Tag Archives: #legend

New North Ghost

Interviewer: “So tell me more about this story, how did it start and become this huge legend?”

MA: Basically, I live in New North, and there’s always floods, or leaks, or water damage happening in the building. There’s this story where this girl died in the communal showers a long long time ago, and her ghost haunts peoples rooms. If your room gets a leak or water damage, she’s picked you to be her next victim.

Interviewer: Interesting, do a lot of people in your dorm believe this or is it more of a joke amongst residents”

MA: “Yea, honestly it’s a big deal and people get kind of freaked out going to the bathroom or showering late at night. My friends place had a leak and people have been teasing her about slipping and dying in the shower so she’s been extra careful”

Context: The informant first heard this story from her RA, and was told the entire dorm flooded the year before. She, and other residents her age tell this story for entertainment value, however some residents, including the one interviewed, believe the story enough to be wary and cautious when in the communal bathrooms.

Analysis: This is a classic ghost tale, however this could be employed from the RA’s to redirect attention from the water problems and convert it into folklore, as its transmission amongst residents is rapid and it seems to have grabbed their attention. This cautionary tale functions beyond a warning, it creates communitas between residents allowing them to bond over their shared belief, and the story evolves and changes the more exposure it gets, feeding more into the folklore.

Thoen Stone

Context:
J is 80 years old and grew up in Spearfish, SD. He told me about a local legend from the Black Hills, a region in South Dakota.

Text:
“The Thoen Stone story was always a part of the local folklore in and around the Black Hills of SD, where I spent part of my youth. A sandstone rock with names of some deceased gold prospectors carved or scraped into the surface of the sandstone was supposedly found on a hill called Lookout Mountain. In addition to the names, a story of hidden gold was part of the message on the rock. It was carved by one of the prospectors named Ezra Kind who was hiding from Native Americans who were hunting for him and the gold, which he claimed he had hidden on Lookout Mountain or in the general area. This story created a “search for the gold” mentality with the kids in the area. When my brother and I were growing up, we, along with friends, would spend many summer days searching for the hidden gold while hiking or riding horses. BTW we never found it nor has anyone else!”

Analysis:
This legend is a local legend of the area in which these people grew up. This legend like many others is a legend of gold to be found (similar to El Dorado). It’s interesting how most people probably know it’s just a legend since many have spent so much time and energy searching, but somehow the legend is still alive and the folklore persists. This is an example of childhood folklore that is exclusive to the Black Hills, as it is almost like a shared experience and a part of growing up in this region. The hope and possibility for gold remains.