The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

(THE SPIRIT OF FRATERNITY)

A FEW YEARS AGO AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY {NEW YORK}
A FRATERNITY WAS PLANNING ITS "HELL WEEKEND." SINCE
IT FELL ON HALLOWEEN, THEY PLANNED TO SEND THEIR
THIRTEEN PLEDGES TO SPEND THE NIGHT IN A HAUNTED HOUSE
NEARBY. WHEN THEY GOT THERE, THEY WERE TO SET UP
THIRTEEN CANDLES IN THE ATTIC WINDOWS. EACH ONE WAS
GIVEN A CANDLE, ONLY ONE WAS GIVEN THE MATCHES, SO THE
PLEDGE WOULD HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER CREATING UNITY.
THE MEMBERS WERE WATCHING FROM NEARBY AND WHEN AN HOUR
WENT BY AND THE CANDLES WERE NOT LIT, THEY DECIDED TO GO
UP AND SEE WHAT WAS WRONG. THEY FOUND ONE PLEDGE OUTSIDE
THE HOUSE, FROZEN IN A RUNNING POSITION; HE APPEARED
TO HAVE BEEN FRIGHTENED TO DEATH. THE MEMBERS CONTINUED
THROUGH THE HOUSE AND FOUND THE REST OF THE PLEDGES IN
DIFFERENT ROOMS, ALL DEAD. THEY DID NOT HAVE WITH THEM
ANY OF THE THINGS THAT THE MEMBERS HAD GIVEN THEM.
IN THE ATTIC, THEY FOUND THE CANDLES SET UP AND THE
THIRTEENTH PLEDGE FROZEN IN A POSITION OF LIGHTING
THEM, HIS HAIR WAS SNOW WHITE. NO ONE COULD DISCOVER
WHAT WAS THE CAUSE OF ALL THIS HAVOC.
ONE YEAR LATER ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF THIS EVENT, THERE
WERE TWELVE MEMBERS LEFT. THAT NIGHT ELEVEN OF THEM
WENT TO A PARTY IN TWO CARS, BY FREAK ACCIDENT THESE
TWO CARS SMASHED INTO EACH OTHER, KILLING ALL. THE
TWELFTH MEMBER HAD BEEN AT HOME.
TWO YEARS AFTER THE ORIGINAL MISHAP ON HALLOWEEN EVE
THE LAST MEMBER WAS TRYING TO GET HOME SO HE WOULDN'T
BE ALONE, SO HE WAS HITCHHIKING. IN ORDER TO GET TO THE
MAIN ROAD HE HAD TO WALK PAST THE HOUSE, IN FRONT OF {WHICH} A
PICKUP TRUCK DROVE UP AND THE DRIVER OFFERED HIM A RIDE.
ONCE INSIDE THE YOUNG MAN TOLD THE DRIVER THE TALE, WHICH
THE DRIVER COULDN'T BELIEVE. HOWEVER, WHEN THE BOY TOLD
HIM THAT HE WAS THE LAST ONE LEFT, THE DRIVER BEGAN TO
LAUGH HYSTERICALLY. HE LEANED TOWARD THE YOUTH AND SAID
"I AM THE SPIRIT OF YOUR FRATERNITY AND I WANT YOU!"

Submitter comment: THIS IS SORT OF A JOKE-TALE IN THAT IT CAN TAKE PLACE
AT ANY UNIVERSITY AND IT CAN BE DRAWN OUT TO A MUCH
LONGER VERSION THAN HERE. IT IS USUALLY TOLD AROUND
A CANDLE (FOR EFFECT) AND THE TELLER JUMPS AT SOMEONE
IN THE CIRCLE, ON THE LAST LINE, CREATING QUITE A
SCENE. THE INFORMANT IS VERY GOOD AT DELIVERING THIS
STORY.

Where learned: UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT

Date learned: 10-31-1971