Tag Archives: legend

“The Runner and the Man on the Horse”

1. Text

This narrative, titled The Runner and the Man on the Horse, was told to me by my grandmother JW, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. It is important to note that there are several oicotypes of this legend, but it is confirmed to be true by my great, great, great-grandmother. It is a traditional tale rooted in Indigenous storytelling practices, centering on a moment of challenge, pride, and resilience between a young Choctaw man named Hut Tecumseh and a non-Indigenous settler. The story is set in a time when cultural tensions between Native and settler communities ran seemingly high, and it functions on both literal and symbolic levels.

In the story, a “white man” rides into Choctaw territory. Annoyed by the intrusive presence of this man on the horse, a young Choctaw runner—barefoot, calm, and grounded—steps forward and quietly asserts that he can outrun the man on the horse. Several Choctaw members nearby react with curiosity and excitement.

The proposed race is simple: to a post set 250 yards down a dirt path and back again. The man on the horse laughs but agrees, confident in his superiority. At the start, the horse surges ahead, thundering with speed and strength. But the runner moves parallel to the horse. At the turning post, the runner doesn’t break stride. He grabs the post, pivots with precision, and slingshots himself back. By the time the horse turns, the runner is already far ahead. He reaches the finish calm, composed, and victorious.

The story triumphantly ends in Indigenous celebration with the idea that the man on the horse was forced to accept defeat. 

2. Context

This story was shared with me by my grandmother JW, a lifelong storyteller and member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Her family lived on the reservation, and she learned this story from her ancestors, who treated it not only as a tale of physical skill but also as a teaching story—one that reflects cultural values about humility, pride, and the relationship between people and the land. She has informed me that this story is a part of a museum display in the Choctaw Nation Museum in Oklahoma.

JW told the story to me in English as she is the first generation of her family to not be fluent in Choctaw. For JW and her family, this was not a tale of competition for its own sake. It was a narrative about dignity in the face of colonial arrogance, discrimination, and the power of cultural memory. The barefoot runner wasn’t just a character, but rather a hero; he symbolized an enduring Choctaw identity—deeply connected to the land, spiritually resilient, and underestimated by those outside the community.

3. Interpretation

The Runner and the Man on the Horse fits within the category of a cultural legend, particularly one rooted in Indigenous oral tradition with historical and symbolic overtones. While it contains no overt supernatural elements, the story takes on mythic proportions in its structure, tone, and meaning. Its narrative affirms a communal identity that carries layered moral and historical implications.

The absence of supernatural motifs does not diminish its mythic resonance; instead, it draws power from the reality of the land and the people who inhabit it. The story reflects Indigenous epistemologies that center the land not as a backdrop, but as an active participant in cultural memory. The Choctaw runner becomes a representative of collective strength and ancestral wisdom, whose victory signals more than personal triumph—it affirms the endurance of a people and a worldview often marginalized or dismissed by dominant historical narratives.

At the core of the story is a contrast between two ways of being: one represented by the settler’s reliance on animal power, machinery, and boastful pride; the other embodied by the runner’s strength, discipline, and resilience. The legend critiques colonial arrogance and asserts the quiet power of Indigenous resilience. The runner’s victory is not just athletic—it is cultural, spiritual, and political. The story engages with themes discussed in class, including how folklore preserves historical values and asserts identity through performance and memory. The continued telling of this legend—even in English, and in a contemporary context—demonstrates how Indigenous folklore adapts while preserving the core values of balance, humility, strength, and cultural pride. JW’s version reflects not just the story itself, but the living tradition of storytelling that continues to sustain and affirm Choctaw identity across generations.

Date of performance: 4/01/25
Language: English
Nationality: Choctaw
Occupation: Retired
Primary Language: English
Residence: Modesto, CA

La Llorona

1. Text

This folk narrative, commonly known as La Llorona (“The Weeping Woman”), was told to me by my godmother (RS). It is a widely known legend in Latinx communities, especially in Mexico, where my godmother is from, and the American Southwest. This folk narrative is typically used to convey cautionary lessons about motherhood, morality, and the boundaries between the natural and supernatural worlds.

