Category Archives: general

How the Paoay Lake Formed

Text: A long time ago, there used to be a small town in the Ilocos Norte region in the Philippines. One day, an old beggar woman went there to beg for food, but they “cast her out.” She went to many houses, but many of them were not generous and despised her because of how dirty and  poor she looked. After visiting all the houses, the old woman said, “These rich people are selfish” and suddenly transformed into an angel. She then casted a spell and drowned the entire village—making it the Paoay lake that it is known today. Apparently, this legend has circulated around Ilocos Norte for years after this incident occurred and many people started to believe that the old woman did that. However, people say that years later, large pieces of houses and jewelry still surface. 

Context: This was the first legend my grandma had told me after I asked her to tell me a folk narrative of some kind. Lake Paoay is one of the biggest lakes in the Philippines and is found in Ilocos Norte which is where my family is from and where my grandma had spent the first half of her life. She had originally learned this legend from her parents and older relatives but also mentioned that this legend was always in circulation in the Ilocos Norte region and considered true by everyone invluding herself.

Analysis: At first, I thought that my grandma had told me a local legend of some kind. The Filipino region that I’m from is not really common among the Filipino-Americans I know, so I was curious to know how local this story really was. I looked it up on the internet and was surprised to find out that other legends that were entirely different from what my grandma had told me. I had found multiple sources siting a Sodom and Gammorah rivalry type legend about this lake, but with the same ending: it is true because there are bits of houses and jewelry that float up to the surface. I thought it was interesting how this part of the story had remained the same despite the stories differing a lot. I also thought about how my grandma’s version of it was similar to the beginning of something like the Beauty and the Beast story. A stuck-up rich person shunned an old beggar woman because of her appearance. I also can’t help but think that this version had emerged in our family specifically because of religious implication. My family, my grandma and all her older relatives specifically, was/are very religious and into Catholicism. Maybe this version was the one that was told, but was changed to be more religious to get the children to like Catholicism more.

Duende

Text: The duende are small dwarf-like creatures that exist in Filipino folklore. Many older relatives that live in the Philippines have probably had an interaction of some kind with the duende when they were a child. My grandma and her sister had told me that their aunt in the Philippines used to be friends with the duende, but only the aunt could see them. When my grandma and her sister visited my aunt’s house, the aunt introduced the duende to them. She said, “These are my nieces so don’t hurt them,” but my grandma and aunt were confused because they couldn’t see them. However, they still believed that they existed because of other stories that their older relatives had told them about the duende. Upon asking, they don’t remember any of the stories specifically, but they did remember one story that their sister-in-law had told them a long time ago describing their appearance. She to described them with green clothes, pointy hats, and pointy shoes. Their sister-in-law told them that they were playing on her window sill when she woke up on the middle of the night. She just quietly watched them and they were playing hide and seek. 

Context: This story was jointly told by my grandma and her sister and they had constantly asked each other throughout the story for details. I had put an abridged version of the interview in the text, but if I were to ask questions about the duende’s appearance or mannerisms, they would tell half of a story about some relative that told them about personal interactions with the duende before they would just go onto another story when they started to forget the details. They actually told about 5 different stories, but I had included the main two in the text above.

Analysis: I had always heard stories about the duende from all of my older relatives while growing up. I think I have always categorized them as something that was fake in my head like fairies or elves. I think hearing these stories again and asking for more details made me realize the importance of the uniqueness in these specific memories and stories that they hold. The fluidity that oral storytelling has is something that can’t be looked up or even recorded through writing. It also makes me think about how these stories will live on in my generation. All of my grandmother’s children and grandchildren live in America. There are no new duende stories that can be added onto the family folklore. It makes me wonder about how these stories will further be told and interpreted in my generation and the next.

Protecting Fruit Trees

Nationality: American
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: San Francisco, CA
Language: English

Text:
When we moved into our new house, my sisters and I were ecstatic about having a plum tree in our backyard. Much to our dismay, we realized that the tree was sick and dying. My mom explained that despite the fruit tree not being healthy, it would be bad luck to cut it down, as the tree symbolizes good luck and fertility. She explained that in Indian culture, there is a myth that you can never cut down a fruit tree. This is because the tree is symbolic of a mother who is having children, and cutting it down is almost like harming a pregnant woman. It is seen as bad luck and not life-preserving.

Context:
This folklore was shared to the informant, A, by his mother, P, during a casual moment discussing the tree in their backyard. P is originally from India and most likely learned to associate fruit trees with fertility from her own family. P clearly interprets this belief as a sacred tradition that guides her behavior, and by passing it to her son, A, she is continuing this cultural value across generations.

