Well, Jacko-my-lantern and Hallo-me-ween, it's October 31st!

"Why didn't the skeleton cross the road? He didn't have the guts!" ~Cheesy Halloween joke

I love celebrating Halloween, especially the part of it I spend at BYU in the morning. When else do you see your professors wearing such things as clown wigs, black capes, and wild, funky ties? When else is it acceptable to paint whiskers on your face and wear those dumb cat-ear headbands to school? When else are there free doughnuts, apple cider, pizza, and hot chocolate all over campus? I tried to record some folkloric items with regard to the way we celebrate Halloween, and this is what I came up with:

1. Tricks

Tricks are acceptable and even desirable, perhaps even to a greater extent than on April Fool's Day. After all, the appeal of being able to play a trick while eating candy and wearing a cape and mask is not to be taken lightly. Also, consider the diversity of stock Halloween 'gotcha' sayings: there's "BOO!" "Trick or treat," a witch's cackle, a scary scream, a howling werewolf sound, "Whooooo" (owl) and "Ooooooooo," (ghost) to name a few, while the only standard prank-saying on April Fool's Day is just, well, "April Fool's." The best (fun, not mean) trick that I observed at BYU was on the fourth floor of the Joseph F. Smith Building, where some ingenious person had replaced all of the professor's names on their office doors with orange/black cards bearing the names of characters, real and fictional. Our petite, demure folklore professor got the name "Cruella DeVil." Dallin Oaks, my knowledgeable and exciting Linguistics professor from last spring, was "Lex Luthor." A few other names I remember seeing were "Judge Judy," "Darth Maul," "Sauron," "Paris Hilton," "The Wicked Witch of the West," and several actual (but dead) philosophers in the philosophy department - "Nietzsche" and "Freud" specifically. The American Studies office, where I often work, was the "Underworld Studies" office. I thought this trick was a stroke of real genius, and I hope it becomes a regular tradition, much like the cute red and white stockings put on all the professor's doors on the third floor of the JFSB in December. I think even the Halloween costumes can be seen as a type of joke; imagine someone dressing up as something completely unexpected or out of character, for instance, or something ridiculous just to make people stare and laugh because of the absurdity. Which brings me to the next item.

2. Costumes

While a few BYU students wear green on St. Patrick's Day or red/pink on St. Valentine's Day, by far the biggest "dress-up" day for all of the school year is Halloween, and it can get pretty extreme too. Everything except for masks, which are apparently evil or scary or something. A lot of my teachers dressed up, which made me smile. One wore a long black cape and gave a lecture on horror films that day. He kept playing with his cape while he was talking, and it made me want to laugh so hard. Then he showed part of "The Ring" (which I have never seen) and I was too scared to keep my eyes open for the entire clip. Another one of my teachers dressed up as a student, which was pretty daring for her, since she's usually wearing very proper, business-like attire. She was wearing blue jeans, a casual (but still rather plain and old-fashioned)shirt, and - the best part - a pair of earphones and an ipod hanging around her neck. The girl who sits in front of me in that class was dressed up as a cat, with black clothes, a headband with ears, markered-on whiskers, and maybe even a tail or something. I saw a lot of girls wearing boots and cowboy hats - it's a relatively normal, safe costume. One girl's costume really took me by surprise: She was obviously pregnant, and wearing a shirt with skeleton bones painted on it, and a little skull where the baby's head was supposedly residing. It looked...very strange. The funnest people were the ones wearing the most clothes, or the most color. I did see one scary looking "Joker" (from The Dark Knight) wandering around. And there was another guy who was wearing the entire brown, cloak and hood garb of a monk! I'm pretty sure he was also wearing a cross. And I can't remember whether or not he had shaved his hair...but I was impressed, notwithstanding. I never wear a costume to school, but did have fun fashioning one to wear after I got home. I was "Princess Mononoke" from the title character of the Hayao Miyazaki film. Anything involving strong, limber women with warpaint on their faces is a strong, definite interest for my choice of costumes on Halloween, as other members of my family can tell you.

3. Food

Specifically candy. Specifically chocolate... Our family has a special meal for Halloween dinner: grapes, hamburgers with white melted cheese (we call them "Hamburger Spooks," since we get to make faces on the white cheese with black olives, and it looks kind of like a ghost), vegetables, tortilla chips and cheese dip, and orange sherbet floats. When we were little, my mom tried a couple of varieties on the Halloween dinner, but in time we whittled it down to these essentials. Oh, and did I mention candy? We're too old to go trick or treating now, but always manage to come up with something nevertheless, from school or a church activity or whatever.

