Category Archives: Legends

Narratives about belief.

Contemporary Legend

Nationality: Caucasian
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: San Meteo, CA
Performance Date: April 14, 2008
Primary Language: English

“So when we first built my house, it was finished on New Year’s Eve and we moved in. There was a really weird howling sound in the house, like there was a window open or something. And it just so happened the power was out that night. Anyway, we had candles everywhere and we kept hearing this howling sound but all the windows were closed. So we all went upstairs, and it was really cold upstairs. We found that all the candles upstairs had been put out in all the rooms. We didn’t find an open window but we definitely hard the howling sound all night. I don’t know, I thought that was really spooky.”

As a result of this first experience in their house, K.D. and his family now think their house is haunted. Now, whenever K.D. or any of his family members hears the howling, they attribute the howling and spookiness to the house ghost. Thus, this account marks the beginning of an urban legend. The howling they continue to hear every once in awhile at night has reinforced this urban legend.

K.D. thinks the howling is really scary; it creeps him out whenever he hears it. He says the first time was just especially scary because the power was out, it was eerily cold upstairs, and all the candles were out in the upstairs rooms. K.D. is not really sure whether or not he believes in ghosts, but when he hears the howling he cannot help but think there has to be at least a possibility that ghosts exist. He is unsure why the ghost is haunting them; he thinks maybe they built their house on haunted ground. He kind of regards this urban legend as his own personal urban legend, and it has made him think that maybe urban legends do have some truth to them.

K.D. tells this urban legend whenever other people start telling ghost stories, which is usually at night. For instance, he has told the story to cabin-mates at sleep-away camp, while on camping trips with friends and family, and during childhood sleepovers. Whenever people ask about his house and/or the building process, he answers their questions and also brings up this story about when they first moved in.

Urban legends usually have creationary figures (Big Foot, vampires, aliens, ghosts) in them. This urban legend is no exception since it contains a ghost in it. Legends tend to resonate with the audience, which is why people keep performing this particular genre of folklore. I know that I personally enjoy hearing about urban legends. They tend to scare me a little bit, but I am fascinated and always want to hear them. I agree with K.D. that these kinds of stories are spooky and I also do not know if I believe in ghosts. Legends show what a group might consider believable or acceptable. This urban legend shows others in the world that Americans may allow belief in ghosts.

K.D.’s urban legend is an example of a memorate. This is a personal experience of his and he and his family put it into a traditional framework. The howling and the candles being extinguished despite no open window being found is difficult to explain. So, it was put into a traditional framework to explain this phenomenon. Howling and the extinguishment of candles is associated with ghosts, so when he and his family experienced it, they automatically said it had to be a ghost. When they told other people about their experience, other people also automatically assumed the howling and extinguished candles had to be the result of a ghost’s presence in the house. Personal experiences translated into a traditional framework strengthen the legend. So, now people have even more “evidence” behind ghosts being the culprit behind howling and candles getting mysteriously put out. Now people will even more strongly associate howling and candles inexplicably getting extinguished with ghosts.

Contemporary Legend – Henderson, NV

Nationality: Caucasian
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Las Vegas, NV
Performance Date: March 12, 2008
Primary Language: English

“In a certain park in Henderson, there is a little boy that is seen swinging by himself. When visitors to the park approach him, his face changes to that of a demon, and then he vanishes. He is supposed to be the spirit of a boy killed by a drunk driver near the park.”

Robson heard this story from his mother, who heard it from a friend. Usually, urban legends do have a “friend of a friend” format. It is usually hazy who actually did see these occurrences. This urban legend is no different: Robson does not know anyone who has actually seen this boy, he only knows people who know people who know people who have possibly said they have seen this boy. He says he has also read this urban legend on websites and in the book Weird Nevada.

Robson lives across town, so this story has not affected him in particular. However, it does scare him a little bit. He finds the story slightly spooky and very eerie. He is not sure whether or not he actually believes the demon boy exists, but he does not want to take his chances so he will just avoid the park altogether if he ever comes across it.

Robson only really ever tells this urban legend when people in a group start telling ghost stories. Because he is from Nevada and lives in the same city as the park, he tells what he has heard about the urban legend whenever people bring it up. It is a pretty popular urban legend in Las Vegas, so people have brought it up multiple times. People might also tell this urban legend when passing by the park, or when actually visiting the park. According to Robson, this urban legend has actually driven down attendance at the park. People will purposely go to other parks instead of this one.

