"Myths Over Miami"

[aloria]

This article is pretty old (from 1997), but it's really fascinating. It's about how homeless children in Miami have developed their own complicated mythology.

I was particularly struck by this part:And in the Eighties, folklorists noted references to an evil Bloody Mary -- or La Llorona, as children of Mexican migrant workers first named her --

Comments

[bobthemole]

I wasnt in the US but i heard of Bloody Mary on The X Files. That would be mid nineties.

[snoflakes]

I heard about it as a kid as well, and I had no idea that's what it was from. Probably late 80s to really early 90s if I recall.'

And I have seen the X-files episode as well, it's the same thing I heard of as a child.

[beautifulsoup]

I remember a few of my friends and I tried to conjure Bloody Mary up in the school bathroom mirror, and at sleepovers and such. We always freaked the heck out of ourselves. We were supposed to say her name three times, and the Virgin Mary would appear drenched in blood. That's how us Catholic schoolgirls did it 'round the D. :) There's a South Park episode kinda/sorta based on this premise too.

Very cool article!

[aloria]

You'll like this: http://xkcd.com/c280.html