Author Archives: Kirbi Phillips

The Lucky Number 8 in Vietnam

Nationality: U.S. Citizen
Age: 45
Occupation: High school teacher and college counselor
Residence: Seattle, Washington
Performance Date: March 17th, 2017
Primary Language: English

The following story is told by my old high school English teacher who used to live in Vietnam:

“Ads in Vietnam puts items on sale for 88% of their original price.  The 8th, 18th, and 28th of each month are lucky, and on those days, fake money is sold in the streets to be burned for luck.  People get married on those dates.  Some people even pay to have their phone numbers include the number 8 to gain respect from their customers.”

Analysis: These folklore practices in Vietnam are because they believe the number eight to be lucky in Vietnamese culture.  This idea stems from the Vietnamese language much like the superstition about the number four.  In Vietnamese, the word for the number eight is almost identical to the word for “develop.”  Since development is viewed positively in Vietnamese culture, the number eight is celebrated.  It is very interesting that although four is an unlucky number, 14 is not, whereas the number eight is a lucky number and so is 18 and 28.  My old teacher learned of this lucky omen through his interactions with local Vietnamese people during his time in Da Nang, Vietnam and observations of everyday life.

The Number 4 in Vietnam

Nationality: U.S. Citizen
Age: 45
Occupation: High school teacher and college counselor
Residence: Seattle, Washington
Performance Date: March 17th, 2017
Primary Language: English

The following story is told by my old high school teacher regarding his life in Vietnam:

“My Buddhist friends will NEVER write the number 4 – not for any reason. Nothing is priced at 4 dollars, and nobody will accept 4 dollars for anything or give it in change. Some people don’t leave the house on the 4th, although that does not seem to have spread to the 14th or 24th much”

Analysis: He collected these observations overtime by living in Da Nang, Vietnam and making friends with the locals.  He completely immersed himself in Vietnamese culture and started getting involved at a local orphanage where he interacted with and financially supported children in the orphanage.  This helped him connect to Vietnamese culture and helped him learn first-hand of many of Vietnam’s folklore practices such as their superstitions regarding numbers by hearing stories from locals and observing everyday activities.  This piece of folklore serves as a classic example of number superstition in Vietnamese culture.  However, it is important to note that the superstition is only about the number 4 by itself; numbers that include the number 4 are fine.  It is interesting because the Chinese have a similar superstition about the evil of number four.  In both Vietnamese and Chinese, the number 4 in their respective languages is very similar to the word death in those languages.  This trend is also observed in other East Asian languages including Korean, Japanese, and Cantonese.

Stone Circle Flower Essence as Medicine

Nationality: U.S. Citizen
Age: 72
Occupation: energy worker and herbal and flower essence specialist
Residence: Cle Elum, Washington
Performance Date: March 14, 2017
Primary Language: English

In the following interview, a energy worker and herbal and flower essence specialist explains the significance of the stone circle flower essence:

Interviewer: “What are some of your favorite flower essences?”

Informant: “I find the stone circle flower essence to be quite powerful.  It places an aura of solid protection in the energy field so that one does not take on any unbalanced energy from the environment”

Interviewer: “Who do you recommend this essence to?”

Informant: “People and animals under a lot of stress that need balance in their life.  Especially people or animals who are ultra sensitive to the energy around them and therefore have a higher risk of getting hit with negative energy.  They have to be protected.”

Interviewer: “Who is an ultra sensitive”

Informant: “Your sister, for one.  She is very effected by her environment and the littlest thing could throw her off balance.  For example if a big storm came with a bunch of negative energy that could mess up her balance as well as if she got in a big fight with her parents or is stressed about school work.  Anything out of routine could potentially upset their balance.”

Interviewer: “So how should people like my sister take this flower essence?”

Informant: “I make it at home and it comes in a little dropper bottle.  It’s a liquid that can either be ingested or rubbed on the skin or hair”

Analysis: The informant learned all of her practices from her teacher who would prefer to remain anonymous who learned them from a teacher before her.  This folklore is especially important to me because it pertains to my sister.  I have first-hand seen the effects of this flower essence and how it has completely changed my sister’s personality.  She is more patient now and in control of her emotions.  Although there is a lack of scientific evidence, this remedy that has been passed down for generations seems to work at least in the informant’s experience.

Scarlet Monkey Flower Essence as Medicine

Nationality: U.S. Citizen
Age: 72
Occupation: Energy worker and herbal and flower essence specialist
Residence: Cle Elum, Washington
Performance Date: March 14, 2017
Primary Language: English

In the following interview, a energy worker and herbal and flower essence specialist explains the significance of the scarlet monkey flower essence:

Interviewer: “Which herbs or flower essences help with emotions?”

Informant: “Scarlet monkey flower essence is one of my favorite flower essences because it addresses the fear of repressed strong emotions, especially those of anger and powerlessness.  It helps one communicate clearly and directly with emotional honesty.”

Interviewer: “Who would you recommend scarlet monkey flower to?”

Informant: “Well your mom currently takes scarlet monkey flower.  She has expressed and I have observed that she struggles with accepting her emotions so she has been using this flower essence for a few months now”

Analysis: My mother claims this flower essence works and has improved her quality of life significantly as she is happier and more in tune with herself and her spirit.  I agree as she has been much better at communicating with me when she is feeling angry or upset instead of just letting her emotions brew until one day she explodes.  This flower essence has been passed down for generations from the informants teacher to her and now to my mother who excitedly tells anyone willing to listen about the miracle essence.  Although the flower essence is ancient, the informant is finding new uses for it in the ever adapting world.

El Familiar

Nationality: U.S. Citizen
Age: 47
Occupation: High school history teacher
Residence: Seattle, Washington
Performance Date: March 16, 2017
Primary Language: English

The following Argentinian urban legend was told by my old high school history teacher:

“There are many urban legends in Argentina, my favorite being El Familiar.  According to the legend originating in the sugar plantation in Salta, Tuchman, and Jujuy, the Argentinian government was struggling economically which meant the sugar industry would take a big hit. However, the titans of the sugar industry found a way around their economic misfortune, by partnering with the Devil.  The Devil promised to protect the sugar industry from the failing economy in return for a yearly human sacrifice.  The sacrifice would be selected by the sugar industry and then dragged to the Devil in Hell by a decapitated black, rabid dog dragging a chain around its neck.  Legend has it, the dog still rabidly wander the sugar plantations searching for its next victim”

Analysis:  Although this is only a legend, it has increased religious practices of protection in the northern areas of Argentina.  The eminent threat of the Devil leads Argentinians to use rosaries or blessed crucifixes for protection.  This is one of my favorite pieces of folklore because I am very interested in urban legends.  Although they are never true, they have a great impact on the communities and culture around them.  In this case, the old urban legend has decreased unwanted activity in sugar plantations and increased religious faith in northern Argentina.