Category Archives: Folk Beliefs

Theatrical Folklore: The Macbeth Curse – “The Scottish Play”

In theatre folklore, it is considered bad luck to say the name “Macbeth” inside a theater unless one is performing the play. Instead, actors and crew refer to it as “The Scottish Play” to avoid invoking misfortune. The belief is that uttering the name in a theater will bring accidents, technical failures, or even personal injury.

If someone accidentally says “Macbeth,” there are traditional rituals to reverse the curse, which often include:

  • Stepping outside the theater, spinning around three times, and spitting over one’s shoulder.
  • Reciting a line from another Shakespeare play, often from Hamlet or A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
  • Knocking on wood or performing other symbolic actions to cleanse the bad luck.

Many theater professionals follow this superstition, even if they do not fully believe in it, simply out of tradition and respect for the craft. 

I first heard about this superstition from M, the music director at my church, who has a strong background in both music and theater. He brought it up during our conversation. M explained that many actors and stage crews take the “Macbeth” curse seriously and will quickly perform a ritual if someone accidentally says the name inside a theater. He also mentioned that he has witnessed productions where, after someone said “Macbeth,” things started going wrong—props went missing, technical difficulties occurred, or performers forgot lines.

M sees the superstition as part of the camaraderie of the theater world, where traditions help create a sense of shared identity and respect for past performers. Even though he personally doesn’t believe in the curse, he follows the tradition out of habit and to avoid making fellow performers uneasy. The superstition surrounding Macbeth is an example of folklore that persists within professional communities, shaping behavior and reinforcing tradition. This belief connects modern theater practitioners to centuries-old customs, creating a sense of continuity in the performing arts.

There are several theories about the origin of the “Macbeth curse”:

  • One suggests that Shakespeare included real witches’ spells in the play, angering supernatural forces.
  • Another theory is that the play’s themes of violence, betrayal, and ambition create a chaotic energy, leading to an increase in accidents on stage.
  • Historically, Macbeth was often performed when a theater was struggling financially, leading to an association between the play and bad luck.

Psychologically, the curse may also function as a self-fulfilling prophecy—actors who believe in it may become anxious, increasing the likelihood of mistakes, which then reinforce belief in the superstition. This pattern reflects a broader human tendency to attribute misfortune to external forces rather than coincidence or human error. Beyond superstition, the tradition of avoiding “Macbeth” shows how rituals and beliefs create a shared cultural identity within a professional community. Even in a modern, rational world, folklore continues to thrive, especially in artistic settings, offering performers a sense of connection to those who came before them. Whether taken seriously or treated as a humorous ritual, the belief in “The Scottish Play” remains an enduring part of theater culture.

Date_of_performance: 2/24/25
Language: English
Nationality: American
Occupation: Teacher
Primary Language: English
Residence: San Francisco, CA

“Many will fall at your side but you will not be touched”

Nationality: American
Age: 47
Residence: Glendale, Arizona
Language: English

Text: “Many will fall at your side but you will not be touched”

Context: “When talking to someone, it is an encouragement. It is a protection, like enemies will fall but you will not be struck down. They will say negative things about you but you will be protected. Like people who pretend to be your friends but will want negative things to happen to you.” 

Analysis: This proverb is a blessing and a reference to angels in order to wish protection on someone who is struggling with personal relationships. It is also a show of support for a person’s journey and wishes them luck, that no harm will come their way. A possible interpretation of this could be in reference to fallen angels, as other people will reap their own consequences and the individual does not have a responsibility to fall down with them. This double meaning strengthens the intended protection and transforms the saying into prayer.

