianism, one of the world’s oldest belief systems, and they viewed fire as extremely holy. They began to hop the fire as a cleanse. The fire would wash away all bad luck, evil eyes, and sicknesses by leaving them in the year that was ending.

E: When did you first hear about this tradition?

K: My fathers first told me about this tradition during Persian new year when I was very young. Ever since then I’ve participated every year.

E: What does it mean to you? What sort of value does it hold with you?

A: It means a lot because it’s the main event during Persian New Year’s. This is one of the largest family celebrations of year where extended family and nuclear family are all together. Everyone experiences this together by leaving our non-positive energy in the past.

Context:

My informant is a long time friend of mine who is from Dominican and Iranian descent. Every year I’ve known him I’ve seen the annual videos of him and his family members jumping over the fire without having inquired. I reached out to him over the phone and this was what he told me.

Analysis:

Although strange I see this practice as deeply as symbolic. Zoroastrianism was one of the first belief systems and the fact that God has for us conceived so long ago are still prevalent today reflects how truly special it is as both for the Apple ones on sale to leave behind’s transgressions from the past year as well as enter the new year with family.

 

Chatsworth Trainwreck Haunting

Nationality: Greek/American
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: USC
Primary Language: English
Language: Greek

The Folklore:

E: Are there any strange ghost related phenomenons in the valley?

C: Yes, there is a popular belief that after the Chatsworth train wreck, the railroad has been haunted by the ghosts of the people killed in the wreck.

E: What event triggered this urban legend?

C: In 2008, a train derailed and crashed in Chatsworth, California which is located in the San Fernando Valley. 25 people lost their lives in the train crash.

E: What supposedly happens at this train crash site?

C: It is told that if you park your car on a certain part of the train tracks, handprints will begin to appear on all of your car windows. After that occurs, a force begins to push your car off the train tracks. It is said that the handprints that appear on the car are the people that died in the train wreck, and since they don’t want you to also die in a train wreck they push your car off the train tracks.

E: Where did you learn about this urban legend?

C: I learned about this legend about a year after the train accident and my friend from home had actually experienced this phenomenon. This conspiracy is actually very popular and have heard discussion about this phenomenon numerous times from many different people.

E: Have you ever experienced this phenomenon?

C: No, I have never personally experienced this phenomenon, but I have had friends that have experienced this phenomenon.

Context:

This conversation was held in a very casual setting. My friend and I conversed about ghost stories in our surrounding neighborhood. He told me this story as well as another. The train track ghost legend stems from a rumor very close to my informant’s home.

Analysis:

The tragic incident created a story that the community would react to. This story makes people visit the site of the tragedy and it also serves as a means to warn people, don’t park on train tracks. Having lived in the same area for several years, there’s many places in the valley that are supposedly haunted. These stories are used to warn people of dangers but also draw attention to areas where unfortunate events have occurred.

Tuberculosis in Swedish Nursery Rhymes

The Folklore:

I en sal på Lasarettet

I en sal på lasarettet

där de vita sängar står

låg en liten bröstsjuk flicka

blek och tärd med lockigt hår.

Allas hjärtan vann den lilla
där hon låg så mild och god.
Bar sin smärta utan klagan
med ett barnsligt tålamod.

Så en dag hon frågar läkarn,
som vid hennes sida stod:
Får jag komma hem till påsken
till min egen lilla mor?

Läkarn svarar då den lilla:
Nej mitt barn, det får du ej,
men till pingsten kan det hända
du får komma hem till mor.

Pingsten kom med gröna björkar
blomsterklädd står mark och äng,
men den lilla sjuka flickan
låg där ständigt i sin säng.

Så på nytt hon frågar läkarn
som vid hennes sida står:
Får jag komma hem till hösten
till min egen lilla mor?

Läkarn svarar ej den lilla,
men strök sakta hennes hår,
och med tårar i sitt öga
vänder han sig om och går.

Nu hon slumrar uti mullen
slumrar sött i snövit skrud.
Från sin tåligt burna längtan
har hon farit upp till Gud.

In a Ward at the Hospital

In a ward at the hospital
where the white beds stand
lay a small consumptive girl
pale and haggard with curly hair.

Everyone’s hearts the small one won
where she lay, so mild and virtuous.
She bore the pain without lament,
with a naive patience.

Then one day she asked the doctor
standing at her side:
Can I come home for Easter
to my own dear mama?

The doctor answered the small one:
No, my child, you can not,
but for Pentecost it may be
that you could come home to mother.

Pentecost came with green birches
with field and meadow in floral dress,
but the little sickly girl
still lay there in her bed.

