Stories from the Myth, the Bhagavad Gita

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Schnectady, New York
Language: English

Context: A myth that he grew up with is the Bhagavad Gita. Hearing this as a bedtime story when he was younger, to it being retold and dramatized as a tv series, the Bhagavad Gita is an epic retelling of a war called the Mahabharata between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Told by the lord Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu, a key part of the myth is when Arjun, one of the Pandavas, had to take arms up against his own teacher and his cousins, that he grew up with, fondly reminiscing the past. Being in this position, he did not want to do this, so he went to Krishna, asking for answers to questions. He told Krishna his predicament and Krishna said he doesn’t have the answers and rather it lies in his dharma. Dharma, essentially is the concept that you are born with adult in life. He told Arjun not to worry about the outcome, rather carry out his duty which will lead to outcome, whether he likes it or not.

Interpretation: Honestly, the myth of the Bhagavad Gita is interesting, as part of it is tales and parts of it isn’t providing mixture of truths and possible dramatized parts with multiple meanings. The myth, however is an essential part of the identity of India and most religious individuals within India, and those who believe in Hinduism, almost part of their lifeline. This fight between good and evil tells a non-literal truth, as does that of Adam and Eve. Here, the story with a teacher provides interesting insight of a third party as an intervention/middle-man as with Adam and Eve the third party, the serpent, cause a series of events to occur so an interesting dynamic is created that is neutral rather than one-sided.

Hindu Tale about Dashavatara

Nationality: Australian
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Hyderabad, India
Language: English

Context: Listening to stories about the Dashavatara, 10 forms of the Hindu God, Vishnu, one tale stuck out. The tale of Narasimha, a half-man half-lion creature, that was an avatar who came to defeat a demon king, called hiranyakashipu.The demon king was powerful through deep meditation and devotion, he got a boon, a wish granted, by the Hindu God Brahma. This boon gave him the ability to not die neither inside nor outside his palace, neither day nor night, neither by man or beast, making his immortal in his eyes. However, a rule of the boon was that, you couldn’t wish to be immortal so this was what hiranyakashipu wished for instead. This allowed him to reign terror within the people in his kingdom. His son, Prahlad, was a devote worshipper of Vishnu which hiryanakashipu disliked. As such, he tried to kill his son, but was stopped by divine intervention as Vishnu taking on the form of narasimha. Vishnu, couldn’t allow this to continue, so he transformed into a half-man half-beast creature who killed him on his porch wihich was neither inside or outside at twilight, nullifying the demon king’s boon. A takeaway from this story, from his parents and religious teachings from his grandparents, no matter how bad times are, always side with good.

Interpretation: Growing up in a religious background with stories like this, rather than the traditional stereotypical stories we hear from our grandparents in the States, this tale has a mix of religion and common elements that I see in common tales. There is a hero, a villain, a “damsel-in-distress”, and a sort of overarching theme to it. Furthermore, I find it interesting that man and beast comes to intertwine with one another to defeat an evil power, as I feel there is sometimes a hierarchal downplay between both. Think of a dog and its owner, or humans and zoos, this tale shows that man and beast, at the same level, at the same position work together to bring each other up not take one another down. Compared to European tales, I feel that more common elements like ones we see with Baba Yaga vs other witches in Europe, this tale cannot be replicated or have another character replace it in its idea, significance and meaning.

“The Boy Who Cried Wolf”

MAIN DESCRIPTION:

CL: “This is a good one and has been a common one for generations and especially among brothers where you don’t complain constantly for no good reason or make a big deal out of nothing because if you are always ‘crying wolf’ then no one will really listen to you when it is something important that requires others to help or when you actually need their help. Also don’t lie or embellish something to get attention because when you do have a truth to tell, no one will actually believe you.”

INFORMANT’S OPINION:

JL: What do you think this phrase means, and why is it important?

 CL: “It means that if you keep exaggerating or making problems out of nothing, people will eventually stop taking you seriously. It’s a warning against being overly dramatic or dishonest. When you truly need help or have something important to say, others won’t believe you because you’ve lost their trust from constantly ‘crying wolf.’ The phrase teaches the importance of honesty, credibility, and knowing when it’s truly important to speak up.”

PERSONAL INTERPRETATION:

JL: I have heard this phrase many times growing up with my two older brothers when we would fight. Since I am the youngest, I would constantly tattle on them over the little things and my parents would eventually get tired of me complaining.However, I do understand the lesson behind it. It’s about being responsible with your words and actions. Specifically when seeking help or attention. If you constantly overreact or lie about things, people will stop believing you when something serious happens. I can see how this idea is useful in day-to-day life, as it teaches us not to exaggerate small problems and to value the trust of those around us. I’ve tried to apply this in my own life by making sure I speak truthfully and only make a big deal out of things when it truly matters. It’s a reminder to keep your credibility intact and be careful with your words.

