Author Archives: Maya Schiedel

“Arriba abajo al centro pa dentro”

Age: 19

Text: “¡Arriba, abajo, al centro, pa’ dentro!“

Context: “Arriba abajo al centro pa dentro” translates to “up, down, to the center, and in.” My mom is Argentine, and when I was a young teen, we went to visit my grandparents in Argentina, and they said this as a way to “cheers” when we were celebrating our reunion. Now, I use it in a very casual way, but it has a big significance in my life. I taught all my friends this saying, and we use it every time we are toasting and raising a glass.”

Analysis: As a non-Spanish speaker, I had never heard of this saying until I came to USC and my friend taught it to me. Now, we all use this saying whenever we are toasting to or celebrating an event or activity. It has become a social norm and mini-ritual for us. This saying is an example of a performative speech, as the saying creates an action. It is more than just words, it is a performance. This ritualizes the event of drinking and toasting into a genuine social experience. It is an event that requires participation, as it cannot be performed alone, you need a group of people, or an audience to interact with it. As a result of this, it is creating a group and social identity. It works as a way to unify a group of people. It also shows how items such as food and drink can symbolize celebration, and people use folklore to symbolize this. 

Cuban proverb

Age: 19

Text: “No se puede meter la Habana en Guanabacoa”

Context: This proverb translates to “you can’t stick Havana in Guanabacoa.” The participant told me, “My dad is Cuban and he has always told this proverb to me. Havana is a big city and Guanabacoa is a big city beside it. The proverb essentially means that you cannot stick Havana in Guanabacoa because it is bigger. I use this proverb when I’m doing more than I should. Whenever I’m stressed and have too much on my plate, my parents tell me that I can’t do everything in the little time you have. I like this proverb because it helps me ground myself when I need to.” 

Analysis: This proverb reminds me of another proverb, “don’t bite off more than you can chew.” These are both warning proverbs to tell people that even though it can be tempting, it is too hard on yourself to do more than you can handle. These types of proverbs became very popular in cultures, because they are very relatable for many people. At some point in life, everyone takes on more than they can manage. This proverb reminds people that you must not overwhelm yourself. This is especially relevant today, because society continues to put a lot of pressure on people, especially academically and professionally. Parents, professors, and employers expect more achievement and progress than many people can handle. This is an example of counter hegemony, as the proverb is going against this generally accepted idea of hustle culture and multitasking. It promotes mindfulness over busy work, which is something that is very uncommon in the present day.

Despite this proverb having Cuban origins, it is a universal piece of advice. Because of this, it is an example of structuralism and vernacular wisdom. It is general wisdom that can be applied to anyone, and it is used in everyday speech. This makes it a proverb that is easy to use and spread around, which is why it is so popular in Cuban culture, and its oicotypes are popular in other regions.

Malakas and Maganda – Filipino Creation Story

Age: 19
  1. Text: Filipino Creation Story – Malakas and Maganda

Context: “The creation story that I was told is pretty long and in-depth, but I’ll give you a general summary of it. I have been taught this same creation story since before I can remember. Although I was sent to a Catholic school where we learned about Adam and Eve, my parents engrained this version in my mind, because it is what is believed in Filipino culture.

Basically, to summarize, our god, Bathala, watched over the world, before there was any life. One day, Bathala sent a bird to fly over the water. The bird wanted to find somewhere to land, but everything around it was sea. The bird was angry, so it started to flap its wings, which caused waves to crash. In response, lightning was formed which crashed at the sea, and that’s what caused the first island to be created, the Philippines. Then, Bathala grew a bamboo stalk on the new island. The bird pecked at it and when it opened, a man and woman emerged, Malakas and Maganda. They were the first Tagalog people, created from nature, and our ancestors came from them. They started our world, and we are all the children of them. We express this as, “anak nina Malakas at Maganda” (a child of the first man and woman).

