Halcyon House (Washington, D.C) Albert Clemens

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Washington, D.C.
Performance Date: 10 April 2018
Primary Language: English

Transcription: “A couple generations later, the house was bought Samuel Clemens’ (Mark Twain) nephew, Albert Clemens. He owned it in the late 1800s. Albert believed that as long as the kept building the house, he wouldn’t die. He built stairways to nowhere, doors that open into nothing, and rooms within rooms. He was adamantly opposed to electricity. He didn’t let anyone bring anything electric into his house. They say that to this day, people will walk into the house and their phones will stop working or light bulbs will burst. When he died, he wanted the coroner to put a pick-ax in his heart to make sure he was dead.”

The same informant who works for a Washington D.C. tour company told me another story involving the Halcyon House. Several decades later, the house was owned by Samuel Clemens’ nephew, Albert Clemens. I did not realize the historical significance of Samuel Clemens until my informant told me I would recognize his pen name, Mark Twain. Therefore, the Halcyon house is not only connected with American history, but American culture.

I do not know much about Samuel Clemens or his nephew, but according to my informant, Albert suffered from mental health problems. Albert convinced himself that he would not die as long as he continued to build and renovate the Halcyon property. Albert likely attached some spiritual significant to the house or associated it with his life purpose. In hopes of postponing his death, Albert built designs that would inhibit the completion of the house. He built stairways to nowhere, doors that open to a wall, and rooms within rooms. He believed these paradoxes of design held the key to his immortality. Albert’s superstitions were not limited to structural design and immortality. He also was opposed to electricity and had a fear of being buried alive. His rejection of electricity could be explained as a fear of progress and technology.

This story combines multiple genres of folklore since it documents the superstitions of an individual, includes a legendary figure, and the history lives on today in the form of a ghost story.

 

Halcyon House (Washington D.C.) History

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Washington, D.C.
Performance Date: 10 April 2018
Primary Language: English

Transcription: “I don’t know how substantial this actually is but there is a haunted house with 13 different spirits. The house is called Halcyon, and it was built in the late 1700s by a Revolutionary War veteran. He died in debt and is seen looking out over the Potomac River with a telescope waiting for his good fortunes to come up the river.”

My informant is a tour guide in Washington, D.C. One stop on his tour is an old house rumored to be haunted. The building is a residential property, therefore, my informant has never been inside the property himself, only heard the stories required as part of the city tour. The residential property is known as Halcyon House and it is intrinsically connected to American history. The property was built close to the Potomac River in 1787 by a Revolutionary War veteran. Instead of fulfilling the newly established “American dream,” the owner died in debt. Since the ghost stories take place in a real world setting and involve a historical figure, they fall under the category of legend.

Most major cities are built near water to provide access to trade. The Potomac River opens up Washington D.C. to trade with other cities, thus the river was reasonably associated with wealth and trade. The ghost of the Revolutionary War veteran is said to be seen looking out over the Potomac River with a telescope in the hopes that he will see wealth on the horizon.

A common theme in ghosts stories is that the ghosts remain trapped in the physical world because of unresolved regrets. The ghost story of the Revolutionary War veteran fits into this theme, possibly to provide an explanation for the spirit sighting or to romanticize the tragic failures of a man who fought for our country’s independence.

I was surprised when I learned that the house remains a residential property. As a historical landmark and spiritual haven for ghosts, the owners are living out a legend in more than one way.

 

The Lost Dutchman

Nationality: American
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Phoenix, Arizona
Performance Date: 7 April 2018
Primary Language: English

Transcription: “This story is called the tale of the Lost Dutchman. The mountains east of Phoenix are called the Superstitions because of all the weird things that happen out there. According to the Apache, sand storms come from a cave in the mountains that is said to be a gate to Hell…they say an evil wind kicks dust out and it covers the valley in a sand storm. In the Superstitions, there are a lot of minerals, most importantly gold. In the mid 1800s, there was a dutchman who was out prospecting and he got lost…I think he got lost and stumbled upon a cave. At the front of the cave, there was supposedly skeletons and old pots that looked like they came from the conquistadores. He opened up one of the pots, and he found giant gold nuggets. He found more gold as he went further into the cave. He filled up his bag with gold and then left the way that he came. When he went back to town, he told people about the gold he found. The next day, he tried to lead a group of people back to the cave, but he couldn’t find it. People are still looking for it today. They never found it. The landmarks that the dutchman described are real, such as Weaver’s Needle.”

