Tag Archives: child

Angel Kisses

Text:

“Angel Kiss”

Context:

As a child, my mother would call my sister’s freckles “angel kisses.” As I got older, I was curious about “angel kisses,” so I researched them online. Apparently, “angel kisses” often refer to both freckles and birthmarks – especially on children.

Analysis:

I believe parents call their children’s freckles and birthmarks “angel kisses” to instill them with confidence and self-love. It is a form of esoteric communication between a mother and her child. Society can sometimes look down upon features such as birthmarks and freckles, so the labeling of them as “angel kisses” evokes a sense of sacredness and beauty in spite of the world’s cruelness. It teaches children to wholly love themselves and see their beauty in uniqueness.

Thunder Explained to a Child

Text:

“The angels are bowling”

Context:

“The angels are bowling,” my mom use to tell me when I was a child. I was so afraid of thunderstorms, so my mom told me that thunder was just the angels in Heaven bowling. I stopped being afraid of thunder then and would just complain that the angels always had to go bowling when I was trying to fall asleep.

Analysis:

In order to help me overcome my fear of thunderstorms, my mother constructed a legend – a story set in the real world and told as if it was true. Now, I asked her if she came up with the legend on her own, and she tells me she’s not sure. She may have heard it from somewhere else or come up with it on the spot. My family and I are Christians, so my mother used emic, or insider’s, language when discussing that thunderstorms are just angels bowling to esoterically communicate to me that I had nothing to fear.

The Winchester Mystery House

Age: 19

Context: The following story was told on April 28th, 2026, in my dorm room to me by the informant, who is my friend and freshman year roommate.

Me: “All right. Go ahead, and tell the story, just like, pretend I’m not recording.”

LC: “Okay, do I have to introduce myself?”

Me: “No, just get into it.”

LC: “So this was back when I was 5 years old, so that was 14 years ago. Okay. I feel unc, but it’s whatever. Watch me, like, listen to this, like, in 20 years. I would be like, that’s not even that bad. But I was 5 years old when this happened and my grandparents were in town. They’re originally from Southern California. So they came to visit, and when they come to visit, it’s a pretty big thing. Um, so as a result, my parents were super excited for them to be here and usually when that happens, I don’t really have any choice but to do everything that they have planned. And I had a bad feeling when they told me that we were going to go to the Winchester Mystery House.”

Me: “I’m not too familiar. So it where is this located?”

LC: “This is located on Winchester Street Drive, Avenue, whatever it is.”

Me: “But, but like where in California? It’s in California right?”

Background as described by the informant:

LC: “It’s in Santa Clara. It’s right across from a mall, which is really weird because why would you build like the super big fancy mall right across the street from a haunted house? But the story about the Winchester Mystery House, from what I remember, they made a movie about it too, but the movie was like not at all accurate and low-key, really bad. But the actual story is that this woman was married to a man who produced these guns…the Winchester Gun Company. Um, and the guns were used in war in, like, self-defense, whatever, but they produced them so much and then would give it to, like, I guess, really bad people because they didn’t really care about who they were selling it to. Um, after the man died, I think he died because of the fact that he was shot by his own gun or he died out of sickness. I don’t remember exactly, but he died early on. So the woman was widowed. And at the time, they were using the money from their gun company to build this really big house. And she consulted this, like, palm reader to tell her, like, what she should do to honor her dead husband when building the house. And the palm reader was like, girl, like, you shouldn’t be worried about your husband. You should be worried about the ghosts.”

Me: “Oh [redacted].”

LC: “And she was like, what ghosts? And apparently, all the ghosts of the people that were killed by the guns that the husband produced were coming back to haunt her. Um, and take revenge for what happened as a result of like the guns being produced. And Miss Winchester was like, that’s not my problem. Like, I didn’t produce the guns. And the palm reader was like, no, it’s because the fact that you’re using the money from the guns that were made to build a house. That’s why they’re getting revenge. So they made the house super big and the whole point of the house was that it can never be finished being built. Like they had to continuously build it. And in order to trick the ghost, they had like these trap doors and like these stairs that would lead to nowhere. Like, it’s like this demented fun house that she made.”

Me: ” Hence..Mystery house.”

LC: “Hence…mystery house.”

