Category Archives: Folk Beliefs

The fallen god that came

Age: 19

Myth

 

Primary Language- English

Secondary Language- Spanish

Occupation- UC Merced Student

Residence- Los Angeles, CA

Date of Performance- 4/23/16

 

In UC Merced, we live a few miles away from Central Valley that has an interesting myth. The myth of the fallen god that came. The fallen god came to the people of Merced saw that their agricultural skills were not great and decided to help them. He told them where to plant raisins and how. He said that if they would listen to him, the agriculture on the land would be magnificent by years end. After the people planted the raisins and waited for them to grow, the Central Valley became a rich land known for its amazing agriculture. No one knows why or how the raisins made the ground fertile for plantation but a lot of them seem to believe it was because of the fallen god that came.

Lucy is from Los Angeles, California but currently resides in UC Merced which is still in California but different from Los Angeles because of the community. She learned this myth while living in a new community and engaging with the traditions, legends, and myths around Merced. Most freshman students have learned the myth by living on campus or through their professors. The myth is special to her because it is a significant part of UC Merced history. She herself thought the myth was silly but it is what makes her a unique bobcat, which is a mascot of UC Merced.

The story is a deep and central part to UC Merced’s history. Many professors and room advisors get the students together, sometimes in a camp fire, and reminisce on the story. It is a great way to pass time and embrace the kids with some native folklore.

These types of myths are what can bring a community together. True or not, the myth may have served as a placebo effect for the community because when they believed their agriculture was definitely going to grow with flying colors, they worked harder and planted more than usual. This may have been the actual reason their agriculture improved. A promising community could have been laid through folklore. The belief created has been passed down for many years and fermented communities and students even today. Myths, the supposed reason for the start of the universe or planet, whether it is believed or not, there have been many instances such as the fallen god that are responsible for some communities we have today.

 

Never Coming Back Twice

Age: 18

Superstition

 

Primary Language- English

Name- Quinn Blades

Occupation- USC Student

Residence- Kansas City, Missouri

Date of Performance- 4/25/16

In my family, every time we leave the house, we never come back the same way twice. So if I leave the house, come back, leave again, there is no way in hell I can come back the same way if I forget another thing. If I ever do, it’s automatic bad luck and no one to reverse it. I saw my dad start this superstition ever since I could remember and it has stuck with me since.

Quinn is from Kansas City and his father is also born there, but the superstition was created from his own father. Quinn does not know why his father does it or why, but he does not that he will receive bad luck if he comes back the same way twice. He does not follow the tradition at USC but when ge gets home, the superstition sets in. It is also a nice way to think of his father who is many states away from him.

Once you leave your home, you can never come back the same way twice or else it is bad luck. It is very simple and serious to Quinn’s father.

I believe that the superstitions that people follow without knowing the reason are some of the most interesting. It can start a whole chain of followers simply because one person is doing it and others begin to follow due to family ties or friendship. Except some of these superstitions are followed in certain places because how else would you get into a place with one entrance. Of course some people follow the superstition no matter what such as Quinn’s father. He would rather just leave what he left than to go back twice.

 

Sana Sana, colita de rana

Age: 45

Proverb

 

Nationality- Mexico

Primary Language- Spanish

Occupation- Construction Worker

Residence- Los Angeles, CA

Date of Performance- 3/17/16

 

Sana sana, colita de rana, si no sana hoy, sanera manana.

Translation- There there, ass of a frog, if it does not feel better today, it will tomorrow

This proverb was told by Francisco Garcia, he has heard it from hundreds of people in his city Zacatecas, Mexico. He typically heard it when he was a child and injured himself. A lot of times, they could not afford medicine or any treatment so his parents would just chant the proverb and he would believe he would feel better and stop crying. He knows that a lot of people from different cultures use the same proverb in order to let their child know that the pain and injury is not permanent because it will heal and feel better the next day. He first heard it when he was about 4 or 5 years old and has told it to other children as well as his own. If he ever comes in contact with a child that has  hurt himself, many times all it takes is saying the proverb and the child will cease to cry or feel hurt.

When Francisco had said the proverb, he says it with a smile on his face to let the listener who that he is smiling because he knows everything will be okay. You usually have to rub the spot that is in pain or their head and maybe say it multiple times if it really hurts until they stop sobbing or focusing on the pain.

Francisco is from Mexico and has heard it many times where he is from. I have heard it hundreds of times as well as a child when I would injure myself. My mother, auntie or any other close relative would chant the proverb to me and I felt that I was going to be okay despite the pain. My mother and auntie are from Honduras and they have heard it when they were children as well. The proverb has almost been to every Latin American Country and has spread to the United States. That is amazing since it is just one sentence that has been able to travel so far and serve as a placebo for many children. The chant has not changed much either since it is very simple and difficult to alter.

