My roommate told me of the legend of a ghost named Hanako San. There are a lot of different versions of her, but the one he remembers is of a girl who killed herself in a school bathroom because of bullying, who haunts every school bathroom in Tokyo. Many elementary school children will go into a school bathroom on the third floor, turn off the lights, and knock on the third stall door three times. This is supposed to summon Hanako San. If you hear her respond to the knock, it’s in your best interest to leave. He likened this to the tradition of Bloody Mary in the states. He learned this from other classmates. This ghost could’ve been based on a real girl, or it could have been used to try to prevent kids from bullying others. It’s also a bit of a game, similar to bloody mary. This practice adds some entertainment to a normally dull day in grade school.
Japanese Kappa
My roommate told of the Kappa, who are turtle monsters that live in japan. According to some, these monsters only live by rivers. His mom would tell him that if he played outside after dark, the Kappa would come to get him. His parents and grandparents would tell him this to keep him from wandering out of the house at night. He says that is a tradition for parents to tell kids this, and that Kappa are so widely believed in by children that there are Kappa statues next to some of the rivers. The tradition of telling this story probably came from concerned parents, and used the kappa as a way to scare their kids into not doing certain things, like playing in the river or going outside at night. The actual turtle monster aspect probably came from the numerous species of turtles that are native to Japan.
Folk Speech
This saying comes from a subject who is a second generation Mexican-American. The expression in Spanish is “cucuy”. Cucuy is an adjective referring to something that scary – usually at atmosphere. The subject explained that the word would be used in the context of describing something terrifying: for example, if a person is asked to go to the cemetery at night, they would say something along the lines of “Definitely not! It’s cucuy in there.” According to the subject, the word “cucuy” doesn’t have a direct translation as it is the name of a Mexican folklore creature named El Cucuy. El Cucuy is a character of a ghost story, and was paralleled by the subject with a boogeyman. So in this case, the name of the ghost story character has become a synonym to adjectives like scary and terrifying. The subject noted, that cucuy is usually used when describing something beyond just scary – usually it refers to something paranormal, possessed or demonic, and that it has a direct tie to the tale. It is an intense word that is used to describe terror. The subject’s parents often described scary movies as “cucuy” if it had demons and monsters.
The use of “cucuy” as an adjective highlights the ways in which folklore and language evolve within cultural communities. Rather than simply meaning “scary,” the word carries a deeper connotation tied to the supernatural This in a great example of how storytelling influences and shapes linguistic expression. The subject’s explanation demonstrates how a folklore creature expands beyond its narrative origins to become a widely used descriptor for terrifying experiences. As a second-generation Mexican-American, the subject’s use of “cucuy” also reflects the integration and mix of cultural influences. While the expression keeps its deep folkloric roots, it has also adapted to modern and bilingual conversations.
Folk Metaphor
One of my friends, who was born and raised in France, shared a popular saying that she has heard and used throughout her childhood. In French, it is “Poser un lapin” which translates to “To drop a bunny”. According to the subject, this is a casual expression which is a metaphor for standing someone up. A contextual example would be if a person invited someone for coffee, and that person agreed to come but never showed up. A person who invited then could say that their friends “dropped a bunny on me”. According to the subject, the bunny being a subject of this saying is because he is a metaphor for “hopping away from the plans”. So, bunny’s natural tendencies of movement are compared here with the action of “skipping” plans or standing someone up.
I found this saying very interesting, as I couldn’t have guessed right away what it meant. It is important to note, how the phrase was created in order to express a certain action and allow for the feeling of disdain towards the universal experience of being stood up. Upon further analysis of the movement of the bunny being compare to the human action, one can see a similarity between the animal’s quick and unpredictable movements that reflect the people who deviate from the plans. It is also interesting how the saying can be perceived as humorous and lighthearted. This tone contrasts the uncomfortable feeling of being stood up, but in the way, acts as a tension diffuser that softens negative situations and helps people not taking the unfortunate situation too seriously or being too harsh on another person.
Curses
A curse I have collected in my folklore discussion class is “I’m gonna break your kneecaps and ship you to North Korea.” My subject identified the context of this curse as a playful saying that she has heard from her friend in middle school. They explained that this curse is used when someone’s friend says or does something annoying or mean and one then says the curse as a playful threat. One could say that this curse is a euphemism for the much harsher, adult “F you” in middle school, but in this case it is serving a purpose of a gentle warning as well as a tool for immediate reconciliation because of it’s humorous nature.
It is interesting how the curse in this case is a playful thing, and how it is used by usually a friend, or someone that is close to the person. Moreover, it seems like the curse is an example of a social boundary in friendships. It is used as a relatively funny and non-confrontational tool to tell a friend that they have done something that perhaps crossed the boundary of another person.