Dead Bodies

Title: Dead Bodies

General Information: 

  1. Place of collection: Hanover Fire Department – Hanover, NH
  2. Date of Collection: November 6, 2019
  3. Genre: Customary Folklore – Superstition

Informant Information:

Joe Amato is a firefighter for the Hanover, New Hampshire fire department. He is currently 27 years old and lives in Hanover. However, Joe was born and raised in Amherst, Massachusetts. He currently holds the title of firefighter at the Hanover Fire Department. Also, at age 27, Joe is the youngest firefighter currently a part of the Hanover Fire Department.

Context:

In the field of firefighting, the firefighters sometimes experience very dramatic and serious injuries – or even death. In the event that they are dealing with a dead body on one of their calls, the firefighters avoid looking at the hands and the face of the dead person. They believe that looking at the face or hands of the dead body will bring them bad luck.

Item:

If you look at the hands or face of a dead body, then you will get bad luck.

Meaning and Interpretation:

Death is a very scary and sad event; therefore, it is possible that this superstition came about as a result of the fear of death. Furthermore, looking at the face and hands of a dead body likely makes the situation more depressing; seeing the lifeless face (and hands) makes the death more personal.

Informant’s Comments:

Joe did not know exactly why or how this superstition came about, but he follows it. He believes that it is simply easier to do his job by distancing himself from the sadness of death.

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