After I heard this story, I started to say “anak nina Malakas at Maganda” and realized how my friends whose parents were also born in the Philippines said this too. I remember that this connection made me feel a strong attachment to my culture. Even if I didn’t remember every detail of the story, I knew the importance of my origins. I always resonated with the bamboo stalk after this, as I thought it was inspiring how life could be created from something as simple as bamboo. To this day, it is a symbol that represents strength and flexibility.”

Analysis: The creation story of Malakas and Maganda is an example of a myth. It explains the beginning of the world and humanity. It also has a sacred value to it; it has a non-literary truth. Myths are fundamental to cultures and they address big questions. Science doesn’t have a clear answer for how our world began, but creation stories can offer one. This Filipino creation story has ties to nature mythology and solar mythology, as theorized by Max Muller. It shows how nature, specifically the sea and sky, as well as the Sun, produces the land, and how life also emerges from nature, specifically bamboos.

This myth has very deep cultural values. Malakas, the male counterpart of the bamboo stalk, represents strength and Maganda, the female counterpart, represents beauty. This reflects the balance of power and grace, which are often associated with male and female genders, respectively. These principles work together to balance the earth. As a result, this story functions as a foundational narrative: it sets up cultural expectations about gender, society, and origin. This can influence how people think about things like marriage, gender roles, and morality.

The bamboo stalk itself is a sacred object. This connects to the idea of naturalizing culture, where the environment becomes sacred and fundamental to who people are. As the interviewee mentioned, to be “anak nina Malakas at Maganda” is not just a poetic phrase but rather a folk phrase of identity.

Her version of the story also expresses the idea of oral tradition. She says that the full story is long and in-depth meaning there are many versions. Myths like this don’t change rapidly, but are adapted in small ways to meet the values of each generation. This reflects how folklore is not canonized, and instead, slight adaptations can be made over time. There are also different oicotypes and variations of this story that exist in different cultures. For example, Adam and Eve are the male and female versions in Christianity. The idea of a man and woman emerging together shows the universal value of balance in creation stories.

This story also has a very strong folk concept of identity. People believe in this myth because it ties people’s identities to their ancestry, land, and place in the world. This shows how ethnonationalist ideas form, as these narratives give people a sense of ethnic identity.

The Pele Curse

Age: 55

Text: The Pele Curse

Context: “Growing up, we often visited my aunt in Oahu, because she moved there before I was born and lived there until moving back to Korea in her 50s. We would normally go once a year. Although she is not Native Hawaiian, she became very integrated in the culture and learned how to respect Hawaiian natives and ancestors. She taught us many important Hawaiian customs and values to respect, but one legend that stuck with me, and one I taught to you, is the Pele Curse. Pele is the Hawaiian goddess of fire, lightning, and volcanoes. Pele is such a powerful being that she is capable of putting a curse on tourists who come to Hawaii and disrespect the land. When my sisters and I were young kids, we always wanted to take home the pretty seashells from the beach. My aunt told us that if we took them, Pele would curse us and bad things would happen when we go home. We had dogs growing up, and my aunt said that Pele would take them away from us. As naive children, we immediately believed this and then became too scared to even touch a shell on the beach. Now, I know that the curse is not true, but it is something that I told to you and your brother as children, because I wanted you to understand the importance of respecting Hawaiian culture. Even if a real curse is not put on you by Pele, you still have to treat the land and environment with respect.”

Analysis: This story about the Pele Curse is considered a legend, as Pele is a legendary figure rooted in ancient Hawaiian culture. She embodies the elemental power of the Hawaiian islands. Her legend blurs the lines between everyday life and sacred culture, as she is a divine force that can intersect with the real world. This legend can be considered a pedagogical legend, as it is used to teach a moral lesson and guide behavior.