The Story:

LC: “And… Like, the story itself was cool, and a lot of people don’t really buy it. But I was freaked out. I was also five. So anything would scare me. So I went into the house knowing that this was a story, this is what my grandparents told me, and I was like, why did they bring me here? Like, this was a bad idea. And I just remember going through the house and initially thinking it was pretty because the entrance has like this nice stained glass window, this, like, really nice warm lighting, but the further you get into the house, the more you will see like the stairs leading to nowhere, the doors that open to brick walls, like all this weird stuff. And I just remember passing by this one area that they had just closed because it was found to, like, drop down, like to the floor. It was like… there was like a staircase that led to a door and then there was nothing there. And they had just closed it. So I was freaked out because I guess, like, people were touring that and they realized, like, there was no where to go. It was like, it was a straight drop and it was like 3 floors up already. Um, but after we passed that, I saw a shadow of a woman, and I was like, oh, this has to be like a hologram or something. I didn’t think it was real. But I just remember, it was really warm when I was originally passing by that, like, invisible, whatever staircase thing that led to nowhere. Then when I saw the shadow, it got really cold. So I was like, that was weird… that kind of freaked me out. But I ignored it. We went on with the rest of the tour. And we were going down the stairs, and I distinctly remember the tour guide saying, oh yeah, the stairs are really, really small and really, really steep because they were custom made to fit the feet of Miss Winchester. And they said, oh, watch your step, be careful. Um, But he looked at me and said, oh, you should be fine because your feet are little. And the Winchester lady was like really, really short, really, really petite. And he was like, oh, yeah, you’re like a child. She was like a child too. like you’ll be fine. So I was under the impression there was no way for me to trip. I was also the very last one in the line because it…the actual staircase was so tiny and so compressed that you could touch the walls with your elbows….Shoulders…Shoulders and elbows. But it was really, really compressed. And as a result, we all had to go in a single file line. And I just remember going down the staircase, the really cold feeling from before came back again. And I was the last one in the line. Like, there was no one behind me. I remember turning back and I was like, oh, the door, like the door was about to close and there was like this little sliver of light and I was like, oh, so no one could push me. I’m fine. Boy, was I wrong! I turned back around, and I’m going down, grabbing the walls, kind of like shaking a little bit, but I could walk down the stairs fine. I felt the hand of a, like, a wrinkly thin hand that was ice cold. And I was wearing a super thin shirt, where, like, any little breeze or tap, like, I could feel it on my skin. And I felt it right here on this shoulder, and I felt the hand press, and then I felt it push, and I ended up tripping and falling on the stairs, and my grandma caught me. And I turn around and I see a shadow go, whoosh. like out the door and the door opened. And I was like, this [redacted] just pushed me down the stairs. And I asked the tour guide, I was like, did you see that? And the tour guide said a joke, but I didn’t think he was serious…he’s like, oh yeah, it’s rumored that Miss Winchester likes to go down these stairs and scare the tourists. And then he’s like, and sometimes if she takes a liking to you, she’ll even give you a little nudge. And then after I tripped and fell, he turned around and said, oh, looks like she already found someone. And I was like, Oh, that’s so cute. And I had to tell my grandma, I was like, I don’t want to be here anymore. I dont want to be here anymore. So we ended up leaving the tour early after that. And when I left and walked out, there was this bay style window on one of the upper floors, and there was a woman that looked exactly like Miss Winchester waving hi. I have not returned to the Winchester mystery house since. So even if that wasn’t Miss Winchester or if it was a random ghost, I got pushed in the Winchester mystery house when I was 5 years old down the stairs.”

Me: “So what do you think? Like, do you think Miss Winchester, like, do you think it felt like friendly? Like, she liked you or, you think the guide was right and she was like just being cute and like, eh, or, like, do you think there was, like, there was beef.”

LC: “like, I don’t know, because I was just horrified the whole time. So I don’t know if she was actually was being like a little rude and she wanted to push me because she’s like, I’ll show you how to be scared. But honestly, I thought at 1st that it was friendly, but the more that I think about it, I think it was a little bit more malicious. I’m not gonna lie. Um, like, you know, like those really old women that are like really rude to young people?”

Me: “Right. I don’t know about five-year-olds, but yeah.”

LC: “I don’t know. Because what did a five-year-old do? “

Me: “Right.”

LC: “But maybe it was because my grandparents were telling me like, oh, none of it’s real. It’s fine. And I kept repeating to myself, oh, none of it’s real. it’s fine. So maybe she was like, oh, no, it is real. It is real. But, I don’t know, that was my story. I tell it because I…I still to this day, like, don’t think it’s fully real. I think I was just 5 years old and freaked that, like, freaked out out of my mind. But, you know what? Maybe Miss Winchester did push me down the stairs…Maybe.”

Personal Thoughts and Analysis: I didn’t know too much about the Winchester Mystery House going in, so it was very interesting to hear about it from the informant. This story included a lot of traditional ghost story motifs, such as a haunted house, cold spots, a vengeful spirit, a legend quest, etc. I think it’s a very interesting concept that the house was originally built to fight off and confuse vengeful spirits, and in this story at least, Miss Winchester ends up becoming a vengeful spirit herself, trapped in her own labyrinth.

