Tag Archives: legend

Protective snake legend/memorate

Age: 21

Text:

We had a land and Romans and Greek people, you know, used to live there. And

my grandpa was saying, like, in our garden, we have,  gold in our garden. They hide the gold before, like, when they’re, escaping from something, you know, like Turkish, when they’re escaping from Turks, like, they hide the gold. there in our garden. Actually, that’s what he says. And also, like, there’s another story that in that land, he says there is a very, very big snake. We call that snake like a mustache snake, that he protects the treasure. He was telling me that he saw that snake. My grandpa was a farmer, and he was doing some farming stuff, and he was in a tractor. And he told me that he saw this snake. He was kind of overreacting, probably, but he told me when they were driving the tractor, one snake jump off the top of the tractor. That’s what he told me, and what he said was, he got a mustache, that snake. And he’s very big. He’s like five, six meters. That’s what he says. Like five meters. And we call, as I said, we call, like a mustache snake. That snake has a mustache, and he protect the treasure. 

Context:

This is a legend told to the informant by his grandfather when he was 12 or 13. It is rooted in the geographical history of Cesme and Alacati, where he is from; the ancient Greeks and Romans did live in the area. In Turkish mythology there is a protective snake deity named Yilan Tanrı, and past peoples having buried treasure is a trope in Turkish legends.  

Analysis:

This legend/memorate has a few functions. It is educational, teaching the informant about the history of the region, and perhaps embeds some Turkish Nationalism; the garden, and by extension the land is valuable because there is gold buried there. The informant’s disbelief in the memorate, saying “that’s what he said, actually” and that his grandpa was probably exaggerating, highlights the partial belief or belief with doubt that lay at the heart of legends. There isn’t a good reference for a snake with a moustache, but the moustache may be a tool the grandfather used to make the story more entertaining for the informant, or a way to make the story his own given the buried treasure and snake are common themes in Turkish legend. 

Folk Narrative: Ballad Legend – Dance of Zalongo

  1. Text: There is a legendary ballad sung by Greeks across all generations. The ballad is titled Ο Χορός του Ζαλόγγου, or The Dance of Zalongo. Prior to 1821, Greece was still under occupation of the Ottoman Empire. Greek civilians often banded together to rebel against the Ottoman forces, starting small wars from their humble villages against the massive might of the empire. There was an ongoing war between the Ottoman Empire and the region that the small village of Zalongo resided in. During this war effort, all of the male soldiers had to leave the village to fight elsewhere on the offensive. Unfortunately, the village was marched on by Ottoman forces during this time. Left unprotected, the village only contained the women and children who resided there. Knowing their fate was sealed, it is said that the women, along with their children, went to the top of Mount Zalongo, and danced in a circle at its cliff. It is said that the women sang as they danced at the top of the cliff, celebrating as they were chased by the Ottoman forces. Then, one by one, they threw themselves over the edge, committing suicide. The actions of the Zalongo women are percieved as deeply heroic by the Greek people, as the women chose death over slavery. They refused to fall victim to the Ottoman soldiers. Their story is immortalized in the ballad known as The Dance of the Zalongo. Some of its key lyrics include, “The fish cannot live on land, Nor the flower on the sand, And the women of Zalongo Cannot live without freedom.”
  2. Informants Context: My parents raised me on the story of the Zalongo women. As immigrants, my parents had a deep reverence for the history of Greece and its story of independence. Being part of the Greek diaspora, they wanted to keep these stories alive for me and my brother who were being raised in Canada. My father spoke very highly of the legend and my mother was the one who was capable of actually singing the song. I can’t remember the full lyrics, but I know one of the key ones: “Το ψάρι δεν ζει στο νερό, Ούτε το λουλούδι στην άμμο, Και οι γυναίκες του Σουλίου Δεν μπορούν να ζήσουν χωρίς ελευθερία” (“The fish cannot live on land, Nor the flower on the sand, And the women of Zalongo Cannot live without freedom.”) I knew it from a young age and remember being deeply moved, even charged with patriotism every time I heard the song. As a young boy, it made me physically angry when I would hear about how they died. Of course, people can’t say for certain what happened at the top of the cliff. It was a story that was born out of word of mouth between villagers, spreading across Greece. Like all Greeks though, I firmly believe it actually happened as described. I’m sure it wasn’t as straight-forward as the legend makes out, but I believe they danced and sang before the jump. To me, the story epitomizes the Greek spirit of independence, the mantra at the heart of the revolution – freedom over death.
  3. Collectors Interpretation: The ballad of the Dance of Zalongo is a heroic ballad of legend. The strict historical accuracy of the ballad is disputed as there isn’t empirical evidence for what the woman did at the top of the cliff. It is confirmed that they jumped from the cliff and committed suicide. That said, this is what precisely qualifies the story as robust piece of legend. There is dispute about its truth. Since Greeks choose to believe that this legend is true in the face of disputes, it speaks to their values. At the core of the Zalongo ballad is the relationship with death and freedom. Greek people value the concept of personal liberty to so far an extent that they will sacrifice their own lives to maintain it. The culture preaches a disregard for death. Additionally, the fact that the women decided to dance and sing speaks volumes to their own values. It’s a truly non-defeatist attitude. Almost as if to signal to the Ottoman colonizers that they could truly have nothing – not the lives of the women, nor their bodies and by singing, not even their spirits. It’s an act, a story, of deep courageousness and heroism. It reflects the spirit that likely later inspired the 1821 Greek War for Independence, lighting the heart of the nation on fire. As far as I can tell, the Dance of Zalongo represents folklore at its most powerful.

