Category Archives: Protection

Pagpag

Nationality: American
Age: 57
Occupation: Homemaker
Residence: Chino, California
Language: Tagalog/English

Title: Pagpag: When coming from a wake, a Filipino practice would be not to go home straight away as it is believed that the soul of the dead would follow one back to their house. One may stop anywhere one pleases as long as one does not go straight home.

Context: “It’s a really common belief in the Philippines. Basically, after attending a wake or a funeral, you’re not supposed to go straight home. You have to stop somewhere else first, like a restaurant, a friend’s house, or even just a store before heading back. The reason behind it is that if you go directly home, the spirit of the deceased might follow you, bringing bad luck or misfortune to your household.

I first learned about pagpag from my family when I was a kid. Anytime we attended a wake, my parents would always say, “We have to stop somewhere first, or the spirit will follow us home.” It was just something we always did, even if it was just stopping at a convenience store for a few minutes. I remember once asking my mom if skipping pagpag would actually cause something bad to happen, and she just said, “Better to be safe than sorry.” That really stuck with me because even though she wasn’t superstitious, she still followed the practice out of habit and respect for tradition.

Now that I’m older, I don’t fully believe in the supernatural aspect of it, but I still do pagpag whenever I attend a wake. It’s just ingrained in me at this point. Plus, I’ve noticed that even people who don’t believe in ghosts or spirits still follow it, mostly out of respect for elders or to avoid any potential bad luck. It’s one of those folk beliefs that continues to be passed down, even if people aren’t sure whether it’s real or not.”

Analysis: Pagpag is a prime example of folk belief in the Philippines, reflecting deep-seated cultural values about death, the afterlife, and spiritual protection. At its core, this practice serves as a ritual of separation, ensuring that mourners do not bring lingering spirits into their homes. This aligns with broader funerary folklore, where many cultures have traditions meant to protect the living from the influence of the dead. The belief that a spirit may follow someone home reveals an underlying fear of unresolved energy, a common theme in folklore that deals with death and the supernatural.

From a folkloric perspective, pagpag also functions as a preventative ritual, reinforcing the idea that small actions can influence fate. Even though many modern Filipinos may not fully believe in the superstition, they still follow it out of cultural habit or respect for elders, which shows how folklore persists even as belief systems evolve. Additionally, pagpag reflects the communal nature of Filipino traditions, where shared practices around death strengthen social bonds and provide comfort during mourning. Ultimately, it demonstrates how folk beliefs help people navigate uncertainty, providing a sense of control in the face of death, one of life’s greatest unknowns.

Nazar (Blue Evil Eye)

Nationality: American
Age: 50
Occupation: Homemaker
Residence: Dallas, Texas
Language: Arabic/English

Title: نَظَر‎

Romanization: Nazar

English Translation: sight, surveillance, attention

Context: The nazar, or evil eye is a deeply rooted folk belief that has been passed down through generations in many cultures. When I was younger, I saw it as a real force, something that could cause harm if you weren’t careful. People around me treated it seriously, using folk objects like the blue eye amulet. This is why we say Mashallah after complimenting someone, as we don’t want to place any bad or envious energy on them.
As a folk object, the nazar charm functions as a physical object that embodies cultural beliefs and practices. The evil eye charms are commonly worn as jewelry, displayed in homes, or placed in cars to provide protection. Even though they are small, their presence carries deep symbolic meaning. They serve as a constant reminder of the belief that unseen forces, like envy or negative energy, can influence our lives.
Beyond the object itself, the belief in the evil eye is reinforced through folk narratives, stories of sudden misfortunes blamed on envious glances, or tales of people who used protective symbols to escape harm. These stories serve as cautionary tales, warning people to be mindful of their successes and to avoid drawing too much attention to themselves. As I got older, I stopped believing in the nazar in the same way. Even though I don’t personally believe in it anymore, I still respect its role culturally as a symbol of how people use objects to explain and control the uncertainties of life.”

Analysis: The nazar boncuk, or evil eye charm, is a classic example of a folk object a tangible representation of a widespread belief system that transcends generations and geographical boundaries. It exists as a material expression of the folk belief in the nazar, or evil eye, which is found in Middle Eastern, South Asian, and even Latin American cultures.

As a folk object, the nazar serves a protective function. People wear it as jewelry, hang it in their homes, place it on newborns, or even attach it to animals and possessions to shield them from harm. The object’s blue color and eye-like shape are significant, blue is traditionally seen as a protective color in many cultures, and the eye shape is thought to reflect or “block” harmful gazes. These characteristics demonstrate how folk objects often incorporate symbolic imagery to reinforce their purpose.

Beyond its protective role, the nazar also functions as a marker of identity and tradition. Its widespread use connects individuals to their cultural heritage, making it an object that carries both personal and communal meaning. Even people who may not strongly believe in the evil eye still wear or display the charm as a nod to their cultural roots.