In RS’s version, the story centers on a beautiful woman who lived in a small village. She fell in love with a wealthy man who eventually abandoned her and their two children. Overcome by grief, rage, or desperation, the woman drowned her children in a river. Immediately after realizing what she had done, she was consumed by guilt, sorrow and regret. RS informed me that in some tellings, she dies shortly after; in others, she takes her own life; in some, she kidnaps children, trying to fill the hole in her heart she created for herself. Either way, her spirit is said to wander the earth, especially near rivers or bodies of water, crying out for her children with an echoing, haunting wail.

RS emphasized that La Llorona is not just a ghost story, but a living presence in cultural memory. She described how, growing up, children were warned not to stay out too late near rivers or creeks, or La Llorona would come for them. The legend was often shared at night, especially during family gatherings, both to entertain and to instill a sense of caution and reverence, especially among young ones.

2. Context

This version of La Llorona was shared with me in an informal interview with my godmother RS, who has known this story since childhood. She grew up hearing it from older relatives, particularly her mother and aunts, and she began telling it to her children once she became a mother. Though RS does not take the legend as seriously as some of her relatives do, RS sees the story as deeply embedded in her cultural heritage and tied to her identity as a Latina woman raised in a multigenerational household.

Although she told the story to me in English, she often codeswitched and used Spanish phrases, which she said carried a power that couldn’t be fully translated. She emphasized that while people often treat La Llorona as a ghost story, in her family, it was treated with seriousness and even fear. It functioned not just as entertainment, but as a warning and a moral guide. For RS, the story also served to express complex emotions—grief, betrayal, guilt, shame—and it offered a way to talk about family responsibility, the consequences of despair, and the spiritual costs of abandonment.

3. Interpretation

La Llorona is best classified as a legend—a narrative that blurs the line between truth and myth, often grounded in cultural beliefs and reinforced through oral tradition. It persists in multiple variants across Latin America and the United States, demonstrating its function as a flexible and powerful narrative form that adapts to its audience while retaining core themes.

The story functions on multiple levels. On the surface, it serves as a frightening tale used to discipline children and discourage risky behavior, particularly near dangerous places like rivers at night. However, on a deeper level, La Llorona speaks to societal anxieties surrounding motherhood, gender roles, and emotional repression. The mother’s transformation into La Llorona reflects both personal trauma and collective memory, turning individual grief into a communal warning.

In RS’s telling, the emotional core of the legend was emphasized more than its shock value. The tale becomes not just a punishment narrative, but a reflection on the dangers of abandonment—both being abandoned and abandoning others—and the lingering pain that unresolved loss can leave behind. This emotional resonance helps explain the legend’s persistence over generations.

The continued telling of La Llorona, whether in traditional and modern contexts, illustrates how folklore adapts to shifting cultural realities while preserving key ethical and emotional truths. RS’s version demonstrates that the legend is not a static artifact of the past, but a living narrative that continues to serve social, emotional, and pedagogical functions. Its survival speaks to its ability to evolve in form while remaining rooted in the cultural consciousness of those who tell and hear it.

Date of performance: 4/06/25
Language: English
Nationality: Mexican-American
Occupation: Retired
Primary Language: English
Residence: Monterey, CA

“The Golem of Prague”

1. Text

This narrative, known as The Golem of Prague, was told to me by my friend, who identifies as Jewish and grew up hearing this story from relatives as part of their cultural tradition. It is a well-known legend within Jewish folklore, particularly among Ashkenazi communities, and centers around themes of protection, mysticism, and unintended consequences.

The story is set in 16th-century Prague, where the Jewish community was facing persecution. According to the legend, Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel, a learned and devout man also known as the Maharal of Prague, created a golem—a humanoid figure molded from clay—to protect the Jewish people from violence and false accusations. Using secret knowledge from the Kabbalah, the rabbi brought the golem to life by inscribing the Hebrew word emet (truth) on its forehead or placing a sacred parchment in its mouth.