San Simon

Age: 44

Tradition

 

Primary Language- Spanish

Secondary Language- English

Occupation- Factory Worker

Residence- Honduras

Date of Performance- 4/11/16

There is saint named San Simon that came from Guatemala. It is said that he grants your wishes if you pray and praise him. So what I do is buy a candle in his honor, typically in a store that sells a ton of candles, put it on top of a pan with leaves and burn the leaves along with the candle. I then have to walk around the whole house repeating my wish in order for him to hear my wish. I have to make sure I spread the smoke around the house in order for it to work. This then leaves his aroma and leaves good luck, fortune, and money for anyone in the house.

Wendy is from Honduras but currently resides in Los Angeles, California. She learned this ritual while researching saints that grant wishes. Her family was in a tough financial situation and she could not do enough to support them so she decided to praise and pray for San Simon. Her daughter’s father was from Guatemala and he told her about the saint and his powers for wish granting. She bought candles for him and began to praise him hoping that he would help her. After her first attempt, she ended up getting a better job where she would clean office buildings. The job was not magnificent but it was enough to help her family in Honduras more. Coincidence or not, this opportunity founded her faith for San Simon and has made her perform the ritual for years on.

When performing the ritual, you must acquire the materials and spread San Simons aroma around the entire household so when you walk around the house, little by little, your chances of San SImon answering your prayers increase.

Although many know that it may not work all the time, people still keep attempting the ritual until it does because their hope never fades. If it happens once, then people will take the slightest chance they can get and keep performing for San Simon. The ritual is mostly performed by people from Central America. Countries like Guatemala where it originated, Mexico, Honduras, and Salvador. The belief within saints spreads as some people believe or do anything to get a wish granted. The ritual did not pass on well to a person such as myself because it seemed as you were playing the lottery. There seemed to be no difference between wasting money for the slight chance of money or fortune when you also have a small chance for the same earning when you buy a lottery ticket. It is thoughts like these that can end rituals of this type with the next generation, but the folklore will always still be present in countries like Guatemala.

Reeves, Benjamin. “The Drunken, Devilish Mayan God Still Worshipped in Guatemala | VICE | United States.” VICE. N.p., 18 Dec. 2013. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.

http://www.vice.com/read/worshipping-at-the-altar-of-maximn-the-drunken-devilish-mayan-god-beloved-in-guatemala

Another iteration where San Simon is revered as a devilish mayan god.

 

Dia del Indio

Age: 19

Traditional Dance

 

Primary Language- English

Secondary Language- Spanish

Occupation- Student at LA Cal State

Residence- Los Angeles

Date of Performance- 4/19/16

My dad is from Salvador and has a dance tradition his people do every year. It is called Dia del Indio where a bunch of people get together and dance. It basically the same thing as a festival because they have a lot of food, games, and dances. Everybody dresses up as an indian, the girls wear big colorful dresses that reach their feet, men wear shirts with shapes as a design, their shoes are made out of thick rubber, and they have straw hats. The point of the festival is to coronate the new queen of the region in Salvador. She represents the state and has to show her people that she is more than just a pretty face. The tradition is repeated every year and ends with the queen dancing with the king.

Anderson’s father told him about this dance when his father was looking at videos of the dance. He was intrigued and wanted to know what it was about. His father told him about the tradition and that he used to go to many festivals while he was in Salvador. Anderson has never been to Salvador but he has learned quite a bit from his parents. He likes hearing about the traditional dance because it is strange and interesting to hear since his father and mother have lived through it while has lived through something completely different.

When performing the dance or attending the festival, you have to be wearing the correct attire which consist of big dresses for girls and straw hats and rubber shoes for men. If you do not wear the correct clothes, people will think you are weird or disrespecting the day.

I always find these types of traditions immensely interesting because it’s fascinating to see how a dance or ritual can cement something sacred. Although the salvadorians dress up as Indians, according to some of my high school peers, they also have a similar dance but it is used to increase their chances of having rain for their agriculture. While one dance is used to ask a god for rain for their plants, another is used to coronate the next queen of a region. Anderson has no idea how to actually perform the dance and has never seen it in person but still knows the meaning behind it and can recognize it if he ever saw it. Chances are he will not pass it on to his children because he might never see the need or want to, his parents might end up educating them about it since almost anyone who is from Salvador knows about Dia del Indio.