4. Movies

I don't know how it started, but we always have to watch "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," and "The Wizard of Oz" on Halloween night. I like it, but it is starting to feel a bit tiresome (kind of like our now-gone tradition of watching "A Thanksgiving Story" by the Waltons every year; once we were able to quote the movie back to back, we decided it just wasn't worth it anymore), so I'm thinking of proposing a switch-up for next year. What does everyone think of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory"? I mean, it's got songs, candy, dressed-up people, and very frightening moments (sudden interruption of happy music by appearance of creepy stranger, nightmarish boat rides, and near death by inflation, suffocation, execution, and minimization, anyone?). Just think about it, okay?

How well do you know your folklore heroes? Part 4: Paul Bunyan

He's sixty three axe handles high/With his feet on the ground and his head in the sky/Hey, Paul/Paul Bunyan! ~"The Ballad of Paul Bunyan," Paul Bunyan (1958)

When I first got the idea for doing a series of blog entries like this, Paul Bunyan was one of the first folkloric characters that came to mind. Who hasn't heard of the humongous loggerman and his gigantic blue ox? There have been many stories, movies, and monuments made in the name of Paul Bunyan since he originated in the 19th century (apparently from lumber camp tales). The Walt Disney version from 1958 is especially cute, claiming that Babe and Paul formed the Land of 10,000 Lakes (a nickname for Minnesota) by making tracks that filled with water, built Pikes Peak so they could look the country over "and see what else to do." Since my own image of Paul Bunyan was well established (red-checked shirt, blue jeans, dark brown beard but no mustache, ax, ox), I was hoping for a lot of conformity and uniformity in the answers of the family members I interviewed. However, they had a few surprises for me...

What does he look like?

Dad: He's in his 20s. He's a giant. I think he has an ax. He's hyper-masculine, but not really handsome; unshaven, spitting tobacco. He had a pet bull.
Mom: He's in his 20s, or early 30s. He's cleanshaven, very muscular, with dark hair, big toothy grin, like Elvis. He carries a big ax.
Sarah: I think he's 35. He has dark hair and a light beard. He wears a red-checked shirt, blue jearns with suspenders, a cowboy hat, and he carries an ax.
Hannah: He's in his 40s. Very tall. He has an ax and an ox - Babe the Blue Ox.

After some Google Imaging, I have concluded that the issue of Paul Bunyan's facial hair is not easily solved. There are many of that which I consider the "classic" type, which is shown in the picture above. Here's a cute one of him looking like a garden gnome. Also note that Babe looks like a cross between a cuddly lamb and a loyal hound dog.

And another one - cleanshaven/teenager Paul!

Why is he famous?

Dad: He does impossible feats. He's like the American Hercules. He cut a lot of wood.

Mom: He was a lumberjack. I think he was from the Northwest - Oregon, Washington. He supposedly made the Grand Canyon. The land is supposed to look the way it does because of him - he made mountains and valleys.

Sarah: He had a blue bull. He saved people and cleared a lot of land.

Hannah: He chopped down trees and was an exceptional logger.

Was he real?

Dad: He's not real.

Mom: He's not a real person.

Sarah: I don't think so.

Hannah: I don't know. The tall tales aren't real, so...no.

And now for the facts! Paul Bunyan is a fictional, legendary figure, said to be born and raised in Maine in the 19th century, although he is often associated with towns in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. There are many stories told about his unsurpassed skill as a lumberjack, as well as about the ways he formed areas like the Grand Teutons, the Missouri River, and the Great Lakes area. Babe the Blue Ox (note that ox = male bovine) is Paul Bunyan's fictional companion, whom he found nearly frozen one day, and subsequently managed to save (though the blue color never went away). I wasn't able to find any stories about the death of Paul Bunyan; the Disney short film claims he and Babe are in Alaska making the Northern Lights shimmer and flash with all their rough-housing. It would seem to be a likely spot, considering all the available pine trees for Paul to chop down and comb his beard with.

How well do you know your folklore heroes? Part 3: Pecos Bill

~"Waaaaaaahooooooooooooooooooooooo!" ~Pecos Bill

No one in my family is from west of the Mississippi originally, but I am proud to say that they had all heard of Pecos Bill and were even able to describe him with good attention to detail. I first learned about him as a kid reading stories in a Bob Jones Christian curriculum reading book, and picked up the image of him from the pictures in the book: he was young, had no mustache, blonde hair, wore a cowboy hat, a red shirt and blue jeans, carried a lasso, and rode a mustang called Widowmaker. I'd never heard of or seen any films about the life and legend of Pecos Bill, but apparently there is a film, so check it out, you Western-cowboy-folklore-lovers, you.

"I'm a ring-tailed roarer. I can draw faster, shoot straighter, ride harder and drink longer than any man alive. I ride cyclones and I wrestle... I'm the rip-snortinest cowboy that ever rode north, south, east or west of the Rio Grande. I'm Pecos Bill." ~Pecos Bill (Tall Tale, 1995)

What does he look like?

