Author Archives: schropp

Aussi Hunt Down

Nationality: American/Australian
Age: 35
Occupation: Construction
Residence: San Diego
Performance Date: 4/12/16
Primary Language: English

Informant Background:

Informant’s Story:

When living in Australia I had created a punk-rock band with a few friends. Eventually we became fairly successful and toured around. As time went on, some of the band members were replaced, but the drummer and myself stuck around. We began to take the whole thing very seriously over time and decided that we were sick of replacing members so we created this absurd initiation process to see who was going to be the most dedicated. The process went something like this: At first we’d just get to know the potentials – heard them play, listen to their old bands music, talk about music, get drinks, check out some concerts. Then we started giving them all these sorts of tasks to do, like errands, phone calls and other random shit we seriously didn’t think anyone would do. We then pushed it to something a bit more extreme where we told them to get on our friends tractor with us in the middle of the night and drive through the forest. We then had other friends dressed in gorilla costumes who’d throw balls at us from the trees. They’d then pop out of the trees and attack us, of course going easy on the prospect so that he could try to save us. Eventually we’d reveal this was a joke and after a moment of shock and anger, the prospect would just laugh about it. One time though one of the prospects thought they were real gorillas, not just some jack asses trying to pick a fight, and he started to go kung fu on these guys. One of friends had a rib broken so we of course stopped the thing. We ended up getting 3 dedicated band members from it. They were with us to the end of the band days. Starting out though we didn’t seriously think anyone would stick around for the initiation. Punk music breeds some dedicated lokes.

About the Informant

The informant is a freelance construction worker who grew up in both American and Australia. While in Australia he played in a punk rock band for 6 years. He also became a father 12 years ago. Since then he’s been constantly leaning about the pervading sub cultures and rituals for children that were non existent or drastically different from his formative years.

Analyses:

I see this as a testament to the value of having one invest a great deal into something before having them join in order to create sustaining commitment. Sort of like what a fraternity does. And it is when these sorts of things work that long standing folkloric initiations come to be. This is definitely a bit much for just joining a band, but it clearly fixed their problem.

German Chocolate Pie

Nationality: American
Age: 56
Occupation: Health Nutritionist
Residence: San Diego
Performance Date: 4/14/16
Primary Language: German
Description (What is being performed):
Many years ago while my father in law was stationed in Germany, post WWII, he had become friends with some of the locals. One in which had a recipe for what she called “Deutsch Choclate Kuchen”, which is German Chocolate Pie in german. This recipe enamored my father in law the first time he had it. So much so that he demanded the recipe. The neighbor did so by writing the recipe on a small piece of paper which he brought home to the states after he had finished his tour. This pie recipe was then passed down to me. It’s has a meringue outer crust and a dark chocolate almost putting like inside. On top goes the whip cream and chocolate chips. There’s nothing i’ve had like it and it always pleases everyone whose had it. Almost always does someone request the recipe. Almost always.
There’s something to be said about rare recipes that have only been passed down through a minuscule lineage, let alone from across the world. The pie tastes better because of it. It’s authentic, not just some recipe you followed by a published cook book. We value those sorts of things around here. May not be good for you, but its a special treat.
About the Informant
The informant is a health nutritionist whose helped cure numerous patients of various ailments of the years. She’s a avid cook who creates various healthy recipes to help aid her clients during recovery.
The Analysis (My Thoughts): 
The informant has made this pie for me before and it is in fact special. It’s not the same as german chocolate cake either. It’s very different. The value of this pie is greater because of the history and exclusivity, which may be a testament to part of the value of folklore. Keeping it in the family sort of speak is special, where as when something is mass produced, a commodified commercialized good, its something everyone has, therefore no longer special.

