Folk Groups - Anelise Lemon.

Before this class, I was unaware of the many folk groups I belong to. I found the reading on “folk groups” to be enlightening as well as surprising.

First of all, I work retail. When I was a new employee, I didn’t understand a lot of the lingo and code words and jokes and such. However, after working for a little while now, I have picked up all the “folk speech” and lingo exchanged. We have names for certain customers, items, discounts, promotions, and events - as well as for each other. There are also particular jokes played on every new employee and certain stories told and re-told.

Age-wise, I belong to the college age group. As with each different age group there are lots of stories, jokes, customs, and activities shared with those of a similar age. There are countless stories of eventful parties, crazy rituals, superstitions about statues/plaques, and rumors of certain professors and buildings.

Through my family, I belong to a folk group. There are many stories passed down through the generations as well as learned hobbies and crafts. My grandmother lives on a farm, shears her sheep, dyes the wool and knits various objects; she also makes candles. She was taught from her mother, and has continued to pass it down. My own mother learned piano from her mother, and has taught my siblings and I the songs she learned as a child. My father grew up on a farm and knows everything there is to know about cattle and he has passed on many stories and facts about raising cattle. My own nickname - Aneleo - comes from a story that I hear every time we have a big family get together. When my great-grandfather (who was a pastor) performed my baby dedication, he could not pronounce my name correctly, and instead of saying Anelise, he said Aneleo. To this day, all of my uncles call me Leo or Aneleo. I was born in the South, and mostly all of my family is from the South. Therefore, we have many southern traditions, recipes, lingo, and beliefs we all share.

I have lived in Bluemont, VA for many years and there are various aspects of folklore we all share. It is a very small, country town with a lot of history, superstitions, and tales. One particular story - that is frequently told and re-told - is about the plane that crashed in the Blue Ridge Mountains several decades ago. There were lots of deaths, and they used the community center as a morgue to temporarily hold the dead bodies. It is rumored that there are ghosts of the victims that wander the community center at night. We also have a fair every fall that includes traditional games, crafts, contests, shows, animals, and foods.

There are various others I belong to, but these are a few that are prevalent in my life.