Like many folk objects, the nazar has evolved over time. Traditionally made of glass and handcrafted, modern versions are now mass-produced in different styles, including bracelets, necklaces, keychains, and even phone accessories. Despite these adaptations, the nazar still carries its original protective symbolism, showing how folk objects can maintain cultural significance even when their form changes.

The nazar is deeply embedded in folklore, not only as a physical object but as part of a larger belief system that includes folk narratives, superstitions, and rituals. The act of saying Mashallah after a compliment or tying a black thread on a baby’s wrist are examples of verbal and customary folklore that work alongside the nazar charm to reinforce protection against the evil eye.

Photo of Nazar:

Sana, Sana, Colita de Rana

Age: 20

AGE: 20
Date of performance: Feb 20
Informant Name: AM
Language: Spanish
Occupation: Student
Primary Language: English
Residence: Santa Ana

Text:

“Sana, sana, colito de rana. Si no sana hoy, sanara mañana”

Context:

According to the teller, it translates to: “Heal, heal, tail of frog. If you don’t heal today, you’ll heal tomorrow.” It is a phrase that parents tell their children whenever they got hurt, essentially wishing them a faster healing. They learned it from their parents, specifically their mother, who would “rub her hand over the cut or scratch” whenever they got minorly injured.

Analysis

Although this quote is one of many variants, they all follow the same strand of silliness and nonsense. When I heard this phrase, I thought it was silly and funny, and wondered why adults would say this to their children. Then I thought that perhaps that was exactly why they said this phrase. It is so nonsensical and lighthearted that the child who got hurt could perhaps laugh and forget their pain for a little. This goes hand in hand with the practice of distracting little kids with a more engaging, eye-catching stimulant to take their attention off of more serious, dire matters. Furthermore, frogs are known for their regenerative abilities, thus signifying the manifestation of quick healing. By saying this phrase, the parents are reassuring their child that no matter what, it will heal.

Shaking the luck out of your leg

AGE: 53

DATE OF PERFORMANCE: 02/19/2025

LANGUAGE: English 

NATIONALITY: American 

OCCUPATION: Attorney

PRIMARY LANGUAGE: English 

RESIDENCE: New York 

Interviewer: Are there any superstitions or other phrases you remember being used around your family growing up?

TL: “Well there’s not anything distinct that I remember people saying, but my grandma was a very superstitious woman. There’s a saying in Korean that when you shake your leg [like a habit], all the luck will come out. When my grandma first met your dad, she saw the dent in his forehead and lost her mind. She thought all the luck was about to come out of his head.”

PERSONAL INTERPRETATION:

This superstition of “losing your luck” reminds me a lot of when parents will tell their kids scary stories to prevent them from going out and causing trouble. For example, the story of La Llorona or of skin walkers. In East Asian cultures, there’s a lot of superstitions and phrases surrounding luck. Such as, in Chinese culture, having an “auspicious nose” means you have a lucky nose and you’re bound for success and wealth. In this case, I guess my great grandmother saw my dad’s “deformity” (for lack of better terms) and deemed it as unlucky. Although he wasn’t born with the dent, but was just dropped as a baby, there is some tie between body parts and the luck they hold. Could breaking a bone cause luck to pour out of me then? And would there be a way to earn it back or is it gone forever? These are some questions I have about this concept.

What’s Behind the Curtain?

Nationality: American

Age: 21

Occupation: Vet tech

Residence: San Rafael, CA

Performance Date: December 2nd, 2024

Primary Language: English

Language: English

Main Description:

“So I was staying in Fort Bragg at my dad’s house and I was getting ready to take a shower and I think my dad was in town or something like he was going shopping like grocery shopping. and so the fan in the bathroom doesn’t work. So there’s there’s a door that goes to the outside because there’s an outdoor shower also. So we keep the door cracked when we shower inside just to let the moisture out. So, you know, it makes the shower curtain billow a little bit, so I get in the shower and the shower curtain is billowing because of the air flow. 
And um at one point, I lean against the shower curtain, and it’s as hard as a rock, like I push against it and it does not move. Um and so I take a step back and I look around the shower curtain. There’s nothing there. 
And the shower curtain is still like billowing a little bit. So I was just kind of left like what the hell was that? But I think it was a shower or not a shower. 
It was a bathroom ghost. Fort Bragg bathroom ghost, just I don’t know what he was doing. He was leaning against a shower curtain. 
That’s all.”

Informants Opinion:

JS: What do you think that ghost was doing there?

OG: “I think he’s stuck in the bathroom so he just hangs around and listens to people sing in the shower.”

Personal Opinion:

It’s hard to say what this could mean but to my assumption it would have to do with the previous owner of the house not wanting others using their shower or even living in their house. Or maybe it’s a more kind approach and they’re simply visiting their former home to see who’s living there.