Fields

AGE: 55

Date_of_performance: April 15, 2025/May 9, 2025

Informant Name: (Confidential)

Language: English/Greek

Nationality: Canadian/Greek

Occupation: Lawyer/Entrepreneur

Primary Language: English

Residence: Canada

Folk Narrative: Legend – The Secret School

  1. Text: During the Ottoman occupation of Greece between the 15th-19th centuries, it is said that Greeks were subordinated to censorship and a lack of free expression by the colonizing empire. Under the enemy rule, Greeks were said to be prohibited from freely expressing their patriotic, religious and cultural identities, forced to forgo their heritage and what defined them. As a consequence, the Greek people are said to have built out schools across the nation that would operate in secrecy. These schools allegedly needed to be outside the purview of the Ottoman empire. Consequentially, Greeks would base these schools in caves, underground tunnels, perhaps even monasteries. They were led by priests or monks who had the knowledge and education to impart information onto younger audiences. Rumors circulated that these priests would have to sparsely light their underground schools with single candle lights so as to prevent their organizations from being ousted and found out by Ottomans. These secret schools are said to have been solely responsible for preserving the Greek language, Orthodox Christianity and the history of the country.
  2. Informants Context: Growing up as a first generation Canadian, my parents forced me to attend Greek school on the weekends. It was in that space that I learned the fundamentals of my Greek heritage. This included learning how to read and write in Greek, the history books, Greek dancing… these are the usuals for any Greek child. I dreaded being there when I was young. A brutal way to spend a Saturday. I understood why I needed to be there as a kid, but it wasn’t until I began sending my own kids to Greek school that I learned how this concept of a Hellenic education actually started. It turns out the tradition of a “Greek school” stems from as far back as the War for Independence. My wife told me about this – she’s much better educated on this stuff than I am. It turns out that while Greeks were subject to occupation, something called Krifo Scholio (Secret school) developed. These were apparently secret schools that existed during the occupation for the purpose of keeping Greek culture alive, in all its forms. The Turks didn’t want Greeks stirring patriotism through education, whether that be through something as simple as preserving Greek language or something more significant, like sharing the war stories of Greeks who had previously rebelled against the empire. The existence of these secret schools apparently became fuel for the revolution towards independence. Increasingly, word spread amongst Greeks of the alleged underground society that was upholding the culture. The image of the Holy Priest teaching sage, forbidden knowledge about the beauty and destiny of our people to younger generations – its a beautiful image. This quiet, simple act of rebellion became one of the key images of the revolution. Long story short, when Greeks immigrated from Greece to different countries, they established Greek schools that were inspired by Krifo Scholio’s of the revolution. Immigrants likewise didn’t want their heritage to dissipate as they arrived in a new country. That’s the whole idea. I can’t speak to whether these alleged secret schools were ever real. The whole concept was that they would never be discovered, only heard about through word of mouth. I personally believe their popularity may have been exaggerated to inspire a rebellious fervor. That said, I think the emphasis on the value of secret schools probably reflects the greater durability of Greek heritage. Our culture, our language are some of the oldest in the world. Greek people are intent on maintaining their long-standing identity, no matter the cost.
  3. Collectors Interpretation: The alleged secret schools of the Greek independence movement are an example of a piece of history that is centered around folkloric culture, at every layer. Firstly, the actual rumored existence of the schools is an example of legendary folklore. As a consequence of the fact that these schools were only discovered through secretive word of mouth, it’s impossible to confirm whether they ever existed. The way the very rumor of their existence inspired the rebellion movement feels almost Jungian though. The priest feels like the reemergence of the sage archetype that Jung often described. Jung theorized that archetypes introduced themselves in the general populace to meet the needs of the collective unconscious whenever necessary. The popularity of the priest figure, imparting back onto the Greek people their true potential, feels almost mythic. To that point, the concept of the secret school becomes even more connotated with folklore as it was folklore narratives that the priests often educated the youth about. In addition to traditional education, children and youths were taught about stories of Greek independence, rebellion, heroism and greatness. Stories that would inspire future generations to take back their homeland. The school itself, if real, used folklore as its currency. As this story relates back to the values of the Greek people, I must echo the sentiments of my informant. Greece is one of the oldest cultures in the world. It’s preserved and maintained a general consistency in that culture for a long time, and it can be assumed that’s a consequence of Greek prioritization of cultural maintenance. Additionally, the story demonstrates key themes about how education is critical for overthrowing tyranny. If anything, its the most essential basis for overthrowing tyranny.