Analysis:
This is a myth because it uses a sacred and symbolic story to offer an explanation for a natural-cultural taboo. It helps explain the belief that fruit trees are not just plants, but also mothers who are spiritually protected. This myth highlights Indian culture’s strong values surrounding respect for life and harmony with nature. By actually preserving the tree and not cutting it down, A’s family is showing the power that myths can have on our behavior. Despite not being in their home country, where this myth originated, A’s family continues this tradition, highlighting how myths contribute to our cultural identities regardless of time or place.

“The Runner and the Man on the Horse”

1. Text

This narrative, titled The Runner and the Man on the Horse, was told to me by my grandmother JW, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. It is important to note that there are several oicotypes of this legend, but it is confirmed to be true by my great, great, great-grandmother. It is a traditional tale rooted in Indigenous storytelling practices, centering on a moment of challenge, pride, and resilience between a young Choctaw man named Hut Tecumseh and a non-Indigenous settler. The story is set in a time when cultural tensions between Native and settler communities ran seemingly high, and it functions on both literal and symbolic levels.

In the story, a “white man” rides into Choctaw territory. Annoyed by the intrusive presence of this man on the horse, a young Choctaw runner—barefoot, calm, and grounded—steps forward and quietly asserts that he can outrun the man on the horse. Several Choctaw members nearby react with curiosity and excitement.

The proposed race is simple: to a post set 250 yards down a dirt path and back again. The man on the horse laughs but agrees, confident in his superiority. At the start, the horse surges ahead, thundering with speed and strength. But the runner moves parallel to the horse. At the turning post, the runner doesn’t break stride. He grabs the post, pivots with precision, and slingshots himself back. By the time the horse turns, the runner is already far ahead. He reaches the finish calm, composed, and victorious.

The story triumphantly ends in Indigenous celebration with the idea that the man on the horse was forced to accept defeat. 

2. Context

This story was shared with me by my grandmother JW, a lifelong storyteller and member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Her family lived on the reservation, and she learned this story from her ancestors, who treated it not only as a tale of physical skill but also as a teaching story—one that reflects cultural values about humility, pride, and the relationship between people and the land. She has informed me that this story is a part of a museum display in the Choctaw Nation Museum in Oklahoma.

JW told the story to me in English as she is the first generation of her family to not be fluent in Choctaw. For JW and her family, this was not a tale of competition for its own sake. It was a narrative about dignity in the face of colonial arrogance, discrimination, and the power of cultural memory. The barefoot runner wasn’t just a character, but rather a hero; he symbolized an enduring Choctaw identity—deeply connected to the land, spiritually resilient, and underestimated by those outside the community.

3. Interpretation

The Runner and the Man on the Horse fits within the category of a cultural legend, particularly one rooted in Indigenous oral tradition with historical and symbolic overtones. While it contains no overt supernatural elements, the story takes on mythic proportions in its structure, tone, and meaning. Its narrative affirms a communal identity that carries layered moral and historical implications.

The absence of supernatural motifs does not diminish its mythic resonance; instead, it draws power from the reality of the land and the people who inhabit it. The story reflects Indigenous epistemologies that center the land not as a backdrop, but as an active participant in cultural memory. The Choctaw runner becomes a representative of collective strength and ancestral wisdom, whose victory signals more than personal triumph—it affirms the endurance of a people and a worldview often marginalized or dismissed by dominant historical narratives.

At the core of the story is a contrast between two ways of being: one represented by the settler’s reliance on animal power, machinery, and boastful pride; the other embodied by the runner’s strength, discipline, and resilience. The legend critiques colonial arrogance and asserts the quiet power of Indigenous resilience. The runner’s victory is not just athletic—it is cultural, spiritual, and political. The story engages with themes discussed in class, including how folklore preserves historical values and asserts identity through performance and memory. The continued telling of this legend—even in English, and in a contemporary context—demonstrates how Indigenous folklore adapts while preserving the core values of balance, humility, strength, and cultural pride. JW’s version reflects not just the story itself, but the living tradition of storytelling that continues to sustain and affirm Choctaw identity across generations.

Date of performance: 4/01/25
Language: English
Nationality: Choctaw
Occupation: Retired
Primary Language: English
Residence: Modesto, CA

“The Possum and the Wolf” -Choctaw Tale

  1. Text

The following tale, titled The Possum and the Wolf, was told to me by my grandmother, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. This was the first time I ever got to sit down with her and speak about the traditions of our ancestry. It is a traditional animal tale that reflects the trickster motif, which is common in Indigenous oral traditions.

