Category Archives: Folk Beliefs

Family Hamsa

Nationality: Algerian, American
Occupation: Student
Residence: Champaign, Illinois
Language: English

TE has a family heirloom in his pendant necklace, which he says is a hamsa. This necklace was given to him by his father last year. When not wearing it, he keeps it by his front door. The necklace is said to prevent evil spirits and bad luck from harming its wearer.

TE is unsure of the origins of the hamsa, saying its either a part of his culture as either north African or from Islamic roots. This necklace came from his father, who was born and raised in Algeria, and TE is pretty sure that it was passed down from generations upon receiving it last year. As a piece of his cluture, TE is very proud of his hamsa and wears it almost every day.

This necklace is a piece of tradition from either North Africa or Islam, and helps TE connect with parts of their heritage they come from. As part North African, he feels a responsibility to honor his familial roots, especially seeing how this necklace has been directly passed down to him from his father. The ancestral connection to this necklace may be why it is said to ward off evil spirits, as the spirits of his ancestors are protecting him as they did his father before him. While speaking to TE, it was clear that in the year since receiving the pendant, he cared deeply about it and made sure to take care of it. The deep respect for his past was solidified in his hamsa, and thefolkloric tradition of passing it down makes its significance personal for TE. As a piece of protection, TE didn’t seem to necessarily believe that it would ward off evil spirits, but was of the impression that it was far better safe than sorry in regards to its spiritual powers. The notion that it wasn’t belief of spirits, but rather lack of evidence to disprove spirits, is an interesting as it shows the trust in their heritage, drawing upon the beliefs of those before him as indication of its efficacy. This necklace is a strong piece of contagious magic, requiring the user to physically wear it to appreciate its effects, or to hang it up by the front door when protecting the home from spirits entering.

Olive Oil Cure-All

Nationality: Algerian, American
Residence: Champaign, Illinois
Language: English

Whenever TE is sick with any ailment of any kind, his father without fail recommends a spoonful of olive oil, claiming it can cure any problem.

TE is very unsure of the effectiveness of his father’s solution, but was often taking it during his childhood. This happened so much that it developed into a family joke where any problem someone had would be solved by a spoonful of olive oil, regardless of the nature of the problem. Thus, trouble solving a homework problem could be cured with a dash of olive oil.

TE’s heritage as an Algerian on his father’s side likely had a very large impact on his insistence on olive oil. As a northern African country next to the Mediterranean, the prevalence of olives both historically and currently in culture stretching as far back as ancient civilizations likely led to the reverence of olive oil for myriad uses. This knowledge had been passed down for thousands of years, becoming second nature to people from around the Mediterranean sea. TE’s father then brought this wisdom into the states and passed it on to his children. While TE is very doubtful that it works, the fact that it was such intrinsic knowledge to his father makes him much more accepting of the idea than someone who has never encountered the tradition. Turning the solution into a family joke has both solidified TE’s family together, but could also potentially connect them to other people who come from around the Mediterranean, as they would also be familiar with this concept.

Pregame Ritual

Nationality: American
Occupation: Student
Residence: Bristol, Rhode Island
Language: English

Whenever TC plays soccer, they have a very specific pregame ritual that they have to perform every game, or else they will not play as well. He wears the exact same base layer of socks with his cleats every single game. While the top layer of longer socks are cut out to fit the shin guards, the base sock layer was the exact same pair for 2 years straight. After TC finishes warming up, the next time they step onto the field, whether it be walking out with the starting lineup or subbing in, he makes sure that his left foot is the foot stepping past the line onto the field every single time.

TC first mentioned the reason why he wore the same pair of socks was due to his trouble finding socks that fit in his cleats well, with them sliding in his boots too much for his liking. One game, he decided to try a cut pair of socks with a base pair of socks, which saw him play exceptionally that game. Ever since then, he wore those same socks for every game to replicate the success he saw there. Additionally, the left foot out first when stepping onto the field is a good luck charm he says helps him play better. If he notices that he’s stepped onto the field with the wrong foot, he’ll go back and redo his entrance to prevent bad luck.

