Category Archives: Narrative

The Origins of Holi

Nationality: Indian
Age: 27
Occupation: Electrical Engineer
Residence: Los Angeles, California
Language: English

Informant: “This is the story behind Holi. It’s a festival we celebrate in India, but this is the story of why we do it. A long time ago there was an evil king called Hiranyakashipu. He was a tyrant with a very devout son. His son was quite upset with his father’s rule, so he more or less disagreed with him and set out to do better. The king didn’t like that, so he tried to kill him. He tried a few ways to kill him, but what’s important for this story is he tried to use his sister (holica) and her fire proof garments. She took the king’s son and sat in a burning fire, but his devotion saved him and burned the woman. Because of the son’s devotion, Vishnu sent someone to kill the king. That’s the story as I remember. There’s more to it that I don’t have a great memory of, but that’s how I would explain Holi.”

Me: “What do you think the story means aside from explaining Holi?”

Informant: “It’s just a story about devotion and victory of good over evil.”

Context: The informant is from India and says he has heard the story from a lot of people but mostly remembers how his parents tell it. The myth serves to explain why Hindu people celebrate Holi, which is the festival of colors, love, equality, and spring. Additionally, according to my research and the informant, the festival celebrates the victory of good over evil and is a direct commemoration of Vishnu’s victory over the king, Hiranyakashipu.

Analysis: This myth clearly serves to explain the festival Holi and also reveals some relatively basic values about the culture behind it. The story upholds devotion as a very desirable trait and goes so far as to paint it as something that can protect you from everything. At first, I figured there must be more to the story than “just a story about victory of good over evil”, but my research seems to confirm that my roommate was accurate in his description. However, I did find that some of the myth that was left out makes this story of devotion more compelling. Hiranyakashipu’s son was put through immense suffering and remained devout through it all. After reading more, this myth reminds me a bit of the story of Job in the bible. It seems to be making the case that devotion must be maintained at all costs and that god will make all right in the end.

Mt. Misery Road

Age – 17
Language – English
Nationality – American
Occupation – Student
Primary Language – English
Residence – New York

Text: “There is this road down the street where we live called Mt. Misery Road. I’m not sure what the exact story was but apparently there was a group of students killed there a long time ago and they’re supposed to haunt the road at night. It’s said on Halloween if you put your car in neutral they move your car, so we did it on Halloween and the car actually did move which scared me a lot.”

Context: The informant talks about a local road called Mt. Misery Road, which has its own legend near where she grew up. She doesn’t know all the details but mentions that a group of students were killed there, and their ghosts are said to haunt the road at night. They tested it out and when it worked she freaked out.

Analysis: This an example of how legends grow around a certain place. People tend to make up stories about roads or other spots in their area, based on real events. The idea of a haunted place is something that gives people a shared experience, and the Halloween setting just makes it spookier. The informant’s personal experience makes it feel more real, especially since the car actually moved. It’s also interesting how the name of the street symbolizes danger.

Grade Killer

Age – 17
Language – English
Nationality – American
Occupation – Student
Primary Language – English
Residence – New York

Text: “I have always been scared of the dark since I was younger and I was told this story once as a kid from someone in my class. The story was that there was a man that went around and killed kids who weren’t actively getting the best grades at school. This story sounds dumb, but one night I woke up dreary in the middle of the night and thought I saw something in the window or a moving figure outside my window and then my lights started flickering and I freaked out and ran into my parents room. I couldn’t sleep alone in my room for a week after that.”

Context:
The informant tells a story from childhood where a man supposedly killed kids who didn’t do well in school. The informant said this stemmed from kids trying to scare people in school and her fear of academic failure. This story scared her a lot, especially since she was already afraid of the dark.

Analysis:
This story plays into common childhood fears like the fear of failure and punishment. The man who kills kids for bad grades is a way of turning something as schoolwork into a nightmare. The informant’s personal experience, where she was already scared of the dark and then had something strange happen, justified her fear in the moment. The flickering lights and the feeling of someone watching really make this myth feel true in her life.

Children Eater

Age – 20
Language – English
Nationality – American
Occupation – Student
Primary Language – English
Residence – Virginia

Text: “I was told a story very similar to Hansel and Gretel when I was younger. Basically, a grandma ate the children at night. I was really scared of the dark when I was younger and so every time I was alone at night in my room I thought she was hiding there and I would be scared to fall asleep.”

Context: The informant remembers a childhood story that’s similar to “Hansel and Gretel,” where a grandmother eats children at night. As a kid, the informant was already scared of the dark, so this story made her feel even more terrified whenever she was alone at night.

Analysis: The “grandma eating children” idea taps into the deeper fear of being vulnerable, especially at night when you’re alone and young. The grandma figure turning into a monster shows how folklore twists familiar figures into sources of terror. The informant’s fear of the dark makes the story feel personal to her.

Ax Man

Text: “I had this story about an Ax Man I was told at summer camp when I was younger if that’s a legend. It was about this guy who had an ax and apparently hid in the woods behind the cabin in the back corner, cabin 13, and one night he axed through the roof and killed the campers and you could allegedly hear the campers scream on the rock by the cabin even still I got told it when I was a first year camper and it scared me a lot. I was always scared every year I would get placed in that cabin and I never walked back towards it.”

Context: The informant recounts a spooky story he heard at summer camp about an “Ax Man” who hid in the woods behind Cabin 13. The informant remembers hearing this as a first year camper, and it made him terrified of Cabin 13.

Analysis: The “Ax Man” taps into fears of being isolated in a scary place, especially at night. The idea of hearing the screams of past victims makes the story creepier, adding lingering danger. The informant’s fear of Cabin 13 shows how stories can stay with you, even influencing where you choose to go or avoid at camp.