My grandmother explained to me that when you get a bee sting, to soothe the area and to stop the itching and swelling, you must put mud on it. She learned this from her mother who used to put this on the children whenever they had itchy areas and bee stings. It is also supposed to draw the stinger out .
An old superstition.
My mother always warned me that if I ever spilt salt on the table I had to pick some up with my right hand and throw it over my left shoulder or else I would be getting in a fight with someone soon.
Although this is a common superstition and I always make sure to throw the salt over a crossed shoulder, I always thought it was because it was bad luck not to. Nobody had ever really explained to me why people in my family did it other than that is what we were supposed to do. After speaking with my grandma about learning it from my great grandma, it makes much more sense why people believe in it so wholeheartedly. Also, after learning why some people did it, I thought that this was an interesting twist on people’s reasoning for acting on this specific superstition.
Interview Extraction:
Informant: “Ah well, one of I think, you know international superstitious things is defiantly with the cats. But if it is here it is just bad luck. But in Russia it actually means bad luck or even maybe very horrible disease. If the black cat crosses the street you must spit over your right shoulder three times, and then the left. So it kind of cuts the curse. Also, I know that it means a disease or death in like, your closest circle of relatives or friends if you look at the broken mirror. So actually, even if the mirror just cracked it means that you have to pick it up and through it outside of your house without looking at that. Because for example, in Germany broken mirror means seven years of bad luck, but in Russia it means that everything is going to extreme. It’s like disease? No! Dead people.”
Interviewer: “Why do you think people in Russia are so superstitious?”
Informant: “Well of course, all those superstitious ideas come from pagan times, you know? And Russia was influenced by so many countries because at one point we had Vikings, we had Mongols ruling the country for almost… 12 and 13th century for more than 100 years. So all those influences I would say, they created… I don’t know. Maybe people were scared? And of course in Russia the weather conditions are pretty tough too. You know, living situations was always tough. So maybe people wanted to feel more protected or find reason of like why something bad happen to them.”
Analysis:
I agree with my informant’s analysis of Russian culture and superstition. Life in Russia has historically been very difficult, due to both political and environmental reasons. I believe that it is a basic human desire to try to make sense of your world, especially when things seem to beyond your control. As my informant mentioned during the interview, people want to feel safe and find the reason behind why good things and bad things happen. Therefore people turn to superstitious beliefs to set up a system of rules to follow, which gives them the illusion that they have more control over their lives than they actually do. I do not know why the superstition of black cats and broken mirrors appear in other cultures besides Russia. The notion that a broken mirror is unlucky sounds logical, because broken objects have lost their use. There is another related superstition in Russian culture that says giving someone a gift that is broken is unlucky as well. Superstitions are a major aspect to Russian culture, and these beliefs are still present in the way people live today.
My informant was born in 1977, Moscow, Soviet Union (now Russia). On completing her undergraduate education in Moscow, she moved to California to earn her graduate degree in theatrical design from Cal State Long Beach. She now works as a faculty member for the USC School for Dramatic Arts. She became a US citizen in 2012.
Interview Extraction:
Informant: “My grandma who was living in Ukraine had many domestic animals. And one day one of her neighbors stole one of her pigs. And she says, ‘Well it’s my pig. Just give it to me back.’ And he said ‘Nope. I went to the market, like farmers market during the weekend and I got it.’ And she said ‘No you didn’t. Because that is how my pig looked like.’ And the dude was refusing to give the pig back and grandma made a kind of, she just said like ‘Well, when you will eat my pig. You will choke on that.’ And that is exactly what happened like several- the dude died. And after that everybody in the village thought that my grandma was a witch, you know? Or that she had extra powers. So everybody was scared to upset grandma. And that’s actually coincidence you know, but it’s kind of… She said it with that intention you know, so like because you stole it and you are not admitting it that, and you are not giving my pig back it means my family will not have enough food for the winter. So it’s kind of you will eat it, but you will choke on it.”
Analysis:
The legend my informant mentioned reflects the strong belief in superstitions and in the supernatural people of Slavic origin have. This strong belief comes from the fact that historically life in the Slavic countries such as the Ukraine has been very difficult, due to political and environmental factors. There is a basic human desire to try and make life’s events logical, especially when things seem to beyond your control. As my informant mentioned perviously in the interview where she talked about Russian superstitions, people want to feel safe and find the reason behind why good things and bad things happen. Therefore people use superstitious beliefs to set up a system of rules to follow, which gives them the illusion that they have more control over their lives than they actually do.
My informant’s grandmother probably wasn’t cursing the man who stole her pig, she was saying that he will choke on the pig because her family might starve if they don’t have enough food for the winter, therefore the act of causing the pain of others will reflect back on him. It is possible that when the man was eating the pig, he was thinking about the ‘curse’ that the informant’s grandmother had said and in this kind of homeopathic thinking he actually choked. This kind of event seemed to strange to the village people because it was such a coincidence, therefore in trying to make sense of the situation they believed that the most logical response was that my informant’s grandmother was a witch. Not only did the woman say that he would die with such conviction, but it also came true. This added to the legend’s believability. Wither or not my informant’s grandmother was actually a witch depends on what you believe, but the fact that this story has endured with my informant’s family reflects a fascination with the supernatural.
My informant was born in 1977, Moscow, Soviet Union (now Russia). On completing her undergraduate education in Moscow, she moved to California to earn her graduate degree in theatrical design from Cal State Long Beach. She now works as a faculty member for the USC School for Dramatic Arts. She became a US citizen in 2012.
Toifitag Austrian Holiday Event
Informant learned about the Toifitag annual event by witnessing and participating in it while staying with a former Au Pair’s family in Rauris, Austria.
