The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

WE HATE YOU MARY WORTH

I FIRST HEARD OF THIS BELIEF IN CLEVELAND.
IT WAS TOLD TO ME BY A COUPLE OF GIRLS WHOSE NAMES
I HAVE LONG FORGOTTEN. THESE GIRLS ACTUALLY BELIEVED
THIS: THE LEGEND IS THAT MARY WORTH WAS
A WITCH WHO LIVED IN THE 18 TH CENTURY,
AND SHE HAS NOT YET FOUND AN ETERNAL RESTING PLACE.
SHE IS ABLE TO BE CONJURED UP BY LOOKING IN A MIRROR
IN ALMOST COMPLETE DARKNESS AND BY REPEATING OVER
AND OVER, "I HATE YOU MARY WORTH,I HATE YOU MARY WORTH...."
ONE MUST REALLY CONCENTRATE ON THE EMOTION
OF HATE AND ONE MUST REALLY MEAN IT WHEN ONE SAYS,
" I HATE YOU MARY WORTH ". IF THISIS DONE CONVINCINGLY
ENOUGH, THINGS WILL START TO HAPPEN:
A GLOW WILL START TO DISFUSE THE ROOM FROM ABOVE YOUR HEAD
THE ROOM WILL GET COLD, ETC.
THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT ELSE WOULD HAPPEN AND THEY
WERE GETTING TOO SCARED TO TALK ABOUT IT.

Where learned: NOT GIVEN

Date learned: NOT GIVEN