Category Archives: Legends

Narratives about belief.

Story – China

Nationality: Chinese, American, Brazilian
Age: 47
Occupation: ESL Teacher
Residence: Ossining, New York
Performance Date: March 20, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Mandarin, Cantonese, Portuguese

How My Grandfather’s Middle Name Came to Be (the Hong Mountain)

“My grandfather’s middle name is Hong. It is a prestigious name, it seems, after the Hong Mountain in the village of WuXi. The story goes that a close blood relative of a Chinese emperor was buried there; his tombstone standing alone on this mountain overlooking the village. This lonely man was the direct heir to the emperor’s throne. He, however, didn’t want to rule the Chinese empire. He wanted to be free of imperial duties so he could be a free man. He left the imperial palace and wandered off as far as he could. He ended up in the village of WuXi and entered a temple. There he became ill and was taken care of by the village people.

The emperor dispatched search parties all over the empire looking for his last relative. One of these search parties led by one of the emperor’s close ambassadors arrived at WuXi, after hearing news about a strange sick man, whose identity no one knew of, showing up at this village. Upon the search party’s arrival, the ambassador went straight to see this unidentified man. He immediately recognized the heir to the empire and sent out for the imperial doctors. Unfortunately, the illness was in such an advanced stage that no Chinese medicine or medical expertise could have helped. The heir to the throne died in this village. Before his death, he made his last wish. He wished to be buried in this village and not to be brought back to the imperial palace.

The village people wanted to honor this guest. They gave him a respectful and proper burial. They chose the highest site on the Hong Mountain where no one has ever been buried before and made a tombstone fit for a member of the imperial family.

That’s where my grandfather got his middle name.” –Lee Lee Wong

Analysis:

This legend is an example of ethnic folklore as manifested in a middle name. Every name stands for something different, whether it be a personal quality or in this case, the history of an emperor’s descendent. In the traditional Chinese culture, one’s middle name carries just as much value as the first name. A typical Chinese name reads in the order of last, middle, and first name.  Choosing a name in the Chinese culture relies heavily on the name’s underlying history and connotations. Perhaps my great grandfather’s parents gave him that name to honor the story of the emperor’s descendent. The story’s themes create the name’s significance, which include individualism and self-discovery. These were probably traits my great grandfather’s parents wanted to instill in him.

It is common for the Chinese to tell stories about the origins of a surname or middle name. Culturally, the Chinese honor their ancestors and look to the past for answers to the present. Unlike American culture, which is forward-facing in the social and cultural context, Chinese culture is reliant on past events and stories. A great deal of attention is paid to the surname, which can say a lot about a person’s character and background.

My mom learned about this story from her father. She unfortunately cannot write in Chinese as well as she can speak the language, which is why I could not document this story in its original language, Cantonese. She told me that her grandfather’s name is something he and our family should be proud of and has essentially become a part of our heritage. The name ties our family to royalty and reflects hopes for grand accomplishments in life. The name’s imperial traits include wisdom, culture, richness, and a long legacy of family ties. While my mother didn’t know him very well, she said he loved to read and learn which instill the name with even more meaning. My grandfather takes great pleasure in sharing stories of this kind because he believes the name’s significance will continue to run in our family and bring us good fortune.

Contemporary Legend – Oxford, Ohio

Nationality: caucasian
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Oxford, OH
Performance Date: April 22, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: French, Hebrew

Ali’s Oxford Legend

“Ok, so the story goes that there was this girl who lived on Oxford-Milford Road and she had a boyfriend who her father didn’t really approve of because he rode a motorcycle…picture James Dean. So, the forbidden couple devised a system where he would ride his motorcycle down her road at night and she would flash a flashlight three times to let him know her dad was asleep and it was okay for him to come over.

So here’s where the story gets a little hazy, but I’ll tell you my favorite version. So, one night

he comes down the road and can’t wait to see her. Maybe he was coming home from WW2…I don’t know…and pays no heed that she hasn’t given him her usual signal. Throwing caution to the wind…”Fuck her conservative father; I’m in love!”…he thrusts open the door only to find his love in bed with another man! Crushed by her deception, he tears off through the night on his motorcycle, ending his life by crashing into a tree on the road.