People are not really sure whether or not they believe in ghosts in general, let alone the demon boy. This demon boy seems more real because the back-story is that it is the ghost of a child killed by a drunk driver. I agree with Robson that this is a spooky story, and honestly I would probably completely avoid the park, too. If I ever saw it, I would probably feel terrified and agitated. If someone tried to pull me to the park as a joke, I would undoubtedly fight against it and probably scream in terror. I find it interesting that I, or anyone else who feels as I do, would react so strongly to something they are not sure is even real. The demon boy has not been proven by science. Most people admit to having never seen the boy, just hearing about the boy being there.

I am not sure why the ghost of a boy killed by a drunk driver would take on the face of a demon. Because I think it is people making this up (at least I think/hope it is people making this up), I wonder why people would assign a demon face to a poor, young boy who got killed.

Urban legends invite discussion about beliefs and this urban legend is no different. When people hear this legend, including myself, they are unsure about whether or no they believe in this demon boy. Considering the fact that attendance at the park went down though, I think people are leaning towards believing it is possible for demon boys to exist.

Annotation: Oesterle, Joe, Tim Cridland, Mark Moran, and Mark Sceurman. Weird Las Vegas and Nevada: Your Alternative Travel Guide to Sin City and the Silver State. New York, NY: Sterling Pub. Co, 2007.

Legend – Scottish

Nationality: Scottish
Age: 25
Occupation: Software Tester
Residence: Pacifica, CA
Performance Date: April 18, 2008
Primary Language: English

“Around Sandwick, Scotland, sightings of glowing balls (meaning orbs) have been reported. It is rumored that the lights that float around the area normally announce approaching death for a local. Some say the light belongs to an Irish merchant who was robbed and murdered on the island.”

This is a local legend regarding the people of Sandwick. Mike has a lot of family in Scotland, and he heard this legend from one of his relatives over in Scotland. He thinks this legend is a very spooky legend. He says that if he were ever in the Sandwick area, he would be frightened of seeing glowing balls. He half-jokingly remarked that he would “run away screaming” if he saw these glowing balls just because it would be creepy. He is not quite sure what his relatives meant by glowing balls, but he assumes they meant orbs and that they look kind of like a lantern the Irish merchant might have carried. He says it must have originated from a long, long time ago because it mentions an Irish merchant.

It is possible that this legend is in other places. This legend speaks of Sandwick, but other places in Scotland and other countries could have similar legends, just with different details. One difference might be that the merchant is not Irish, but another nationality. This legend could be in multiple places because legends spread. As people tell them, locations and details change. So, more than one place could have similar local legends due to the complications of word of mouth and diffusion.

This local legend invites discussion about belief. People who hear this legend are not sure whether or not glowing balls have been sighted. Mostly they are not sure whether or not they believe these glowing balls signify that a local will die. Death is something we do not know much about. It is something most people fear, so, people then fear this legend because it discusses death and possible reasons behind death. People fear it even more because there is a supposed reason behind the glowing balls: the Irish merchant. People do not want to encounter the Irish merchant that got murdered in the area, either.

Legends oftentimes say much about a society’s culture and identity. It is interesting because the Scottish respond to this legend much the same way we would in the United States. People in the United States would also be frightened of mysterious glowing balls, especially if the light is supposed to belong to a murdered merchant. This shows that Americans and Scottish people have things in common. Americans and Scots are unsure whether or not they believe in legends. However, their actions would lead one to conclude they do believe in these legends since they are scared and tend to avoid areas mentioned in scary legends.

Legend – Polish

Nationality: Polish
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Greenbrae, CA
Performance Date: April 27, 2008
Primary Language: English

The Dragon of Krakow (Cracow)

Long ago in Poland’s early history, On the River Vistula, there was a small settlement of wooden huts inhabited by peaceful people who farmed the land and plied their trades. Near this village was Wawel Hill. In the side of Wawel Hill was a deep cave. The entrance was overgrown with tall, grass, bushes, and weeds. No man had ever ventured inside that cave, and some said that a fearsome dragon lived within it.

The young people of the village didn’t believe in the dragon. The old people of the village said that they had heard their fathers tell of a dragon who slept in the cave, and no man must dare waken it, or there would be dire consequences for them all.