The Banshee (Annotated)

Nationality: American
Age: 57
Occupation: General Contractor
Residence: San Diego
Performance Date: 4/25/16
Primary Language: English

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When I traveled to Ireland to develop a friends house I was immersed in the culture of the country. Most of the time it was — where I stayed. The construction workrs there would share all sorts of stories with me during lunch. One being the mythological Banshee woman. They warned me that this woman, who would appear to be old or young , makes a horrendous cry that can drive you to madness and even death if experienced. One of the workers said they lost their friends daughter to the Banshee who happened to be the child’s grandmother who was found dead the same time as the daughter was found. What caused the parents to think this was the he neighbors who heard a loud screeching next door.

None of the other workers have stories like this and most only see it as either an old tradition of mythology or something that can only be experienced form your own delusions.

Out of all the stories I was told, this one stuck out the most because I did in fact run into an old woman who was living in the house across from where I was building. She would stare through the window almost every day with her penetrating eyes. It was quite creepy and it got me paranoid. It made me wonder if this story leads people who are innately paranoid to turn the situation into a reality when coming across an old lady.

 

 

ANNOTATION

The Banshee is a long standing Irish mythological  creature/being that people believed to be real. King James I of Scotland believed that he had seen one right before his death as have many other people. This Banshee is said to wear a red or green hood and arises from her cloak to reap terror. In some tales she reveals herself to be the goddess of war.

 

 

ANALYSIS

As the informant states I wonder if the Banshee is really just a psychological event. My interpretation is that it happens before you die and is elicited by some sort disorder.

Something else to note is that the informant chose this story specifically because it resonated with a personal experience. This leads me to think that what artifacts of Folklore that survive or have what is called temporal stickines are those thus resonant the most with people who come in contact with whatever it is.

Tequila Mouth Soar Remedy

Nationality: Mexican
Age: 32
Occupation: Construction Worker
Residence: Mexico/San Diego
Performance Date: 4/20/16
Primary Language: Spanish
Language: English
Description (What is being performed):
When one has a mouth soar, whether it be gingivitis or something else, drinking Tequila or any other high content alcohol will cause said soar to go away.
The Informant (Background info about performance from informant):
Me: “My father tells me that you get drunk off Tequila instead of going to the dentist?”
Informant: “(Laughs) No no no, well yes, kind of. Drinking Tequila gets rid of soars, pains, aches.”
Me: “When you say our, you mean?”
Informant: “Pretty much everyone I surround myself with down in Mexico. We all do it. It saves us money from going to the dentist.”
Me: “So you literally just drink Tequila. What is it the alcohol?”
Informant: “The alcohol kills the bacteria, yes. Really any liquor would do, so long as it has high contents.”
Me: “And you do it to save money, thats its value to you?”
Informant: “Yeah, the dentists where I live down there are kind of sketchy and up here too expensive. The drink won’t get rid of cavities, so we just brush our teeth better. It only takes a couple minutes twice a day. I just don’t get it that people feel the need to spare an extra few minutes when drilling cavities is much more expensive, you know what Im saying?”
Me: “Definitely. How did you hear about this way of cleaning the mouth?”
Informant: “Well one of my buddies had this raging toothache for quite some time and tried everything to get rid of it, except for the dentist of course (laughs). Then after a couple of nights of drinking it went away. This led him to doing some research online where other people reported the same phenomenon after drinking high amounts of liquor. He was convinced it worked since then and has told everyone about it. Then one day I told my mother about it and she didn’t act surprised, it was the oldest trick in the book to her. Come to find out a lot of the older crowd in town knew about this.”
Me: “Did you get a chance to ask her where she heard it from?”
Informant: “She said it was some sort of long standing tradition, but the origins were unknown.”
Me: “So you like it because it saves you money, you learned it from a friend but found out it was a long standing tradition, and it means what to you?”
Informant: “It means I don’t have to go to the dentist (laughs).”
Me: “So saving money.”
Informant: “Yeah and an excuse to get drunk.”
Me: “I had interviewed someone else about another folk medicine belief that consisted of drinking water upside down to get rid of hiccups. Part of why this informant said they liked it is because of the entertainment factor of watching others reactions to suggesting the remedy. Would you say that applies to this situation?”
Informant: “I hadn’t thought about that, but I would say that. They’re always skeptical, but its alcohol so they drink it regardless and if it works it works and they’re blown away.” 
Me: “But no sentimental value regarding the process of this?”
Informant: “Not really. We just consistently drink so that we don’t have these issues, so it no longer seems like a distinct process or ritual.”
The Analysis (My Thoughts): 
With this situation, the discovery of the folk medicine was by accident. What’s interesting about this is what sustained the practice of this remedy, beyond its consistent efficacy, is the confirmation received through what others have said online about it. Only today do we have the power to further assert our beliefs in unofficial medicine with such ease. Not only that but from perspectives across the globe. This is great in that we as people have created this global network to perpetuate the practice of DIY.
Back to this specific situation though… an economic factor seems to have reoccured when the informant described its value. The informant states that it is cheaper to drink liquor to get rid of bacteria than it is going to the dentist. Although i’m sure it works, it certainly isn’t a remedy dentists would recommend for various reasons. This does raise a question regarding folk remedies in relation to health care and low class citizens. Do citizens of this demographic practice folk medicine more frequently because of their lack of being able to pay for these sorts of things? Of course they can go to a lower tier dentist, but the quality may not be there, which is recognized why the informant. So as a result it seems they feel it is safer to just wing it with some DIY remedies. But there is always that possible occurrence where a DIY remedy goes wrong and in that circumstance there’s no one to hold accountable for the error but oneself. Not to mention long term effects of drinking alcohol which can be worse and more costly down the road than going to the dentist. Although I think for a lot of people in lower economic states all they are concerned with is the now. They’re trying to survive in the moment which will made such unofficial and cheaper practices more desirable. Because of this factor I can image lower class people may be more likely to resort to these practices than the middle or upper class.