The golem served as a guardian, carrying out tasks and defending the community. However, over time, it became increasingly difficult to control. GR informed me that in some versions of the tale, the golem becomes violent, threatening innocents and no longer responding to the rabbi’s commands. Ultimately, Rabbi Loew removes the divine spark or alters the inscription—changing emet (truth) to met (death)—rendering the golem lifeless once more. This narrative is so famous that tt is said that the body of the golem still lies in the attic of the Old New Synagogue in Prague.

2. Context

This story was shared with me by GR, a close friend and practicing member of the Jewish faith. They first heard the tale from their family, yet they can’t pinpoint exactly which relative it was. GR emphasized it as both a cultural touchstone and a cautionary myth. He explained to me that it was often told to them around Jewish holidays, especially Passover, as a reminder of historical persecution and the importance of community resilience. Although the story was told in English, he described it as deeply rooted in Jewish cultural identity, with elements of Hebrew language, religious symbolism, and ancestral history woven into the telling.

For GR the narrative was not just historical or fantastical—it held contemporary relevance. They viewed it as an allegory about power, responsibility, and the dangers of losing control over one’s creations. The figure of the golem represented both hope and danger, an expression of righteous protection that must be balanced with humility and ethical restraint.

3. Interpretation

This narrative fits clearly within the category of a legend—a story believed to have some historical grounding and often featuring supernatural or extraordinary elements. It originates from Jewish folklore but has circulated widely, especially in diasporic communities, where it continues to serve as a source of identity and reflection. As discussed in class, the golem legend intersects with themes common to folk narratives, including the moral ambiguity of power, the intersection of magic and religion, and the social function of storytelling in preserving communal memory.

On a symbolic level, the golem represents the tension between human ingenuity and spiritual responsibility. Rabbi Loew’s ability to animate a lifeless figure speaks to the desire for control and protection in the face of existential threat. However, the golem’s eventual disobedience serves as a cautionary element: even well-intentioned actions can spiral out of control when driven by fear or unchecked authority.

The continued telling of this legend—even outside of its original religious context and in contemporary, often secular settings—demonstrates how folklore can adapt across time while preserving cultural values. In this case, the golem functions as a reflection of Jewish historical trauma and perseverance, embodying themes of survival, ethical complexity, and divine intervention. GR’s retelling illustrates how folklore is not static, but evolves through individual voices while maintaining its cultural core. The story’s endurance reinforces its role as both a protective myth and a moral inquiry—a living narrative that speaks to the past while remaining relevant in the present.

Date of performance: 3/30/25
Language: English
Nationality: American
Occupation: Student
Primary Language: English
Residence: San Francisco, CA

The Butterfly Lovers Legend

Age: 22
Occupation: College Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Language: English

Text

Collector: “Can you tell me a legend you heard growing up?” 

Informant: “So the legend takes place in Eastern China during the Jin Dynasty. It is basically a love story. The girl Zhu YingTai is the 9th child and only daughter of a wealthy family and she brought her family pride and joy because she was very disciplined and made beautiful embroidery.Her biggest dream and goal in life was to go to school and take on scholarly pursuits, however women at this time are discouraged from going to school. She convinces her parents to let her go to school so long as she disguises herself as a man and promises to come home after her studies to be a dutiful wife. Along the way, she meets a scholar named Liang Shanbo, and they form a strong friendship. Liang Shanbo does not know Zhu YingTai is a woman. Over the next years, they study together and even share a room.They take an oath of fraternity, become sworn brothers. She starts to fall in love with him and Liang Shanbo feels a strong connection. Liang Shanbo obviously grows suspicious of Zhu YingTai overtime, as she always wears thick robes up her neck. People start noticing her secretive behavior and she is forced to leave school and go home. 

When she returns home she finds out that her parents have arranged for her to marry a wealthy merchant from the Ma family. At the university, Liang ShanBo feels like his studies are dull and pointless without Zhu YingTai and decides to visit the Zhu family. When he knocks on the door he sees a young woman and asks for her brother before realizing it is Zhu YingTai herself. As soon as their eyes meet, they recognize each other and admit to his love for her, now that he knows she is a woman, proposes to her. However she has already been engaged. He is devastated but understands. Liang Shanbo tries to get her engagement broken off, but the girl’s family says breaking off engagement will bring them great shame. 

