Phone Call Premonition

Age: 59

Folklore: “I remember going on a trip once where I saw a man and a woman in Chicago. They were my ex-husband’s aunt and uncle. We had talked quite a bit and spent time with the whole family. When we flew home and walked in the door the phone was ringing. I immediately knew that Mike had died and he did, that was the call alerting us that Mike had died.”

I asked to clarify if she saw them in real life and she said,

“Yes, I had been visiting them in person and then when I flew home from Chicago and arrived home opened up the door and the phone was ringing as the door opened. I knew that Mike had died and that is indeed what that phone call was telling me. There was absolutely no reason to think that Mike had died because the entire visit was perfectly normal and it was a surprise death like a heart attack or something.”

Context: This story came from my mother who said she was 25 when this happened. She had just met her ex-husband’s aunt and uncle that week, and said she “knew” just as much as I knew that I was talking to her. 

Interpretation: This is a memorate, a personal supernatural experience, that reinforces beliefs about death and intuition. This story is similar to a larger folkloric pattern where individuals have gut feelings, especially surrounding and near the death of people close to them. Experiences like these add to the belief that interpersonal bonds transcend physical space and reflect the broader idea that people are more in tune with the spiritual world. 

Communication after Car Crash

Age: 59

Folklore: “One day, I was in a car crash and that was before cell phones. I had to let my person at home know that I had been in a car crash and that I wouldn’t be home but I was perfectly fine. I reached inside a very specific part of my brain and I was sending messages that I was in a car crash but I was perfectly fine. I was in a car crash but I’m perfectly fine. I arrived home probably about five or six hours later and the person said to me, ‘I know you were in a car crash, but I knew you were perfectly fine, so I didn’t worry.’”

Context: This story came from my mother who was 22 when this happened. She was coming back from a skiing trip in Washington State with a friend in an old Volkswagen bus and a drunk driver crashed into them. She tried to mentally send a message home because cell phones didn’t exist then. 

Interpretation: Telepathy appears across the world in many forms and still circulates today. Culturally, this reinforces a belief that emotionally close people can sense each other, especially in moments of crisis. It is similar to how we often view gut feelings and intuition as trustworthy knowledge. Here it was an intentional act that speaks to the folk belief in the power of the mind. 

Dream about Grandfather before Passing

Age: 59

Folklore: “Two nights before my grandfather died, I had a dream about him sitting on my bed and he was saying goodbye to me. It was a very real dream and he and I talked for a long time, although I don’t remember what about. He said that it was time for him to go. Two days later, my grandfather passed away. I got the message on my answering machine that he had died, but I already knew he was going to die because he and I had talked about it.”

Context: This story came from my mother, who experienced this when she was 21 years old in college. It felt real to her and her first dream where she was actually communicating with someone so it felt unfamiliar. She was in her dorm room and her grandfather was in Germany. 

Interpretation: This memorate reflects a common motif of the dead appearing to loved ones in dreams before or after their death. It feels more than just a coincidence because of the timing of the dream. It was both a supernatural experience where she connected with someone far away and personal closure as she was away from her grandfather. This is her own personal experience that validates a greater folk belief.

Hanukkah Harry

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: College Student
Residence: Chicago
Language: English

Text

“Hanukkah Harry”

Context

The informant was always really sad because she felt that she missed out on Santa and Christmas traditions. She wanted to experience the joys of Christmas and the excitement her friends got from when Santa would visit their homes. Her parents were big on tradition and holiday spirit so they introduced Hanukkah Harry. Every year they bake hamantaschen and challah bread, and they lay both out for Hanukkah Harry along with letters. According to her parents, Hanukkah Harry comes and lights all the menorahs in the house. The next evening when it’s the first night of Hanukkah he would write notes to her and her brother along with giving them a dreidel, similarly to Santa giving presents.

Analysis

Hearing this folk narrative was interesting to me because I am Catholic so it sounded similar to the idea of Santa. She was able to have a better experience on the holiday because of Hanukkah Harry, being able to relate to more people about her experience, and not feel as if she was missing out. It’s a contemporary legend due to the fact that it was introduced through Irv Korman’s book along with SNL back in the late 1980s. I truly think having these legends makes celebrating the holiday when younger more eventful and spiritual, this legend helps to feed into the Hanukkah spirit and joy




Tahoe Tessie

Nationality: American
Age: 19
Occupation: College Student
Residence: Bay Area
Language: English

Text

“Tahoe Tessie”

Context

There is a creature that lives in Lake Tahoe named Tahoe Tessie. The creature hides deep in the water and only appears on specific days but you usually can’t see it because it’s too deep. It has existed for hundreds of years and no one really knows what it looks like. However, many people describe it as having a long neck similar to a sea serpent. The informants dad told him this story when he was a kid while they were on family trip to Lake Tahoe. The father mostly shared it with him and his brothers, making them feel anxious especially before going swimming or skiing on the lake. Every summer his dad would tell this story again and again as it became a special tradition for their family when at the lake. At that time the informant trusted his dad causing him to be afraid of the water. He remembers feeling scared to go too far while water-skiing because he was nervous of the monster hiding underneath the water. As he grew up he understood that this was likely just a story his dad made up to entertain them and make our vacation more enjoyable. When his dad was a kid he heard different versions of this legend from people nearby, so he was able to create his own variation of the story.

Analysis

This story illustrates how myths can be passed down from generation to generation being altered by each person telling it, they don’t always stay the exact same. As the story stated his dad was taught this when he was younger and now he passed it to his son, allowing the legend live on. His whole family is able to enjoy the story, and relate it to a specific trip. Now, when they go to tahoe he is probably reminded of this legend. This legend is a historical legend as water spirits have been a legend for many centuries. The creature itself is a mythical creature while the whole narrative is a legend.