This ritual is highly repetitive, requiring the exact same set of circumstances every single time he plays soccer. TC does not call himself a very superstitious person, but holds this ritual to be very important to his success on the field. By limiting the variance before he plays the game, it gives him the same exact mentality as every other day, letting him focus on the game at hand. The emphasis on putting the literal best foot forward, which can be interpreted as homeopathic magic while stepping onto the field creates a barrier between the game and the world outside of it. By putting his best foot forward, TC can also be confident of his footwork in the game. No matter what is going on outside the game, once TC has stepped onto the field game ready, he can switch to competition right away. The placebo effect is extremely important, because even i changing socks or the walk-on ritual doesn’t have any major effect on TC’s physical being, mentally the pressure that he’s cast bad luck on himself can create a downward spiral leading to a poor performance .

Angayapudi Powder

Nationality: Indian
Age: 18
Occupation: Engineering Major
Residence: Seattle, Washington
Language: English

Informant: “Whenever I’m sick, my mom will mix this powder with rice, and it’s supposed to make your stomach stop hurting. It’s a black powder that doesn’t taste all that good. I’m trying to think of why it helps, but I’m pretty sure that when I asked, she would say to just trust her. It’s a bunch of herbs that are dried and ground with hot rice. It has turmeric, dried ginger, dried cilantro, dried cumin, and dried pepper. They are all Ayurvedic medicines, which is something from my moms culture. I would mainly have it when I was little, and it’s been a long time since she gave me any.”

Me: “Did it actually help?”

Informant: “Definitely! I guess it might’ve just been a placebo effect, but a lot of people believe in this stuff, so there’s probably some truth to it.”

Context: The informant recalls a form of folk medicine that her mom would give her when she was sick as a kid. She seems to believe in its effectiveness, although not wholeheartedly, and connected the medicine to Ayurvedic medicines, which are traditional, holistic indian medicines that have been around for centuries. Although the informant no longer uses the powder, they seemed to remember it positively.

Analysis: This seems to be the informant’s mother’s recipe for an age-old traditional medicinal system that focuses on natural solutions. Ayurvedic medicines are common in India, so much so that they operate similarly to our mainstream medical system, with Ayurvedic professionals having to undergo training and certification just like a doctor would in the states. It is supposedly one of the oldest medicinal systems around, which made it surprising that I couldn’t find anything about this specific powder online, but I suppose that may speak to the originality of the medicine that my Informant’s mother was making.

Manifestation – Journaling and Meditation

Nationality: American
Age: 19
Occupation: Engineering Major
Residence: Seattle, Washington
Language: English

Informant: “If I have something I want to happen or become part of my reality, then I use my journal and I write it out as if it has already happened. I just keep doing that with every detail. Over and over. Very specific details as if it had already happened. I’ll write out every little thing I can think of, like what the weather will be like, the exact date and time, and of course, the details of what I want to happen. But, I’m not writing it thinking ‘I want this to happen’. It’s more like, ‘I know this will happen, it’s inevitable.’

Me: “Where did you learn to do this?”

Informant: “I got introduced by friends at school and even by my dance teacher. Sometimes at dance practice, they would have us meditate and do manifestation that way. A lot of times, they would play specific types of music at a specific frequency. For example, I’ll watch a 40Hz video, and then they give you prompts that help you visualize your success and what you want to achieve.”

Context: The informant is referring to their practice of manifestation and how they use it to make positive things happen in their life. They fully believe in its effectiveness, and further, find that complete belief in its effectiveness is necessary for it to work. They were introduced by dance teachers who also taught them other spiritual practices like meditation, all designed to help their mental health and boost their confidence so they can achieve their goals. Lastly, the informant also believes that music at specific frequencies can assist in this process.

Analysis: I have heard of manifestation many times, especially online, and I would say that this explanation of it is pretty similar to my existing understanding. From my research, and as the informant stated, it would seem that belief is a core component of this ritual. By repeating something verbally, on paper, or even in their mind, people who engage in manifestation believe they are affecting the world through their thought process, but it only works through genuine belief. However, I have also heard it described more as a mental health / confidence tool. There are some who practice manifestation not because they expect it to change their reality on its own, but because they believe that by combining such intense belief in themselves (manifestation) with action toward their goals, they can achieve anything. Although I most commonly encounter discussion about manifestation online, and had previously assumed it originated in online communities, my research indicates that it can be tied back to Buddhist principles, which would certainly connect with my informant’s experience of being taught to meditate and manifest at the same time.