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In the Village of Sussex, Wisconsin, there is a trail (the Bugline Trail) that runs through our village and three neighboring villages. This trail is commonly used by all, except after 8 pm. It’s not the trail is closed or anything; the locals just chose to avoid it after dark.

Context:

Informant: “My parents and my grandparents have all grown up in Sussex, Wisconsin, right, and the Bugline trail, has always been an unofficial cornerstone of the community. It was actually only recently paved and added to the park system like 7 years ago. My parents always let me use the trail to walk between my community and my friends’ (it’s like a 15 minute walk). I literally could, even as a kid. But, they would never, ever let me use the trail after 8 pm. I was always told it was because there were stories of people getting kidnapped or going missing at night when using the trail, but I’ve literally never seen any news reports or anything about it. It was always just something everyone knew not to do.”

Analysis:

Given that Sussex, WI is my hometown, I’m all too familiar with this legend. I’ve heard so many versions of it over the years: a farmer once went insane and now haunts the trail, there’s an active KKK coalition by it, literally everything. The one thing to know about my hometown is that the people are very superstitious. So, I’m not surprised that this legend exists, especially when it exists with very little validation. I do know however, that every retelling of this story is basically a memorate at this point; everyone has their own unique take, and it’s hard to piece together the core of the narrative when everyone has such a personal interpretation of the legend.

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Jhansi Rani was an Indian queen in the 19th century who was known as one of the strongest female icons and legends in Indian culture. She was one the only major queens/matriarchal figures in post-British Indian colonization and was known for fighting off a British incursion with her newborn baby strapped to her back.

Context:

“From 1st through 3rd grade, my immigrant mom used to always make me dress up as this random Indian queen. I wasn’t really sure who she was, but she let me strap my American Girl Bitty Baby to my back on the costume, so I didn’t have many complaints. Literally over spring break, I was looking through baby photos with my mom and asked her about the costume. She explained the legend of Jhansi Rani to me, and explained how that story was so inspiring and powerful to her as a child, and how sad she is that it’s been slowly fading from Indian culture over the years. She was just trying to get me to connect with my culture which I honestly really appreciated.

According to her Jhansi Rani was a story that her mother used to always tell her about as a kid, especially because her mother, my grandma, had grown up during the post-imperialism era where many anti-British power stories and symbols were common. Apparently, in India there are many statues and even now movies dedicated to Jhansi Rani, and many all-female Indian primary schools, like the one my mom went to, have entire days dedicated to her where they dressed up in her signature braids and war attire, just like my mom dressed me on Halloween.”

Analysis:

Jhansi Rani is a tremendous inspiration to all Indians, as both a symbol of anti-British imperialism and resistance as well as a symbol of female power and prowess. Women warriors were far more respected back in Jhansi’s day than in even modern times (women were not allowed into the Indian military until more recently), so she symbolizes female empowerment which is why many young girls dress up like her, schools honor her, and the Indian media has spent so much time recovering her story of late.

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Birbal was an Indian Minister during the Mughal Empire in the 16th century. Similarly to other historical legends such as Sir Arthur, Birbal is a figure that has been widely represented across much of Indian folklore. Many tales, short stories, and even film adaptions have been made about him that focus on his supposed wit and prowess as well as his relationship with King Akbar, another historical Indian legend.

Context:

Informant: “When I was a kid, my dad used to always tell me stories about Birbal, a witty Indian historical figure who’s probably featured in like every other Indian children’s tale. Some of my favorite stories include ones like Birbal being tasked with counting all the crows in the kingdom or attempting to win the King’s daughter’s hand in marriage. Not sure if any of those stories are actually true, but they were definitely fun to listen to as a kid.”

Analysis:

There are honestly so few historical legends who have so many tales and stories written about them. Birbal is absolutely a real historical figure, but having also heard his stories as a kid, I doubt any of them were actually real. In Indian culture, intellect and wit are highly respected and valued traits; many stories surrounding Birbal are also tales with a strong morale tied to them, usually about using wit and charm to solve situations. Many Indian historical legends are usually religious or political characters, so it’s nice to have a legend, even as dramatized as Birbal, with lighter and a more taleu-esque role in our culture.

