Author Archives: corcuera

The Gentle Giant

Nationality: Spanish

Primary Language: Spanish/English

Age: 25

Occupation: Student

Residence: Madrid

Date: 3/28/2024

Text: 

The Basajaun is a large, hairy human-like creature that we believe as Basques. He is believed to be a gentle giant, guardian of the woods, that helped our ancestors with agriculture and helped keep livestock alive. One of our mythological creatures that is believed to be the friend of Baque Shepherds. 

Context:

The participant has known this mythological creature for as long as he can remember and explains its origin from his hometown, Basque Country. He believes his parents first told him about it as they explained there were other entities that helped their agriculture. 

Analysis:

This mythological creature reminds me of the agriculturally used mannequin, scarecrow, as they most scare away predators from eating entering their agricultural lands. Although the Basajaun is more human-like and is able to communicate with the farmers. This myth relates more to the Basque country’s history though and their first homo-sapien ancestors, as they possibly encountered another civilization that taught them the intricacies of agriculture. 

Please Rain

Text:

Que llueva, que llueva

La Virgen de la Cueva

Los pajaritos cantan, 

Las nubes se levantan. 

¡Que sí, que no,

que caiga un chaparrón!

Context:

The participant has known this saying/song since he was a young boy. Growing up in a small town in Spain, he recounts how almost everyone in his town, including his own family, has livestock and/or fields of land where they produce their own agriculture. During dry seasons, he explains that this was sung in efforts to induce rain to come and water their crops. 

Analysis:

This saying is somewhat similar to a prayer and is used as one in a sense. Usually young kids are told to call out to the Patron Saint, in hopes to promote rain that will allow the birds to sing, for the clouds to rise, and for the rain to fall. I am also part Spanish, and remember also being taught this saying in order to command rain from Mother nature. Looking back I was convinced as a child that the saying worked, as it had succeeded a few times with a light drizzle following. I now realize that it was more of a juvenile​ trick to promote optimism in my prayers, as my elders would tell me to sing it during times when they knew chances of rain were high. This saying helps instill the relation between children and beliefs in their religion, prayers, and saints.

Layers to Quilts

Text: 

K.A.- “Something that comes to mind as a folk object is Quilts.”

Me- “How are they of significance to you?”

K.A.- “My grandmother has a collection of them and it has a big significance in African American culture.”

Me- “Could you explain its significance to your community a bit further?”

K.A.- “They have a practical purpose but also are symbolic and were used for storytelling. Historically, and why they carry significance for us, is because they used to contain codes and routes of the Underground Railroads that helped our enslaved ancestors escape.”

Context:

The participant first saw her grandma’s collection a few years ago during Easter. Her grandma was a collector of quilts, with a range of very intricate pieces. Some had very artistic figures and imagery and hold history of African American culture, of the past and present. The participant explains that the showing of her grandma’s collection was a very heartfelt and sentimental moment.

Analysis: 

Before interviewing the participant I wouldn’t have known that quilts have a deeper story for African American culture. For the most part it appears to be a practical object, somewhat similar to a blanket that keeps warmth, but it has a lot more depth. A strategy that was used in the past to help African Americans to escape and regain their freedom. In a more metaphorical sense the quilt has a lot of layers; in its composition, in its history, and its cultural significance.

Black is Sweet

Text: “The Blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice.”

Context: The participant recounts that this proverb has been told to her from a very young age. She remembers the first time she heard it was at a family gathering and she asked for an explanation. Her aunt explained to her that it was a saying that recognizes black beauty and contradicts the negative stereotypes that are put forth onto the Black community. She specifies how it can be used to also counter negative stereotypes within the Black community, relating to colorism.

Analysis: This proverb helps uplift and promote a positive self-image within the Black community. As they have been prosecuted and deemed as inferior by many people due to the complexion of their skin. Elaborating on the participants’ mention of how it also relates to colorism within the community, that tends to favor people with a lighter skin tone, this proverb sheds light that black is beautiful. While also recognizing that people of darker complexion should be prideful of their skin tone. Although this proverb is used within black communities, the plague of colorism and prejudice is also relevant in other POC communities.

The Land that Howls

Nationality: Ethiopian/Italian

Primary Language: English

Age: 21

Occupation: Student

Residence: Los Angeles

Date: 2/20/2024


Text:

“In Eritrea, there is a town named Nefasit, meaning the village of the wind nested in the mountain highlands. Because of its high elevation, the wind frequently picks up and due to the shape of the surrounding mountains will make a lot of loud sounds. They say that the sound comes from our ancestors reaching out to us, and that the tone of the sounds lets us know of their intention. 

When the wind howls, it is them warning us to stay vigilant as danger nears. And sometimes when the wind hits the mountains the right way it vibrates everything with a humming that sounds like music. This means that the ancestors are pleased with our decisions and that good fortune is upon us, usually in the form of a woman blessed with a child or a fruitful new season.”

Context: He recounts the story behind a region in his motherland Eritrea. This is a known story that he heard growing up through his family. He explained also how important nature is in the country of Eritrea and how they are very in tune with the land around them. Therefore they listen and take in signs that mother nature is trying to show them and use it as a vice to predict the future. 

Analysis: It was really charming learning how a piece of folklore was so interconnected to mother nature. A distinguished tie to nature is rare from my own community, so hearing another community’s strong acknowledgement to nature and how that ties into their traditions is very insightful. My interpretation of the story is that the people of that region are very in tune with their surroundings and have gone through centuries of receiving signs from their environment that indicate fortune or misfortune.