Category Archives: Folk Beliefs

Grandma the Ghost

Nationality: United States
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 4/5/2023
Primary Language: English
Language: Chinese

Text

“Near my house, there’s this really creepy entrance by the street. A lot of cars get into car crashes on that specific road. My best friend’s grandma passed away in a car crash near that entrance and every time she drives by she swears she sees her grandma as a ghost.”

Context

The informant heard about this story from her friend and trusts what her friend said. The informant is familiar with this entrance because it’s close to her house, but she has never personally experienced paranormal activity in the street. The informant interprets this as maybe a place where the deceased can watch over their loved ones since it’s on a road with a lot of crashes. 

Analysis

I think this story is about how the grandma watches over her granddaughter. She wants her granddaughter to be safe on the same road that she died on. She’s almost like a guardian angel. I honestly find this story comforting. I know that it’s considered a ghost story but to me, the grandma is peacefully watching over the granddaughter. I know that I would love to see my grandma again, even as a ghost. I hope that my grandma is watching over me, but I would like to see it happen. However, we could also view this story in a darker tone. Maybe the grandma is haunting the street entrance. Maybe she’s trying to warn people. Maybe she’s trying to send a message about something. 

New Years in Brazil

Text:

In Brazil over New Years, everyone wears white and goes to the beach to throw white flowers and candles into the ocean on January 1. The story behind this was when African slaves arrived in Brazil they had to give up all of their gods and goddesses. As a replacement for Iemanja, their goddess of the sea and patron of women and children, they chose the Virgin Mary. So these flowers and candles are not actually for the Virgin Mary but to Iemanja. This is actually a pagan ritual but during the enslavement of Africans in Brazil the it was disguised to be a Christian new years tradition, dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Context:

K.L. went to Brazil during new years in the 1990s and participated in this tradition with his friends. He explained, ”I thought it was interesting how the enslaved Africans were able to keep part of their culture alive by disguising it. But now it’s well known that it’s not really a traditional Christian custom in Brazil, but to honor Iemanja“.

Interpretation:

Looking further into the tradition, the flowers and candles thrown into the ocean are meant as offerings to Iemanja to grant their wishes. If the flowers or candles drift back to you the wish will not be granted. I think the color white is worn to symbolize being reborn (over the new year). The flowers and candles are white for the wish’s purity. And the candle is lit to represent the light and hopefulness of the wish. The wish is taking on physical form through flowers and a candle and given to Iemanja, the ocean. This is homeopathic magic, using colors and gestures to imitate how a wish is granted during a special time of the year.

Girl’s Day

Text:

On March 3 in Japan there is a festival called Hinamatsuri celebrating young girls primarily under the age of 10. This unofficial holiday prays for the health and prosperity of all young girls. Traditionally the festival made young girls dress up in kimonos and make dolls out of straw or paper. Then releasing the dolls in a small constructed boat on a river, allowing any bad luck to float away with the doll. To celebrate families will display porcelain dolls dressed in decorative robes to imitate the ancient imperial court.

Context:

M.S. celebrated this festival growing up in Japan and continued to celebrate it once she moved to the United Sates, but instead for her daughter and not herself anymore. She and my mom (M.S.’s daughter) participated because they thought it was fun and didn’t exactly believe the meaning that releasing the dolls down a river will get rid of their ”bad luck”.

Analysis:

I think the dolls are a form of both contagious and homeopathic magic because the dolls are supposed to mimic the girl making the doll, in order for any bad luck lingering around the girl to transfer to the doll. The girl creates the doll forming an instant connection which tricks the bad energy. As the doll floats down the river it imitates the negative energy attaching to the doll leaving the young girl. The holiday date is also important to note, as March 3rd is the third month of the year on the third day of the month. That is no coincidence as women and girls are a very important part of society, they need a special day. This day ensures that young girls are healthy enough to grow up and create the next generation.

Family New Years Traditions

Text:

Each new year E.F.’s family (usually the youngest members) eats 12 grapes under a table at midnight for good luck in the new year. During this time the women wear red underwear to find love in the next year. In addition the whole family would walk around their home with luggage to manifest traveling in upcoming year.

Context:

E.F. was introduced to her family’s Columbian New Years customs growing up. She told me, “ I understand why we do our New Year’s tradition, to bring luck or romance or travel into our lives during the new year. It’s like manifestation. But I’m not really sure why we eat 12 grapes under a table, that’s always confused me”.

Analysis:

I think the the 12 grapes represent either the 12 months of the year or the 12 disciples of Christ, since the tradition has Catholic Spanish roots. The grapes are eaten possibly because they are connected to wine and celebration, signifying good luck. Eating the 12 grapes under a table might be to focus on positive intentions when eating, getting in the right headspace. In my friend’s second tradition I can easily understand why the women specifically wear red underwear to attract love. Women’s colors are white, red, and black, and the color red symbolizes the romantic (reproductive) stage in a woman’s life. Red underwear especially emphasizes romance in a woman’s life. Finally my friend’s third new years custom imitates the action of traveling by pulling out the suitcases and walking around, simulating being on vacation. These are all examples of homeopathic magic, by having non physical ideas being represented by physical objects in order to imitate a desired outcome in the new year.

Sleep paralysis

Text (memorate): 

“My grandmother used to say when I had sleep paralysis that meant that ‘the witches are riding you.’”

Context: 

A is from Texas and comes from a spiritual, religious background. Her grandmother is very superstitious and she recalls this supernatual explaination her grandmother had on sleep paralysis.

My Informants grandmother would say that this means the “witches are riding you” (they are on top of you trying to steal your energy) and you need to start praying to get it so stop. When in the trance like states she describes it as really quiet as if everything in the room had gone silent. Her grandmother, born and raised in Louisiana was very spiritual and believed in both good and bad spirits.

A: “In High school, I would have numerous occasions where they would get into a deep sleep and couldn’t wake up. Sometimes they couldn’t open their eyes, and sometimes they could but they weren’t able to move or speak. After a period of time they would eventually jump up out of the bed. After I’d wake myself up my grandmother would say that this means the “witches are riding you.”

Q: “What does this mean exactly?”

A: “My grandmother said this meant that they are on top of you trying to steal your energy and you need to start praying to get it so stop. When I’m in these trance like states it is really quiet like everything in the room had gone silent.”

Analysis: 

This text exemplifies a blend of a memorate and superstition as a seemingly natural phenomenon such as sleep paralysis is reasoned through the belief in supernatural existence such as witches. As described when “the witches are riding you” this really means the spirits are on top of you trying to drain your energy. This is a form of contagious magic where things that were once in contact can continue to act on one another as described by Frazer. The spirits of witches believed to be on top of my informant during her sleep paralysis were in contact with her and thus saying a prayer would be a valid form of contagious magic to protect oneself against the negative spiritual hold. My informants grandmother had a strong faith in spiritual belief and practices as they are from Louisiana where spiritual practices such as voodoo were common thus this is a common motif with Louisianan and African cultural influences. This is a practice is likely to have originated as a way to explain phenomena such as these before the emergence of modern medicine. This also can be classified as a superstition given it is a belief not based on scientific reasoning but rather myth and cultural tradition. It’s important to keep in mind, however, that just because something is not based on scientific evidence, that doesn’t undermine its truth value as scientific belief is not equivalent to truth.