Category Archives: general

The Sailor Children game

 “Marinero que se fue a la mari mari mar, 

para ver que podia veri veri ver 

Y lo único que pudo veri veri ver

fue el fondo de la mari mari mar”

             Me:okay, if you’re ready for your second one

HV:Okay, So this one’s a little bit it’s a children’s game and it’s called Marinero que se fue a la mar, And okay, this one might be harder for you to like get written down, but i’ll try my best to explain it. i’ll give you the context first again, I don’t know if it’s specifically from Mexico but its in Spanish, so maybe some Hispanic country is the place of origin.  It’s played by children and then my mom taught it to me actually like I was a little bit older, so maybe like end of elementary school. middle school.  I didn’t play with my friends or anything but it was something that she played with her friends, and then once she taught it to my siblings, and I we would play with each other. But it wasn’t really something that like was passed down and so it’s… what is it called like hand games, like you remember, like Patty cake type of stuff. So maybe Paddy cake would be a good  American version of it. but I will type the lyrics in basically or actually, let me do the translation. So marinero is sailor who went to the sea that’s the literal translation. The song it goes “Marinero que se fue a la mari mari mar, para ver que podía veri veri ver Y lo único que pudo veri veri ver fue el fondo de la mari mari mar” Okay I will try my best to translate this. So the first part is the sailor that went to the sea, sea, sea to see what he could see. Okay so this is what’s interesting is mar in spanish and ver both mean sea. So its like sailor that went to the sea went to see what he could see and the only thing he could see was the end of the sea. So its a play on words when its translated. I hope that was a good explanation and I can show you how its done..

(Informant shows the hand motions that are done with the game including a series of claps and sailor saluting motion)

HV: Its usually played with two people and usually played by elementary schoolers.

Me: What do you think the significance is of it? Does that make sense?

HV: Yes! I honestly think, my mom and I were talking about this, I was interviewing her and she was telling me about a different game I actually did play growing up and I was asking her because I have a younger brother, “do you think that your youngest child knows this game or will know this game” and she was like “No” because children now just play on computers and watch television and so I think to me it just kind of shows people, older generations in my gamily they played outside and they played those kind of games. I’m grateful that like we were the generation that liek we were probably the last  kids that played outside adn that was the end and that’s so sad.

Me: Yeah its all IPad kids now…

HV: Exactly yeah and I feel like thats so valuable and something lost, and im not anti tenchonoly in schools but there is something lost in the physicality in children playing together. Also its a tongue twister, it rhymes and just goes to show how play, music and contact are really important when you are a little kid.

Me: Do you think you will pass it down?

HV: I hope my siblings if they do have kids they do and I would encourage it with future generations. Its also a language thing because like my brother struggles with Spanish a lot and I just think if kids knew a little more like the games and music it would be easier to keep the language.

  1.  Marinero que se fue a la mar is played by children. The informant was taught it at the end of elementary middle school by her Hispanic mother who played it as a child.The informant described it, and perfomaned it as a  hand game. They drew similarities to the game “patty cake”. The informant discussed how it shows older generations played outside and with one another compared to the way our current generations interact and play via technology. 
  2.  Informants performed the proverb over a video zoom call. The informant was taught this game verbally by her hispanic mother. Although the informant is unsure if its specifically from Mexico it was performed to them in Spanish and then performed to me in Spanish followed by translation. 
  3. My Reflection: This is a genre of folklore games which usually serves as a practice of entertainment, this example does that specifically for children. The teller belongs to the Mexican folk group which is highlighted in the sharing of this piece as it was taught and continues to be passed down in the Spanish language. For other children that learned it as a child who are in the same folklore group I think this piece would also be a reminder of their childhood and something that reflects their family and language similar to the informant who shared this piece with me. To others outside the folklore group I think once translated and given the context of where the game was taught they would be able to relate to it and find meaning by drawing connections of this game to other popular children’s games in their own folk group culture. For example, once the informant drew a connection between what was being taught and patty cake I further understood the purpose of the game because of my familiarity with patty cake (the purpose being an interactive, entertaining and language/movement based activity for children).

Cucuy

Me: Do you have any other folklore to share with me?

CP: I actually do have a proverb!

Me: Okay perfect!

CP:The proverb is right is right wrong is wrong and right never wronged nobody!

Me: I’m familiar with this proverb also growing up.

  1. Background: The informant was always told it by her dad growing up when they were fighting with their sister to remind them of their “integrity”. The informant explained to them it was a lesson to not to sink to a level of unkindness in arguments. The informant said that they took it as a reminder to always be a good person even in situations where the other person may be acting unkind. They said that this proverb stuck with them throughout growing up and they believe that it was one of the beginning inspirations of what made them want to become a lawyer. They explained the notion of finding the right solution and dealing with conflict in a mature way connects back to the foundational characteristics of becoming a lawyer.
  2. Context: The informant verbally performed the story to me at the The Ronald Tutor Center on the main USC campus. The informant was verbally told this proverb by their father  in the context of arguments in order to teach them a valuable life lesson. 
  3. My Reflection: This performance is a proverb that acts as a way to teach a moral, valuable lesson on the importance of being kind, holding yourself to a standard in which you do not stoop to a level of unkiness even if others around you are. The informant’s father told this folklore during arguments between their sibling and them which is interesting because it then becomes family folklore in a way since it is directly applied to their immediate families behavior and experience growing up. Although I am not a part of that particular folklore (the tellers immediate family) I still immediately understood the meaning of the proverb as it is applicable to many aspects of life not just sibling rivalry. I think the overarching relatability that probers present is what makes them so impactful and carried on not just within one folk group but through many (even though there may be variations the main theme and lesson is at the foundation). The lesson taught reflects the teller’s identity by reflecting what they were taught to be important while growing up, the family values and expectations are highlighted through the performances of this text.
  1. Me: How do you spell the title of this next piece?

