Category Archives: Myths

Sacred narratives

The Ghost of Lib

Folklore:

“So basically, at our highschool [elite new england boarding prep school) there’s this dorm that is above the library. The library is 3 floors and then the dorm rooms are a floor above that and there are NO ELEVATORS, so everyone has to walk up about a billion stairs to get to their bedrooms. Not only is this dorm, which is colloquially referred to as ‘lib’, is one of the tallest buildings on campus, but is also one of the oldest. Because of that there’s no ac, and since heat rises it gets really hot to the point where they’ll get these giant fans from the gym, or some people will have to sleep in another dorm or the health center during the hottest days of summer. That’s kinda irrelevant to the sorry but i said it to set the stage of how old this dorm is. The pipes creak, the windows barely open, and the doors creak. So its basically just the building being old, however any time anything weird happens, people in the dorm blame it on the ‘lib ghost’. Essentially, there’s this story that there’s a ghost who lives in the lib attic. I think she used to be a student that lived in the dorm but she got so tired of the stairs that she just never came down. So now, anytime things go mysteriously missing, or strange noises late at night, or a light flickering. Or this one dorm door that notoriously opens by itself (probably just a faulty hinge or weird airflow) everyone just says “oh, it’s just the lib ghost.”

Context:

IL is a current college student who attended a boarding prepatory highschool in the late 2010s. She first heard this story from the prefects in her dorm during her sophomore year when complaining about a creaky door that sometimes randomly opens.

Interviewer: “Is the ghost evil? are students scared of it?”

IL: “No, not really. Think kinda like Casper the Friendly Ghost. But honestly not really because it’s not exactly friendly just kinda… ambivalent. Like just sorta coexisting with the students. We don’t bother it, it doesn’t bother us. We just sorta accept and acknowledge that it’s there and go about with our day.”

Analysis:

Ghost stories are a norm when it comes to folklore, particularly in the west. There is a fascination with the unknown, of what happens to the intangible thing we call a soul once we die. It is something that happens to everyone, yet we know so little about it. That, in addition to the American view of time (how it is finite, and we always want more) lends itself to this common acceptance of the supernatural. Additionally, in this instance, students cannot explore many places where the ghost supposedly resides, therefore it creates an enticing mystery ripe for storytelling and myth. That’s where this ghost story was formed, from the unexplainable being blamed on the unknown. We accept anyone as driven as a student would stay after death if their life was cut short, because we understand that time is a precious commodity and conversely know nothing about life when it ends.

Pet a Pig for Good Grades

Myth:

“Well, Another legend from [boarding school] was about the statue of the boar outside of our school library. Basically, our school mascot is the wild boar, and there is this really big, really iconic statue of a boar (which is basically just a hairy pig haha) outside of the library which is basically the center of campus at the top of the hill and right next to the dining hall. The legend goes that if you have a really big test or exam that you’re worried about, if you rub the boar’s snout before, it will give you good luck and you will pass all of your exams.”

Context:

IL was a highschool student in the late 2010s attending a New England preparatory boarding school.

IL: “I’m not sure if I actually believe that it works. To be fair, I never majorly failed any tests or exams or whatever in highschool [laughs]. And I think it’s probably just a placebo effect, like if you’re that worried about the assessment that you’re willing to turn to superstition then you probably put in at least some work to prepare or study, and I think that probably has more to do with the result than the statue of a pig. But if it helps it helps, y’know.

I first heard it on my first day of school freshman year. I was on the international student program so we arrived a bit earlier and got a bunch of tours and stuff with and without our parents and I think on one of the tours the guide mentioned it as we entered the library. I also heard it reiterated among students over that year when they were stressed they would mention that they tried the boar. It kinda became less prevalent as the years went on I think. I think it’s more so new students that enjoy the novelty of legends and traditions like that”

Analysis:

This legend is one of hope. Perhaps it is a placebo effect, however, that is the joy of folklore. It takes the hopes and aspirations of a group (in this case students desiring a good grade) combined with genuine world occurrences (perhaps a few students did get a high score after petting the boar) and transforms it into myth and legend. It is perhaps a bit less exciting that the more commonly known legends of objects or certain actions causing supernatural events or powers, nonetheless, it is passed down between people and the myth lives on, true or not.

The Stone and the Chiefs Daughter

Myth:

[originally in Setswana, translated to English]

“This story is about three girls. One of the girls is the Chief’s daughter. The three girls were very good friends however the chiefs daughter was a petulant child because she had lived a life of entitlement. She believed she was better than everyone and everything else because of her important status in the village. Her entitled attitude went on for her entire life and no one could ever get her to change.

One day, all three girls were sent to go collect firewood through a narrow road filled with rocks and stones. Nthediane, the princess [chiefs daughter], tripped on a rock. After falling, she began to cuss out the rock to no end, spewing every insult under the sun until her anger subsided and the girls continued on along the road to collect all the firewood.

