Tag Archives: ghost legend

A Ghostly Encounter (Ghost Story)

Informant’s Story:
My informant shared a ghost story their dad has told since they were in kindergarten. “My dad was hired for a freelance construction job at a hotel, with compensation offered as an unlimited bar tab instead of cash. As he worked late into the night, a man who appeared to be part of the hotel staff served him drinks. Upon finishing the job, the worker thanked him, saying, ‘Thanks for helping my hotel.’ Later, when speaking with the hotel manager, my dad mentioned the drinks he’d received, only to learn that the hotel had no alcohol available that night. Confused, my dad pointed to a painting on the hotel wall, identifying the server. The manager, astonished, explained the painting depicted the hotel’s original owner, who had been deceased for over 40 years.”

Context:
This story was first introduced to my informant in kindergarten by their father, who regularly recounted it throughout their childhood. My informant vividly recalls the fascination and mystery surrounding this tale, noting the profound impact of hearing it from a trusted source like their father. This familial narrative holds special significance because it merges supernatural elements with personal and familial experience, creating a deep connection to the story that transcends mere entertainment.

Analysis:
At its core, this ghost story conveys powerful themes of reciprocity, karma, and moral responsibility. The informant strongly resonates with the lesson their father emphasized through the narrative: “If you take care of something, someone or something will take care of you.” The ghost’s gratitude and mysterious provision of drinks symbolizes the reciprocal nature of kindness, suggesting a deeper cosmic or moral balance at play. The informant interprets this as a powerful statement on karma: good intentions and actions inevitably result in positive outcomes.

Additionally, the informant highlighted a nuanced understanding of life’s interconnectivity, noting, “For every twenty dollars you find, someone has lost twenty dollars.” This insight demonstrates the story’s deeper exploration of life’s ethical and existential complexities. They also linked this lesson metaphorically to contemporary global issues such as climate change, further illustrating the story’s enduring relevance. Ultimately, the tale serves as a reflective medium, prompting listeners to consider deeper ethical responsibilities and interconnectedness in their everyday actions.

Haunted house on the hill

Age: 20

Text: Ghost story of Richmond, England – haunted house on the hill

Context: “In my town in London, I live close to this really popular hill. On the hill, there’s a pub, and a lot of people go there at night, or they just walk up the hill during the day. There’s a huge, really nice, old house on the top of this hill. It’s beautiful, and definitely worth a lot of money, but it is completely abandoned. No one actually knows why, but people have made up a lot of stories about how it is haunted, because they think there must be some explanation for why no one lives there, and also why it’s never gone up for sale. When I was younger, my neighbor told me that it was haunted by a spirit. She said a pianist once lived there, named Isabelle. She moved into this huge house completely alone, and no one knew where she got the money to afford it, or why she needed such a big place for just herself. Anytime you walked near the house, you could hear her playing the piano. One night, the piano completely stopped, and no one heard from or saw Isabelle. Eventually, the police broke in and found the piano open, with a warm cup of tea sitting on it, but no sign of Isabelle. No one ever found her. Anyone who moved into the house after this, would hear the piano playing at the middle of the night. When they went downstairs to investigate it, it suddenly stopped. One tenant tried to move the piano out of the house, but tripped and fell, hit his head on the piano, and died. After this, no one dared to move into the house and it has remained empty ever since. After hearing this story, I told all my friends, and we used to dare each other to run up to the house and peek inside. One of my friends swore she saw a shadow sitting at the piano. This was only one of the variations I heard about this supposed haunted house, but to this day, no one has any idea why it has been abandoned.”

Analysis: This story about a haunted house functions as a legend. It is set in a real-world location and is framed around belief. The house exists, but the question of whether the ghost truly haunts it is open to interpretation. However, the purpose of this legend is less about whether or not the ghost exists but more about the negotiation of what to believe and the counter-legends that are produced from it.

The interviewee’s account of the story is an example of ostension, which is when people act out the contents of legends in real life. Her and her friends daring each other to run up to the house shows how the legend became social and performative. These performances do not make the story true, but they make the legend feel real. The narrative structure of this particular legend is also FOAF (friend of a friend). The interviewee heard this legend from her neighbor, which helps reinforce the truth. Additionally, her friend claiming that she saw the shadow also makes the legend more believable.

There is also a cultural function of this story. Whether or not the people in this town believe in the ghost, the legend functions to explain a question: why the beautiful, expensive house remains abandoned. People create folklore, like these ghost stories, to fill the gaps in knowledge. The legend also reinforces a collective identity of the town. The house is no longer just a house, but it is a piece of community and history. It connects people through emotions, whether that is fear or curiosity. This shows how folklore performs a social function in maintaining group identity. The interviewee associates this story with her town and the people she grew up with.

The different symbols and variations that the interviewee has claimed to hear can be considered allomotifs. If a specific part of the story has changed (e.g the instrument being a violin rather than a piano), that part would be considered an allomotif. The function of the story remains the same though, as the idea is that there is a haunted instrument that represents the haunting of the dead spirit.