Category Archives: Folk Beliefs

The Faceless Ghost

Nationality: United States
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 4/5/2023
Primary Language: English

Text

“This happened back in 2021 and it was when me and my friend were having our own dorming experience up in Santa Barbara. One night my friend woke to a man-like voice. We had curtains in the room dividing the room, and she saw a hand grabbing a curtain. At first, she thought it was me but she looked over and I was asleep. She called my name to wake me up and told me that she saw someone’s hand on the curtain. I said I didn’t see anything and I went back to sleep. She later said that the ghost showed his face and it didn’t even look like a person. It was a really tall figure, almost like monster-ish. It looked at her and it said one word and the one word it said was “shoe.” We didn’t know if that meant a real shoe or shoo, get away. This freaked her out and she started crying and woke me up again. The next day she was so scared and she said that we needed to sage the house. I got an incense-type stick and I lit it and walked through the house and asked any ghosts to leave the house. She didn’t see anything after this.”

Context

The informant was a person in the story. The informant wasn’t the one who saw the ghost but she helped participate in preventing the ghost from coming back by sageing the room. The informant was in the same room as the ghost and the informant’s friend originally thought that the ghost’s hand was the informant’s hand. The informant stated that she felt uneasy being in the same room as a ghost. The informant says that her friend is susceptible to paranormal activity and that’s why the ghost was there. The informant noted that it was just her and her friend in the house.

Analysis

I didn’t know what to make of this story so I started by researching what a ghost pulling back a curtain could mean. This action is open to interpretation but one of the most popular ways to interpret this is that it’s a way that ghosts are saying they want to make contact with the living. The other thing to note is that the ghost didn’t have a face. Faceless ghosts may represent a fear of the unknown or a sense of loss/disconnect from oneself or others. A faceless ghost may also mean that the person died without receiving justice. The faceless appearance is a sign of their anger. This appearance is usually associated with fear and dread of the unknown. 

The informant stated that this happened in 2021, which was still the COVID-19 time. A lot of people were feeling uneasy leaving the period of quarantine and starting to get back to life as we knew it. There were a lot of unknowns at this point. I’m not sure if this is related to what the informant and her friend were feeling at the time but it could be a possibility. Maybe this is why the ghost was faceless. 

The informant’s friend described the ghost as monstrous and tall. This may tie into how sometimes a faceless appearance may be a sign of anger. If I saw this ghost I would probably think of either anger or fear. Maybe the friend was fearful because she was away from home. It’s hard to say what the ghost meant but the ghost’s appearance is very intriguing. 

Ghost from the 1800s

Nationality: United States
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 4/5/2023
Primary Language: English

Text

“My mom and dad went to Santa Barbara and they stayed at this old hotel, it wasn’t really known for having ghosts but my mom is super susceptible to ghosts. They checked into this room and my mom already got pretty bad vibes from it. She felt uneasy. When she went to sleep she kept having nightmares and then she woke up and on top of her there was this man with a hat and glasses and a suit. She started screaming and my dad woke up and he couldn’t see him. And she kept telling the ghost “Go away you’re not wanted here” and he did go away. And then the next night she saw him again but he was standing in the corner watching her. She told him to go away and he finally went away for good. She says that the ghost was dressed like he was from the 1800s.”

Context

The informant heard this story from her mom right after her parents came back from the trip. The informant trusts her mom and is very close with her mom so she believes she’s telling the truth. The informant made a point to talk about the clothes that the ghost was wearing. The ghost was dressed like he was in the 1800s. That could have some significance. 

Analysis

I don’t know why a man from the 1800s would haunt the informant’s mom. The first thing that comes to my mind is the Gold Rush that happened in the 1800s. Gold was discovered in California in 1848 and this spurred a lot of development in areas, including Santa Barbara. Maybe the ghost was a businessman who had moved to the area and passed away. Maybe the ghost was looking for the gold and he’s haunting the area because he still wants the gold. It’s interesting that the informant’s mom felt uneasy from the beginning because it was as if she could sense something. Maybe the informant’s mom had some sort of unknown connection to the ghost.

After further research, there are a few spots in Santa Barbara that are prone to paranormal activity. Some of these locations are the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, the Lobero Theatre, the Santa Barbara Inn, the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. I don’t know if any of these locations have anything to do with the informant’s story, but there is proof of paranormal activity in the city. 

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.