CP: It’s Cucuy.

Me: Okay thank you!

CP: Okay so, Cucuy are these ghosts, demon creatures that hide in the dark. They only appear to children who have been really bad and you don’t have to be outside to see a Cucuy, they can come to your room. So, if you are being a really bad kid the Cucuy come and they have scary bone faces that basically scare you straight. Basically if your mom sends you to your room after being bad  and it’s late at night they will come to you. 

Me: Why do you remember this story and like it?

CP: I like this story because I like ghost stories, it’s scary and somewhat of a warning and a fun Halloween story. 

Me: And where did you hear it from and what does it mean to you?

CP: So I was at a family gathering with my aunts, my mom and her side of the family, they are all Mexican. They were all telling us stories of their childhood and someone brought up and told us Cucuy. They were like, “oh yeah that used to scare me so much, seeing the Cucuy at night” and their mom used to warn them because they were really bad. Why are the stories I remember so dark!

Me:It’s okay that’s how mine is as well! So what does this story mean to you?

CP: For me it doesn’t really mean anything  because I know they aren’t real and my mom didn’t use it as a scare tactic for me but it’s just fun to see some of my mom’s childhood.

  1. Background: The informant likes this story because they enjoy ghost stories. The informant heard it at a family gathering with their moms side of the family who are all Mexican. They were sitting together and telling each other stories of their childhood when one of their aunts brought up this story. The aunt talked about how scared it made her and how they often got it told to them. The informant said it’s not as personal to them because they were never really told it by their mother as a scare tactic but it stuck with them as an interesting part of their mothers childhood. 
  2. Context:The informant verbally performed the story to me at the The Ronald Tutor Center on the main USC campus. The informant was told this story by her Mexican side of the family at gatherings. 
  3. This piece acts as a folktale, specifically a fairy tale with the use of mythical creatures. Fairy tales are entertaining but also convey key messages, lessons and truths sometimes through fear (this text specifically is more scary and a warning sign to the consequences of bad behavior in children). This example reflects the teller’s identity in that it was told by their Mexican family which highlights the cultural aspects of their Mexican heritage as well as family values and culture in teaching children the importance of being well behaved or else creatures will punish you. Others in the same folk group (children, Mexican) would likely find the same main meaning of the consequences of bad behavior but they may apply it to different situations of their childhood. I think those outside of the folk group would be able to understand the intended message but culturally may be met with a disconnect as all groups possess their own key values and beliefs. Although the teller wasn’t told the story by their parents as a scare tactic in their childhood, the presence of the story within their mothers side of the family shows a glimpse into the mothers childhood and culture which makes this piece of folklore relevant to the teller.

For further reading and another version of this folklore see page 57 of “Chicano Folklore.” Google Books, Google, https://books.google.com/books?id=v72wKX9I6lgC&pg=PA57#v=onepage&q&f=false. 

La Llorona

CP: The story of La Llorona is the story of the crying woman. So in old Mexico, there was this girl who lived in a small village. She was the most beautiful girl in that entire territory, she got many suitors, everyone basically wanted to have this girl. Back then you would have a dowry.

Me: Wait what is that again?

CP: A dowry is when you have money that you give to someone who marries you. Your father would also have to consent, it was like a  contract. Before that though, you would have to bring an offering to the falling. All these men would bring cows, pigs, sheep, money, clothes, fabrics, everything you could want back then that was thought as the finery in order to get acceptance of the proposal. So she was like “no no I like being single, I’m beautiful I shouldn’t settle for less” and so one day this soldier comes. He is so handsome, the most handsome guy she’s ever seen in her life and she’s like, “I want him.” And so she seduces him, dances with him, and they basically fall in love. He offers marriage and she says yes so they both accept. They get married and after they get married they have two kids. So, the soldier then has to leave when the kids are little to go to war again and he’s gone for a long time. The woman is so in love with him and is waiting on him, waiting on him because she wants him to come home, be with the family, raise the kids and have this wonderful life together. So when he comes back, he tells her “I’m leaving you.” and she says “what? You can’t leave me.” and he says “yeah I can.” He leaves, he takes his stuff and leaves. He comes back the next day with another woman to see his children. The woman is just as beautiful as La Llorona, he takes the kids out for visitation and La Llorona is so jealous, and filled with this rage that she can’t get over it. So when he brings the kids back she tells him “you will never see your kids again” and he’s like “you can’t make that happen, i’m going to take them from you” and he leaves with the other woman. La Llrona is so angry she drives herself crazy and delusional. She takes her children to a nearby river for a picnic. While she’s with her children she gives them kisses, feeds them great food, takes them and says “let’s go swimming, i’m going to teach you how to swim.” So, she takes them one at a time and while she’s in the river with her children she drowns them and kills them.