Collection context: Informant was in her room working on an arts and crafts project.
Text:
Note- Throughout the “recitation” the informant would talk with her hands and gesture. Italicized text was said with particularly more enthusiasm than other segments (although she still was enthusiastic while relating the entire event). Also, a Toifi is one of Santa’s devils (like Krampus) and was pronounced phonetically dweefe or doifi by the informant.
Informant (I): Sandy lives in Rauris which is this tiny little town in Salzburg above the Alps…you know that.
Collector (C): Yeah, yeah I’ve been there
I: *Laughs* Great, well, anyways…it’s a National Park and they all have their own little forests, but the guys up there, they cut down these trees and I don’t know the name of those trees I’m really sorry, but there’s this tree up there and, it’s just a regular tree, and then once a year during a certain time of the month if the moon is full on like the third day around Christmas time, you can cut down the tree, and it won’t burn. And then they make chimneys out of it that they use for Doifi day (Toifitang) and the Doifi are like the devils of Santa Claus and they come *collector laughs* No! Have you seen…I have to show you the pictures They have these big furry colorful scary masks, they kidnap that children and hid them in sacs. I’m not kidding, like the kids are terrified of the Doifi. (Hand movements all through this) And then Santa comes to all the kid’s houses in this tiny town and like gives them there presents and everything. It’s really cool and Santa has like these angels, but all the like older guys in the town are like the Doifis and they hit kids with brooms…I got hit by a broom almost, it kind of hurt…actually I definitely did get hit and it definitely kinda hurt, but I was protecting Anna who was scared of them. But these trees on that day…
C: Wai-wai-wait a sec I don’t understand these tress
I: On this day, these trees, they have them out in the snow and everything cuz they make like chimneys out of them because you see the Doifis on the street and everyone’s out there, right? And so you make this like you hollow it out and then you burn wood inside of it, but for whatever reason cutting down the tree on this one day, the wood doesn’t burn…in theory it’s this one day that causes that and then like the…you have fire inside it and you don’t have to worry about your chimney burning down. It’s like they hollow out the log the, the trunk of the tree.
C: So they, do they put it inside of the house?
I: No. They, it’s all outside. That I saw it was all outside
C: So they cut down the trees and like put them outside their houses and then…
I: Yeah they like cut like a chunk out…like this (indicates with hands), you know?
C: Oh ok
I: Just like a cork…like a cork here (holds up a cork). And then they hollow out the inside and then they put the fire inside of it.
C: To keep away the Doifis?
I: No, just to keep warm. But the point is the wood doesn’t burn
C: (Simultaneous with the wood doesn’t burn) But wait…but it’s not in their house.
I: No, the point is that the wood doesn’t burn. The wood, in theory, this folklore that I’m giving you, is that the wood, every other day of the year, you could cut it down and use it in your fire, but you can’t on this one day…if you cut it down you can make a chimney out of it and the chimney won’t burn down. Just the wood that they put inside the chimney.
C: Ok
I: That’s the folklore
C: Cool…Where do they put the wood…for the chimney?
I: Should I draw this for you? They put the chimney…I don’t know…The chimneys that I saw were outside…In the street. Where the snow is, where the doifis do this big dance and all the kids have to go see it even though they’re terrified.
C: Ok. I was just wondering because to keep them warm, but then they’re inside and the chimney is outside.
I: No, no, no, they’re outside.
C: Cool.
What the Folklore means to her?:
When asked what this folklore meant to her, the informant responded, “It means that…the other day when I was talking to this guy…about…you know…like, um…farmers and how they have all these crazy things *laugh* like on this moon you gotta do this and that…I was like, “Oh my God I know when that’s true!” and people think I’m nuts”
Why do you like this folklore?:
I: “Because it’s just so like traditional and cool, you know? Like I’ve seen it and I…I feel like…they have a lot of weird things. Like you know you can’t cut your nails on certain times like at the end of the month, you have to do it at the beginning of the month or something…like…Sandy has these weird ones that people have taught her…through her life, in this little town, you know like? But that one…I don’t know…I just think it’s cool. Like it’s got this nice cultural heritage to it. It’s got this nice religious heritage to it and it’s just kind of like…it’s there, it’s this tree and it’s like magical, you know? And it’s really cool day that they use it for.”
C: “And people get hit with brooms.”
I: “Yeah..but I’m just saying it’s really magical and I like that and I…I think it’s sweet. That’s what it means to me…that I love Sandy (laugh). And I don’t like getting hit with brooms…Even by Doifis…Doifin I guess.
Do you believe this folklore?:
She said she chooses to believe it because it is cool, but she thinks there is most likely a scientific explanation. She said it probably has something to do with the moon (because it affects the tides and water etc.) and that with the moon placement and the time of year there is probably more water in the trees which is why they do not burn (or are harder to burn)
Analysis:
I think that the informant enjoyed the folklore for the very reasons she insisted. She finds it cool and fun. As an outsider, it was a brand new experience for her and it was a way for her to connect with the friend she was staying with who was a part of the community. Every time she thinks of the folklore she will associate it with Sandy. She also noted a religious undertone that she saw and as a religious person it spoke to her more than a secular event would have. Finally, the as a biology major the possible scientific explanation for the tree not burning would be something that would intrigue the informant.
Annotation: The Toifi are Christmas devils and a form of Krampus. Krampus can be found in an episode of the show “Supernatural” the A Very Supernatural Christmas.
Kripke, Eric. “A Very Supernatural Christmas.” Supernatural. The CW. 13 Dec. 2007. Television.