Tag Archives: Elders

Blanket over Mirror (Noah Hensley)

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General Information About Item

  • Superstitions
  • English retrieval
  • Country: Puerto Rico
  • Informant: JJ
  • Collected: Nov 12, 2021

Informant Data:

JJ is a current Dartmouth senior who was born in 1999. His mother is from Puerto Rico, and raised him as the primary parent in the household. JJ was raised in Queens, NY and identifies strongly with the city. 

Contextual Data:

Cultural Context: 

Puerto Rican culture is a unique blend of pre-Christian animistic and spiritual beliefs, and beliefs associated with Catholicism. Queens, NY has a considerable population that identifies with PR culture, and subsequently adorns their house in a manner traditionally found on the island. 

Social Context: 

Various pre-Christian beliefs in Puerto Rican households still remain today. Much like the East Asian concept of ‘Feng Shui’, households are set up to provide good flow of energy between rooms and spaces. JJ recalls hearing this superstition from his mother. 

Item

In JJ’s household, mirrors below a certain size were always covered by some sort of cloth or blanket that covers up their reflectivity. This is to ward off any spirits or negative energy that may infiltrate a house after the reflection brings them in. Large mirrors are often left uncovered, however, because they serve a very practical purpose in hygiene and such. Yet, small mirrors such as those on bathroom vanity, are frequently covered after use to prevent such spirits from entering the house. 

Informant’s Comments:

JJ does not believe in this superstition, and thinks it is annoying that most mirrors in the house are covered.

Collector’s Comments:

I did not know this existed, and had never been in a house that followed this superstition/ritual.

Tags

Superstiton

Latin American

Elderly

Puerto Rico

Mirrors

Touching the Feet of Elders

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Title: Touching the feet of your elders

General Information about Item:

  • Customary Lore, Superstition
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: India
  • Informant: Sarina Kothari
  • Date Collected: 11/12/18

Informant Data:

  • Sarina Kothari is a ‘21 attending Dartmouth College. She is a pre-med student studying Biology and Math. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania but currently lives in Orlando, Florida. Her family is Hindu, and she speaks some Hindi at home, but can not read or write. Her parents are from Bombay (Mumbai).

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: Elders are highly respected in Indian culture, so by touching their feet and putting your hands over your head, it is showing respect to them. If you don’t do this, then you are disrespecting them, and the will not give you their blessing so you will have bad luck.
  • Social Context: Sarina learned this superstition from her parents and grandparents. It is something people practice quite often today. She explained that if you meet and elder person, like a grandparent, you must touch their feet with your hands and put it over your head. She grew up practicing this and still does it today whenever she is with her elders.

Item:

  • This superstition is tied to social manners and respect for elders in the Indian culture.

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

Transcript: “So whenever you see an older grandparent or like someone older than you, not like a parent but like a grandparent age, then you have to like in my culture like in Hindu culture, it probably different in North and South India, but for me, whenever I see someone at a grandparent’s age, I have to touch their feet with my hands and also put it over my head. It signifies that you respect them and if you like don’t do that then it means you don’t respect your elders. It’s a common theme of like whatever you respect in Indian culture, you have to put your hands to that then out it over your head like that. It just signifies that they’re like blessing you, so if you want blessing from older people, you have to do that to get blessings. And if you don’t do that then its considered disrespectful and then you’ll get bad luck.”

Collector’s Comments:

  • This superstition is an example of a conversion superstition: If you meet and elder, then you will have not get their blessing and have bad luck, unless you must put your hands to their feet then over your head.

Collector’s Name: Marlee Montella

Tags/Keywords:

  • Customary Lore
  • Superstition
  • Elders

Elder Respect

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Title: Elder Respect

General Information about Item: 

  • Verbal Lore, proverb
  • Language: Hebrew
  • Informant: Rabbi Meir Cohen Goldstein
  • Date Collected: 5 October 2018

Informant Data

  • Rabbi Meir Cohen Goldstein was born in Phoenix, Arixona and received his master’s of rabbinic studies and rabbinic ordination from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the American Jewish University. Goldstein worked for three years at Elon University as the associate chaplain for Jewish Life after serving as rabbi for the Commack Jewish Center in Commack, New York. He began his position of tenured Dartmouth Hillel Rabbi in July 2018.

Contextual Data

  • Cultural Context: A custom in Israel is that when an elder gets onto the bus, one gets up to offer them their seat. The proverb may be used in this literal sense if a child or visitor does not know this custom, but Rabbi Goldstein said that it is understood that anyone who is a teacher or worthy of your respect deserves this sign. He suggested that the proverb is understood as a “general principle to honor Torah and the wisdom of our tradition by honoring rabbis and Jewish scholars.”
  • Social Context: As such, the proverb is often delivered as a reprimand or reminder or stern reminder when someone behaves in a disrespectful manner, particularly towards an elder.

Item

The piece was provided in written form and translated orally by Rabbi Goldstein in both the word for word and general translation.

מִפְּנֵ֤י שֵׂיבָה֙ תָּק֔וּם

Translation- word for word

“Before the white haired, get up.”

Translation- general

“Before the elderly, stand up.”

Collector’s Comments

  • This proverb is particularly interesting as it is related (unclear whether in cause or effect) to a physical gesture used to show respect. I initially thought this was not a proverb at all, but a set of verbal instructions as to how to physically act in a specific social situation. However, Rabbi Goldstein insisted that the saying is also used as a reprimand against disrespectful behavior or speech, especially towards one’s elders or teachers. In this case, this proverb can  be seen as another Biblical proverb that does not match Dundes’ structural formulas and acts as a commandment. This proverb is also an excellent example of the way in which proverbs are commonly used to teach about one’s heritage or culture. This proverb is highly effective in this respect as it both provides key cultural information (that elders are considered very important and should always be treated with respect) and also information on how to respond to a physical situation appropriately.

Collector’s Name: Hannah Margolis

Hannah Margolis, 20

Hinman Box 2464

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH 03755

Russian 13

Fall 2018

Tags/Keywords 

  • Verbal Lore
  • Proverbs
  • Hebrew Proverb
  • Respect
  • Elders