The Scaley Mocus

Age: 20

Story: When I was a little kid—maybe four or five—my mom used to freak me out with this made-up monster called the Scaley Mocus. One night I was playing outside after dark and she just yelled from the porch, “You better come in or the Scaley Mocus is gonna get you!” I had no clue what a Mocus even was, but it sounded disgusting. Like, slimy and creepy and hiding just out of sight. It was super easy to be inside after that…there was no chance that you would have caught me outside once the street lights turned on.

But my parents also used the Mocus for things other than being inside before dark. It was their go-to excuse for anything off-limits. If I ever tried to touch a dead bug or if I was misbehaving at dinner, my dad would just go, “Scaley Mocus is gonna love that!” and that was it, I was done. They basically used this invisible monster as a parenting tool, and it worked.

I never actually saw it, of course, but my brain created images of it all the time. In my mind, it was like this slimy, see-through jellyfish-like creature with creepy fingers and a wet slapping sound wherever it went. I thought it lived under beds or in the closet, just chilling, waiting for me to stay outside too late, or waiting for my parents to give it the “Okay” to come and get me.

Now that I’m older, the Scaley Mocus no longer scares me, but sometimes my parents will bring it up just to see my reaction. I find it funny now that they used this to scare me and my siblings, and to be honest, I can’t wait to use this with my kids when I’m older.

Analysis: This story told by my friend about the “Scaley Mocus” offers a fascinating example of how personal or family-invented legends function similarly to broader folk narratives. Even though the Scaley Mocus isn’t a widely recognized creature, it served a traditional folkloric purpose: instilling behavioral norms in children through fear and storytelling. Similar to creatures like the Boogeyman or the Jersey Devil, the Scaley Mocus was used as a parenting tool to maintain boundaries, enforce rules, and explain the unknown in a way that resonated emotionally with a child’s imagination.

What’s particularly interesting is how this story highlights the organic creation of folklore within a family unit. It wasn’t part of a communal oral tradition, but it still carried the facets of folklore. It also demonstrates how folklore is dynamic and adaptable, as this invented legend took on multiple roles (bedtime threat, dinner table enforcer, etc.) depending on what the situation called for. Now, as my friend reflects on it with humor and nostalgia, the Scaley Mocus continues to live on in memory and could even be passed down to the next generation—just like more traditional legends.

The Jersey Devil

Age: 20

Story: The first time I learned about the Jersey Devil I was at a barbershop with my brother in South Jersey. My dad had just picked us up from school and my brother needed to get a haircut, so we went and I sat down in the waiting area and stared at the pictures on the wall, and the books on the coffee table. I was insanely bored there, and my stomach hurt, and I just remember that I did not want to be in that barbershop at all. That’s when a certain book caught my eye. It had a picture of what looked to be a horned goat, standing on two legs, with black devilish wings coming out from its back. This was the Jersey Devil.

I picked up the book, which turned out to be a picture book of “sightings” of the Jersey Devil all throughout New Jersey and I was just in awe, and a little terrified, of this “monster” that was potentially living in my backyard. 

After looking through the book for maybe three minutes, a man sitting next to me and my dad looked to me and said, “Be careful, don’t go into the woods at night…that’s when the Jersey Devil can get ya!” I remember laughing out loud, but inside, I was petrified. I also remember going home that day and looking up everything there was to know about the Jersey Devil. I read so many stories about the legend tearing up cars, terrorizing children, and ripping them from their families and flying into the woods with them, never to be seen again.

Even as I’ve gotten older, I’m no longer afraid of the Jersey Devil itself, but there’s part of me that will never stop believing that the Jersey Devil lives in the woods in my great state of New Jersey.

Analysis: This story is a phenomenal example of narrative folklore. The story of the Jersey Devil is one I’ve heard myself, and I too remember it terrifying me as a young kid. The fear and curiosity that this person had after learning of the legend is something I resonate with deeply. It’s powerful folk legends like this one which shows what can become when one connects it with someone’s sense of place and identity.

This story also, is the epitome of a legend or myth that unites a region. Specifically, in the Pine Barrens of South Jersey, the Jersey Devil has been a legend for over 100 years. From scaring children to giving parents something to scare their children with, this story has been reinvented and developed over many years, across many generations, and through many families. 

What I also find beautiful is how the Jersey Devil has become a symbol for New Jersey, almost a mascot for the state. How fascinating it is that a weird folk legend like this, can almost represent the weirdness of the state itself…