Thomas 1 Heather Thomas April 23, 2013 Folklore Collection Thomas Carter, Story His Mother Told Him of an Experience she had Around the Age of 20: My mother, now, said that before she was married, she was getting ready to marry some guy who had asked her to marry him, and she was considering it. One night she woke up—she said she woke up— at night, and sat up in her bed, and her mother’s ghost was standing at the foot of the bed. She said, “don’t marry him, you’ll be sorry”. So, she didn’t. Two years later, the guy she had been asked to marry, he died of tuberculosis. My grandfather, Thomas Carter is 77. He is a quiet yet clever person who enjoys humor, history, and trains. He lives in an area known locally as Hunton—a small portion of Henrico County, Virginia that sits on the border to Hanover along the Chickahominy River. He was born in a house located about five miles away from where he lives now and can even point out the exact location of that house. When my grandfather was two years old, his elder brother drowned in the Chickahominy, leaving his mother rather protective of him. Grandpa heard this story from his mother sometime during his childhood. Although unsure of exactly when his mother recounted the tale, he does “remember hearing about it” when he was young. My grandfather feels that his most significant life experience is his marriage to my grandmother, a marriage that reaches its 57th year in the fall. My Thomas 2 grandmother shares this sentiment and explains, “We married young, had children. People told us our marriage wasn’t going to work out—because we weren’t going to work. Our religions were different and that was an issue then—he was a Catholic and I was a Baptist.” This story is prominent in his memory because he believes in ghosts and enjoys reading about them; it is a story not too unlike those in his books. He is the person I receive many of my historical and ghost story collections from. The story also stands out to him because he believes in ghosts: There’re too many unanswered questions as far as ghosts are concerned for me to say, they’re not ghosts. There’s too many things that go on that can’t be explained away. All the stories I’ve read, things happen, rocking chairs rock back and forth and there’ s no apparent reason for it. There is a great deal of skepticism surrounding ghosts stories—around anything paranormal in the slightest. Many people cannot reconcile the existence of ghosts with the world logically; others use logic to affirm the existence of said entities. The spirit world receives attention as a place of knowledge, especially snippets of the future. The most common explanation for this is that since they are not part of this world, spirits can “see” beyond the limits of the present. They are entities with information that is trustworthy and valid. This story is important to my grandfather because of his interest in ghosts and ghost stories. Knowing someone intimately who saw a ghost likely reassures his belief. Neither of my grandparents knows much about their families or family tradition; their parents were not willing or open to sharing information or family stories. This story acts as a pathway connecting my grandfather to his great grandmother—who he met. Thomas 3 Additionally, it connects him to an intimate moment of decision in his mother’s life. The story allows him to feel close to The story connects marriage and tragedy, and alludes to a kind of assurance. Should there be some impending crisis related to his future, it is reassuring to know there was someone who would warn the family. Unconsciously, the lack of a warning prior to and throughout the marriage suggests that my grandparents’ relationship is proper and meant to be, despite doubt from the people around them. This validates their relationship and its ability to endure. The story itself is quite the coincidence if it is true—be the warning a ghost, dream, or my great grandmother’s active opposition to a marriage to this man. The story addresses the fear of Tuberculosis in the 1950s and ‘60s; Tuberculosis was a considerable threat to the health and happiness of everyone. Tuberculosis, the White Plague “ was one of the leading causes of death in the United States in the early twentieth century” (Sucre). The fear that accompanies a disease with the reputation and potential to cause so much damage does not sink to the background quickly; rather it lingers in the public unconscious. Although far from eliminated today—the disease currently rising due to decreased immune health in those with HIV infections—there are medicines and vaccines that can treat the disease (Ioachimescu and Tomford). Thomas 4 Lauren Colie: Timothy the Leprechaun On St. Patrick's Day, before I hit puberty, my mom told me about a leprechaun that haunts our family. His name is Timothy, and he killed my great-aunt. !! Our Irish heritage is pretty direct; our Irish last name is Foley, and comes complete with a shield and a bunch of ill- tempered relatives. We are currently estranged from this side of the family, but my mom had heard this story growing up. Supposedly, my great aunt (whose name I always forget) was climbing the stone steps to her cathedral (she was one of those hyper- religious Catholics). On the way up, she saw a leprechaun. Whether he just scared her into falling down the steps, or he pushed her, depends on how drunk the storyteller is. Either way, she died.!! Anytime something peculiar happens at home - especially before my sister got kittens - my mom tells us to "watch out for Timothy”, because he's coming to get us. Lauren is 20 years old and studies journalism at VCU. She was born in Richmond “because they had a good program for high-risk pregnancies” and lives in Stafford County, “near the border with Fauquier county, a rural farming community”. She recalls hearing the tale of Timothy the Leprechaun when she was 11 at a gathering on St. Patrick’s Day. “I heard this story on St. Patrick's day, sitting at the bar in our living room, listening to adults converse around me while I sipped Sprite and picked the tomato chunks out of tomato, basil and feta salad.” Lauren enjoys gardens, editing, and her Irish heritage. Lauren’s family consists of people who prescribe to a variety of religions, so she often Thomas 5 feels uncomfortable around extremely religious places/functions. She states that: Churches make me uncomfortable, and have made me cry more than once. I respect old cathedrals, but chose not to go take a tour of one while on vacation in Germany. I sat outside in the garden while my grandma and great-aunt toured the inside. This story stands out to her because it speaks to her discomfort with religion and the impression it left is thoroughly part of her life to this day: I mean, it's creepy. I'm not Christian, I don't believe in fairies and I think that side of the family is full of lunatics. But my mom says it often enough that I keep my closet door CLOSED at all times. I can hear the difference in air pressure of when it is and isn't open, and I can't sleep with it open. Not that I believe Timothy actually is coming to get me. Lauren believes that the story is cautionary on a subliminal level. It is not a deterrent outright but lingers on in one’s memory to dissuade certain behaviors: I think stories are powerful, especially when used as my mom does. She didn't really use it as a teaching tool; I think she tells us for entertainment, and to leave the option open that maybe, just maybe, it's not absurd to believe my great-aunt didn't die just because she was clumsy. Thomas 6 The tale is intriguing for several reasons. First, use of the leprechaun as a harbinger of death—which Lauren brings up on occasion, as a figure that follows her family, with the Great Aunt’s death as the best-known instance of his antics—seems odd. One of the earliest works mentioning the leprechaun portrays them as trickster figures connected to the water (Matthews and Matthews 292). This tradition of the creature eventually flows into a derivation that is more docile. The generic leprechaun that serves as the traditional Irish cliché is not a cause for concern; leprechauns are shoemakers (Illes 628). The truly evil persona for the creature may stem from the Leprechaun movies of the 1990s. Interestingly, in the film, the leprechaun kills the woman by shoving her down a set of stairs (http://www.imdb.com). The leprechaun’s name, Timothy, is ironic considering the religious sentiments of the Great Aunt and the family in general. Timothy comes from timotheos, meaning “honoring god”, so, theoretically the leprechaun murdered the Christian of the family on behalf of God (http://www.etymonline.com). The smiting of the believer around a temple of her faith sends a message, associating religion with danger. This validates the lack of Christian belief in later generations; it is in fact, dangerous to be around churches at all. Thomas 7 Sarah Morley: The Legend of Bunny Man of Fairfax In the 1970s, there were a number of reports of a man in a white bunny suit terrorizing children and causing property damage—with an axe.