Tag Archives: golden

Golden Cicadas and Good Luck

“So basically, there were cicadas, especially, like, golden cicadas.

In Chinese culture they are, like, a symbol of good luck, because cicadas, I think are silent for, like, 100 years, or something crazy.

Like, they’re silent for their entire life basically, but then during one, one specific year, they’ll chirp, but it’ll be really loud.

So it’s kind of, like, you’re biding your time, but then, when it’s your time, you can, flourish. That is the kind of vibe.

And so, I’m not sure if this is just something that, like, my parents do, but they always, like, have these little cicada statues, and they are golden.

And I have everything at college, and basically, anytime I have, like, a big test or, like, big, important, decisions or, like, things that I’m, like, waiting for, I’ll just, like, rub the top of its head for good luck.

So I remember when it was college decision time. During that time, we would, me and my sister both, like, sit with it in our lap, basically. But, yeah, we basically just rubbed its head for good luck, and, like, before I take a test, I always do that as well.

I just think that the cicadas represent good luck and, like, prosperity. I think rubbing the statue is just something that’s kind of like a physical thing that you can do to make yourself feel better.

Um, so, yeah. I don’t know if that’s like a real thing, though. She’s something that, like, we’ve always done.”

Context: The informant is a Chinese-Vietnamese-American female USC student whose mother is Buddhist. Although she grew up in the U.S., her family maintains cultural traditions, including keeping small golden cicada statues that symbolize luck and prosperity. Now she has brought a golden cicada to college to continue the tradition.

Analysis: This is an example of folk belief combined with a personal ritual and material culture. The cicada statue itself is a physical object that carries symbolic meaning, representing patience and eventual success in Chinese tradition. The act of rubbing the statue becomes a small, repeated behavior for good luck. Even though she’s unsure if it’s a formal tradition, it still holds meaning for her, showing how folklore can be adapted and maintained across generations.

The Ax Farmer – Tale

Nationality: Korean American
Age: 18
Occupation: Hotel Clerk/Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 03/06/2023
Primary Language: English
Language: Korean

Context: R is a Korean American who was raised in Hawaii. She moved to Los Angeles to attend USC and is currently a freshman studying Computer Science. Her mom told her this story, and R herself has heard from multiple Koreans each with their own variation on what the tale sounds like. According to R, it’s a very popular folktale.

Text:

The story of the ax farmer begins with an axman who had a very poor quality ax. It was wooden and broken. He dropped in this lake one day, and there was a god living in the lake and the god appears with two axes in his hands, one gold and one wooden. The god asks the axman “Which one is your ax, the golden one or the wooden one?” The axman answers honestly with “the wooden one.” The god, impresses by the man’s honesty, gives him the golden ax.

However, there was another man listening to the ax man and god’s conversation. He then purposefully threw an ax into the lake and the god appeared. The god asks the man which ax is his and the man chooses the golden ax. The god knew he was lying, so he punished him. The punishment R never specifies, but she implies that the god severely punished the other man for lying.

Analysis:

Like any tale, the god and man interaction and the golden ax is clearly not real. There is no real lake that this story was at nor would there be a god living it who can give golden axes to passersby. But, due to the context in which these motifs are placed, the audience is able to learn a very real and applicable lesson about honesty and punishment. From Oring’s definition of a tale, the inherent falsehood of the narrative makes it easier to digest; the linear path the plot takes and the extreme contrast of the characters allow the logical and real-world solution to the story, the man’s punishment, to be impactful and relatable. From there, the two-dimensional and predictable story can be adapted into metaphor, and then motif and then life lesson. A god living in a lake and the existence of a golden ax are metaphors for a high power or authority in life and rewards. By pleasing the authority figures with honesty and good morals, rewards will be given. Lie to power or manipulate selfishly, the punishment will be severe and no such rewards will be yielded. Tales like these are usually told during childhood, so this tale gives a young and innocent audience a hard truth about living in society without it being overwhelming or stressful. The tale is blaring entertainment, yet perfectly subtle in the delivery of morality and ethics.