The Grave

Collected by Shannon Turley (turleysr@vuse.vanderbilt.edu)

Summary: A student who crossed the grave on campus failed exams.

Text:  Years ago, areally important dean passed away. He was buried on what was the edge of Vanderbilt property at that time.
Since campus has grown, the grave can now be described as behind Garland Hall. Anyway, this dean cared a lot about the
students and was greatly respected. Out of respect, students never crossed his grave. After a few years, students quit caring
about the old dean and began cutting across the grave. Nothing happened right away, but when they became seniors, every
student who had crossed the grave, even once, failed their senior exams and didn’t graduate. To this day, anyone who crosses
the grave will not graduate from Vanderbilt. I don’t know if I believe in it or not, but I’m not going to take a chance and cross it.


Notes: I heard a similar tale when I was a freshman, but in mine, the dean was a rich, cranky old man disliked by the students.

CONTEXT:

A. Brief summary of tale: A student who crossed the grave on campus failed exams.

B. Tale type and motifs: unknown

C. Comments on tale:

D. Approximate date informant first heard the tale: Fall 1996

E. Relationship of your informant with the individual from whom the informant heard the tale: the original informant was a Vuceptor

F. Circumstances when tale was first heard: casual conversation

G. Give the following information on your informant:

Age: 21

Sex: F

Place of birth: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Ethnic group: Caucasian

Languages spoken: English

Religion: undecided

Year in school (or education level if not a student): Jr

Extracurricular jobs? n/a

Date Collected: Fall 1996