Brazil: Iara

Nationality: Brazil
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: April 22 2018
Primary Language: Portuguese
Language: English

Informant: The myth of Iara is known throughout most of Brazil. I have been hearing it since I was a child because they used to teach it at school. I think it originated from Tupi mythology. The word Iara literally means “lady of the lake” and the myth tells the story of a beautiful mermaid with green hair and brown skin. According to the story, she would sit on a rock and brush her hair. When any men came by, she would start singing as a way to lure them into the water. The man would instantly fall in love with her and leave his life behind to go live with her underwater, where she would take care of him. The reason why she’s able to have so many lovers is because she’s supposedly immortal, so every time one of the men would die she would replace him with another. It was very common to hear this myth in school. All of my friends were familiar with it so I grew up listening to this myth. 

Analysis: 

This myth is very similar to most mermaid mythology. It reminded me a lot about the sirens from Greek mythology with the exception that Iara does not kill her lovers but instead takes care of them. Tupi mythology is part of the Guaraní people, who live in the south-central part of South America. Therefore, this myth is definitely regional which would explain why the informant heard and learned it through school.

The fact that Iara does not kill her lovers but instead takes care of them until they die is extremely interesting. This might be Iara’s way to deal with loneliness. She finds someone to love and once they are gone she replaces them. At the end of the day, this myth is one about love and its approach to love is unique despite the common trope it contains, such as the image of the mermaid. It basically states that companionship is an inherent part of love and life. Iara keeps on luring the men because it makes her happy to have someone and provides respite from her immortality and lonely life. This brings another interesting point; it showcases immortality as a curse rather than a blessing. It is because Iara is immortal that she feels the need to keep on luring men. Hence, immortality is equated with loneliness. Such undercurrents to the myth are an important aspect of Brazilian culture, which explains why Iara is such a popular piece of folklore in this region.

Taiwan: Kumquat Soup

Nationality: Taiwan
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: April 22 2018
Primary Language: Chinese
Language: English

Informant: Every time my brother or I would get sick, our mother would boil kumquat with sugar. She would make like a soup out of it and make us drink it. According to her, it was really good for our throats and could cure our flu. 

Collector: Has she been doing this since you were a baby? 

Informant: Yes. She learned it from her mother and has always claimed that it is the perfect remedy for a soar throat or runny nose. 

Collector: And does it work?

Informant: Yeah. I always feel better after taking it. It’s just very soothing. So I don’t know how much medical validity it has but I always feel better after having taken it. 

Collector: Do you still use this recipe even though you don’t live at home. 

Informant: Always. Every time I feel sick with the flu I make it for myself. I even make it for my friends when they’re sick. 

Analysis:

I think folk medicine is extremely interesting because it gets passed down from parents to children. I do think that there are medicinal properties to the ingredients being used, but I think the main thing about home remedies are the comfort they provide. It is such comfort which I believe make people feel better; the home remedy may in fact be useless, but the comfort is brings provides a certain relief. I think this is the case with this informant. She claims that her mother has been making it for her and her brother ever since they were babies. Therefore, it would make sense that the recipe is a source of comfort that instantly makes her feel connected to home and, thus, physically better.

The kumquat plant is native to south Asia and the Asian-Pacific coast. Hence, it makes sense that this would be the main ingredient used in a Taiwanese household. This demonstrates how the region and location of a society is extremely important in defining folklore, especially when it comes to folk medicine which relies heavily on regional vegetation. Kumquats have a lot of antioxidants, vitamin B, and mineral such as calcium and potassium. Therefore, it can be argued that this folk medicine contains a certain degree of validity due to the natural properties of the main ingredient.

I love hearing about home remedies and I’m very curious to try this out. The informant sounded confident in the healing powers of kumquats and it’s very interesting to see how the recipe has been maintained by her through her college years.

Russia: Black Cat

Nationality: Russia
Age: 24
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: April 22 2018
Primary Language: Russian
Language: English and Italian

Informant: This is another superstition my family really believes in. A lot of people have this superstition and I’ve seen it play out all around the world but I think the Russian version has an interesting take on it. It basically states that when you see a black cat crossing the street it’s bad luck so in order to counter that bad luck you need to take 10 steps back from where you were standing. The superstition only applies if the black cat is crossing the street and taking back 10 steps is crucial in order for the bad luck to not set in. This is a very controversial superstition for me because I love cats and hate the idea that I need to fear them or take certain preventative actions in order to avoid bad luck. However, I still feel compelled to participate in this superstition just because my whole family participates in it and the idea of bad luck makes me nervous. 

