Background:
Informant is a student at USC who calls herself a stoner.
Main Piece:
“It’s a common story with stoners that having a white lighter is bad luck.”
Context:
This conversation was recorded in-person. I was in possession of a white lighter which my informant took note of.
Analysis:
This example of folklore is a folk belief that is widely shared by a certain group of people (in this case, stoners). In similar vein to black cats crossing the street or walking underneath a ladder bringing bad luck, the actual physicality of the lighter does not bring any luck, but rather has been given a symbolic meaning later on. My informant did not know why specifically a white-colored lighter brought bad luck, and later found out about the urban legend that many famous musicians supposedly died while carrying a white lighter. Whether this is actually true or not isn’t the important part, but such a story would reasonably carry weight among people who possess lighters or frequently use them, and like my informant did, would also pass along the story as a word of caution to people in their circles who also smoke.
Tag Archives: bad luck
Knocking on Wood and Einstein’s Theory of Relativity
Background:
Informant (L) is studying at UC Berkeley and has lived in the US his whole life.
L: Well, I’m a big believer in knocking on wood.
I: Is there a reason you have a whole knocking on wood belief?
L: Yeah, because like, let’s say hypothetically, it’s not real. But if there’s a chance it’s real, wouldn’t you rather absolve yourself from spiritual anguish? It’s the same as like being agnostic, and your whatever beliefs on religion, it’s like if there’s a chance it’s real, you might as well. So like are you familiar with Einstein’s theory of relativity? When you like you say something, you kinda put it out to the universe, so if you put it out into the universe, “Oh, well I hope I don’t get into a car crash” then it’s out in the universe, so like you influence yourself subliminally to get into a car crash and you can undo that by knocking on wood three times. Or if there’s no wood available, you can do it on your head.
I: On your head?
L: Yeah, ‘cus it’s your head, your noggin. It’s like made out of wood, it’s funny.
Context:
I asked my informant about any beliefs or superstitions he had over a phone call. This was the first one he gave, so I asked for further elaboration.
Analysis:
Knocking on wood is perhaps one of the most common pieces of Western folklore in modern times. I found my informant’s sincere belief (which was further confirmed by his partner) in such a custom interesting, as my previous experiences with this piece of folklore have mostly been done in a joking manner. My informant rationalizes this Law of Contact with a scientific theory as support, which demonstrates the effect of empirical evidence on a belief in a custom. He argues that the physical act of touching something (either wood or one’s head) can undo an action, which is also an example of a conversion superstition. Knocking on wood undos the subliminal influence of what’s been put “out in the universe”, as my informant notes. The immense popularity of knocking on wood is a main factor as to why it still persists to this day, and because of how easy it is to do, people may do it as an extra safety precaution.
Berkeley Seal
Background:
Informant studies at USC and has a boyfriend who attends UC Berkeley.
Main Piece:
“So basically there’s seals on the floor there, and you’re not supposed to step on it until you graduate, ‘cus if you do step on it it’s like bad luck or whatever, um, so when he was talking about it I was like ‘man, fuck that’ and I stepped on it and he [the boyfriend] was like ‘no!’ and I was like ‘bro I don’t even go here’ like this shit doesn’t even apply to me.”
Context:
My informant and I were discussing school customs, as we didn’t really know any that pertained to USC. They brought up something they heard at Berkeley.
Analysis:
This is a classic example of a college superstition using sympathetic magic, specifically the Law of Contact, that fails the student if they step on the seal (which is an important symbol to the university). There are probably countless stories of people who stepped on these seals and couldn’t graduate. While my informant specifically didn’t say anything about counteracting the bad luck (usually a method of conversion exists so it’s not completely doomed for the student), such superstitions surrounding graduation are commonly found across many colleges with many different variations. Interestingly, my informant raises a question of who this Law of Contact is able to be applied to—they are a student at USC who came into contact with a Berkeley custom, so they believe the “curse” wouldn’t be applied to them.
For more more information on this superstition, see Chen, Kaylie. “Traditions at Berkeley.” UC Berkeley, 12 April 2021. https://life.berkeley.edu/traditions-superstitions/
Stepping on the High School Emblem
Background information: My younger brother is currently a high school sophomore in Alameda, CA. He knows a lot about the school’s culture now that classes are in person.
Brother: Do you know about this one? Do you know, like the, school emblem thing on the floor in front of the office at school?
Me: No, I’ve never heard this one.
Brother: Oh, you know how there’s like an emblem thing for our school on the floor right outside of the office…well you’re not supposed to step on it because it gives you bad luck or something if you do. If you step on it, you might not graduate or something like that. I heard about it because my friends would remind me not to step on it when we would walk by. I’m scared now so I never do. I though everyone knew about it, but if you don’t maybe it’s a new thing or not that many people actually do it. Maybe people are making up new things since we’re back at school, and it’s kinda fun to spread stuff like that.
Initially, I was shocked that my brother knew about a folklore practice at school that I had never heard of. I wondered if this rumor had re-emerged more for his year since I’ve graduated, or if I had just never been told about it. I think that this speaks to the fact that, because folklore like this is unspoken, everyone who is part of the group it is related to assumes that everyone else in that group knows about it.
Sweeping Dirt in Their Grave
A is 54 years old. She was born in Ft. Waldon, Florida and moved to Sylvania, Georgia at 2 years old. She’d been there all her life until last year (2021). A has a thick Southern accent that’s very pleasant to listen to. She told me about why I should be careful not to sweep over anyone’s feet while sweeping a floor.
“You don’t sweep over anyone’s feet while sweeping a floor because that means you’re sweeping dirt in their grave and that means that you’re wishing them dead, like a curse.”
Another version of this superstition says that sweeping under someone’s feet means they will never get married. For more on Southern broom related folklore, see https://www.weirdsouth.com/post/sweeping-superstitions