Originating in Barcelona in the 1400s to tell biblical stories to the illiterate populace. They are characters that take part in parades and are around 10 feet tall, with large paper mache heads. They all have names for example, Mustafa is a moor head.

The informant and his family also went to a festival featuring these giants during a visit to Spain earlier this year; these characters are apparently not specific to any one festival, and instead appear in some of many throughout the year.

Context: The informant is in his 50s; he grew up in Barcelona, Spain (where he went to these parades), immigrated to the U.S. as a young adult, and started a family in San Diego, CA where he lives today.

Interpretation: This character seems to be one that celebrates Spanish culture in general, and is not specific to any holiday in particular – however, they are associated with festivals in Spain and are sometimes represented in parades. My guess is that, by virtue of existing in Spanish folklore for such a long time, it has become more symbolic of Spanish culture (as distinct from outside cultures) than of the particular biblical stories it initially represented.

“In my school there was the ghost story of Mr. Sneakers. It was told by the gym teacher at the primary school, who told all the kids in the class that at the top of the rope we had to climb as part of the endurance test there was a ghost named Mr. Sneakers. He was apparently the ghost of a previous gym teacher who lived in the rafters and could only be seen if kids climbed to the top of the rope to catch a glimpse of the trademark white sneakers. A picture of floating sneakers in the rafters in his office along with testimony from the kids who climbed to the top that the air up there got colder seemed to spur this ghost story into truth, and I remember trying my hardest to climb to the top just for a glimpse of the real life ghost. In hindsight, the photo was likely a photoshop job that could only fool a group of 6-8 year olds along with the fact that the rope was hung down right next to the air conditioner, explaining the cool breeze felt by those who summited the rope. But it was a beloved ghost story that anyone who walks through the doors of Indian Hill Primary School in Cincinnati, OH can attest to.”

Context: The informant is a college student who grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Interpretation: This may cross over into fakelore, as it could easily have been invented by the school’s gym teacher as the informant explains; however, it seems to function just like a legend among the kids. The uncertainty of whether or not Mr. Sneakers really exists spurs a curiosity and motivation to find out, reflecting the tendency of children to explore boundaries of play along with taboo subjects like death and ghosts.

“I moved into a three bedroom apartment with two other roommates. I would start to fall asleep and suddenly, everything would get very loud (the noise from the fan would increase substantially). Then I would hear the voice. A somewhat demonic voice would say my name right in my ear. There were times I could feel the depression of someone sitting on the bed next to me as well. This happened on occasion for months. My cousin came to stay with me for a few days and stayed in my room with me. She also had an odd experience like she was floating in the room. When I was out of town, a friend of my roommate’s stayed in my room. She bolted up in bed to see herself walking through the door. Later, a psychic friend of my roommate’s told us my bedroom was a vortex for spirits. She said the next time I heard that voice, I should scream loudly (in my head) ‘No! Go away!’ or something to that effect. Eventually that voice finally went away.”

Context: The informant, 61, grew up in western Washington. These were some of various events leading her to believe that the supernatural may exist.

Interpretation: This seems to be a case where it is easier to connect strange sensations and treat them as supernatural rather than trying (without success) to explain them with logic. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, a popular setting for folk tales and legends, may also have primed the informant to sooner attribute these strange experiences to the supernatural rather than a realistic phenomenon.

“I was in college living on the 2nd floor of an off campus apartment. I had a very strange dream and woke up to see a bright light from the window. I walked over to the window and looked down onto the parking lot. In between two cars directly below our window was a swirling gold orb about two feet in diameter just hovering in place. I woke my roommate up to see it as well and we watched it for a while. The next morning, we checked that very spot, looking for some sort of logical explanation but there was nothing at all.”

Context: The informant, 61, grew up in western Washington, where she also went to college as a young adult. This experience is one she has referenced multiple times as anecdotal evidence that the supernatural may exist.

Interpretation: Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, a popular setting for folk tales and legends, may have primed the informant to sooner attribute this strange experience to the supernatural rather than an explainable phenomenon. Additionally, that two people experienced this together likely strengthened a shared belief that what they saw was both real and out of the ordinary. To assign an explanation to this event, however vague and supernatural, may have mitigated anxieties about facing the unknown alone.

“I was staying with my grandmother in Arkansas out in the country. In the middle of the night, I started to feel the bed shake and immediately thought we were experiencing an earthquake. I jumped out of bed and then a blinding white light filled the room from the window. I held onto the bed as it continued to shake. Then suddenly, the bright light disappeared and the shaking stopped. My cousin was sleeping in the next room over and was sound asleep.”

Context: The informant, 61, grew up in western Washington; this event occurred at some point during her childhood. This was one of various events leading her to believe that the supernatural may exist.

Interpretation: There seems to be a supernatural quality associated with events experienced by one person alone while others close by are unaffected. Similarly (at least in the US), areas more isolated from civilization (“out in the country”) are more often associated with unexplainable events and strange creatures. This could be a way to mitigate anxieties about the unknown and being alone; an explanation, however vague and supernatural, is better than fear in isolation.