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The Cecil Hotel is considered one of the most haunted hotels in the country. The hotel was opened in 1924 as a luxury hotel but quickly hit difficult times as the Great Depression took over Los Angeles and as the area surrounding the hotel transformed into Skid Row. Over the years, the hotel has been plagued with multiple suicides and an unsolved murder. Many believe that the hotel is now haunted by the spirits of those who passed within its walls.

Context:

Informant: “In 11th grade, my class took a trip from Irvine to Los Angeles for the weekend. When we were given some free time to explore the city, a couple friends and I decided to join a ghost tour. On one of our stops, we were taken to the Cecil Hotel. At this time, the hotel was closed for renovations, so it should have been completely dark and uninhabited when we visited.

Our tour guide stopped in front of the building for a few minutes and explained the hotel and its history. When we were done with our stop and had started walking away, one of my friends grabbed my hand and excitedly screamed, “Oh my god!”. A light had turned on on one of the top floors of the building that was definitely not on before. My friends and I just giggled at each other, but then we stopped giggling when the light turned back off, then back on again almost immediately, especially because our tour guide had just mentioned how construction had been paused for the last couple of weeks. We just kind of all looked at each other in fear and ran ahead to join our tour group.”

Analysis:

The Cecil Hotel is well known to LA natives and ghost story fans alike. The hotel has been plagued by so many rumors and crimes and speculations that no self-respecting individual would dare spend a night in the hotel. Many previous guests have reported eerie noises, unexplained disappearances of objects, and of course, lights and appliances turning on and off at will. My informant’s experience is a memorate that reinforces much of the lore surrounding the hotel; the unexplained, supernatural-esque experiences and the eerie feelings that people get when they even just walk by are simply spooky. Whether or not my informant’s experience was actually supernatural or just a construction worker testing out lighting will never be clear. However, given just how much crime and degenerate activity goes on in the hotel, it’s no surprise that the ghosts and spirits of the wronged or damned may still haunt the hotel.

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Shakchunni is a spirit commonly seen in Bengali Folklore. She’s commonly depicted as a young ghostly woman, dressed in a white sari, who could be commonly seen frequenting isolated highways, graveyards, and the like. She is the ghost of a married woman who was scorned/abused by her husband before dying from said abuse at a young age. She wanders the material world looking to exact her revenge on men and women in happy matrimony. Her most common story features her attempting to kidnap and replace a Brahmin woman who has a good relationship with her husband, in an attempt to live the life she never got to experience.

Context:

Informant: “My Bengali mother used to constantly scare me into behaving as a child by telling me that this ghost woman named Shakchunni was going to come and scold me if I didn’t do my homework, finish my dinner, etc. For most of my other Bengali cousins and friends, this seems to be a shared experience.

The version of the story that I had heard as a child was that she haunts the Earth, looking for men and little boys who misbehave. I’m not going to lie, I never really knew why. She is know for the ‘shankas’ [coral/shell bangles] that she wears, and honestly the sound of bangles clinking used to scare me as a kid.”

Analysis:

In much of South Asian folklore, there are many legends surrounding women who have been wronged seeking to exact their revenge. Given how women have long been mistreated in South Asian culture, it shouldn’t surprise most that many of these stories are about women who have been abused by the husbands, fathers, families, etc. It’s interesting to note that my informant, a male, was told the story of Shakchunni by his mother as a cautionary tale; in many retellings of the legend, Shakchunni is seen as a protector of women—especially younger women or those being abused—and a punisher of immoral men. In her legend, she is often wrongfully demonized for her actions; even her main story, where she attempts to kidnap and replace a woman, is pitiful, as it just shows the pain of a scorn woman who wants the life she always deserved. Shakchunni is not only a martyr for many Desi woman but a cautionary tale for those who wrong them.