Author Archives: Hope Riley

Clapping to Reverse Bad Luck: Eye Twitch

Text:

Informant: “So, like my mom is very superstitious. She’s, um, Vietnamese, and she has a Buddhist background.

So, like, she heard from her parents that if your eye twitches, your right eye twitches, it means something bad’s gonna happen, or, like, more bad luck for the day. So, to reverse the bad luck, you have to clap twice until the twitching stops.

And then the thing is, like, if the left eye twitches, it’s good luck. Something good is going to happen.

I don’t know where she learned that from, or how that happens, but she told me that.

Whenever my eye twitches, I perform the clapping. Which is all the time.”

Context: The informant is a Chinese-Vietnamese-American USC student whose mother has a Buddhist background and is very superstitious. She learned this belief from her mother, who heard it from earlier generations. Even though she grew up in the U.S., she still follows the practice when it happens.

Analysis:
This is an example of folk belief and a protective ritual. The idea that an eye twitch signals good or bad luck functions as a sign, where the body is seen as predicting future events. The act of clapping twice to stop bad luck is a simple, repeated behavior meant to reverse or control that outcome. Even if she doesn’t fully understand where it comes from, she still does it, showing how superstitions are passed down and continue through habit and family influence.

Navajo folklore

Text:

Interviewee: “The family I was with (on a service trip to Arizona) owned around 8,000 acres of land. They told me that about 200 years ago, their ancestor, who was Navajo, helped the U.S. government locate other tribes. In return, the government gave their family that land, and they’ve been living on it ever since.

When I was on the mountain with them, they told me about this snake god that protects the land. The mountain we were on in Arizona had many small gemstones on it. They said that if you try to take anything from the mountain, you’ll be cursed for generations.

They also talked about Wendigos in the wooded areas of their property. From what I understood, they described them as people who were cursed or did something terrible, and after death, they transform into these beings that hunt or harm others.

They also explained that the land had been occupied by different tribes over time, including the Anasazi and the Hopi, before their Navajo lineage. There were stories about caves in the mountains that had been used by earlier groups.

On the reservation, there was also a lot of talk about aliens. We visited a national park with ancient drawings on the walls, which were said to represent a creation myth from the Anasazi, but many people today interpret those images as aliens.”

Context:

The interviewee is a white male aged 18. He was on a school service trip to Arizona, where he spent time with families residing in the area.

This narrative comes from an experience of visiting a reservation. The interviewee is recounting stories, beliefs, and historical explanations shared directly by the people living on the land. These include spiritual beliefs (snake god, Wendigos), historical memory (land ownership and tribal succession), and interpretations of ancient sites (cave dwellings and rock art).

Analysis:

The snake god and curse function as a protective legend tied to the land, discouraging people from taking from it. The Wendigo represents a moral warning figure, reflecting fears of greed, violence, and transformation, which reinforces social norms.

The references to different tribes, such as the Hopi, as well as stories about caves and past inhabitants, show how folklore is tied to the historical landscape. The interpretation of ancient rock art as aliens reflects a modern reinterpretation of traditional symbols.