Category Archives: Legends

Narratives about belief.

Contemporary Legend – Boise, Idaho

Nationality: Caucasian
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Boise, ID
Performance Date: April 15, 2008
Primary Language: English

There’s a legend that is kind of like a ghost story, but it’s kind of like an urban legend, near Boise, kind of up in the mountains there’s this street kind of on a hill and apparently a girl was run over by a school bus or something, like a small girl, so the story goes that if you park on that hill with your car and you take the emergency brake off and you just sit there the car will move up the hill because the girl is pushing the car up the hill.

This is a ghost story and urban legend in one piece of folklore. Here a girl’s ghost is pushing cars up the hill where she was run over by a bus. The urban legend part is that you can experience this by stopping on the hill and not using you emergency brake. Stephanie heard the story from a friend as they were driving past the hill. They were in a hurry, so they were unable to stop and try the legend out for themselves, so the mystery still remains for them. Another part of the ghost story is that if after you get out of your car you can see foot prints behind your car.

Stephanie thought that this legend continues to be popular because people still go out and try to see if they park on the hill and take their emergency brake off, if their car will go up the hill. She believes that it is popular because if give people something to do on the weekends and when they are really bored.

This also means that the audience that is most likely going to keep this legend continuing are going to be teenagers with cars. If you do not have a car, or can not drive I don’t think that this legend is going to be as interesting for you. I would find it interesting to try if I was bored. It seems like it would be really interesting if something like this could happen.

Contemporary Legend – University of Southern California

Nationality: Japanese-American
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Manhattan Beach, CA
Performance Date: April 20, 2008
Primary Language: English

There are a few legends behind why every year Tommy Trojan get wound in duct tape. I come from a family that has had a few generations go through USC and I have heard a few different reasons why Tommy is dressed in duct tape during the UCLA vs. USC football game week. I originally heard from my dad that UCLA had a few students who got a helicopter and tried to dump blue and gold paint on Tommy, but because of the rotor wash and their bad aim, they were unable to get Tommy with the paint. The other story I heard was that they tired to use cow manure, and instead got a lot of it in the helicopter because of the rotor wash. I think I even heard a variation where the helicopter crashed, but I find that hard to believe.

The fact is that this legend has become very much a part of folklore on the campus of USC. Every year the Trojan Knights camp out in front of Tommy to make sure that nothing happens to him. Also, every year he is wrapped up in duct tape. These two fact keep this legend going. The other reason that they legend is still popular is the fact that we would like to think that we are that much better than people from UCLA, and that these stupid plans and actions are signs of our superiority. The thing is I also know a few people who go to UCLA.

The way their story goes, they succeed in getting Tommy with either the paint, the manure, and in one case both, and that it was because of this success that Tommy is wrapped in duct tape every year. At USC we like to think we are taking precautions from keep this from ever working even though UCLA has failed on numerous occasions to try to do something to Tommy.

Another important fact is that the legend is popular to both people at USC, and UCLA, but probably not even know in other school that do not play either school in sports. This means that they legends around Tommy and the duct tape are continued and popular among a small group of people who go to either school.

Contemporary Legend – University of Southern California

Nationality: Japanese-American
Occupation: Accountant
Residence: Manhattan Beach, CA
Performance Date: March 10, 2008
Primary Language: English

In the past there was a great visible rivalry between USC and the Cal marching Bands. I have heard that one year there were a bunch of Cal band members that were dressed up in USC band uniforms and that their plan was to go out during half time and make a mess of the half time show for USC on national television. Apparently though the members of the USC marching band were smarter than this and when they were about to take the field they all punched out the Cal members that were in the band that day.

My father told me this legend when I brought up the fact that there must be some folklore that surrounds USC. He found out about this legend when he first started school at USC. He thought about this legend because it always sounded like it could have happened.

He thought that this legend has kept going through all the years because of  the marching band. The marching band has traditionally been one of the bigger and louder college marching bands in the nation, and for this reason people are always trying to compete with the marching band. He believes that this legend continues on because it makes it seem like USC’s marching band was able to prevent something bad from happening to their field show.

Another reason why I think the legend continues today is because today we live in a society that need for us to all be politically correct. It would not be appropriate for our students to try to do that to another school. It makes us long to be back in the old days when things like this were expected rather than worried about.

I also find that this legend continues today because the marching band is still very well known. If the band had not been as famous as it is then I doubt that a legend like this would ever continue to be popular on campus. Again, this kind of legend is only popular among students of the schools because we feel that we need to be a part of our school, and this is just one more way that as a group we build special connections.

Legend

Nationality: Swiss
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Columbus, OH
Performance Date: April 10, 2008
Primary Language: English

