Author Archives: Kristoffer Kaufmann

“Ogopogo”, Lake Monster in Lake Okanagan

Age: 19

Text

According to the story, there is a lake monster named Ogopogo in Lake Okanagan, with a snake-like or draconic form similar to that of the Loch Ness monster.

Context

According to the informant, Ogopogo is a well-known monster in Canadian folklore. It has become a mascot of the region, with merchandise depicting the creature on souvenir shirts and other memorabilia.

Learned from a tour guide during a tour to the UBC Okanagan campus near Kelowna.

Analysis

Due to the lack of information I had to work with for this legend, its exact origins are unclear. I have two theories.

The first theory is that this monster was fabricated solely to attract tourist attention to the region, inspired by the popularity of the Loch Ness monster. If this is true, Ogopogo would be defined as fakelore.

It is also possible that Ogopogo dates back to legends spread by the Native people of the region, and the similarity to stories of the Loch Ness Monster is either coincidence or a sign of folklorismus as a result of outside influence and marketing.

Children’s Game: Loser Says What, 5 Minute Rule

Age: 20

Text

A variant of, or added rule to, the “Loser Says What?” game.

The basic idea of the ‘game’ is to quickly say the phrase “[Loser] says what?” to a person the player wishes to trick or tease, with [Loser] being replaced with any mean-spirited descriptor (‘loser’, ‘slowpoke’, etc.). If the target does not hear this phrase, they may respond with “What?”, therein ‘proving’ they identify with the mean-spirited descriptor.

This variant of the game expands on the premise, in which being tricked into saying “What?” means one must ‘pass it off’ to another person within five minutes, or face an unspoken consequence (most likely a feeling of shame).

Context

Learned from a friend of the informant during middle school, as a game played with several people. Played during recess or outdoors where lots of children are present.

Analysis

It is unclear to me whether this 5-minute rule exists in most versions of this game, or if it is unique to this group of people. In my experience, this was simply a harmless joke to pull on friends. In this context, it exists as a game similar to Tag, with the exception that a player is not made aware of their participation until after they are tricked.

Children’s Folktale: Not Today, Maybe Tomorrow

Age: 20

Text

Once, there was a man who sold fish at a corner.
A man walked up and asked “Are these fish fresh?” and the man said “Not today, maybe tomorrow.”
A woman walked up and asked “Are these fish fresh?” and the man said “Not today, maybe tomorrow.”
A child walked up and asked “Are these fish fresh? and the man said “Not today, maybe tomorrow.”
A bird walked up and asked “Can I kill you?” and the man said “Not today, maybe tomorrow.”
And so, the next day, the bird walked up to the man and shot him.

Context

Learned from a friend of the informant at a summer camp when they were around 8-10 years old. Acts as a folktale and folk joke, where the punchline is simply to catch the listener off guard.

Analysis

Elementary-school children’s humor typically involves some kind of shock value. Death and murder, in particular, are usually the subject of these jokes as most children are unfamiliar with the realities of death, but aware that it is a taboo concept to discuss.

It is also possible that there is a moral element to this tale, or at least a second humorous element. The man who sells fish on the corner only ever speaks a single phrase to those who visit him, even seemingly ignoring or discounting the bird’s request to kill him. To a child, this could be a fictitious representation of a ‘boring adult’, wherein all attempts to gain the figure’s attention are refuted with a single, repetitive phrase.

Arabic Proverb: “Don’t Lie or You Will Go Blind”

Text

“Don’t Lie or You Will Go Blind”, spoken in Arabic. Original Arabic version unknown.

Context

Learned from the informant’s Arabic mother, originally spoken in Arabic. It has likely been passed on over time.

The proverb is used as a reminder to children not to lie, usually when an adult is already aware they have done something wrong and the child is hiding it.

Analysis

This proverb is very similar to many folk tales in other cultures aimed at children, in that it enforces good behavior / wards away bad behavior by warning against a negative consequence for not doing so. In this case, the connection between lying and blindness is unclear. However, as it was likely necessary for the consequence to be something the targeted child would actually be afraid of, there may not be a major connection there. Most people would choose to avoid becoming blind, if given the option.