Category Archives: Legends

Narratives about belief.

Rolling Calf

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: Student & artist
Residence: Tucson, AZ & Los Angeles, CA (college)
Performance Date: 4/19/2018
Primary Language: English
Language: Farsi

Panteha’s mom is from Jamaica, and taught her many legends and folk beliefs from Jamaican folklore. The following is a description Panteha shared with me of one such legend:

“There’s like this legend [in Jamaica] that you’ll be like driving on the road and you’ll hit like, a baby cow and then you like, die the next week…It’s called the rolling calf. It’s like, so hard to explain ’cause the way people talk about it, it’s like it’s a normal thing. But like…If you encounter this animal you’re like, doomed to die. But then a way to get rid of the curse is you’re supposed to like, find a crossroads and stick a knife in it, which doesnt work now cause like, the roads are paved…

I have this distinct memory, I was like five, and we were driving- it was like, pitch black, late as fuck at night and like, literally people in Jamaica plan so they like, don’t have to be driving on these roads after it gets dark, ’cause it’s like, there’s so many folkloric tales and also like, actual crime. But like, we were driving and there’s this place that’s like, right in between Ocho Rios, which is kind of a beach location, and Sav-la-Mar, which is the rural place where my mom grew up. Um and it’s like, right nestled in the middle of nowhere and it’s like this rest stop kind of place, but they have the best Jamaican patty. So we’re like, okay, we’ll stop there, it’ll be great. And it was like, there was like no one there, we were the only people there, and it’s crazy ’cause it’s like, you’re in the middle of the jungle driving on this tiny dirt road, and then all of a sudden it’s like, this neon bright light, so it’s kinda crazy. So we stopped there and my uncle, um, Uncle Paul, was freaking out. He was like, ‘we should not be stopping! We should not be getting out of the fucking car!’ He was like, talking about the rolling calf and he was like, throwing handfuls of coins behind him as we walked and I was like, really amused by it but like, my mom and her sisters were like, really clearly stressed out.”

This piece of folklore incorporates elements of both the contemporary legend and traditional magical practices, such as using coins to ward off evil spirits. It has likely persisted as a commonly believed legend because of other dangers posed by driving in rural areas late at night, and may serve as a stylized means of discouraging people from going out in unsafe environments.

Whitney Levine 22: Russian Strong Man

“My whole family left Russia at the turn of the eighteenth century. My whole family was Jewish during the super anti semitic Minsk Russia. He’s really strong and has this long beard. A Russian cossack comes up to him, calls him an anti semitic slur and pulls his beard. My relative replies, thank you for putting me in my place. When the man puts his hand out to shake his hand, he broke his hand from shaking so hard.”

Context: This is the performance of a family legend by Whitney Levine. Though she is American, her family comes from Russia and is very proud of this legend. She learned it from various family members, the tell the story at holidays and family get togethers, especially from her father who always retells the story to various family members. This legend is a testament to her family’s strength and tradition. In an era of avid anti-Semitism, it is extremely empowering to hear that a family member fought back against injustice. She told it to me during our folklore class discussion, in which we were collecting folklore.
“It’s a story my dad always would tell me and would always tell the whole family the story. He’s not sure if it’s true but it’s a family legend that everyone knows now.”

Analysis: I think the story is inspirational, and depicts a man willing to fight against a bigoted establishment. In a time when so many Jews were oppressed, it is heartwarming to see someone fight back against injustice. That is probably why the story has been passed down through so many generations.

Tok Thompson 51: Dynamite Log

“There was a story my dad told to me, they’re probably somewhat true. My hometown was a Russian Native outpost. My dad moved there slightly after WW2 and he talked to a lot of people. Back then, he had a little cabin and everyone had to cut their own wood for fire. One day he noticed that someone was stealing his wood, so he invited the whole town over for a party. This was a small town so nearly everyone showed up. He was trying to figure out how to catch the thief, so he came up with this idea. They had food drink or whatnot. He casually mentioned it that someone is stealing his wood and he said oh don’t worry I took care of it. All the towns people where like what do you mean you took care of it did you find the guy? And he said no no I took care of it. I hollowed out one of the logs and stuffed it with dynamite so pretty soon we’re going to hear an explosion. Then he waited and a few minutes later one of the men said he had to go and he sees him running as fast as he can home. And that’s how he solved that mystery.

Context: I asked folklore professor Tok Thompson if he could share one of his favorite stories with me and this was one of them. He heard it from his father, who lived in an Alaskan village. This takes place slightly after WW2, before the rise of significant technology.

Analysis: This story is extremely funny, which is probably why it is of interest to share with people. It also has an element of justice: good vs. evil where good triumphs.

Legend of Qu Yuan

Nationality: Taiwanese
Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: March 24, 2018
Primary Language: Chinese
Language: English

The legend of Qu Yuan… Qu Yuan was an official in the government of Chu before being exiled. While he was exiled he wrote stories and poems about his love for his homeland. This part is fact. Where the story apparently differs is how and why he died. The most common belief is that he committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River after learning of the fall of Chu. There are other beliefs that he was killed by enemies and even the river. Others believe he became lost and ran out of food, eventually “giving his body to the river”. Awu does not have a strong opinion on this, however his family taught him the suicide version.

 

Saint Nicholas.

Nationality: American
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Ocean Beach, San Diego.
Performance Date: 4/10/18
Primary Language: English

Max Feye, a Junior studying Screenwriting at the University of Southern California, who hails from Ocean Beach, San Diego, provided two pieces of folklore for this collection.

The interview was run, in his bedroom, at Orchard Avenue, on the outskirts of the University of Southern California.

Folklore Performance: Saint Nicholas.

Folk Type: Legend.

“So you’re German and American, has there been any folkloric cultural exchange between the two” – Stanley Kalu

STORY: I guess the first piece of folklore would be Saint Nicholas day, which is uhh, which is from Germany. I guess, maybe even more specifically from Southern Germany. I grew up with this, my mom and my dad are both German, so essentially there is Christmas and then there is Saint Nicholas day, which is in December. The Legend goes that the German version of Santa Clause will come if you put your boots outside the door and he’ll come and feel your boots with presents. So we always did that during Christmas.

Background Information: Born in Patara, a land that is part of present-day Turkey, circa 280, St. Nicholas was a Christian bishop who helped the needy. After his death, the legend of his gift-giving grew. St. Nicholas transformed into the legendary character called Santa Claus, who brings Christmas presents to children around the world.

Max likes this because it is apart of his childhood.  He learned it from his parents.

Context of Performance:  Christmas time in Germany.

Thoughts: Every culture seems to adopt the concept of Santa Claus as their own. Multiplicity and variation, people! Multiplicity and variation!