This is the legend of the Voodoo Dick. So, there is this mountain climber and he has been to Everest a couple of times, and when you go climb Mount Everest it takes a good month and a half to climb to the top and everything, and so the only problem with going to climb Mount Everest is that his wife gets lonely, and so that last time that he went he cheated on him. She felt horrible and told him and he understands because he is gone for a month and a half, but he wants to make sure that it doesn’t happen again, so he asks his friends what he should do? His friend tells him he knows this guy and that he has this thing called the Voodoo Dick that I’m sure will keep your wife pleased without having her to cheat on you, so he gets this guys number and goes to this guy who’s like this magic type dude and his whole shop is like herbs and spices and weird things. So, he goes to this old man and says his friend told him about a Voodoo Dick, and do you know anything about that? Well, Yes I do, come into the back room. So, he takes him into the back room and says one moment, and so he is shuffling thorough some shelves, and brings this jar this big, dusty, dirty jar filled with this black murky water and you can’t tell what’s in there, and it’s just got this old hand written label that says Voodoo Dick, and so, the old man shows him that this is the Voodoo Dick that you want, let me show you how it works. And, so he untwists the cap and says Voodoo Dick the door, and this enormous, grotesque looking penis, he thinks that it could actually have been an actual human penis persevered, you know it could have been made out of this other thing, he doesn’t know what the old man, sorcerer is capable of making. So the old man says Voodoo Dick the door, and this giant enormous thing comes out and it starts banging on the door, just going at it on the door, and the guy is in shock, this enormous thing just floating through the air hitting the door like that, and then the old man say Voodoo Dick, Voodoo Dick stop right now, and the Voodoo Dick floats back and back into the jar and the top comes back and twists itself back on. So, the mountain climber, he’s impressed by this, and he say you know he explains the situation with his wife and how his wife would like this type of thing. So the guys says yeah, so I will sell it too you for $250 and so he give him the 250 bucks and the guy, the old man tells him that he needs to explain it to him how it works, basically say Voodoo Dick and the object that you want it to do its thing on and then it will do it on whatever you say to do it on and in order to get it to stop you need to say Voodoo Dick, Voodoo Dick stop right now, otherwise it won’t stop until you say that command, so the mans like ok, ok, ok, and so he wants it still and he buys it, and he goes back to his wife and he says honey, I know I am going to be gone for awhile, and I know you are going to get lonely, so I got you a gift. And he shows her the Voodoo Dick and he goes Voodoo Dick the wall, and you know the Voodoo Dick comes out and starts against the wall and the wife is visibly shocked and is like wow, this is going to be amazing, and he says Voodoo Dick, Voodoo Dick, stop right now, and the Voodoo Dick goes and floats back into the jar and the top of the jar twists on. So, he explains to his wife how it works and she loves him for this gift that he got her, and then he goes off and climbs his mountain and maybe three weeks into it his wife starts to feel lonely, so she decides that she is going to use the Voodoo Dick and this is her first time using the Voodoo Dick. So, she gets out the jar and says Voodoo Dick my pussy and the Voodoo Dick comes out and it starts you know having intercourse with her, this penis is going in and out, in and out , and after awhile she starts… at first it feel good, and then you know it get heated, and it get heated, and then she starts to have an orgasm, and in the heat of the moment it’s so amazing for her, it’s the best orgasm she has ever had, but she can’t remember how to get it to stop, she doesn’t remember the command. So she’s like stop Voodoo Dick, stop, stop, and she is like trying to pull it out, but it is just going at it. And, so she is crazy and out of breath, she doesn’t know what to do so she get her car keys and hops in her car, and starts driving to the hospital. And she starts to have another orgasm, and another orgasm, and she is swerving all over the road and she is in complete control of this Voodoo Dick that is going at it. She is still swerving all over the place, and so a police officer starts following her with the sirens and so the police officer is following her, and she doesn’t know what to do and she is trying to pull over, and she crashes into a tree, and she is just sitting there in the car just having more orgasms and so the police officer comes up and knocks on her door and she rolls down the window and she is just sitting the saying Voodoo Dick, Voodoo Dick, stop, stop. And the police officer is like are you on drugs, are you drunk? You’re driving like a crazy person, you just got into a wreck. She is just like Voodoo Dick, ahhhh, Voodoo Dick, ohhhhh, aaahhhhh, and the police officer looks and her and is like what are you trying to say? And all she can say is Voodoo Dick ahhhhhh, and the police officer says, Voodoo Dick my ass.

Jack thought that this legend has a clear meaning and that was that pleasure needs to be in moderation. He also thought that it was saying that it is more appropriate for people to pleasure themselves in more traditional ways than with a “giant, magical, cock.” Jack thought that the legend is telling us that you can have too much of a good thing. He gave analogies of drinking too much and being sick, or eating to much and getting sick.

I would have to agree with Jack on the analysis of this legend, that on a superficial pass it seems just like a long winded joke, but if you look at the hidden meaning there is a lesson to be learned about everything in moderation. I also think that in today’s world that we see jokes and things more along this subject material because it is becoming more socially acceptable to talk about these things in public. I also wouldn’t be surprised to hear about this legend anywhere, it isn’t as time and place specific. It is a little crude and rude, so it might appeal more to unmarried men, or younger people anywhere from high school age, through college age.

Legend – Switzerland

Nationality: Swiss
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Columbus, OH
Performance Date: April 10, 2008
Primary Language: English

In Switzerland the border of Switzerland and France there is a separation created by a river. Basically on the Swiss side there is a mountain, it’s like a hill, but it’s just like a rock face. And you look at the rock face and you look at it at a certain angle it looks like exactly like the face of John Calvin the Protestant reformer. The story goes as when he visited the town that was right near there, there was at around the same time that he visited the town, that side of the hill just collapsed and then there was just his face.

Jack believes that since there is a strong following of Calvanists there that this is a legend that is used to further their belief that what John Calvin was teaching was the correct way to view religion. These people hold on to the legend because it proves that this sign is for the approval of Calvanism from God.

I believe this may have also been used by people to bring people to be Calvanist because it seems to be more acceptable if a religion has signs that point to why it is the correct way to view the world. In this case I think the sign of the hill side giving way to an image of John Calvin maybe slightly twisted because we do not know exactly how close this image is to what John Calvin looked like. Also, if you have to stand at a certain angle, to me that would mean that there is a good chance that there are other people in the world that would say it looks like someone else.

Had this happened in another country I think the image in the rock would be totally different. I believe that this is again a legend that is mainly told to people of the area. I think the most likely reason for know this legend would be from visiting the area.

Jack did visit the area and that is why he knows of the legend. I know only because I had asked for some folkloric tales. I believe had I not really asked for some folklore from him for this project that it would be unlikely  that he would have told me this legend.