Category Archives: Folk Beliefs

Japanese Paper Doll

Nationality: Chinese, Japanese
Age: 18
Occupation: Los Angeles
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: April 2, 2017
Primary Language: English

My friend and I got to one of our classes early. While we waited I asked her if she knew any folklore. She happily gave me a legend about the Mid-Autumn Festival. She also gave me two proverbs. The last piece of folklore she gave me was a tradition she would do with her grandmother:

E: “I remember when I was younger my family and I took frequent trips to Japan. My grandma, who lived in Japan, would take me to a river about 20 minutes from where she lived. We would walk the entire way and talk, it was really nice. She would tell me about how in ancient japan, young girls would fold paper dolls called ‘ohinasama’.  The doll would collect all their bad luck as it would flow into the doll. The girls would then place the dolls in the river and let them float away. With the dolls, the bad luck would flow away too, letting the girls grow healthy and strong. Every time I visited my grandma in Japan, she would take me to do this. She stopped when I was about thirteen.”

Collector Analysis:

My friend expressed that this folk belief was essential for her grandmother’s state of mind. She explained to me how her grandmother had been raised in this tradition, so it was essential that my friend also participate in it. If my friend hadn’t, she said that her grandma would have constantly been worrying over whether or not my friend would grow to be strong and healthy. This tradition was a way of her grandma ensuring that my friend remained strong, healthy, and happy. As superstitious as the tradition may be, I enjoy the meaning behind it. This is a way for mothers or grandmothers to have some peace of mind because to them this is a way of making sure their kids will prosper.

Cut Remedy

Nationality: Hispanic
Age: 52
Occupation: High School Principal
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: April 9, 2017
Primary Language: English

My aunt was helping me learn to drive. During one of our lessons, I asked her for any natural remedies she may know:

M: “I know of a few, mainly because of your grandma. When we [my aunt and her siblings] were young, sometimes we would get small cuts behind our ears, inbetween our ears and our scalps. Your grandma would wake up and before she brushed her teeth, she would rub her saliva behind our ears which would help the cuts heal. We called this ‘Saliva Agria’ which roughly translates to ‘Sour Saliva’.”

Collector Analysis:

Again, to my aunt this is a genuine remedy for curing cuts. She experienced that cuts and the healing that came with the saliva. I do not know if this practice can be applied to any cuts as she did not specify. However, I feel like she would have mentioned if my grandma did this on other cuts as well. I am going to assume this was just for cuts that formed behind the ear. I do not know if saliva has any healing qualities so I cannot determine the validity of this particular folk belief. Also, my mom did not do this to my sister or me when we were growing up.

Ear Ache Remedy

Nationality: Hispanic
Age: 52
Occupation: High School Principal
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: April 9, 2017
Primary Language: English

My aunt was helping me learn to drive. During one of our lessons, I asked her for any natural remedies she may know:

M: “Your grandma also has a remedy for ear aches. When we were growing up, your Tio (Uncle) Armando always had ear aches. According to your grandma, when your ears ached if you put a cotton ball with either, breast milk or perfume, the pain would go away. Shes never done it to me, but your Tio (Uncle) Armando never complained.”

Collector Analysis:

My aunt witnessed my grandma performing the folk remedy many times. As she said, the remedy seemed to work on my uncle extremely well. My question is where my grandma got the breast milk or if there is a specific perfume to use? I wonder which perfume my grandma prefers to use when she does do this? I vaguely remember when I was about nine years old I got a very bad ear ache. My grandma laid me on my side and put a cotton ball with perfume, it worked like a charm. My ear ache disappeared.


					

		
		
	


	

				

			
						

				The Rain Song
			

								

			

			
Nationality: Hispanic
Age: 48
Occupation: Payroll Administrator
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: March 26, 2017
Primary Language: Spanish
Language: English
	
		

				

			
At a family dinner, I asked my mom if she could tell me any folklore. She told me the following:


M: “Que llueva, que llueva


La virgen de la cueva,


los pajaritos cantan,


la luna se levanta,


Que si, que no,


Que caiga un chaparrón.”


which translates to:


“Let it rain, let it rain,


The virgin of the cave,


The little birds sing,


The moon rises,


What if, what not,


Let a shower go down.”


Collector Analysis:


The rain song was a song my mom used to sing when she was a little girl. She sang it with a hint of nostalgia in her voice. I’ve heard her sing this song before. Growing up in Los Angeles, I didn’t experience much rain but whenever it rained a lot my mom was always by the window singing this song. It was her way of calling for more rain. As a little girl, she sang this song with her friends from her neighborhood and school. They would hold hands and spin in a circle, very similar to how young kids sing ‘ring around the rosie’. However now, my mom sings this song in an attempt to call down more rain because it reminds her of El Salvador.


I cannot even imagine my mom singing this as a little girl, but at the same time she is very fond of this song. She has taught it to several of the younger kids in our family. I found it interesting how the song incorporates nature, because El Salvador is very rural, as well as including christian images, like the virgin Mary. Even the songs my mom sang as a child were influenced by Christianity in one way or another.

					

		
		
	


	

				

			
						

				Jugo
			

								

			

			
Nationality: American
Age: 49
Occupation: financial manager
Residence: Dubrovnik, Croatia
Performance Date: 4/19/2017
Primary Language: English
Language: Croatian
	
		

				

			
Jugo


Informant: SK is my mom. She was born and raised in New York, but moved to Croatia in 2002 and has been living there ever since. Living in Dubrovnik she noticed how weather can have an effect on people. She heard this peace of folklore from a colleague at work.


 


Briefly about jugo:


Jugo or Sirocco is a mild, gentle and worm wind. It blows from the sea towards the mainland. During the winter in Dubrovnik, it can blow up to nine days, and sometimes it can take up to three weeks. When the ‘jugo’ wind drops, the sky becomes dark, cloudy, and it begins to rain, while the waves grow rapidly.


 


What’s so special about this particular wind?


 


“People are struggling with time changes, especially if ‘jugo’ is involved. In the old days and even today in some areas, the people of Dubrovnik did not marry or make important decisions during the ‘jugo’. If someone committed a crime, he would not be punished harshly.”


 


It’s was interesting to learn about jugo. It’s fascinating how superstition can go this far. Even today people still believe they are affected by jugo, but of course without the “if someone committed a crime, he would not be punished harshly” part