Although the interviewee is not Native Hawaiian, she is engaging with Indigenous folklore and spreading it to others. While this idea of reshaping folklore that does not belong to someone may seem problematic, it is done with the intention of care and respect. The story is told to teach ethical and moral values. This connects to a lot of discussion from lecture and discussion, which is the question of what happens when folklore is removed from its original cultural setting. In this case, the folklore survives, but the exact form and function does not remain the same. However, the general idea and lesson being taught remains, which is the most important takeaway from this specific legend.

This story also shows how ritual belief is passed down, even if it is not literally believed. It is more about the symbolism behind the story than its truth value. The interviewee still chooses to pass down the story to future generations because of its functional power.

The curse itself can also be related to magic superstition, as discussed in class. The idea that an object so small as a shell could bring misfortune demonstrates the idea of contagious magic. An object that is connected to a spiritual figure can carry power. Taking a piece of the island, both literally and metaphorically, is seen as removing a piece of Pele herself. This is violating the sacred relationship between Hawaiian people and their land. This is why stories like the Pele Curse continue to be told, as they function to help enforce respect and moral behavior.

Haunted house on the hill

Age: 20

Text: Ghost story of Richmond, England – haunted house on the hill

Context: “In my town in London, I live close to this really popular hill. On the hill, there’s a pub, and a lot of people go there at night, or they just walk up the hill during the day. There’s a huge, really nice, old house on the top of this hill. It’s beautiful, and definitely worth a lot of money, but it is completely abandoned. No one actually knows why, but people have made up a lot of stories about how it is haunted, because they think there must be some explanation for why no one lives there, and also why it’s never gone up for sale. When I was younger, my neighbor told me that it was haunted by a spirit. She said a pianist once lived there, named Isabelle. She moved into this huge house completely alone, and no one knew where she got the money to afford it, or why she needed such a big place for just herself. Anytime you walked near the house, you could hear her playing the piano. One night, the piano completely stopped, and no one heard from or saw Isabelle. Eventually, the police broke in and found the piano open, with a warm cup of tea sitting on it, but no sign of Isabelle. No one ever found her. Anyone who moved into the house after this, would hear the piano playing at the middle of the night. When they went downstairs to investigate it, it suddenly stopped. One tenant tried to move the piano out of the house, but tripped and fell, hit his head on the piano, and died. After this, no one dared to move into the house and it has remained empty ever since. After hearing this story, I told all my friends, and we used to dare each other to run up to the house and peek inside. One of my friends swore she saw a shadow sitting at the piano. This was only one of the variations I heard about this supposed haunted house, but to this day, no one has any idea why it has been abandoned.”

Analysis: This story about a haunted house functions as a legend. It is set in a real-world location and is framed around belief. The house exists, but the question of whether the ghost truly haunts it is open to interpretation. However, the purpose of this legend is less about whether or not the ghost exists but more about the negotiation of what to believe and the counter-legends that are produced from it.

The interviewee’s account of the story is an example of ostension, which is when people act out the contents of legends in real life. Her and her friends daring each other to run up to the house shows how the legend became social and performative. These performances do not make the story true, but they make the legend feel real. The narrative structure of this particular legend is also FOAF (friend of a friend). The interviewee heard this legend from her neighbor, which helps reinforce the truth. Additionally, her friend claiming that she saw the shadow also makes the legend more believable.

There is also a cultural function of this story. Whether or not the people in this town believe in the ghost, the legend functions to explain a question: why the beautiful, expensive house remains abandoned. People create folklore, like these ghost stories, to fill the gaps in knowledge. The legend also reinforces a collective identity of the town. The house is no longer just a house, but it is a piece of community and history. It connects people through emotions, whether that is fear or curiosity. This shows how folklore performs a social function in maintaining group identity. The interviewee associates this story with her town and the people she grew up with.

The different symbols and variations that the interviewee has claimed to hear can be considered allomotifs. If a specific part of the story has changed (e.g the instrument being a violin rather than a piano), that part would be considered an allomotif. The function of the story remains the same though, as the idea is that there is a haunted instrument that represents the haunting of the dead spirit.