Category Archives: general

One Eyed Willy of Chollas Lake

Context: H is a  23 year old American, born in California and lived there until moving to Denver Colorado for College. After spending nearly five years in Denver he moved to New Mexico where he currently lives and has lived for the past two years. This entry was collected over a Zoom call. 

Intv: “Do you remember any of the tales that came out of the summer camp we went to?”

H: “There was that one, of like One Eyed Willy… I wish I could remember the story better, you might actually be able to help me out a little.” 

Intv: “Hmm wasn’t there like a kid who was fishing or something?”

H: “I thought it had to do with a fish that took the eye of a fisherman? Oh, didn’t it go like The fisherman hooked the fish in the eye, and when the fish started to pull, he wouldn’t let go and got dragged down into the lake? Cause I remember there was that structure out in the lake and we all used to say that’s where the fisherman remained, and we were always told to look out for a fish with one eye when we would fish.” 

Analysis: I can’t say for certain, but I wonder if One Eyed Willy got his name from The Goonies. However, for a kid without any prior knowledge of The Goonies, it so easily became a piece of folklore that many children, myself included, believed. Outside of being a fun ghost story however, it also serves the purpose of informing young campers how to be safe while fishing. To be careful so that One Eyed Willy wouldn’t get you. 

Mustn’t say MacBeth

Context: W is a 24 year old American born in California. As a young child W performed in major roles for a few productions at a local junior theater. This audio was collected over a discord audio call. 

Intv: “So if I remember correctly you were in the lead role for a few productions at the junior theater. Can you think of any folklore that would’ve come out of that community? For example, like, saying Macbeth or something.”

W: “Well it’s funny you’d say Macbeth actually, because I remember when I was staring in Oliver, during the first couple shows, I don’t know why, but I’d keep saying Macbeth. And, like, it eventually started to really bother some people. I remember some theater kids moving away from me out of fear that I’d say it. It wasn’t until like the fourth day that the director came up to me and personally told me to stop because he had received so many complaints about it.”


Intv: “No way? Really? The director personally told you to stop?”

W: “Oh yeah, it became a huge deal to them apparently. I’m pretty sure after that I stopped saying it during any future productions.” 

Analysis: When W told me about this story I couldn’t help but chuckle slightly at the idea of the director telling a roughly 12 year old boy to stop saying MacBeth, but it also speaks volumes on the legend surrounding this curse. It wasn’t the director who heard W say it off hand and told him to stop. He had received complaints from other actors regarding their concern over the production. All over a word.

Curiosity Buried The Man

Context: S is a Peruvian man in his early 60s. S spent around the first 13 years living inside of Peru before moving to Germany where he lived until his late 20s when he moved to California. Although having lived in California for most of his life now, he still has a close connection to Peru and Germany through his family. This piece was collected during a phone call.

Intv: “Can you think of any stories that came from somewhere local?”

S: “There was this one story about a guy who was buried alive.”

Intv: “Oh my gosh, like someone who you knew?”

S: “Not me personally, and I’m not really sure, I used to think it was someone my family knew, but I can’t be sure. Anyways, There was this guy, who was terrified of being buried alive.”

Intv: “I mean, I would be scared too if it had happened to me.” 

S: “Oh yes, but for him, it just was all he thought about, he would wake up in the middle of the night because of nightmares about it. One day he decided he couldn’t take it anymore, and he went to his family with a series of rules and tests to make sure if he died, that he was dead. They were supposed to use a mirror to see if he was breathing, wait three days, and a number of different things. So of course all of his family promised him that they would do it, and make sure he was dead. But the man keeps wondering, what if, what if, so he decides to test it and fakes his death, with the plan to reveal himself before being buried. However, and this is what I can’t remember so well, but something happens, I believe the coffin lid closes on his head and knocks him out, and he ends up buried alive.”

Analysis: Being buried alive is likely something that everyone fears, making this story immediately relatable. I think that’s intentional as it’s trying to convey an important message, something that is behind a large number of folklore tales, like how the boy who cried wolf teaches one not to fib and lie. This story, however, is more like a long version of the phrase “curiosity killed the cat.” It’s a cautionary tale regarding unhealthy obsessive pursuits. 

Hồ Tinh: The Nine Tailed Fox

Background: This informant is an American-Born Vietnamese student who has grown up hearing and participating in classical Vietnamese Folklore.

Me: When did you first hear the story of Hồ Tinh?

TT: When I was in High School, I remember my parents talking about their belief in spirits, my Mom has always been a believer, my Dad on the other hand was a skeptic. However, he mentioned an experience he had with Hồ Tinh. A couple years prior my Dad woke up in the middle of the night and all he could remember was feeling a heavy animal-like presence on his torso and legs. He said that he couldn’t move, almost like sleep paralysis, until the morning and ever since then he has believed that it was an omen from Hồ Tinh.

Me: What is the actual story behind Hồ Tinh?

TT: From what I remember, Hồ Tinh was an evil Nine-tailed fox spirit who lived in a cave and fed on humans. He would deceive village men by disguising himself as a beautiful woman and would bring them back to his cave to get eaten. One day a warrior in the village, knowing of Hồ Tinh deceits, followed Hồ Tinh back to the cave in an attempt to kill him and to save the villagers who were still alive. After a long battle, the fox eventually lost to the warrior and the village was saved.

Analysis: I found this folklore interesting as when comparing to another piece of collected folklore, the story of Da Ji (a Chinese fox spirit), we can note that throughout the two different cultures, the fox as symbolic of deception and slyness remains, this connection is furthered by the fact that the deception of foxes is seduction in the form of a beautiful maiden. This may have to do with how interconnected the cultures of Vietnam and China are, but it is still interesting to note this connection.

Tết Festival

Background: This informant is an American-Born Vietnamese student who has grown up hearing and participating in classical Vietnamese Folklore.

The Tết Festival is the Vietnamese Celebration of the Lunar New Year, in Vietnam due to the historical use of the Lunar Calendar over the Gregorian Calendar, the Lunar New Year is celebrated over the Gregorian New Year.

TT (Informant): Whenever we (family) celebrate the Tết Festival, we dress up in traditional Vietnamese attire. One of the most important parts of the Tết Festival is the Dragon dance, the dance is performed by two people who train year-long at temple for the festival. During this dance the Dragon will open its mouth and we are supposed to put money into the Dragons mouth, this ritual is supposed to bring us good fortune as the Dragon has typically symbolized good fortune and specifically rain. The rain is important since in Vietnam there have been many droughts and by giving offerings to the Dragon, we will be blessed with rain. Additionally, there is also the tradition of the Red Envelope which has money which is given during Tết.

Analysis: It is interesting to see how the Dragon has come to symbolize more than just Good Fortune but specifically rain due to the number of droughts which have historically happened in Vietnam harvesting seasons, this contrasts to China which has similar traditions but a different symbol for which the Dragon stands for.