The story follows two characters, named Possum and Wolf. In some versions, they are referred to as “the” possum and “the” wolf, whereas in my Grandma’s version, the breed of animal is also their name. In the story, Possum and Wolf are traveling together through the woods. Wolf is hungry and aggressive, while Possum is portrayed as clever and cautious. Eventually,  the two come across a persimmon tree, where Wolf is unable to reach the ripe fruit hanging from its upper branches. Possum, being clever, easily climbs the tree and begins eating. When Wolf asks for some, Possum deliberately throws down only the rotten fruit.

Frustrated, Wolf becomes increasingly upset, hostile, even. Wolf starts to yell. In response, Possum pretends to fall from the tree and plays dead on the ground. Believing Possum has died, Wolf approaches to eat him, but Possum suddenly jumps up and escapes with immense laughter, leaving Wolf startled and empty-handed. Wolf is left with nothing but the rotten persimmon. The story ends with Possum outsmarting his physically larger and stronger companion by relying on quick thinking and deception.

(TEXT) I am attaching a detailed quoted description of my grandmother’s telling:

“One time, long ago, Possum and Wolf were walking together in the woods. Wolf was hungry and mean, always looking for something to eat, and he’d never share. Possum, though, was clever. He knew how to stay out of trouble. So when Wolf said, ‘Let’s hunt together,’ Possum said sure.

They came to a persimmon tree full of ripe fruit, but the best ones were up high. Wolf jumped and snapped, but couldn’t get any. Possum had a trick in mind. He climbed right up and started eating. Wolf begged him to throw some down. Possum said, ‘Alright!’ and started tossing down the rotten ones. Wolf got mad, and started howling. Possum was quite amused. So Possum pretended to fall dead—rolled right off the branch and hit the ground like a rock.

Wolf thought Possum was dead and sniffed around to see if he could eat him. But right as he got close—BOOM—Possum jumped up and ran off laughing! Left Wolf with nothing but a rotten persimmon in his mouth.”

2. Context

This story was collected through an oral interview with my grandmother, Judy, who is an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Her family lived on the reservation, and she learned the story as a child from relatives who told it in everyday settings. She shared it with me many times while I was growing up, often during casual moments at home. The tale was always presented as a lighthearted story, but it carried implicit moral messages that were never explained outright—only understood through repetition and tone.

JW (my grandmother) considered this story to be part of a larger body of Choctaw oral tradition, though she told it in English. She believes that these “stories” carry meaning beyond their entertainment value—they were vessels for memory, culture, and survival. She saw the story as a way to pass along lessons about how to navigate life with awareness and strategy, especially in a world that doesn’t always reward strength or straightforwardness. Rather than explain the story’s moral directly, she allowed the tale to speak for itself. The tale is a coded message, encouraging one to think critically, remain adaptable, and value intellect over impulsiveness. Its repetition reinforces its relevance, embedding in one (me) a culturally grounded framework for resilience.

3. Interpretation

This narrative qualifies as a folk tale rooted in oral tradition. It is part of an intergenerational chain of storytelling within the Native American community to which I belong. Additionally, it connects to themes discussed in class, particularly the trickster tale—a subgenre of folk narrative in which cleverness triumphs over physical power.

The deeper significance of the tale lies in its moral structure and cultural values. Possum, the underdog figure, uses intelligence and performance (playing dead) to avoid danger and assert autonomy. The narrative suggests that wisdom, adaptability, and psychological insight are more valuable than brute strength. These values align with broader Indigenous philosophies, where social harmony, patience, and strategic thinking are emphasized over domination.

Wolf, who acts selfishly and impulsively, fails to achieve his goal, reinforcing the idea that aggressive behavior leads to isolation or defeat. In contrast, Possum’s nonviolent approach reflects a worldview in which survival comes through subtlety rather than confrontation.

On a personal level, this story is an important expression of cultural continuity. It connects me not only to my grandmother but to a larger Choctaw identity, one shaped by stories that contain embedded lessons. The continued telling of this tale—even in English, and in a modern context—demonstrates how folklore adapts while preserving core values and worldviews. Although the language, setting, and audience may shift over time, the story retains its cultural function as a means of transmitting Choctaw identity, ethical frameworks, and communal memory. Its survival in contemporary contexts speaks to the resilience of oral tradition and its ability to evolve without losing its essence. This adaptability is a hallmark of living folklore, reflecting how traditional narratives can remain relevant across generations by engaging with new environments while still grounding individuals in ancestral knowledge.

Date of performance: 4/01/25
Language: English
Nationality: Choctaw American
Occupation: Retired
Primary Language: English
Residence: Modesto, CA.