Fields

AGE: 55

Date_of_performance: April 15, 2025/May 9, 2025

Informant Name: (Confidential)

Language: English/Greek

Nationality: Canadian/Greek

Occupation: Lawyer/Entrepreneur

Primary Language: English

Residence: Canada

Folk Narrative: Legend – Char-Man

  1. Text: Ojai is a rural city in California, located to the northeast of Los Angeles. While the city is quaint and loveable, it is not without its share of daunting lore, the most famous of which may be the legend of the Char-Man. As the story goes, there is a unpopulated part of the city, a back road titled creek road where very little life is to be found. The area is windy, riddled with animals and generally desolate. On creek road there existed a single house which was host to a very grouchy old man. It’s not entirely known for what reason this old man was a grouch, but many suspect he grew bitter and spiteful after his son died. This grouchy old man always made a habit of yelling at passerby children who roamed through his neighborhood. One day, these same children decided that they wanted to prank the old man and get back at him for all the times he’d tried to yell at them or get them in trouble. These group of children had one of their dogs poop on a lawn. The kids scooped up the poop with a sock. They quietly snuck up to his house, and once they had arrived at the doormat they dropped the sock of poop, lighting it on fire. The children rang the doorbell aggressively and then ran as fast as their legs would allow. The children thought the old man would rush out and stomp out the flame, causing the feces to explode everywhere – but the old man was in a deep sleep. The fire caught hold of the house, burning the old man alive. He didn’t die though – the old man survived, disfigured and forever damaged. As the legend has it, the old man now resides around the creek road bridge, patiently waiting for bad children to come his way, allowing him the opportunity to exact his brutal revenge. In some iterations of the story, the char-man burnt because of wildfires that were started by children.
  2. Informants Context: Once you reached a certain age, probably sometime within middle school, you inevitably find out who the Char-Man is. It’s the most popular scary story of Ojai, or at least it was at my school. If you found yourself on a bus ride telling scary stories, the char-man came up. If you found yourself at a sleepover, trying to terrify some of your friends and say something gnarly, the char-man came up. If you wanted to scare a girl, bring up the char-man. All this aside, the biggest reason why young people came into contact with the char-man was because of a rite of passage event that basically everyone participated in at one point or another. Again, late middle school, probably early high school once you have a drivers license. The ritual is as follows – you drive to creek road after dark. You get on the bridge, get out of your car. Then, alongside your friends, you call out for the char-man. You usually just yell his name, sometimes people cry for help. I did this with my buddies after a night of drinking. In all honesty, we got out, quickly called his name and then got the hell out of there because it actually was pretty freaky. There’s not much light and it feels like you could actually get jumped at any moment. That’s usually the extent of most peoples stories. Every now and then though, you’ll have someone who comes back from the bridge and claims they saw a shadowy, deformed figure emerge from the forest, walking toward them. Tough to say what’s true. Ultimately, I think Char-Man just represents a rite of passage for young kids. It’s the kind of lore and event that everyone looks forward to participating in once in their life. Everyone bonds with their friends while it’s happening, you create lasting memories. You also quickly find out who is and isn’t a wuss. It’s something that unites a common sense of identity for the city. It’s a scary story, but it’s a scary story that we collectively own and know about with each other. There’s something very nice about that.
  3. Collectors Interpretation: The Char-Man is a clear example of folk legend storytelling at its most fun and pulp. It can clearly be defined as a legend as the story revolves around circumstances and locations that are part of our actual history and life. The entire thrill of the informants described rite of passage is dependent on them not truly knowing whether the story is real or not. Insofar as Char-Man fits into the greater values of the community of Ojai, the informant told me about one iteration where the old man burned from getting caught in a wildfire started by children. This speaks to dual values. Firstly, this wildfire variation could represent values in favor of environmental preservation. There is a traumatic communal history surrounding wildfires in Ojai, as there often with California locations. The Char-Man is a cautionary tale, a lingering shadow of the collective trauma that develops when people don’t take care of the environment. More obviously, the Char-Man is also clearly a folk legend that’s meant to inspire children into behaving. He is watching, embodying the lingering consequences of tomfoolery and hooligan behavior gone too far.