Some of the youths decided to explore the cave and put an end to such foolish talk. They thought that they knew better and dragons were just old stories from the past. A group of these young people took some torches and went to the cave. They slowly entered the cave until they came to a dark mass of scales blocking their way and the sound of heavy breathing. The boys ran as the dragon awakened and roared. Fire came from its mouth warming the boys heels and backs. When they were far enough away, they looked back and saw the dragon at the entrance of the cave, very angry being awakened from its sleep.

From that day on, the people knew no peace. Every day the dragon appeared and carried off a sheep or preferably young virgins. The populace made many attempts to kill the dragon but nothing succeeded and many of those that attempted were killed. In the village lived a wise man, or a shoemaker or a shoe makers apprentice named Krakus or Krac. He got some sheep and mixed a thick, yellow paste from sulfur. Krakus smeared it all over the animals. Then led them to a place where the dragon would see them. The dragon came out as expected, saw the sheep, roared, rushed down the hill and devoured the sheep. The dragon had a terrible fire within him, and a terrible thirst. It rushed to the River Vistula and started drinking. It drank and drank and could not stop. The dragon began to swell, but still it drank more and more. It went on drinking till suddenly there was a great explosion, and the dragon burst. There was great rejoicing by the people.

Krakus, was made ruler of the village, and they built a stronghold on Wawel Hill. The country prospered under the rule of Krakus and a city grew up around the hill, which was called Krakow, in honor of Krakus. When Krakus died, the people gave him a magnificent burial, and erected a mound over his tomb which can be seen to this day. The people brought earth with their own hands to the mound, and it has endured through all the centuries as a memorial to the person that killed the dragon of Krakow.

Karolina’s parents are from Poland.  She lived in New Zealand for 6 years before moving to the United States.  Her parents were always sure to represent their culture, and thus Polish was spoken at home, typically they ate Polish food, and as children they learned about Polish culture.  This legend in particular is interesting because Karolina’s parents are from Krakow, and they would go there each year as children to visit the relatives.  This is the legend of a dragon that lived in the village, and according to Karolina, some believe that the legend is true, and most believe that there are at least some elements of truth to the story as the town is named after the “hero Krakus.”

Karolina has visited the large 200-foot-long cave in Wawel Hill, Krakow, which has been known for centuries as the monster’s den.  It now attracts huge crowds of visitors each year. Whatever the truth of the dragon legend, the Dragon’s Cave (Polish ‘Smocza Jama’) is Cracow’s oldest residence, inhabited by man from the Stone Age through the 16th century.  There is even a statue in front of the castle that blows real fire every five minutes to commemorate the legend.

Contemporary Legend – Hawaiian

Nationality: Hawaiian
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Waimea, Hawaii
Performance Date: April 30, 2008
Primary Language: English

About a twenty minute hike from the edge of my town (Waimea, on the big island of Hawaii) is the back of Waipio Valley, the first in a chain of seven valleys on the northeast coast of my island. By Hawaiin tradition, Waipio is thought to be the entrance to the underworld, where the dead souls of Ali’I (Hawaiin Royalty) go after they die. They sat night the Ali’l come out and walk through the valley (and consequently the hills of my town) accompanied by their court. We call them night marchers. From a distance they look like a chain of flickering lanterns moving across the hillside and through the trees. As they get closer you hear Hawaiin chanting, especially the word “awe” (pronounced ah-vay) meaning “stay away.” And if you happen to be in the proximity of a procession, before you cross paths you need to shed all your clothes (because peasants wore no clothing) and lie face down on the ground (a sign of fealty). If you stay standing, or look at the night marchers, you will be forced to join their slow procession forever.

Steve commented that he is a very spiritual person and was not entirely skeptical of this idea. He understands the history and culture of the area and similarly believes that everyone of every faith has a different idea of the afterlife and concepts surrounding it. Death is a curious thing and it is certainly interesting that they would believe in the entrance to the underworld being on earth. In my opinion what contributes to this is the fact that we have so many volcanoes, the original people of the area saw how much power came out of underneath the earth it is no wonder they assumed the gods lay underneath the earth as opposed to the sky in the traditional Christian perspective.

I find this to be a very interesting piece of folklore. The portion that refers to an opening to the underworld speaks to the idea that humans crave knowledge about what lies ahead of us after our time on earth passes. We can not stand dealing with the unknown so we create beliefs such as this to help ease the trouble of that time in our life. This piece also reflects the concept of respect for authority and the difference amongst the social classes in early Hawaiian society. The fact that the peasants would be on the ground with no clothes is an extreme to say the least. In general this superstition is certainly one that would entice visitors to experience the culture and history of the area.