Category Archives: Folk Beliefs

Rule of Threes

Nationality: American
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Corona, CA
Performance Date: 4/25/17
Primary Language: English

The interview will be depicted by initials. The Interviewer is QB and the interview is JT.

QB: Alright so what is this superstition you were telling me about?

 

JT: Well in my family, especially my mom, we all believe that bad things or bad news come in threes. So if someone has something bad happen to them theres sort of an expectation that its going to happen to at least two other people or two other things are going to happen, and that everyone kind of relaxes once that third bad thing comes. And we’ll…like…go pretty far in figuring out what those three are. So if someone gets bad news, like their car is damaged, then it could be that someone else forgot something and then someone else has to chime in with a third bad thing that happened so we have sort of the three and no one has to worry anymore.

Analysis: Like others the rule of three with the students family takes place with bad things. However, this differs as the rule can be applied to ANY negative thing that strikes. It is also interesting how far in depth they will go to make the three negative attributes complete the cycle.

Horseshoe in the Garage

Nationality: American
Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: California
Performance Date: 4/25/17
Primary Language: English

The interview will be depicted by initials. The Interviewer is QB and the interview is BL.

QB: What was this story you were telling everyone?

 

BL: So my dad had a horseshoe in the garage for many many years and he was told by multiple people that because his horseshoe was facing downwards that his luck was spilling out of the horseshoe, and so he needed to turn it upwards so his luck would be filled within the horseshoe.

Analysis: Even though this was not the students direct lucky charm, it still had a profound effect on the student themselves. The horseshoe effected the entire family’s luck and now the horseshoe is filled completely up with the family’s luck. I think it shows how just owning the lucky charm can effect how a person feels about their luck.

La Llorona

Nationality: Spanish American
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: California
Performance Date: 4/25/17
Primary Language: English
Language: Spanish

The interview will be depicted by initials. The Interviewer is QB and the interview is AM.

QB: So do you have any folklore stories that you learned while you were younger?

AM: Yeah. So I’m from Mexico and we have this story called La Llorona, which means “The Crier, and basically the tales goes…there’s this lady who had some children and she was like crazy. And so she got them…she put them all in her car and she drove into the lake and they all died so she regretted it. And now legend says she…like…walks around with this crazy wet hair and cries out for her children because she wants to find them and say sorry.

Analysis: Compared to the many “La Llorona” stories studied within the ANTH 333 class, this one differs due to the fact that it is more focused on La Llorona herself. The student never mentioned the fact that children would be taken in the night, but was only told the story at face value and only believes that their is a lady looking for her children. It is interesting to note that the story is still told for children to fear, but not for being taken.

Family of Clairvoyants

Nationality: American
Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: California
Performance Date: 4/25/17
Primary Language: English

The interview will be depicted by initials. The Interviewer is QB and the interview is RT.

QB: What was this interesting thing about your family?

RT: Ok…so every first born of every third generation in my family is born with psychic abilities. And they vary depending upon random factors, so we have ones that are clairvoyant and ones that can sense past events at random places. So my grandmother was the last one in the family lineage because it’ll be my older brothers first born who is the next one, but she was in the house that my mother spent part of her high school time growing up in and she got up to go use the bathroom in the middle of the night and saw this old woman in a rocking chair in their spare room. And she got up and my grandmother followed her down the hall to the top of the stairs, and this old woman pushed her down the stairs. And then ,after that, things got more and more intense. Not in just that house, but her visions in general.

Analysis: Apart from the interesting ghost story told by the student’s grandmother, it is also interesting to note that the student seems to believe the continuation of this gift within the family lineage. Even with the dark tales that the student’s grandmother went through, the student still expects their older brothers child to have this psychic ability. It is also interesting that the family has these powers on a scale. Perhaps it is a better way for them to group the random happenings into one understandable statement.

Black Cat

Nationality: American
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Carona, CA
Performance Date: 4/25/17
Primary Language: English

The interview will be depicted by initials. The Interviewer is QB and the interview is JT.

 

QB: Any other superstitions your family follows?

 

JT: Yeah, it is super cheesy but the whole black cat crossing the road is pretty big with us too. One time I remember my mom and I literally went…like…15 minutes out of the way just because of one stupid cat. While I’m at school I don’t follow it, but whenever I am home it certainly happens.

 

Analysis: Even though the student doesn’t seem to take it seriously, it is interesting to note that the student still participates in the superstition with their family. They do admit to not doing it while out here at school, but the belief is so strong at home they continue the tradition.