So now the legend goes that if you park where the road makes a 90 degree turn and flash your headlight three times, a lone headlight will appear in the distance, presumably the heart-broken ghost of our James Dean-ish hero, making another ride for his sweetheart. I’ve had some success with it and a lot of people I know have as well.” –Ali Smith

Analysis:

I have found that some of the most interesting folklore comes from college campuses. I remember being on the tour at USC and learning just as many legends and myths about the school (ie: Tommy Trojan) as facts and statistics. This was during my junior year of high school when I visited over ten schools and had a hard time distinguishing them from one another (most tours showcased the same kinds of information). However, I distinctly remember USC having some of the most interesting folklore, whether it be the story of the legendary Tommy Trojan or rumored pranks UCLA had played on us in the past. My decision to come to USC did not ultimately depend on my interest in the school’s folklore; however, it made the school that much more appealing to me when evaluating its pros and cons and in judging my overall experience during my visit.

I was talking to my best friend at home about our school’s folklore and the one that stuck out in her mind was this urban legend. My friend is originally from New York and learned about this legend during her freshman year at school. Since she couldn’t remember the full details of the story, she referred me to her friend at school, who is a resident of Oxford, Ohio where this folklore originated. Oxford is the college town of Miami University. I called her friend, Ali, who learned about it in high school (it’s pretty well known in both the town of Oxford and Hamilton, the town next over). Ali told me that she has seen the light before and heard the mysterious engine sound at 3 am at the site. While she believes the story is true, she worries that increased traffic in the area may have scared the ghost off.

Contemporary Legend

Nationality: British, Scottish
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Cleveland, OH
Primary Language: English

“My sister told me that inside the top of the Matterhorn at Disneyland there is a basketball court.  Apparently, years ago, there used to be people that would climb the Matterhorn, people hired by Disneyland as entertainers.  When they were waiting to climb, the people could play basketball to pass the time.  I’m pretty sure that Disneyland discontinued the climbers, but at night during the fireworks, Tinkerbell flies from the top of the Matterhorn, so its possible that she uses the basketball court before the show starts.”

In December 2007, Sarah visited the Disneyland theme park in Anaheim, CA.  She said that while telling her sister about her plans to visit the park, her sister told her about the secret basketball court inside the Matterhorn ride.  Her sister found out this information from a friend’s father who used to work at Disneyland, and therefore was trusted as a credible informant.  When Sarah visited Disneyland, she said that asked the tram driver if there really was a basketball court at the top of the Matterhorn, and he confirmed the story.  He said that it is smaller than a half court, but it has a hoop, backboard, and lines marking the floor.

Because so few people know that there actually is a basketball court inside the ride, many people think it is a merely a rumor that adds to the mystery of Disneyland.  In addition to the “hidden mickeys” in the park, and the underground tunnel system used by characters and cast members, the basketball court is another example of the many Disney secrets that the public is often not aware of.  Although hearing about such a strange urban legend is probably interesting in any situation, since so many people have been to Disneyland, the context of hearing the legend is enhanced in Sarah’s case since she discussed it while she was at Disneyland.  She was able to see the Matterhorn in person, and talk to someone who worked for the park that could confirm the legend.  She said it made her trip to Disneyland even more special, because she felt like she got to be part of a secret.

Most of the time, urban legends are not falsifiable and therefore cannot be proven or disproven.  Sarah had direct access to a Disney employee, though, and therefore was about to confirm the story.  On one hand, this can be viewed as a detriment to Sarah, because some of the mystery of Disneyland has been taken away.  However, knowing about a secret basketball court has not ruined Sarah’s perception of the theme park, and in fact has caused her to feel more curious about what other strange things exist inside Disneyland.

When Sarah told me about this Disney secret, I did not believe her at first.  Because I have lived in Los Angeles my whole life and have visited Disneyland countless times, it is hard to believe that I had never heard of the basketball court before.  This attitude probably added to the strength of the urban legend, though, since those types of stories are especially good at challenging a person’s beliefs.  Like Sarah, I also felt that learning about the basketball court did not detract from my appreciation of the magical world of Disney.  Instead, it made me want to further investigate other secrets in the park and learn more.  I think because I’ve grown up going to Disneyland and felt so sure that I knew every part of the park, this new information is especially intriguing.  This may hold true for others as well and could also help explain why people are so interested in hearing urban legends.

Annotation:  The following book confirms the basketball court in the Matterhorn, and also provides more information about the inner-workings of Disneyland:

Koenig, David. Mouse Tales: A Behind-the-Ears Look at Disneyland. Irvine, CA: Bonaventure Press, 1994.