Fields

AGE: 22

Date_of_performance: May 9, 2025

Informant Name: (Confidential)

Language: English

Nationality: American

Occupation: Student

Primary Language: English

Residence: United States of America

Voodoo Village (St. Peter’s Church)

Informant

ET is a Memphis, Tennessee resident who recalls this particular supernatural urban legend he heard from his social groups as a teenager. This is a classic case of teenagers passing rumors along orally.

Text

The Free Masons are a religious secret society. The informant’s mom’s friend is supposedly a member of the Free Masons. They are a cult characterized by chapters across the world and secret handshakes and unique vernacular. They have certain symbols and calls & response that can be recognized by outsiders, but their secret nature encourages conspiracy. Apparently, the requirements to join isn’t high, but faith in a specific God is necessary. A rural neighborhood in memphis referring to themselves as the Church of St. Peter, but everyone else regards them as Voodoo Village due to the vast amount of Masonic imagery desplayed around the neighborhood. It’s located near the backwoods with few ever visiting or residing there, but plenty of rumors come out of it from visits driving through or by. These include:

  • Dead cats and dogs hanging from trees
  • Cars breaking down in the middle of town
  • Hearing whispers following you around
  • Getting chased by crazy people with baseball bats
  • A van is parked by a dead end street that will supposedly pull over and block you in if you enter the street
  • Weird bonfires and spells during the Satanic Panic

It is not advised to exit your car while passing through, but teenagers often dare each other to visit or visit together as a legendary quest, especially on Halloween.

Analysis

This urban legend feels very classic, modern Americana to me from the Satanic Panic to the car breaking down being a very American horror, set in a largely white state with “that one part of town” nobody dares goes to, likely reflecting a marginalized, poor, neglected, and harrassed, lower-class minority neighborhood. It feels akin to the classic Act 1 setup for a 2000s teen movie that would be used as Propp’s 2nd Function, the interdiction warning the hero against something while letting the audience know that’s where the story is headed. Additionally, Tennessee is a highly religious state prone to superstitions as reflected by the Satanic Panic the informant mentioned, and as it’s not exactly a state known for a lot of attractions, the Midwest Blues of “nothing to do” compels the teenagers to seek out thrills such as legendary questing the local devil-town rumors. It represents the “other world” heroes must exit the safety of their home to enter shown by many models of narratives, even Campbell’s hero’s journey, and its attunement on Halloween further reflects how it serves as a space of inversal where the usual norms and rules are no longer in place. This becomes even more true when it is Halloween. The social implications of this location likely being a marginalized and neglected neighborhood somewhat reflects the American south’s xenophobia toward anything that doesn’t match their ideal of a neighborhood.