Liang Shanbo falls ill. Fearing that he would not be able to see her on the wedding day, he writes her a final letter and dies after completing it. In the letter he tells her, if you love me, you will light incense at my grave on your wedding day. On the day of the funeral, there were thunderstorms.

Zhu YingTai honors his request and lights incense, wishing they could still be together. When she is done, thunder cracks the tomb and she throws herself in the grave to join him. When the thunder clears, two butterflies come out of the grave.”

Context

The informant is both Chinese-American and a violinist. When he was in high school, he was instructed by his violin teacher to learn The Butterfly Lovers violin concerto. The Butterfly Lovers violin concerto that is based on the Butterfly Lovers Tale, which the informant learned from his mother. It is also a relatively popular Chinese tale. His interpretation of the story is that it is a cliche story about love. True love can never be hidden nor broken.

Interpretation

 The story conveys the fact that true love has no bounds and that individuals who are meant to be together will find each other in the end. This tale reinforces the traditional norms and expectations of women during the Jin Dynasty, as women were not allowed to seek an education during and had a duty to marry into a good family and be a dutiful wife. Familial expectations are seen in this story and initially act as a barrier to their love. However, Zhu YingTai sacrifices her life in order to be with her true love and they are brought together in the afterlife, which coincides with Buddhist beliefs of reincarnation. Butterflies in Chinese folklore are often associated with one’s soul, therefore the two butterflies emerging from the grave represent the fact that Zhu YingTai and Liang Shanbo have an unbreakable bond. Across other cultures, butterflies often represent a rebirth or a transformation.

The Pele Curse

Age: 55

Text: The Pele Curse

Context: “Growing up, we often visited my aunt in Oahu, because she moved there before I was born and lived there until moving back to Korea in her 50s. We would normally go once a year. Although she is not Native Hawaiian, she became very integrated in the culture and learned how to respect Hawaiian natives and ancestors. She taught us many important Hawaiian customs and values to respect, but one legend that stuck with me, and one I taught to you, is the Pele Curse. Pele is the Hawaiian goddess of fire, lightning, and volcanoes. Pele is such a powerful being that she is capable of putting a curse on tourists who come to Hawaii and disrespect the land. When my sisters and I were young kids, we always wanted to take home the pretty seashells from the beach. My aunt told us that if we took them, Pele would curse us and bad things would happen when we go home. We had dogs growing up, and my aunt said that Pele would take them away from us. As naive children, we immediately believed this and then became too scared to even touch a shell on the beach. Now, I know that the curse is not true, but it is something that I told to you and your brother as children, because I wanted you to understand the importance of respecting Hawaiian culture. Even if a real curse is not put on you by Pele, you still have to treat the land and environment with respect.”

Analysis: This story about the Pele Curse is considered a legend, as Pele is a legendary figure rooted in ancient Hawaiian culture. She embodies the elemental power of the Hawaiian islands. Her legend blurs the lines between everyday life and sacred culture, as she is a divine force that can intersect with the real world. This legend can be considered a pedagogical legend, as it is used to teach a moral lesson and guide behavior.

Although the interviewee is not Native Hawaiian, she is engaging with Indigenous folklore and spreading it to others. While this idea of reshaping folklore that does not belong to someone may seem problematic, it is done with the intention of care and respect. The story is told to teach ethical and moral values. This connects to a lot of discussion from lecture and discussion, which is the question of what happens when folklore is removed from its original cultural setting. In this case, the folklore survives, but the exact form and function does not remain the same. However, the general idea and lesson being taught remains, which is the most important takeaway from this specific legend.

This story also shows how ritual belief is passed down, even if it is not literally believed. It is more about the symbolism behind the story than its truth value. The interviewee still chooses to pass down the story to future generations because of its functional power.

The curse itself can also be related to magic superstition, as discussed in class. The idea that an object so small as a shell could bring misfortune demonstrates the idea of contagious magic. An object that is connected to a spiritual figure can carry power. Taking a piece of the island, both literally and metaphorically, is seen as removing a piece of Pele herself. This is violating the sacred relationship between Hawaiian people and their land. This is why stories like the Pele Curse continue to be told, as they function to help enforce respect and moral behavior.