Contemporary Legend

Nationality: Swedish, English, Russian, Austrian
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Northridge, CA
Primary Language: English

My mother sent me the following email: “A few days ago, a person was recharging his cell phone at home.  Just at that time a call came in and he answered it with the instrument still connected to the outlet.  After a few seconds electricity flowed into the cell phone unrestrained and the young man was thrown to the ground with a heavy thud.  His parents rushed to the room only to find him unconscious, with a weak heartbeat and burnt fingers.  He was rushed to the nearby hospital, but was pronounced dead on arrival.  Cell phones are a very useful modern invention. However, we must be aware that it can also be an instrument of death.  Never use the cell phone while it is hooked to the electrical outlet!”

My mother constantly sends me emails warning me of the dangers of cell phones.  She receives these emails from her coworkers and forwards them to me so that I will be more cautious when using my cell phone.  The emails usually are written in bold print and contain graphic images of fires or explosions caused by cell phones.  In this specific email, the text was followed by a picture of a man covered in bloody bandages, laying in a hospital bed unconscious.  The intention is that the reader will be shocked by the images and more likely to heed the warning contained in the body of the email.

Although the email says that using a cell phone that is plugged into an electrical outlet can be deadly, this is a statement that has yet to be proven.  I have used my phone while it has been plugged in and nothing happened.  While I agree that it is possible for a cell phone fire to occur, I think it is a very rare occurrence that probably happens as a result of a defect in the phone.  It seems like these types of stories circulate the internet because they easily incite fear and are often anonymous, so it is hard to discredit the source of the email.  Though people may say they do not believe in seemingly exaggerated urban legends, the inability to completely expose such emails as fiction often subconsciously influences how people view things.  For instance, even though I do not think using my cell phone while it is charging is dangerous, I still unplug my phone before I use it.  The shadow of doubt in my mind and the idea of “what if…” always forces me to unplug it just incase something bad happens that could be avoided.

Furthermore, as more information about cell phones is readily available to the general public, it seems likely that such urban legends will decrease in number and popularity.  These legends are so successful because they are not falsifiable.  Once people learn more about how cell phones work, they will be less likely to fear the unknown world of modern technology.  In my own life, I have stopped receiving so many cautionary emails from my mother about the dangers of cell phone usage since she has started to use her cell phone more and become more familiar with it.  Now whenever I receive these emails, I find them humorous as opposed to scary or insightful, which is the opposite reaction than is intended.

Contemporary Legend – Claremont, CA

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Claremont, CA
Performance Date: April 19, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: German

The Thompson Creek Trail Ghost Story

There is a trail, up in the Claremont Mountains, called The Thompson Creek Trail.  A group of high school kids went up to the trail one night about ten to fifteen years ago (this is supposedly a true story).  They went up the trail to see if anything fun was going on in the mountains and to chill.  While walking, they walked over a bridge to other side of creek and found an old foundation of a house, often described as “ruins.”  One of them stepped inside of the foundation and jumped back out.  The kid was really freaked out and said he heard screaming when he stepped within the foundation; another kid tested this and claimed the same.   Suddenly, a silvery ghost-like figure of a woman appeared and told them to leave and that they did not want to know about the things that had happened there.  One of the kids asked what had happened and why they wouldn’t want to know.  She proceeded to explain that her husband used to beat her in the house and one day he went crazy and locked their infant child in the house and set the house on fire. The child died that night and the screaming they heard inside the foundations was the screaming of the child.  Another one of the kids asked a question and the silvery ghost woman screamed a blood-curling scream.  All of the kids scattered and ran away scared.  Today, people go up the Thompson Creek Trail at night for the thrills, and according to hikers the foundation actually exists.  Sometimes people claim to see random piles of sticks and shabbily built alters, or even sacrificed animals by the foundations.

People tell the story in groups on occasions such as Halloween.  Hope heard it from her science teacher on Halloween when she was 15.  The room was dark with only Bunsen burners lighting the room, a suitable environment for ghost story telling.  The story was just for fun to scare everyone because Halloween is a time of year when everyone is trying to scare each other.

I think it’s interesting that this ghost story is about an actual place.  I think that the story was probably originally formulated to explain the unknown—why are there ruins of a house in the middle of a mountain and what happened to make them ruins.  People often devise stories to explain the unexplainable.  The story also shows the curiosity of humanity as the kids imply further and further to the ghost woman, and people go up to see the ruins for thrills.  Mysterious things fascinate humanity, and humans often think that if they can physically see something then they will be able to explain it, hence why people go visit the ruins—to prove to themselves first of all, that the ruins are there, and second of all, that there is or isn’t a ghost that haunts them.