Me: Oh I did not expect that.

CP: After she’s done what she’s done, she’s so upset and sad that she just cries and cries and cries and so she drowns herself. The bottoms of her kids and La Llrona wash up on the river and the townspeople find them. When the ex husband comes back to take his kids the townspeople tell him they are all dead. So now La Llorona is told to children to tell them to behave and not to be out late at night. The story goes that she comes back as a ghost crying and  if you can hear her crying late at night that you need to go home because she misses her kids so much she steals little children and drowns them. 

  1. Background:The informant talked about how it’s a testament to her Mexican culture.It’s a ghost story that she was first told in the first grade by her teacher who would always tell them in October. The informant said it always stuck with her because they like scary stories and they also like how it’s somewhat of a lesson to men not to cheat and for children to behave and be good kids. 
  2. Context The informant verbally performed the story to me at the The Ronald Tutor Center on the main USC campus. The performance is a hispanic story told verbally to the informant by her teacher as a child. The performance acts as a scary story and lesson to both children and men. 
  3. My reflection:Coming from a Hispanic background specifically Ecuadorian I found this performance very intriguing as it is one I was not familiar with at all. This folk legend serves as not only entertainment through scary storytelling and characters but also teaches a lesson specifically children to not be out late at night and behave well.​​ The teller is apart of the Mexican folk group and this specific story reflects that in the use of the Spanish language, the location of the story (Mexico)  as well as its origins of being shared by their Mexican teachers, family and friends. Although the folktale is aimed at children aged folk groups (similar to many American ghost stories), other groups such as men may interpret the meaning of the scary story as a lesson to not cheat. 

For further reading and another version of this folklore see “La Llorona – Weeping Woman of the Southwest.” Legends of America, https://www.legendsofamerica.com/gh-lallorona/. 

The Lady of the Lady

TW: Mentions of suicide

Background

Informant is a friend of the mine and a freshman at USC. She is originally from Bethlehem in upstate New York. She does not have any religious affiliations nor ties to any ethnic subgroup within the United States or her specific region. She is referred to as “AK”.

Context

I asked the informant about any urban legends or ghost stories from their hometown.

AK: There was a lake nearby. And I remember going up to visit it for a friend’s birthday and her mom told us a story about how a lady committed suicide by rowing out into the middle of the lake. And then just, I think she must’ve had attached something to her, like a rock or something and she died and she was missing. And then 30 years later, scuba divers went down just to like explore the area and they ended up finding her body like completely preserved. And it looked like she hadn’t aged or like decompose, but when they touched her, she like floated and misted away. And then she was the lady of the lake after that.

Analysis

I asked AK about ghost stories or local legends as she is from upstate New York, and ghost stories are abundant in the Northeast. In this case, the lore of the “Lady of the Lake” is being passed down from a parental figure (although not AK’s specific parent) to children as a story. The origin and accuracy of the story are completely questionable, as there is no specific claim for either.

100 Days Chant

Background

Informant is a friend of mine from high school. She is now a junior at USC. She is a first-generation Vietnamese American, and is from Woodbridge, Virginia. She does not have any specific religious affiliations. We both attended The Madeira School, although she graduated two years before I did. Various alumnae were interviewed to compare versions of the same lore from the school. She is referred to as “AH”.

Context

I asked the informant to recite a chant sung by the seniors at our high school.

Content

Interviewer: Can you recite the Madeira chant senior chant for me?

AH: Oh my God. Wait, hold on the 100 days one?

Interviewer: Yeah.

AH: Do I even remember it? Um, how does it start? Oh!

Hark the Herald angels shout!

A hundred days till we get out!

A hundred days till we are free

from this penitentiary

(While clapping)

back to smoking

back to drinking

back to sex!

and evil thinking

hark the Herald angels shout!

A hundred days till we get out!

Analysis

Unlike the other traditions from Madeira, I only asked AH about this tradition, as it has become “canon” at Madeira. This chant is specifically sung after 100 Days, a special day that marks 100 days to graduation. The seniors perform the chant on 100 Days and at all-school events until graduation, counting down to graduation. For example, if graduation is in 35 days, then 35 would be subbed out in the lyrics instead of 100. The origins of this chant, however, are unknown. It is also questionable about how it became endorsed by the school, as it includes references to illicit behaviors, which are very much not allowed by the school. Unfortunately, I had stopped recording at this point, but AH remarked on the hilarity of the statement “back to”, as if Madeira students had been engaging in those behaviors prior to high school. Madeira is extremely explicit in their policies against drugs, alcohol, and lewd behavior, and gets referred to as “Prison School” by some boarding students due to the strict check-out policies for boarders. This chant is entirely satirical and humorous, poking fun at the school, as well as a tool for the seniors to celebrate their proximity to graduating high school.