So again she asked the doctor
standing at her side:
Can I come home in the fall
to my own dear mama?

The doctor answered not the small one,
but slowly caressed her hair.
And with tears in his eye
he turned around and walked away.

Now she’s slumbering under the loam,
slumbering sweetly in snow-white raiments.
From her patiently borne longing
she has fled up to God.

E: Where did you first hear this?

P: My mother sang it to me when I was really young.

E: Where did she learn it from?

P: She learned it from her mother and her mother alike. Also, despite our age differences my mom also sang it to my older siblings.

E: Do you know any history into its conception?

P: In the 1800’s TB was a major problem across Europe and a large amount of people were impacted by the deaths that occurred. Since this disease was such central aspect of peoples’ lives, it was reflected in the literature of the time.

E: What does this rhyme mean to you?

P: Initially it was just a song to me and I did not understand the meaning behind the lyrics. However, when I got older my mom brought the song to me and I understood the real context of it. This made me realize how dark of an outlook on life people had during this time period.

Context:

My informant was born in Sweden and raised in the United States. His entire family prior was from Sweden. He’s never brought up stories from his culture and was ecstatic when I asked him to participate. We sat in a very casual setting.

Analysis:

I’ve never heard a Nursery Rhyme be as overtly somber, but it does remind me of Ring Around the Rosies. Both are about terrible illnesses and reactions to them. As I further conversed with my informant I found out for the nearly half the year it’s dark around 18 hours a day. This creates a darker atmosphere and allows for the creation of more dark works.

La Llorona: A Hispanic Woman in White Tale

Nationality: American/Mexican
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: USC
Primary Language: English
Language: Mexican

The Folklore:

E: What is the story that you wanted to tell me about?

A: What I’m about to tell you is the story of how a popular ghost phenomenon came to be.  So there was once this woman who had gotten so distraught at her husband’s infidelity that she drowned her children. Realizing what she had done, she began to be consumed by regret. Eventually the woman took her own life in the same manner in which she took her children’s.

E: There are a plethora of woman in white ghost stories worldwide, are there any qualities specific to La Llorona?

A: This is a woman in a white who hunts children. Children as seen as having a more keen sense for the supernatural. Also, if she’s got you as her target and you hear her sound far away that means she’s close. The same is applicable in the reversed case.

E: Typically in what context does the story get brought up?

A: Usually it’s brought up by children and family events or just in any social situation.

E: How did you first hear about this?

A: My cousins were actually the first people to tell me about this woman in white. Two of my cousins said as they were driving down a dark road one night when they were children out of the window they saw a woman very vividly, she was in a white dress standing on the side of the road. They asked their parents if they saw what the children had seen but they said that no idea what the children were even talking about.

Context:

This is the transcribed conversation I had with a friend of mine as we shared ghost stories from our cultures. My friend is of Latino origin. He grew up in Texas and was still very close to Mexican culture. 

Analysis:

This is an interesting twist on the woman in white story. Though her origin story has been seen before I don’t think I’ve heard of an instance in which the woman only hunted children. In addition I think the auditory component to the story adds symbolic meaning in the sense that danger can be anywhere. It’s a precautionary tale to instill within kids that yeah going out at night alone is maybe not the best idea.

 

Hats on a Bed…Bad Luck

Nationality: French/American
Age: 57
Occupation: Writer
Residence: Los Angeles
Primary Language: French
Language: English, Spanish, Italian, German

The Folklore:

E: What peculiar superstitions do you follow?

L: I never put a hat on a bed.

E: Why is that?

L: It’s believed that if someone puts their hat on their bed they are too ill or injured to set it down where it needs to be.

E: What happens if you do set a hat on a bed?

L: You get all sorts of bad luck.

E: Is it all headwear or just hats?

L: Glasses are fine. But I stray from putting beanies or anything else of the sort.

E: Where did you hear this from?

L: I heard it from my father when I was a little girl.

E: What does it mean to you?

L: It makes me a bit less lazy. I have to remind myself to place my hat where it needs to be or else I receive supernatural consequences.

Context:

This is a family member of mine from France. I was taught this superstition at a very young age and it came to mind when beginning my research. I called said family member and transcribed our phone call.

Analysis:

This sort of story works well to deter laziness. I feel as though all superstitions hold some sort of deeper meaning or lesson. I wonder circa what year this came from and by proxy the circumstances that created it. I think it is interesting to people who follow superstitions for fear of sway in their faith. I personally heard this superstition when I was younger and have since always practiced it. I won’t even let friends put their hats on beds.