Haden GriggsFollow

Date Collected

Fall 11-15-2017

Place item was collected

West Jordan, UT

Informant

Sophie Foskett

Point of Discovery/Informant Bio

Sophie is the fifth child in the Foskett family, and I’ve known her her whole life, being close to their family. She is fifteen years old and a sophomore in high school. She loves music and performance, and is usually doing a musical or something similar, so she’s a natural performer. She’s a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and is one of the most outgoing members of her family.

Context

I had spoken with, Karen, Sophie’s Mom, about coming to West Jordan to collect some Slenderman Folklore from her kids and their friends, so she had informed them all and arranged me to meet with them after school. I agreed to pick Sophie and her friend Abbey from school with my wife, and had been chatting with them comfortably on the drive home. She sat down in the living room with Abbey and I asked her if she could tell me about Slenderman, before her friend Abbey, whom I would consider more into Slenderman than Sophie, had a chance to shape her story.

Text

Okay, so, I first heard of Slenderman in elementary school, I don’t exactly, remember from whom, what grade, I just remember hearing about Slenderman in elementary school-- I think it was actually from one of my friends, I think it was Jayden White, [her voice rises as she questions her memory] that first told me about him, so what, I, know, is that he’s a very tall man, he doesn’t have a face, basically pure white, wears a suit, has these weird, things that comes out of his back [she laughs at this], uh, according to the, online gaming videos I’ve seen, he can teleport, when you go near him, your vision gets blurred, and, I, I think he’s, it’s like, it’s said he’s found in the woods or something. That’s about all I know. [I ask if she knows what he does or where he came from] I don’t, know where he came from, or. I, I just, I think that, he just like kills you. I don’t know how [we both laugh through this part].

Texture

Sophie told this very well and very clearly, and was careful to try and remember the important detail, as she was being listened to by her mother, her friend, Abby, and me and my wife. She mostly recited the information the way one would summarize a book, and when I asked later, she made it clear that she didn’t believe in Slenderman.

Course

Introduction to Folklore: English 2210

Instructor

Dr. McNeill

Semester and year

Fall 2017

Theme

G7: Revenants

EAD Number

2.1.5.85

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