Minor Genre: Proverb – Truth

  1. Text: “Από μικρό και από τρελό μαθαίνεις την αλήθεια.” or “From a child and from a madman, you learn the truth.”
  2. Informants context: When I was a kid, I was sometimes difficult to deal with. Maybe oftentimes. I was really energetic and rambunctious. You could imagine me as being pretty ADHD. My parents always were going back and forth trying to get a handle of me, particularly my mom who was most responsible for disciplining me. I had an issue with self-regulating, often saying out of line, maybe socially awkward things that would be perceived as rude. For example, during one summer my family was having a pool day. This meant that my cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents etc were all present as we hung out. We got a great barbecue going. I have one older cousin who is my senior by about fourteen years. At this time I was probably seven years old. Long story short, while we were in the pool with our shirts off, I saw my older cousin and noticed that he was looking a lot heavier. So I just told him very directly that him and I should work out together because he’s been getting fat. I’m not sure what I was thinking because I didn’t even know how to work out at that time. My mom was in close-proximity while I said this and immediately snapped at me. She told me to apologize and take it back. I don’t think my cousin cared that much but I was pretty paralyzed in that moment. I apologized and felt like garbage. Later my Yiayia (grandmother) was talking about what I said with some of the other women, and then she pulled me into the conversation, laughing. She shared the expression, “Από μικρό και από τρελό μαθαίνεις την αλήθεια.” or “From a child and from a madman, you learn the truth.” My grandmother actually agreed that my cousin needed to get himself in better shape. I didn’t fully understand the saying at the time, but it always stuck with me. Now that I’m older, it seems increasingly clear that it requires someone unfiltered to give us full truths on difficult topics. It’s something my grandmother continues to say to this day. It’s one of her many sayings that she sourced from her time in Greece.
  3. Collectors interpretation: The concept of the child or madman as a source of truth is almost a radical concept. There are multiple possible implications of such a statement. Firstly being what the informant mentioned: the unadulterated truth will only be given by people untethered by social norms. This implies that truth is rarely spoken for in fear of people being persecuted. The second implication is that it requires the uninhibited mind of a child or crazed person in order to allow truthful thoughts to emerge. These are fascinating concepts. Ultimately, the proverb functions well because of how simple it is despite the complexity of its idea. Additionally, it feels distinctly folkloric as it stems from the small villages of Greece. The actual implications of this proverb on Greek culture are multi-varied. I believe the proverb implies that the culture is self-aware, honest about its shortcomings and irreverent of consequences. This is the mentality of a culture that values genuine honesty, even when its not practical or politically smart. This also echoes a Christian proverb: “And he said: ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.'” Children and madmen are pure in a way, abandoning political maneuvering in favor of genuine honesty, regardless of the consequences.

Fields

AGE: 21

Date_of_performance: May 9, 2025

Language: English

Nationality: American/Greek

Occupation: Student

Primary Language: English

Residence: United States of America

Haunting Shadows

Date_of_performance: 04/04/2025

Informant Name: IS

Language: English 

Nationality: American

Occupation: Student/Grammy U Ambassador 

Primary Language: English

Residence: USC

Interview:

IS: I remember once when I was either a little kid or maybe in middle school I was young that is what I know. I was going to the bathroom super late at night. The bathroom is right across the hallway from my bedroom, so it was a two-second walk.

IS: As I walked to the bathroom, mind you the house is fully dark aside from a few lights here and there so it was hard to see, but I swear I saw a tall, pitch black ghost looking figure move by in the living room. I looked back a millisecond later and didn’t see anyone, even went to the living room to check. It was so weird and I told my mom later that morning curious if she saw something like that before in the house, she told me she didn’t.

ME: Oh my god! That’s crazy! Seeing the tall figure would’ve freaked me out so much. Did you ever see it again after that?

IS: Nope! I thought there was something in the living room that looked like a quickly-moving figure at first, because I was rushing to the bathroom, but there was nothing in the living room that looked like it.

Interpretation

Out of the paranormal folktales that I have collected from my friends, this one is the story that I believe the least is a ghost. She mentioned how she was rushing to the bathroom and it was hard to see because it was dark, so it could be likely that the tall figure she saw was one of her family members grabbing a drink of water or going back to bed, and the figure didn’t say anything because they didn’t see her. The figure didn’t make any noises or approach her, like the spirituals in the other stories did, there was no action the figure did to show they were a ghost or a type of shadowy spirit. If the ghost speak to her in a hushed voice or in a voice that didn’t sound like anyone in her family, I would fully believe she saw a ghost or if they even made something fall down or make a light flicker. She said she didn’t see it again, so the figure wasn’t trying to haunt her or her house, which other ghosts might have done to show that their presence is there. There is also no other spiritual evidence that would back up the figure was a ghost, but she was young when it happened, so there is a possibility that she did forget details that made the figure be a ghost more believable, but in my personal opinion, I don’t see it as a paranormal figure but everyone’s experience with ghosts or spiritual figures is different and not every ghost is different in the way they show up or how they make themselves be seen as.