Dad: He's 25. A cartoon character - big cowboy hat, bowlegged, always riding big animals.

Mom: Maybe in his 40s. Has a pistol in each hand. A big handle-bar mustache. Wild dark eyes.

Sarah: 40. He has a long mustache, a cowboy hat, a lasso. I picture him as being short.

Hannah: He's in his 30s. Has a mustache, a cowboy hat, cowboy get-up - you know, plaid shirt, boots, spurs, chaps. He also has a horse, Widow Maker.

Why is he famous?

Dad: I really don't know.

Mom: He was in the Pony Express. He's associated with the Wild West, the Indian wars.

Sarah: I don't know. He's a tall tale. He lassoed a whirlwind.

Hannah: I dunno. He's just a tall tale. I think he caught a gang of criminals.

Was he real?

Dad: No.

Mom: I don't know. Probably.

Sarah: No. I don't think so.

Hannah: No. Maybe. Well, he probably was.

"Just 'cause it's a tall tale don't mean it ain't true." ~Jonas Hackett (Tall Tale, 1995)

Pecos Bill, alas, was not a real person. He is a legendary cowboy of the American West, said to have lived in the region of Texas and New Mexico in the late 19th century (he was first written about in 1923 by Edward O’Reilly). Pecos, New Mexico, and the Pecos river are named after him. There are many tall tales about the superhuman strength of Pecos Bill: he was raised by coyotes, he used a rattlesnake for a whip, he wrestled with bears, and he could lasso and ride anything under the sun, including a cyclone, a mountain lion, and a wild horse named Widow Maker which he tamed. I wasn't able to find any references of him fighting Indians, working in the Pony Express, or catching criminals, but keep searching! There's also a very nice website here with lots of stories, one of which claims that he died at a ripe old age in New Mexico. The site is also an excellent example of how the tall tale should be told, i.e. in a twangy Texan accent.

What do you think is in my treasure box?

"Treasure your relationships, not your possessions." Anthony J. D'Angelo

Believe it or not, I have a treasure box. It actually belonged to my aunt, who passed it along to my oldest brother, who let me use it after he became "too old" for such things. After using it for a while I gradually began to think of it as my own, and then one day I decided it was mine. No one has disputed it since.

The treasure box is pretty full with all sorts of miscellaneous paraphenalia, and I became curious while we were studying folk objects in class about whether or not any of the items in my treasure box would qualify as a folk object. In evaluating my treasure box items, I tried to ask myself the following questions: 1) What is it? 2) Why did I put in the treasure box originally? and 3) Am I going to throw it out, and if not, why?

And now for the inventory - there were so many items that I decided to only pick 10:

1. A broken red ball. It belonged to Kim, our first cat in Georgia who was hit and killed by a motorist. I keep it to remember her.

2. A white ribbon. I got it from a grad school student who substituted as a teacher for one of my classes one time, and I thought he was kind of cute, so I held onto it because...wow, it seems really stupid now.

3. A home-made paper fan, so old it's practically falling part. It was one of the first Christmas crafts I ever made, and I thought it was absolutely beautiful, so I held onto it. I don't think it's so beautiful anymore, but I hang onto it because I always have. It's tradition, y'know?

4. Three green straws. I have no idea. I'll probably keep them just because I might someday remember why I put them there.

5. A bookmark of the Atlanta Georgia temple. It's one of my very favorite temples, more for sentimental reasons than for its actual beauty. It was the first temple I went to after turning 12, and of course, I associate it with the South and with Georgia, which I love. Oddly enough, I never use it as an actual bookmark. It just sits in my treasure box, gathering dust. Hmmm...

6. Two or three necklaces/bracelets I made at Girl's Camp. They still have dust and dried dirt on them, but I think they're pretty nifty. And I may want to wear some dirt, dusty looking jewelry someday.

7. A rock from our yard in Georgia. It's a pretty red rusty color, and reminds me of home. I also have rocks from other places, probably in Utah, but I can't remember where or why I collected them. They're gray; some are rough, some are smooth. None of them has any real significance to me.

8. A long, colorful string tied in a knot. I found it somewhere and decided to put it in a place where I could always find it quickly when I wanted to play string games; I really like string games - they're fun.

9. A picture I drew of a butterfly and the signature of my oldest brother on a piece of paper. These items are special because I made them/got them on the day that my brother left for the MTC. It was really hard for me when he left, and I cried a lot. It may seem weird, but having his signature and a picture made him feel closer to me at the time. Now I just keep them for the memory.

