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Author Archives: f0041mq
Painted nails or dyed hair (Pedro Campos)
Title: Painted nails or dyed hair
General Information about Item:
- Contagious Magic Superstition
- Language: English
- Origin: United States
- Informant: J.C.
- Date collected: 11/4/2021
Informant Data:
- J.C. is a male student from the class of 2024. He was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. Julian is part of the fencing club team at Dartmouth, a sport he practices since he was 16.
Contextual Data:
- Cultural Context: During a bout (a game of fencing), the whole body of the fencers are covered by their armor. Therefore, any physical characteristics the fencers may have will not show to their opponents.
- Social Context: J.C. said his previous fencing team in Columbus did not have any team rituals or superstitions. He mentions how having a team superstition at Dartmouth brings the team closer together.
Item:
- Before competitions, the members of the fencing team will paint their nails or dye their hair for good luck.
Associated files/pictures:
Transcript:
- “As a team, before competitions we dye our hair or paint our nails. It is a tradition that’s supposed to bring us good luck. I think that’s been going for quite a few years now.”
Informants Comments:
- J.C. mentioned that personally he didn’t believe in the magic of the superstition but that it became such an intrinsic part of the team that if he didn’t do it he would probably do worse in the competitions.
Collector’s Comments:
- It is interesting how the superstition will modify physical characteristics of the fencers but that will not appear for the opponent. They really do this superstition for themselves, not to intimidate adversaries.
Collector’s Name:
- Pedro Campos
Tags:
- Superstition
- Dartmouth
- Fencing
- Dyed hair, painted nails
Entering the field with left foot and untied shoelaces (Pedro Campos)
Title: Entering the field with left foot and untied shoelaces
General Information about Item:
- Sympathetic (Contagious) Magic Superstition
- Language: English
- Origin: Willingdon, England
- Informant: T.C.
- Date collected: 11/2/2021
Informant Data:
- T.C. is a male student-athlete from the class of 2024 who plays soccer at Dartmouth. He was born and raised in Willingdon, England. T.C. has been playing soccer since before he could walk and is a fan of the West Ham United FC.
Contextual Data:
- Cultural Context: Soccer (or football, as it is referred to in England) is a major part of English culture, especially for boys. Kids at a young age often look up to professional footballers and try to emulate them (dress code, hairstyle, style of play, and so on).
- Social Context: T.C. explained his superstitions to me right before a game, which is when he performs them. At first, he did not seem to remember where he picked up his superstitions from, but after further questioning he agreed that he was attempting to emulate professional player’s rituals.
Item:
- Before a game, T.C. will enter the field with the laces in his soccer boots untied and will take two steps on his left foot before taking one on his right.
Associated files/pictures:
Transcript:
- “I don’t tie the laces on my boots until I’m out in the field. And also, when I get on the field I take two steps on my left foot before I take a step on my right. I might have picked up my superstitions when I was 13 at my club back in England.”
Informants Comments:
- He later remembered that the shoelace superstition was based on a ritual performed by former England national team left back Leighton Baines.
Collector’s Comments:
- As a 13-year-old, T.C. was obviously emulating professional footballers and their superstitions, as an attempt of being a more integral member of the footballers folk group. Walking into the pitch on foot is a very common superstition among soccer players.
Collector’s Name:
- Pedro Campos
Tags:
- Superstition
- England
- Soccer, Football
- Shoelaces
Miracle (Pedro Campos)
Title: Miracle
General Information about Item:
- Sympathetic Magic Superstition
- Language: English
- Origin: United States
- Informant: Isaac Spokes
- Date collected: 11/1/2021
Informant Data:
- I.C. is a male student-athlete from the class of 2022. He was admitted into Dartmouth as a regular student and became part of the men’s heavyweight rowing team on his freshman year. He was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland.
Contextual Data:
- Cultural Context: During a competition rowers should work together to assure a good performance. It is essential that every rower in the boat stays on the same page regarding their movement’s intensity.
- Social Context: I.C. became a rower in college, so he didn’t have any superstitions of his own before joining the team.
Item:
- The team watches the movie Miracle before big races.
Associated files/pictures:
Transcript:
- “Our one main superstition is that we watch Miracle before major races. It originated because it’s a sick movie and it gets us excited to row. In terms of believing in it, I do believe it gets us pumped as a team. Now, do I believe it really gives us good luck? Yeah, I think I do.”
Informants Comments:
- I.C. said that he was skeptical about the superstition at first, but that once he participated in it for the first time, he started believing it gave them good luck.
Collector’s Comments:
- It is very interesting how someone is more likely to believe in something when there’s a group of people inciting that person to believe In it.
Collector’s Name:
- Pedro Campos
Tags:
- Superstition
- Dartmouth
- Rowing
- Movie
Time Goal (Pedro Campos)
Title: Time Goal
General Information about Item:
- Sympathetic Magic Superstition
- Language: English
- Origin: United States
- Informant: A.L.
- Date collected: 11/5/2021
Informant Data:
- A.L. is a male student from the class of 2024. He was born and raised in Herndon, Virginia, a city just outside Washington, DC. A.L. is part of the triathlon team at Dartmouth. Alex have done long distance running since he was 15.
Contextual Data:
- Cultural Context: Endurance sports such as triathlon involve a competition against others. But, perhaps more important than that, these sports are about competing with yourself. The objective of every race is to beat a time goal you set for yourself.
- Social Context: Not all athletes in the team perform this superstition but Alex said he tried it once and it worked so he kept doing it ever since.
Item:
- During the week of a race, some athletes in the triathlon team will write their time goal for the race on a piece of paper and tape it to the wall in their rooms.
Associated files/pictures:
Transcript:
- “This is a superstition some of us do: we write down our time goal for the race and tape it to the wall because we will look at it every day and think “I have to beat this time”. It works for me.”
Informants Comments:
- A.L. said he considers this as a superstition but maybe also as an exercise for his mind. So not only it gives him some sort of good luck, but it also keeps him motivated.
Collector’s Comments:
- This is a great example of the obsession triathlon athletes have with getting better and better. I found this superstition very inspiring.
Collector’s Name:
- Pedro Campos
Tags:
- Superstition
- Dartmouth
- Triathlon
- Time goal
A kiss of good luck (Pedro Campos)
Title: A kiss of good luck
General Information about Item:
- Sympathetic (Contagious) Magic Superstition
- Language: English
- Origin: McLean, Virginia
- Informant: E.T.
- Date collected: 11/8/2021
Informant Data:
- E.T. is a male student-athlete from the class of 2023 who plays golf at Dartmouth. He was born and raised in McLean, Virginia. E.T. has been playing golf since he was 10 with his father, who is a lover of the sport.
Contextual Data:
- Cultural Context: Golf is usually a mental game since you have no interference from other competitors. Being confident with yourself is an essential part of the game.
- Social Context: E.T. at first said he didn’t have any superstitions but then realized he had an obvious one; the superstition is so intrinsic to his game now that he forgot he had it.
Item:
- Before his first drive of the day, E.T. will give the ball a kiss.
Associated files/pictures:
Transcript:
- “I give the ball a little kiss before my first drive. Yeah, I learned it from my dad, it’s for good luck.”
Informants Comments:
- He mentioned his father also learned this superstition from his respective father (E.T.’s grandfather).
Collector’s Comments:
- This is a classic superstition in soccer too. Interesting to see it in a different sport
Collector’s Name:
- Pedro Campos
Tags:
- Superstition
- Dartmouth
- Golf, ball
- Kiss