Author Archives: Hope Riley

Haunted House in New Orleans

Text:

Interviewee: “My mom has a friend who lives in, supposedly, a haunted house in New Orleans, and her grandmother had just died when she was taking a shower, and you know, in the shower, like, when the mist gets fogged up, and you can write stuff? She wrote something like, “I am here.”

“This is your mom’s friend who has a house in New Orleans?”

Interviewee: “Yes. Her mom had just passed. “

“Was she scared?”

Interviewee: “Yeah, she said she jumped out of the shower and ran out of the house.”

“Why would her mom do that?”

Interviewee: “I don’t know.”

Context:

This story comes from a friend’s account of a family friend who lives in a haunted home in New Orleans, a city known for its strong cultural associations with ghosts and the supernatural. The experience is tied to a moment of recent loss, with the woman’s mother having just passed away, which may influence how the event is interpreted. The setting of a “haunted house” adds to the way the experience is understood.

Analysis:

This is an example of a legend within belief-based folklore, especially tied to ghost stories and supernatural experiences. The message “I am here” suggests a spirit communicating through physical means, reflecting a magical superstition in which the spirit world can interact with the physical world.

The Haunted New Sheridan Hotel (Telluride, Colorado)

Text:

“What is the New Sheridan?”

Interviewee: “It’s a hotel and bar.”

“Why is The New Sheridan Hotel considered haunted?”

Interviewee: “Why? Because Telluride used to be an old mining town, and the miners would work in a small town called Tomboy up above Telluride. They would come down to the new Sheridan and get drinks and, like, get with prostitutes, and there would be fights. Like, people would die and stuff.

“Why would they die?’

Interviewee: “I mean, it was just, like, an old Western town. Like, there were no laws, people would just shoot each other. Like, if you lost a poker game and couldn’t pay your money, you would just be killed.”

“So, the ghosts who died are apparently the ghosts of people who would kill for, like getting with the prostitutes or losing poker?”

Interviewee: “Yeah, and also just, like, minors who died. Like, I think their ghosts supposedly hang out at the New Sheridan, because that’s where all the minors hung out.

Context:

The interviewee lives and grew up in Telluride, CO.

The New Sheridan Hotel is a historic hotel in Telluride, an old mining town. The interviewee explains that the hotel is considered haunted because of its history during the mining era, when miners traveled from nearby towns like Tomboy to socialize, gamble, and visit prostitutes. Violence, accidental deaths, and shootings were common in this lawless period, which contributed to the hotel’s reputation as a haunted site.

Analysis:

This is an example of a legend tied to historical events. The tales of miners dying from gambling disputes, fights, or other misadventures function as a way to connect visitors to the town’s dangerous and lawless past.

The ghosts’ presence is tied specifically to the New Sheridan Hotel, where the miners congregated. The narrative blends real historical practices (gambling, prostitution, and violence) with supernatural belief, showing how folklore can preserve memory and transform past events into entertaining ghost stories.

Golden Cicadas and Good Luck

“So basically, there were cicadas, especially, like, golden cicadas.

In Chinese culture they are, like, a symbol of good luck, because cicadas, I think are silent for, like, 100 years, or something crazy.

Like, they’re silent for their entire life basically, but then during one, one specific year, they’ll chirp, but it’ll be really loud.

So it’s kind of, like, you’re biding your time, but then, when it’s your time, you can, flourish. That is the kind of vibe.

And so, I’m not sure if this is just something that, like, my parents do, but they always, like, have these little cicada statues, and they are golden.

And I have everything at college, and basically, anytime I have, like, a big test or, like, big, important, decisions or, like, things that I’m, like, waiting for, I’ll just, like, rub the top of its head for good luck.

So I remember when it was college decision time. During that time, we would, me and my sister both, like, sit with it in our lap, basically. But, yeah, we basically just rubbed its head for good luck, and, like, before I take a test, I always do that as well.

I just think that the cicadas represent good luck and, like, prosperity. I think rubbing the statue is just something that’s kind of like a physical thing that you can do to make yourself feel better.

Um, so, yeah. I don’t know if that’s like a real thing, though. She’s something that, like, we’ve always done.”

Context: The informant is a Chinese-Vietnamese-American female USC student whose mother is Buddhist. Although she grew up in the U.S., her family maintains cultural traditions, including keeping small golden cicada statues that symbolize luck and prosperity. Now she has brought a golden cicada to college to continue the tradition.

Analysis: This is an example of folk belief combined with a personal ritual and material culture. The cicada statue itself is a physical object that carries symbolic meaning, representing patience and eventual success in Chinese tradition. The act of rubbing the statue becomes a small, repeated behavior for good luck. Even though she’s unsure if it’s a formal tradition, it still holds meaning for her, showing how folklore can be adapted and maintained across generations.

Sedona, Arizona “Vortex’s”

Text:

Informant : “So in Arizona theres this place called Sedona, and its wehre like, the Red Rock Mountains are. Its like near Flagstaff.

And growing up, my parents got married there, so we went there, like, a lot. And there was, like, there’s, like, this ledge and this story that there are vortexes in Sedona.

And I never understood what there are, but you can literally buy a map where it’s, like, the vortexes and Sedona, and I never understood what it was. I thought it was, like, people were teleporting from different places, but apparently, it was, like, people believe it’s, like, these energy of the Earth, like, are concentrated there, and you could have, like, spiritual awakenings or just, like, healing. So a lot of people go there to meditate or stuff.

And there’s, like, a lot of indigenous population stuff that went on there.

And I do know when I was there, like, you can see water lines of when it was underwater, like, millions of years ago. So it is, like, very magical feeling when you’re there, but that’s just, like, because it looks so upworldly.

But, like, one of the main sites is called, like, Bell Rock, and it’s one of these you can hike. I’ve hiked it before, and it was really fun. And maybe I felt, like, inspired and invigorated, but I don’t know. But apparently, that’s what it is, like, before Texas and Sedona.”

Context: The informant is an Italian American USC student whose parents were married in Sedona, so she’s visited many times. She’s familiar with local ideas about “vortexes” and has seen things like maps marking these sites, and has hiked places like Bell Rock. Her understanding comes more from tourism and repeated visits than from cultural knowledge.

Analysis: This is a folk belief about certain places having spiritual energy. In Sedona, people believe vortexes can bring healing or inspiration, which is why visitors go there to meditate. Even though she’s not fully sure what they are, the landscape itself feels “magical,” which helps reinforce the belief. It shows how environment, tourism, and word-of-mouth all work together to keep these ideas going and evolving.

“Targeé” aka Target

Text:

Interviewee: “My mom calls Target ‘Targeé,’ usually when she’s super excited to go to Targeé.”

Interviewer: “My mom says that too! Does anyone else in your family say it?”

Interviewee: “No, just my mom. I think it’s a middle-aged woman thing.”

Context:

This came up in a folklore class discussion about minor folk speech and family language. The interviewer noted that both their mom and the interviewee’s mom say “Targeé,” showing how different and silly pronunciations can run in multiple families.

Analysis:

This story is an example of family-based folk speech. “Targeé” makes the generic name more fun and seems to be a middle-aged woman thing.