La Llorana

Nationality: American/Korean
Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: April 20th
Primary Language: English

Main Piece: “There use to be a game I played with my friends called  La Llorona where if you say that name three times and splash water on the mirror a lady called La Llorona would appear and kill you. La Llorona was a Mexican lady who had two kids but they were abducted. After that she was traumatized and would always cry in the middle of the street trying to find her kids. My earliest memory of the game was being in elementary school and being in the girl’s bathroom. My friends and I would splash water on the mirror and say her name three times which was “La Llorona. La Llorona. La Llorona. But to be honest was just seeing who could stand being in the darkroom and seeing how long we could stand there waiting for her to come out of the sink and my friends and I would just start screaming and run out”.

Background Information: The informant learned this game with his friends in middle school, and most of his friends were female who were also Mexican. He said this was a very popular game for young girls and he was one of the only boys who would play but he was always too scared to actually do it.

Context: Next to a park in Los Angeles

Thoughts: This story seems to also have parallels with Bloody Mary in terms of it being popular with young girls, and that a mirror is involved, and the number 3 is significant. I am curious why the number 3 is also significant in this context in other cultures and not just America, and if the origin of these bathroom stories came from one person or one culture specifically.

 

 

Girl and the red skirt

Nationality: Japanese
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: San Diego
Performance Date: April 23rd
Primary Language: English

Main Piece: “ If you go into the girl’s bathroom on the third floor of the building, and walk to the third stall,  knock 3 times and call her name a little girl in a red skirt will be there named Hanako-san. She will have a bloody hand and grab you, or be a animal that eats you. I was so scared going to the bathroom when I was in middle school in Japan, it was a game that a lot of girls would play but it really made me scared as a kid. I don’t know why it was so popular to be honest.”

Background Information: The informant learned this story in Japan through her friends in middle school when she was about eleven. The informant says that this is a very popular story and game in Japan among girls. She hasn’t played it since or heard it since being the United States.

Context: In a coffee shop in San Diego

Thoughts: This story seems very similar to Bloody Mary and has a lot of parallels. First, the number three is in both of the stories. Second, blood is in both stories and the “scary” being is a female. I wonder if this story has the same meaning as Bloody Mary, that it symbolizes the transition of girls becoming women and going through their period. It is interesting how this story, even though it is in Japan, is similar to an American story.

 

Goldilock and the Three Bears

Nationality: American
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: April 21st
Primary Language: English

Main Piece: “There was once three cute bears that lived together in a house in the woods. Each of the bears had their own porridge bowl, chair, and bed. One day the mama bear made porridge for breakfast but it’s was too hot to eat, so they took a nice long walk in the woods while their porridge cooled. A cute little girl with super blonde hair who was pretty naive broke into the bears house while the bears were out. She ate the Wee Bear’s porridge breaks the chair and falls asleep in the bed. Then the bears come back and find her but they don’t kill her and let her leave, I’m not sure why that is.”

Background Information: The informant learned this story when she was in nursery in Southern California. She had trouble remembering the details of the story when I asked her and says she doesn’t understand the point of this story but she was very entertained by it so much so that her parents use to tell her the story almost every night.

Context: In a grocery store (Trader Joes) in Los Angeles

Thoughts: This tale seems to be a cautionary tale to children to not wonder off into strangers home. This tale is also interesting because it does not have a “happy ending” which is different from most children stories. This might be a story to show the reality of life that not everything is always happy or good.

Anansi

Nationality: African American
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: San Diego
Performance Date: April 17th
Primary Language: English

Main Piece: “My mom use to tell me this story every night. So, there once lived a spider named Anansi. And his wife was a pretty good cook. But Anansi loved to taste food that other people in his village made for themselves and for their families because he was kinda greedy.One day, he stopped by Rabbit’s house who was his best friend. He wanted the rabbit’s food but he knew if he would stay he would have to do jobs that the rabbit would do. So Anansi said he would spin a web and told the Rabbit that when he was done to tug on the web so Anansi would know. Anansi made 8 different webs cause he could smell all the food like a dog in the village from other animals and made the same deal with them as well. But all the animals finished making their food at the same time so they all tugged on Anansi’s legs so hard that they became thin and he wasn’t able to move so he was salty.  So, to this day, Anansi the Spider has eight very thin legs and he never got any food that day at all.

Background Information: The informant, who has an African American background learned this story through his mom who would tell it to him every night. The informant said that the main lesson he learned from this story was to always be humble and not ask for more than you can’t take because it will hurt you in the long run. The informant says that this is a lesson he takes with him for the rest of his life.

Context: In the informant’s house

Thoughts: The Anansi stories are typical in African culture and is trickster who tricks other characters into getting what he wants which is evident from the story the informant said. It is interesting that this story is still alive in America with people who don’t have direct African heritage (I learned this story in kindergarden).

 

The River God

Nationality: African American
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: San Diego
Performance Date: April 17th
Primary Language: English

Main Piece: “My grandparents always use to tell me a story about Nyami a River God in Africa. Nyami was a God who usually was depicted as a snake like creature thing but no one actually knew his length.Legends has it that the water stains red when he swims past and that he can smell blood. A well known African chief saw him once but the river god has been in hiding since the white people arrived in the country. According to my grandparents he lived under a large rock close to the present day Kariba dam wall. No one would go near it because those who would were sucked down with their canoes in the whirlpools and never seen again. The lake that he lives in is said to be to separate him and his wife. However, my grandparents say that this has threatened the peace of the valley and this angers him.”

Background Information: The informant learned this story from his grandparents who are from Zimbabwe, Africa. The informant says this story affected the way his grandparents relatives lived in Zimbabwe, and this story has an effect on the way he sees nature. Because of this story, the informant says he has a deep appreciation for nature because everything has a spirit.

Context: In the informat’s house

Thoughts: This story displays the importance of nature and earth in the African culture, and this story seems to be a warning sign to those who try to cross the river. It is interesting to see how this story has affected those across generations like Justin’s grandparents and now him. It is also interesting that Nyami is feared rather than loved, and that people still respect him as a God even though he killed people who tried to find him which makes Nyami more of a powerful figure in African mythology and life.