Author Archives: kalu@usc.edu

How many times did I say your name?”(a Nigerian Saying)

Nationality: Nigerian
Age: 23
Occupation: Student
Residence: Abuja, Nigeria
Performance Date: 4/22/18
Primary Language: English

Michael Iluma, a senior studying International Relations and Acting at the University of Southern California, who hails from Abuja, Nigeria, provided three pieces of folklore for this collection.

The interview was run, within his bedroom, on West 30th Street in the outskirts of the University of Southern California campus.

Folk Performance: “How many times did I say your name?”(a Nigerian Saying)

Folk Type: Folk-Speech.

“Anything more about Nigerian Parents?”– Stanley Kalu

STORY: oh for sure, you could literally do your whole project on just that. The worst though is when they like say your name a bunch of times and then ask you how many times they’ve called your name. So i’ll be like “three?” then my dad will be like “that’s how many times i’m going to beat you. Go get a slipper.” How fucked up is that?

Background Information: Discipline is a huge part of Nigerian culture. The repetition causes psychological duress because you understand, from the beginning of the statement, that you are going to be hit with a slipper.

Context of performance: Michael performed this act, as many Nigerian children do, in an accent-heavy impression of his father. The Father, in Nigerian culture, is often the disciplinarian.

Thoughts: Nigerians should stop hitting their kids.

 

 

 

 

Saint Nicholas.

Nationality: American
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Ocean Beach, San Diego.
Performance Date: 4/10/18
Primary Language: English

Max Feye, a Junior studying Screenwriting at the University of Southern California, who hails from Ocean Beach, San Diego, provided two pieces of folklore for this collection.

The interview was run, in his bedroom, at Orchard Avenue, on the outskirts of the University of Southern California.

Folklore Performance: Saint Nicholas.

Folk Type: Legend.

“So you’re German and American, has there been any folkloric cultural exchange between the two” – Stanley Kalu

STORY: I guess the first piece of folklore would be Saint Nicholas day, which is uhh, which is from Germany. I guess, maybe even more specifically from Southern Germany. I grew up with this, my mom and my dad are both German, so essentially there is Christmas and then there is Saint Nicholas day, which is in December. The Legend goes that the German version of Santa Clause will come if you put your boots outside the door and he’ll come and feel your boots with presents. So we always did that during Christmas.

Background Information: Born in Patara, a land that is part of present-day Turkey, circa 280, St. Nicholas was a Christian bishop who helped the needy. After his death, the legend of his gift-giving grew. St. Nicholas transformed into the legendary character called Santa Claus, who brings Christmas presents to children around the world.

Max likes this because it is apart of his childhood.  He learned it from his parents.

Context of Performance:  Christmas time in Germany.

Thoughts: Every culture seems to adopt the concept of Santa Claus as their own. Multiplicity and variation, people! Multiplicity and variation!

The Black Forest

Nationality: American.
Age: 21
Occupation: Student.
Residence: Ocean Beach, San Diego.
Performance Date: 4/22/18
Primary Language: English

Max Feye, a Junior studying Screenwriting at the University of Southern California, who hails from Ocean Beach, San Diego, provided two pieces of folklore for this collection.

The interview was run, in his bedroom, at Orchard Avenue, on the outskirts of the University of Southern California.

Folklore Performance: The Black Forest.

Folk-Type: Folk Area.

“Did you have any folkloric experiences in Germany?” – Stanley Kalu

STORY: so my mom is from a city in Germany called Stuttgart and it’s right by the black forest and that’s where the Brothers Grimm stories take place. so we’d go into the forest, when I was a kid in Germany, and we’d look for these specific types of fairies and their based on these hats that people wear. Like red furry hats with rounded tops. I forget the German word for ‘em, but they were called Pom pom fairies. There are tons and tons of stories around that forest, elves that live in tree-trunks and for sure witches that live there.

Background Information: The Black Forest is the location of many of the Grimm fairy-tales. It is said to be enchanted.

Max enjoys this piece of folklore because he actively believed and pursed the magical creatures within the Black Forest. He learned about this from his mother, who grew up near the Black Forest.

Context of Performance:  The Black Forest is it’s own context, you know?

Thoughts: I’ve always been enamored with the idea of enchanted places. I wonder if some places are said to ve enchanted because, on some level, they are.

 

 

 

 

 

To wish on an eyelash

Nationality: American
Age: 23
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, California
Performance Date: 4/10/18
Primary Language: English

Ethan Newmayer, a free-lance photographer working for Louis Vutton, , who hails from, Chula Vista, San Diego, three pieces of folklore for this collection.

The interview was run, within his studio, at Orchard Avenue, on the outskirts of the University of Southern California.

Folklore Performance: To wish on an eyelash.

“I talked to Mike about wish related folklore, do you know any?” – Stanley Kalu

STORY: Oh, I have another one, Maria and I do this, If you have like an eye-lash stuck on your face, the other person swipes it off and then you press your fingers together with the eyelash between your finger tips and whoever pulls away the eyelash tucks it in their shirt and gets to make a wish. It’s like a wishbone, with eye-lashes.

Background Information: the tradition of wishing on a fallen eyelash comes from common folklore during the 19th century. Wishers would place the fallen eyelash on the back of their hand before throwing it over their shoulder as they imagined what they wanted.

It was also said that the devil would try to collect as much human hair and eyelashes as possible to gain power over people.

Context of performance: This has been described above.

Thoughts: I question whether most people believe in folk practices like this one or whether the act itself is simply comforting. I’d lean towards my latter statement because there is comfort in tradition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cali vs California (The Great Debate)

Nationality: American
Age: 22
Occupation: Student/Gemini
Residence: Los Angeles, California.
Performance Date: 4/10/18
Primary Language: English
Language: Spanish

Bella Estrada, a senior studying History at the University of Southern California, who hails from Los Angeles, California, provided four pieces of folklore for this collection.

The interview was run, amidst dinner and drinks, at the University of Southern California located Greenleaf, a popular post-class bar for many students at the prestigious institution.

Folklore Performance: Cali vs California (The Great Debate).

Folk Type: Folk-Speech

“Because I’m so foreign, my main interest honestly lies in California based folklore. Got anything?” – Stanley Kalu

STORY: So, there’s this way that all California natives know not to say. You never refer to California as “Cali.” That’s exclusively for tourists and that’s how you can spot one.

Background Information: The use of the term “Cali”, according to Californians, suggests that a person knows nothing about the “real” California and only see’s the state through the skewed lens of reality television, MTV, and other various faux representations what Californian life is like.

Bella is a Californian native and thus learned the term through the various tourists that pass through the state. This is an important statement to her because the term is an affront to her heritage and thus she takes pride in shaming those that disrespect it.

Context Performance: Tourists use this term when they visit California.

The context of Bella’s rehashing of the tale was done after our “Forms of Folklore” class taught by Tok Thompson because the both of us had a folklore collection project due.

Thoughts: This is another example of folklore created to establish an “in” group and an “out” group. I find this recurring pattern interesting because folklore is a shared experience and is defined as such. However, it would appear that the act of sharing within a small-group is, on the other-hand, an exclusionary experience.