Letters to Monsters

Nationality: USA
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: USA
Performance Date: 4/22/18
Primary Language: English

I used to be scared of monsters when I was little, so I’d always have my parents check under my bed and close my closet before I went to bed. It got so bad that I couldn’t get through an entire night’s sleep, and I would end up in my parent’s room every night. I tended to kick in my sleep, so my dad started sleeping in the guest room. It had to stop, so my mom had me write a long letter to the monsters in my room who were scaring me, telling them I wasn’t scared of them and they didn’t hold any power over me. Then she had me flush it down the toilet— they lived underground, she said, so that’s how they would be able to read it. They’d find it in the sewers. It actually worked. I stopped being so scared and was able to sleep in my bed again. Harmony was restored in my home.

This is special to J= because it is something he plans on passing down to his kids if they are ever scared of anything lurking around in their room. It was a sweet way his mom made him feel like he had power over the things that scared him, as well as a way to allow herself to have a full night’s sleep again.

This is a cute way to give a child power over their demons—by being able to send an angry letter to where they dwell in the sewers. I’ve heard of writing letters to your enemies and then flushing them down the toilet, rather than sending it, but never to the monsters crawling around under one’s bed.

Hiccup Cure

Nationality: USA
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: USA
Performance Date: 4/22/18
Primary Language: English

My siblings used to jump and try to scare each other in order to cure hiccups. We’d hide behind corners in our house and jump out at each other, like… “BLAH!” and try to scare each other real bad. Supposedly that was supposed to get rid of our hiccups? Now that I say this out loud it sounds very weird.

“Scaring” hiccups out of each other was a normal part of J’s childhood, and when he gets the hiccups nowadays, he is inclined to have someone scare him. Since that seems strange and unconventional, he only does it with his family members.

I actually used to do this myself when I was younger, among other strange, supposed “cures” like holding my breath and drinking water upside down. I’m not sure any of them actually worked, but I’ve never met another person who tried to “scare” the hiccups out of themselves.

 

Irish Cold Cure

Nationality: USA
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: USA
Performance Date: 4/22/18
Primary Language: English

When I was young and felt a cold coming on, my mom would give me a shot of whiskey that she heated up. I don’t know if it actually did anything to cure my ailments, but I definitely started feeling better shortly after taking it. And I knew when she gave it to me I wasn’t going to school that day. We’re Irish…figures.

J comes from an Irish family, and his mom was a huge proponent of natural remedies to cure sicknesses. He still to this day takes a shot of hot whiskey when he feels a cold coming on, and does remain convinced it has medicinal powers.

I’m not sure whiskey has actual medicinal powers, but I’m sure a little buzz helps you forget you’re not feeling well. If you’re looped, it is probably hard to mind a little cough and runny nose.

Venezuela: Los Diablos de Yare

Nationality: Venezuela and Miami
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: April 22 1018
Primary Language: Spanish
Language: English

Informant: Los Diablos de Yare are a religious festival celebrated in Venezuela during Corpus Christi. I remember being introduced to this in school as a child. Every time the festival approached, we would make masks designed to look like devils. Then we would wear the masks and dance around. Even though the masks were designed to look like devils or monsters, they were all extremely colorful. This festivity is a yearly tradition filled with joy, family, and friends. Basically, the whole festivities are made to celebrate good over evil. This is why the masks are made to look like devils and the tradition is considered religious; the whole point is to demonstrate how good will always beat out evil. I don’t remember the origins of it exactly, but I know that it has been a Venezuelan tradition for centuries and that it has obviously evolved over the years. 

Analysis: 

This festival seems to be a very important part of Venezuelan culture. I think the reason why it is so prominent in Venezuela is because its religious. This would explain why schools make a whole celebration out of it and why the tradition has been able to survive for hundreds of years.

I wish the informant would have been able to provide more information as to where and how the tradition originated exactly, but I understand that she has been around it for so long that she just takes it to be a yearly ritual. It’s very intriguing to me that the festival depicts devils in order to celebrate the triumph of good over evil. This demonstrates a very strong imagery that plays with perceptions. It is almost as if the use of devil masks make the devils less intimidating and demonstrate to people that they are stronger than evil. In other words, the creating of this masks can work as a metaphor for taking control over ones own demons. Overall, I really liked this piece of folklore. The vivid colors used for the masks and the dances that happen all around town make it pretty clear that this festival is a time for celebration and family.

Miami: The Fountain of Youth

Nationality: Venezuela and Miami
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: April 22 2018
Primary Language: Spanish
Language: English

Informant: The myth of The Fountain of Youth is something I have been hearing every since I moved to Miami.

Collector: When, and where, were you first introduced to this myth?

Informant: I don’t remember the time exactly but it was definitely something I was introduced to once I moved to Miami. A lot of people believed that The Fountain of Youth was located in Florida and, therefore, it was not uncommon to hear about this myth.

Collector: What were ways in which this myth got promulgated?

Informant: Well there were many references to The Fountain of Youth in movies and other forms of entertainment…umm…there was this one museum in Florida I remember going to that had a whole exhibition built around it. It was called the Vizcaya Museum and I remember them having a presentation on what The Fountain of Youth was and how it came to be located in Florida.

Collector: So the idea of The Fountain of Youth was used as a form of tourism as well?

Informant: Yes, exactly! There were many attractions and things related to The Fountain of Youth that were used to call attention to Florida.

Collector: Could you give a little bit of background on what The Fountain of Youth is?

Informant: Yes, of course. It is basically this spring that restores your youth if you drink its water. So it’s a source of youth, beauty, and health. Basically a form of obtaining immortality. But you have to find the fountain and drink its water, which is the tricky part. So almost all of the stories about The Fountain of Youth revolve around people trying to find it.

Analysis: 

The Fountain of Youth has been a myth that I’ve also heard about repeatedly. However, I used to hear about this in movies like Indiana Jones and other forms of entertainment rather than from the place I was living in. I found it very interesting how this myth was used in Florida as a way to attract tourists. In some ways, this demonstrates the relationship between folklore and tourism. Sometimes folklore is used to promote tourism and The Fountain of Youth is one of many examples. I think a big part of the appeal of this myth is that it is a recipe for old age and a way to prevent death. In Western societies, old age and death are one of the greatest fears people have. Hence, I can understand how the search for The Fountain of Youth is a myth that continues to live on and that is used to capture people’s attention and imagination. It is a myth that brings a solution to an inevitable part of life, and the appeal of that cannot be underestimated. I think it is because of such a promise that this myth has managed to live on for so long. Moreover, I can see how this can be used as a form of tourism. The main premise of the myth – immortality – is extremely appealing and people can’t help but wonder if The Fountain of Youth actually exists.