Hiccup Cure: Drinking Water Upside Down

Nationality: American
Age: 57
Occupation: General Contractor
Residence: San Diego
Performance Date: April 21st 2016
Primary Language: English

Description (What is being performed):

When someone has the hiccups, it is said that if you drink water upside it will get rid of these hiccups. The way in which this process works is that one fills up a glass of water, puts their mouth on the glasses edge furthest from them and bend down so their head is nearly upside down. You then drink the water from the glass.

 

The Informant (Background info about performance from informant):

Me: “How did you find out about this method for getting rid of hiccups?

Informant: “To be honest I don’t really know how…Um hold on, let me think”

Me: (Interupt) “Let’s come back to that…what is it about this do you like”

Informant: “Ah, it’s always entertaining to suggest this method to people unfamiliar with it. They always doubt you and laugh at the absurdity of it, but then when they do it and it works they think they just discovered fire.”

Me: “Does it work 100% of the time?”

Informant: “No (laughs) ..and when it doesn’t these people’s shadow of doubt sticks around to say the least.”

Me: “(Laughts) I can imagine…now how about its meaning? Any significant value?

Informant: “Its value…it really acts as a form of entertainment, which has caused for many enjoyable moments of bonding between myself and  lots of people with hiccups (Laughs).

Me: “So it’s more of a social thing than it is a remedy?

Informant: “Yes and no, it definitely works (laughs)”

Me: “Anything else to add?”

Informant: “Patience is the key to it working (laughs). Sometimes you’ll have to do it 2 or 3 times.”

Me: “Gotcha, thank you for your time”

 

The Analysis (My Thoughts): 

This concept of drinking water upside down to get rid of hiccups is an interesting one. I’ve heard this suggesting from multiple people, both friends and strangers, and they all swear by it. What each of them have in common is that they either don’t remember where they heard it from or the people they heard it from don’t remember. This is something I find odd considering as the informant state that when someone discovers that is works, they act like they discovered fire. If that is the case, one tends not to forget who introduced them to such things based on how are brain reacts to profound experiences. Beyond this enigmatic factor, I’ve started to see a trend with my collections in that much of the reason for performing these folk medications or remedies is not so much based on the efficacy, although that plays a part, but also the social and legacy  aspects.