On the way back to the village there was suddenly a giant boulder blocking the path that was not there before. The stone from before had turned into this boulder and there was no way past. This made Nthediane angry once more so she began to yell at the boulder. She went on and on about how the Chief will hear about this and she can’t believe this rock is disrespecting her.

One of her friends began to apologize to rock with a song. The song went: “Please rock, I’m not the one who cursed you, let me pass.” After this song, the rock made a small opening and let the girl through and then closed behind her.

Now it was just two girls left. The second girl asked Nthediane to apologize so that they could all go home, but the princess refused. So the second girl apologized to the rock with the same song her friend sang, and once again a small opening let her through. Now just Nthediane was left and still she wouldn’t apologize.

The two girls ran to get the chief to tell him what happened. The chief and the entire village went back along the path to go and get the princess and bring her home, However, when the horde arrived, the boulder had become a mountain and buried Nthediane underneath.”

Context:

This story was told by K who is a middle aged woman who has lived in Botswana her entire life. K first heard this from her father as a child after he would get home from work. At that time parents didn’t really sit down and talk with kids like parents do now, so sharing stories was how they passed down information and gave advice. This story stayed with K because she believes to this day in the importance of respecting everything in the universe.

“Setswana tales are always to teach us something as children. In the villages we did not have TV therefore these stories were told around the fire as dinner was cooking as a bonding time with the parents and entertainment to the kids while teaching the kids a life lesson aswell. This story specifically teaches us to live in balance with nature. That not only is respecting adults, parents, and peers important, but also the world around you, no matter how seemingly insignificant. If you don’t respect the universe there are consequences.”

Analysis:

A major purpose of a tale is to have some sort of lesson or moral. This story is aiming to teach children to always be kind and humble regardless of how much power and importance you have, or how little power and importance the other person has. As is the culture in Botswana, one must always treat everything with respect whether they are poor, or the chief, or an animal in the bush, or a rock on the road. Additionally, the anthropomorphism of the rock aims to teach that respect does not only go for people, but everything around you. This legend, like many in traditional children’s stories, includes a song which makes it more appealing to a wider range of children. If a child is disinterested in the storytelling itself, they may be interested in the song, either way, they learn the tale and are in turn taught the lesson of the story. The parallels between this story from year and years ago is still relevant today with the issue of climate change, perhaps if this tale was told more widely around the would people would have greater respect for the planet we inhabit.

The Gentle Giant

Nationality: Spanish

Primary Language: Spanish/English

Age: 25

Occupation: Student

Residence: Madrid

Date: 3/28/2024

Text: 

The Basajaun is a large, hairy human-like creature that we believe as Basques. He is believed to be a gentle giant, guardian of the woods, that helped our ancestors with agriculture and helped keep livestock alive. One of our mythological creatures that is believed to be the friend of Baque Shepherds. 

Context:

The participant has known this mythological creature for as long as he can remember and explains its origin from his hometown, Basque Country. He believes his parents first told him about it as they explained there were other entities that helped their agriculture. 

Analysis:

This mythological creature reminds me of the agriculturally used mannequin, scarecrow, as they most scare away predators from eating entering their agricultural lands. Although the Basajaun is more human-like and is able to communicate with the farmers. This myth relates more to the Basque country’s history though and their first homo-sapien ancestors, as they possibly encountered another civilization that taught them the intricacies of agriculture. 

“Cuando el Tecolote Canta, el Indio Muere”

Informant Info:

  • Nationality: Mexican
  • Residence: San Diego
  • Primary language: Spanish/English

Text and Context:

M.W grew up in a small rural town in Mexico, where superstitions are dominant in everyday life. From a young age, her parents instilled in her the belief that owls are a bad omen. She says, “Cuando el tecolote canta, el indio muere.” This translates to,  “When the owl sings, the Indian dies.” Basically, if you were to hear the owl sing, it was thought that someone known or close to you is about to die. M.W says there are lots of superstitions involving owls, and all are negatively associated. She recalls once when it was night, an owl sang and then something unexpected happened right after. A bird hit itself on a wall shortly after, and then in the morning it was known that her neighbor passed away around the time the owl sang. M.W recalls that every time she heard the owl, someone died, ended up in the hospital, or very sick. In her culture, the owl was feared and when seen, it led to an eerie sensation. 

Analysis:

When talking to M.W, what stood out was when she told me, “Something about the owl had always unsettled me. In the night time, the eyes are so spooky and the fact that they can move their head 270 degrees is just creepy.” After doing some research, I found that the association between owls and bad luck runs beyond just Mexican culture. Amongst many cultures, owls are also seen as omens of death and are avoided. For example, in Native Cherokee culture, the owl is believed to be an embodied spirit of the dead. In my Mexican culture, I was also told that owls are also called “lechuzas” in spanish. Lechuzas are typically referring to barn owls or larger owls. There are lots of myths associated with owls, another one being that witches can transform themselves into owls.