 

The story transcribed above can be classified as a legend since it takes place in a real-world setting. The legend began less than two hundred years ago in Phoenix, Arizona. Since that area has strong ties to its Native American heritage, many Native American folk stories have mingled with those of American settlers. My informant has no connection to Native American culture, but he recently moved to Phoenix and learned the stories.

The mountains are called the Superstitions due to the strange phenomena that occur. Apache folklore explains the mysterious occurrences as a result of the Superstitions having a cave that is a gateway to Hell. In addition to the religious folklore surrounding the mountains, they are also said to be rich in gold. An American settler was wandering through the mountains and found an abandoned gold mine. He collected as much gold as he could carry and returned to his town. When he tried to lead a group back to the mine, he could not find it.

This legend reminded me of the City of Gold since the stories share motifs. Both stories include gold, natives, and a settler’s inability to retrace his steps to the hidden gold. My informant’s retelling of the story seems to combine two different stories, one of Native American folklore and one of a quest for wealth. The combination of stories exemplifies how American and Native American folklore influence each other.

 

Spanish Proverb 4

Nationality: Spanish
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Madrid, Spain
Performance Date: 8 April 2018
Primary Language: Spanish
Language: English

Transcription: “El hábito no hace al monje.”

English Transcription: “The habit doesn’t make him a monk.”

The “habit” in the phrase does not refer to a repeated action but instead to the dress or uniform of a monk. “Monk” usually refers to an individual of high morals who took religious vows and lives in a monastery. This phrase is not always applied to a man. The proverb could be made feminine if “el monje” was changed to “la monja,” which means “nun.” However, the gender of the phrase does not change its meaning: clothing can become a form of deception.

Regardless of which religious order is used in the phrase, it refers to an individual who is not who they seem on the outside. The habit becomes a metaphor for someone who uses their clothing to disguise their true character. A person who dresses like a monk is not necessarily a good person. In more common day terms, a person who wears athletic clothing is not always an athlete, and a person who wears classes is not always intelligent. Appearances can deceive, and this proverb is used when one learns the true identity behind the disguise.

This proverb could be used casually in a conversation. For example, “I was wrong about John. He dresses nicely and seemed like a good person, but he turned out to be a jerk.” To which a friend might respond, “Well, the habit doesn’t make him a monk.” The proverb is a cautionary phrase that encourages the deceived to be more careful in the future.

 

Spanish Proverb 3

Nationality: Spanish
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Madrid, Spain
Performance Date: 8 April 2018
Primary Language: Spanish
Language: English

Original Transcription: “A buenas horas mangas verdes!”

English Transcription: “The green sleeves arrive at good hours!”

This expression is used when something that you strongly hoped for happens or presents itself when it is no longer useful. The speaker using the phrase would have an exasperated or sarcastic tone. The phrase in Spanish omits a verb. If the meaning of the phrase were fully written out, it would be, “las mangas verdes llegan a buenas horas.” Despite the missing verb, the listener would understand the meaning of the proverb due to its commonly known history.

According to my informant, this expression has a long history. “Los mangas verdes,” or the green sleeves, were an armed political group in fifteenth century Spain. Their official name was La Santa Hermandad, and they were commissioned by the queen to track down criminals. Once they found the criminals, they would put them in prison. However, the green sleeves were notoriously known to arrive late. Often times, the green sleeves would arrive at the scene of a crime after the thief had already fled, thus failing to fulfil their purpose.

The phrase ridicules the failures of the early Spanish criminal justice system, and one would have to know the history of the green sleeves to fully understand the proverb. The fact that the proverb is still used today is significant because the phrase connects Spaniards with their history.