Author Archives: Jacob Tamkin

Money Dance, Nigerian Wedding Folk Custom

Nationality: American
Age: 20
Occupation: student
Residence: Pennsylvania
Performance Date: 4/16/21

“At weddings in our family and I know in most Nigerian weddings we throw large amounts of money at everyone it’s not even the married couple, literally everyone gets money thrown at them. We typically all stand in a circle and the elder members of the family will sometimes throw thousands of dollars each in the middle with bills ranging from singles to ten’s. My family calls it the money dance but I know some call it money spraying. This is pretty much to symbolize a showering of happiness and good fortune in their future lives together. It also shows how much the group cares for each other.”

Context:

Money throwing is pretty common at Nigerian weddings. My informant learned this from going to weddings in his family as a kid and young adult. My informant was born in Philadelphia but his parents moved from Nigeria with other family members and brought many of the customs with them, including this one. He said it his favorite part of going because who doesn’t love traditions that involve free money. 

Analysis:

Hearing this made me really want to implement this tradition in all weddings. It is a super cool Nigerian tradition that I had never heard being practiced in any other culture. I find it fascinating that so many different countries and cultures have very unique traditions when it comes to a wedding.

Dayenu

Nationality: American
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: New York
Performance Date: 4/14/21

“My family does this thing called ‘Dayenu.’ So whenever I go to my grandmother’s for Passover she hands us each a stalk of Leek or green onion. After we each receive one we hit each other over the head with it.  I’m not sure if other people do this but it symbolizes the Jews leaving Egypt for us. It also symbolizes that when he hit each other we’re not supposed to think about the slaves in Egypt. My grandma requires this every year before we eat.”

 Context: 

Dayenu has other names in different regions but is mainly practiced in the Jewish community in Iran and Afghanistan. The informant learned of this story from their grandmother during the Passover feast as a kid. I enjoyed learning about it but the informant said he thinks it’s odd and doesn’t feel good because sometimes the younger family members will hit hard on purpose. 

Analysis:

I can see where getting hit over the head with a vegetable can hurt. The informant and I both agree that having a  meaningful tradition like this keeps the family close and beliefs going. I think it is awesome that this tradition has been carried on for so many years.

Huldra- Scandinavian Folktale

Nationality: American
Age: 53
Occupation: Doctor

Main Story:

“My father immigrated from Sweden when he was twelve years old after his parents died a few years earlier. He came with five dollars in his pocket but a very strong work ethic.  Growing up he lived with family members that often told him folklore so I’m glad you asked me! One of the main ones I heard was about The huldre or Huldra? I believe it was huldra, but she was a very beautiful troll who lived in the woods. She would seduce unmarried men and take them into the forest where she would not let them leave unless they married her. She had a tale of a cow so if she was married, in a church, her tale would go away.”

Context:

The interviewee’s father told him these stories as a boy. I had remembered my girlfriend telling me that her grandfather had immigrated from Sweden. He, unfortunately, passed away a few years ago. I asked her father if he had heard any folk stories from Sweden. Luckily he remembers a few his father told him as a boy.

Analysis:

I had not heard many Scandinavian folk stories so I enjoyed learning about this one. I was interested that Scandinavian folk stories often portray trolls. It seems like a unique theme that carries through quite a few folklore stories. 

Baba Yaga

Nationality: American
Age: 52
Occupation: Realtor
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 4/9/21
Primary Language: English

Main Story:

“I heard this story from your great grandparents who were from Ukraine. It’s famous it’s called Baba Yaga, I was also told it was called The Witch. But pretty much… If I misbehaved as a kid my great grandparents would say the Baba Yaga or Witch will find me and capture me and take me to her hut in the woods. They also told me when I was behaving well that the Baba Yaga would bring me, sweets. Today, I heard Baba Yaga is a witch in the woods who eats people, but I had never heard that as a kid. It was pretty much if I was good Baba Yaga would reward me and if I was bad she would capture me. Luckily I was never taken away to her hut in the woods.” 

Context:

I asked my father about stories that had been orally passed down to him from his parents or grandparents.

Analysis:

I had heard of Baba Yaga before I asked my father, I was interested in the fact that his grandparents used Baba Yaga in a very different way than most people. They used it as an incentive rather than a scary story to tell children. 

Afterlife- A Personal Folk Story

Nationality: American
Age: 52
Occupation: Realtor
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 4/9/21

Main Story:

“I’ve told you this story before and it really means a lot to me, I was super close with my grandfather so it makes it seem like he’s up there watching us when I think about this story. So I was at his house in Palm Desert in the room I usually stay in that has a view of the mountains in the distance. That mountain range would be impossible to hike on, no trails whatsoever and no one has ever hiked it, and none of us had ever seen anyone hike it. But that one morning I was looking out the window and saw a figure in the distance climbing up the mountain. I thought it was weird but didn’t think too much of it. Then maybe five minutes later we get a call that my grandfather had passed away. I truly think it was him making his final journey and hiking the mountains that he loved waking up to every day.”

Context:

My father had told me this story many years ago, and I had always kind of remembered it, but I asked him to retell it to me for the purpose of this project. My father loved his grandfather so much, they were best friends so when he died it was very hard on him and this story helped him get through it and believe that no one ever is fully gone but can live on through other people.

Analysis:

This story is so interesting to me because we really do have no idea if there is or isn’t an afterlife and how one makes the journey after death on earth. Like my father told me I believe him that it helped with the healing process and that it helped instill a belief in him and passed down to me and my siblings that people who die can live on through you. This is an oral story that can easily be passed down to my children in hopes of instilling a bit of faith in knowing that one doesn’t die for good.