Analysis:

This is another example of how superstitions are used and the power they hold. I found it interesting that the idea of a black cat being a symbolism for bad luck can also be found in Russia; it is quite common to believe in this superstition in America. However, the fact that Eliza demonstrates how they have their own version and approach to the superstition delineates how folklore varies from culture to culture. I think it is very important to highlight how Eliza claims that she participates in the superstition because her family participate in it as well. This, combined with the inherent fear in having bad luck, shows how superstitions work. It is interesting that it is specifically the black cat which is believed to be bad luck. This might be because black is the opposite of white; black is usually associated with death and evil whereas white is associated with purity and goodness. Therefore, it might be the symbolism of color which works to promotes this superstition. Overall, I think this is a fairly common superstition and demonstrates a more global approach to folklore.

Russian: Water Superstition

Nationality: Russia
Age: 24
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: April 22, 2018
Primary Language: Russian
Language: English and Italian

Informant: Ever since I was little my mother and grandmother would let the water run in the sinks every time something bad happened.

Collector: So it was like a way to get rid of bad luck?

Informant: Yeah, exactly. They thought that by letting the water in the sink run their, like, problems or bad luck would wash away.

Collector: And was this superstition just a thing within your family or did other people also do it?

Informant: It was pretty widespread. Everyone I knew knew about it and did it.

Collector: Do you know where it originated from?

Informant: No, it was just a preventative thing everyone I knew in Russia did. I grew up knowing about it and my mother and grandmother have been doing it for their whole lives. It makes them uncomfortable to not do it, which is why they always do it when something bad happens.

 

Analysis: 

I could really relate to this piece even though I am not from Russia. Bad luck is something people are very often scared of so it makes sense that a ritual would exist in order to get rid of it. Even though there is no prove that this works, there is a certain logic to the superstition explained above. They are getting rid of bad luck by literally “washing them away.” The element of water plays a very important part in this superstition and brings forth very interesting insights. For starters, water is often thought of as pure and cleansing. Therefore, it would make sense to have a superstition surrounding water because of the connotations with the element. Moreover, water often symbolizes life and purity. Since the superstition is using water to get rid of bad omens, it makes sense that the water would work as a stand in for having a pure and joyful life deplete of bad luck.

I love hearing the different superstitions people have. I think they are extremely interesting and powerful. Even though there is no scientific prove to them, people continue to participate in them and shape their perspective on good/bad luck based on which superstitions they follow. This is one of many examples of how superstitions work, and delineates how superstitions tend to be very symbolical and active; people are required to participate in order for them to work.

Morocco-Spain: Lullaby

Nationality: Morocco
Age: 24
Occupation: Operation Strategist
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: April 22 2018
Primary Language: French
Language: English and Spanish

Informant: The following is a song my grandmother used to sing to me when I was little. Her mother, so my great grandmother, used to sing it to her and then she started singing it to me when I was born. The song in Spanish goes like this: 

Caminando por un caminito 

Me canse de andar 

Debajo de una sombra me puse a descansar 

Estando descansando por ahí paso 

Una niña muy bella de ella enamoré

In English, it basically translates to “While I was resting on the road, I saw a very beautiful girl and fell in love with her.” The song then goes on to describe the appearance of the girl, saying she was thin and blond. 

Analysis: 

Malak went on to explain how the song used to be sung to her as a nursery rhyme, almost like a lullaby. It is interesting because even though she is Moroccan, the song is not originally from Morocco but has instead been passed done through generations. While the song first begun being sung by her great grandmother, who was from Spain, Malak does not remember any one else who knew the song or where it originated from. She claimed that the only person who ever sung it to her was her grandmother.

This demonstrates how folklore passes down from generation to generation. Furthermore, it demonstrates how folk music is different from other forms of music; Malak was insistent on how the rhythm and beat of the song are the a crucial factor in allowing her to remember how it went.

I think it is very interesting that it is a song about love that is used as a lullaby. Even more interesting is the fact that the narrator of the song, presumably a guy, falls in love with the girl solely based on her looks. The song literally tells the story of how he saw a beautiful girl and was instantly captured by her beauty. In my opinion, this shows a very shallow and physical type of love. There is no emotional connection between the lovers, it is just physical attraction. Maybe this speaks to a generational issue? Malak mentioned how both her great grandmother and grandmother got married extremely young and without knowing very well their future husbands. Therefore, this might have been a song in which they found solace and felt related too, which would explain why they have kept on singing it for years. Nevertheless, I still think that it is a catchy and simple song. It is heartwarming to see how it has been passed down from generation to generation.