Category Archives: Folk Beliefs

Angel Signs (Folk belief)

“My mom does this really sweet thing where when she goes on walks she’ll pick up things that catch her eye and puts them on this shelf in her room and she calls them her angel signs. She’s picked up feathers, rocks, pinecones, stuff like that – but not just regular ones, ones that are special looking, like if they have an interesting color to them or shape or something. They make her feel like angels are watching over her. She thinks this about a lot of things, like signs from nature mean someone or something that’s passed is looking out for us – like when our pet rabbit died, she starting saying every rabbit that came into our yard was an angel sign that the rabbit was still with us. She likes to take the objects with her to bring us more protection by those angels I guess.”

My informant spoke very affectionately about her mother as she recalled this folk belief/ritual that she often partakes in. While I find complete validity in her assumption that her mother brings home these objects as a way to bring protection to the household, I wonder if she does this knowingly. My informant was quite specific about how her mother felt about these items, that they were signs from angels, but she wasn’t certain about her mother’s intentions upon bringing them home. I wonder if it is partially due to a fascination with the objects in general, mementos so that she will never forget a moment when she felt seen, protected, and closer to something spiritual.

“The Mothman” (memorate)

“When I was a kid my dad used to warn me about this thing called the ‘Mothman’, he’d tell me a story about kids that went out at night alone and we’re snatched up by a half man, half moth creature.”

My informant has never met anyone else who grew up with this narrative, but she stressed to me that kids shouldn’t go out alone or else “he’d get ya.”

“If you see red glowing eyes in the dark, then you’d better run, that’s a warning he’s there.”

Her father would tell her this as an encouragement to not wonder off alone as a child, especially when the sun went down. “I was such a little shit back then” she told me. Her dad was never sure what antics she would get up to, so he stressed this story to her in order to prevent any runaway thoughts.

As opposed to telling her about the true dangers of wandering off alone in the night, he instead decided to tell her about a make believe creature. I find this interesting cause the reality of what could happen is just as scary, if not more frightening then a “moth man” (in my opinion), but I also agree that these kinds of narratives, ones with outlandish concepts, are more effective than ones rooted in reality with children.

Big Sur Ghost Myth

Ghost Story: 

In Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park lies the cabin of John Pfeiffer, the founder of the State Park. He lived in a cabin with his family nearly 200 years ago, and it still stands, rickety and weathered, in the forest along the Big Sur River. It is said that his ghost still lives in the cabin and haunts the campers who set foot on the cabin at night, so the campers must stay away from the area and cannot hike up to the cabin if they want to avoid being haunted.

Context: 

The informant grew up hearing this ghost story told whenever she would camp in Big Sur over the summer. The story would be told by family, friends, and soon all of the parents of the children that she camped with. It became a tradition to tell this ghost story around the campfire at night, and then hike to the house to scare the children.

Analysis: 

This ghost story is a prime example of society’s fascination with the paranormal. If this ghost story was actually true, wouldn’t the campers want to stay away from the cabin to avoid being haunted? Instead, many people seem to chase ghosts, and often try to perform the act that these ghost stories specifically warn them not to. This shows that people are more interested in the thrill of ghost stories and the paranormal than they are actually afraid of ghosts. This could also be because ghost stories do not have a very high truth value; most people who “believe” in ghosts might not actually anticipate seeing one. Rather, it is more the concept of the paranormal that they want to believe than their actual expectation of being haunted by a ghost.

Haunted Mansion Myth

Text: 

It is believed that Greystone Manor in Los Angeles, California is haunted and filled with ghosts.

Context:

The informant heard this myth from his coworkers in Los Angeles. He has heard that the mansion is filled with ghosts, and that it has a very suspicious history. Like most historic houses, it is believed to be haunted.

Analysis:

There are many myths about historic homes and other buildings being haunted, and Greystone Manor is a prime example. Society seems to have a very strong fascination with the paranormal and any possibility of ghosts and hauntings. This fascination begs the question of why we are so drawn to the things that are meant to frighten us. After all, many ghost stories tell us specifically what NOT to do to avoid being haunted; even going to houses that are supposedly “haunted”. However, ghost stories have the reverse effect and often encourage us to seek out the ghosts that the stories warn us about. 

This reverse psychology exemplifies the deep curiosity that much of society has about what happens after we pass on. Believing in ghosts and hauntings might give us some sort of comfort, because it tells us that we are never really gone. In seeking out ghosts and ghost stories, we feel like we have more involved in the mystery of our existence and consciousness as well. 

Hiccup Remedy

Folk Medicine/Remedy:

When someone has hiccups, they should drink water hunching over from the farthest side of the glass, and then the hiccups will go away. 

Context: 

The informant learned this folk remedy from her father when she was very young. She doesn’t have many home remedies within her family, so she always remembers this one very vividly whenever she has hiccups. She also remembers very vividly the times that her father helped her with this remedy growing up.

Analysis:

This, like many different folk remedies and medicines, is not easily proven to work through science. Regardless, the informant says that it has always worked for her. Whether this folk remedy is placebo or has truth to it, it tells us that the remedies that families and communities pass on to each other stick around not only because of their proven effectiveness as a cure or remedy, but also because of the memories that they create and how they bring people together. 

This folk remedy is an example of a ritual that carries just as much value in its effect of bringing groups together as it does in actually serving its original purpose. Further, remedies like this hiccup remedy continue to be passed on, again, not just because of their effectiveness in curing hiccups, but because of the sense of identity and community with which they provide their practitioners with the memories made in the act of sharing them.