10. Two marbles - one is brown and one is white with confetti-like colored dots on it. My best friend in Georgia, Emily Niedfeldt, gave them to me on the last day that we saw each other before my family moved to Utah. I will always keep these in my treasure box in memory of our friendship and of that day. I can vividly remember the scene and the tears I shed afterwards, and even now, those marbles can make me choke up if I stare too long at them. Fortunately, Emily and I have remained good friends and she herself is now at BYU, so we correspond pretty regularly and keep in touch.

How well do you know your folklore heroes? Part 2: Daniel Boone

"I have never been lost, but I will admit to being confused for several weeks." ~Daniel Boone

When most people think of Daniel Boone, they think of Davy Crockett. Almost everyone I interviewed openly acknowledged that they got the two characters and stories mixed up (Note the "killed the bar" rumor, the coonskin cap, and the Cumberland gap uncertainty). Even the basic image that springs to mind is the same for both characters, for many people. And as my dad pointed out, I would imagine that a large part of this is due to Fess Parker, who played both roles as the same basic "tough guy in leather" character in films in the 1950s and 1960s. But this would not explain how I or my siblings would confuse the two, seeing as none of us has ever seen a movie of Davy Crockett or Daniel Boone. For proof that this mix-up carries "continuity over time and space," I suggest you check out this link. It also has really great side by side pictures of Fess Parker as Boone and Crockett.

What does he look like?

Dad: Also like Fess Parker. Pretty young. Coonskin cap.
Mom: 30s. Looks the same as Davy Crockett. Not big or muscular. Carries rifle.
Sarah: 30. He has a beard. Wears a coonskin cap. Carries canteen and a rifle. Wears Indian clothes and leather.
Hannah: He has long white hair and he's an old man.

Why is he famous?

Dad: The "quintessential" frontiersman. One of the earliest settlers. Killed a bear. Got to know the Indians and get their respect.
Mom: Something to do with Kentucky. He worked with Indians. He was an outdoorsman.
Sarah: A guide in the West.
Hannah: Did something in Congress. Rescued girls from Indians. Might have blazed Cumberland Gap trail.

Was he real?

All: Yes.

Daniel Boone was a real person. He was born October 2, 1734 (which became November 2 under the Gregorian calendar) and died in Missouri on September 26, 1820, at the age of 85. He was a hunter, explorer, and frontiersman, and is most famously associated with exploring and settling the state of Kentucky. He helped clear a trail through Cumberland Gap in 1769. There are several trees in the South bearing his initials (D. Boon), and noting that he "kilt" or "cilled" a "bar" in this place and such and such a year. In 1776, his daughters were captured by Indians outside of Boonesborough, Kentucky, and he and a group of men rescued them two days later. Most accounts state that he was kidnapped by Indians at one time, and even adopted into a Shawnee tribe. He actually wore a black felt cap instead of a coonskin cap. The song "I sing the pioneer: Daniel Boone" portrays Boone as anti-industrialization, uncomfortable in society, and always seeking to live in open, wild, untamed lands:

Peace! And the settlers flocked anew,

The farm lands spread, the town lands grew;

But Daniel Boone was ill at ease

When he saw the smoke in his forest trees.

"There'll be no game in the country soon.

Elbowroom!" cried Daniel Boone.

Thar be Folklore in them hills...

"The land is so steep you can skin your nose walkin' up it!" ~Appalachian sayin'

I'm taking an English Language class right now, and for one of our assignments, we have to do a dialect report on a variety of English: I picked Appalachian English, and in my studying found some interesting things that I think are relevant to American folklore:

1. Many of the stories we hear from certain regions really lose their flavor if they aren't told in the proper setting and with the original accent. At some point, the context of folklore becomes more memorable than the folklore item itself. And this is for stories that are still being told in English, our native language! Imagine how different an experience it would be to hear and understand a Native American story told in a Native American tongue with Native American signs in an authentic setting, as opposed to reading the mispelled Wikipedia version in English.

2. There are words and structures in the Appalachian dialect which an outsider would consider to be old-fashioned, out-dated, or perhaps simply wrong. However, the very fact that these are regularly used and understood without any problem among the speakers themselves indicates their unity as a high context group in folklore. It's fun to imagine the esoteric/exoteric factor at work here too: Sometimes I wonder what they must think of us with our "high-falutin' city talk." Isn't language another aspect of folklore? Why, then, do we judge people on some of their folkloric traditions and not on others? Why is it okay for us to eat different foods and like different movies, but we have to correct people when they say something ungrammatically correct?

3. Why aren't there any well-known actors or actresses who actually speak the Appalachian dialect? Why don't we have more movies about the Appalachian people?

If you want to learn more about the Appalachian dialect, I highly recommend this website. I also had fun reading "Christy" early this semester.