Healing frogs

AGE

21

Date_of_performance

2/23/25

Language

English

Nationality

American

Occupation

Student

Primary Language

Spanish

Residence

San Martin, CA

Folk Speech: sana sana, colita de rana si no sanas hoy, sanaras manana

Translation: heal, heal, little frog’s tail. If you don’t feel better today, you’ll feel better tomorrow

Context + Text: The individual is my roommate in college for the past 4 years. The informant is from Mexican descent and when he was a little boy, his grandma would say this to him whenever he was sick. He never really understood what it meant, but it had been said to him since he could remember, and he believes that it actually healed him. “When I finally got old enough to understand what was being said, I got a little confused and asked my grandma why this was a cultural saying”, he explains. “She told me it was a little bit of nonsense, but it was a little silly rhyme that kids could learn.” When I asked him how he feels about it today, he said it was his favorite thing to say whenever he was sick, and he would beg his mom to buy little frog plush toys whenever they were at the store. “I built a collection of 12 little frogs, and every time I got sick, I used to sleep with them hoping their tails would heal me.” I then asked him if he still had them, and he said “Of course, I still get sick today and my kids one day will need them!”

Analysis: This little folk saying stems from Latin American culture, and it turned into a belief for little children that a frog’s tail truly had healing powers. The short version of the saying it simply “heal, heal, little frog’s tail”, calling for the child to heal from the powers of the little frog. The longer version provides a better explanation, that if you are not healed by tonight, tomorrow will heal you. It falls along with parental advice that if you sleep while sick, you will always feel better when you wake up. The short version is what many of the kids learned as it was just easier to remember, and in the original Spanish version it rhymes. We have seen that rhymes are easier to remember, especially for children. 

Sleep with Jesus and the Angels

Nationality: Mexican-American
Occupation: Student, Business
Residence: Los Angeles, California
Language: English

Informant: “My mom would say ‘sleep with Jesus and the angels’ ever since I was a kid. It definitely has roots in Christianity; my mom is pretty religious. I think it made her feel better having put us to bed saying that. But also to get us to think about god and have it on our minds when we go to bed. She used to always say the first thing you should do in the morning and the last thing at night is pray. The Jesus and the angels part, I guess, has to do with the guardian angels watching over us. Knowing that we’re protected and taken care of.”

Context: The informant’s mother would say this to him when tucking him into bed. Both the informant and his mother are Christians, and his mom is fairly devout. He interprets it as his mom’s way of blessing him before bed and getting him to become closer to God. He also believes that a piece of this was rooted in his mom’s own worry. She wanted to ensure their safety and entrusted it to God.

Analysis: This seems to be a religious saying that the informant’s mother would use to bless their child before bed. However, this saying also serves the purpose of teaching children that they can trust God to watch over them and put their faith in him for protection. It lovingly solidifies the family’s belief system.

A Social Curse – “The Cheese Touch”

Taken from audio recording:

“Informant:
Yeah, that makes sense. I know you mentioned this earlier, but the “cheese touch” was a huge thing at my school because Diary of a Wimpy Kid was filmed at my middle school.

Pearson:
No way.

Informant:
Yeah! So in middle school, the “cheese touch” was a real thing. It wasn’t even actual cheese, but more like the cooties thing—someone would “have” the cheese touch, and everyone would avoid them. The kid who played Greg Heffley, I think he actually went to my middle school, and his dad worked in the school system. So it was an even bigger deal for us.”

Analysis:

I experienced the “cheese touch” as “cooties” when I was in elementary school and some of middle school. I think it’s super interesting how this movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid had such a big impact on so many schools, especially the one my informant went to because the movie was filmed at their middle school. I’m sure it felt way more real for them. I think the idea is really interesting. Honestly, I don’t really understand it and didn’t really back then either. I guess “cooties” and the “cheese touch” are a little different. “cooties” was more of a gender vs. gender thing at my school versus the “cheese touch” being more about socially isolating someone for whatever reason. The “cool kids” in school wouldn’t be the ones getting the “cheese touch” while “cooties” in my school didn’t have that kind of social hierarchy restriction. I feel like the “cheese touch” is used more as a way to even further alienate kids that aren’t very popular and that’s a horrible thing. It, to me, is like another form of bullying and that’s really sad.

Age: 20

Date of performance: Told to me on February 13, 2025. Popularized after the 2007 “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”

Language: English

Nationality: American

Occupation: Student at USC

Primary Language: English

Residence: From California, lives somewhere in the Los Angeles area