Matt Rosenthal
Professor J. Caroccio
English 1012
2/17/14

In the article, "Porto Rican Folklore," Peter Hamilton speaks about the relationship between folklore and the development and transformation of language in Puerto Rico. Puerto Ricans have a different dialect than other Spanish speakers, and as a result, the ways of telling similar folktales have varied in accordance with these differences. For example, the word "salar," which comes from the word salt, means bad luck to one group of native Puerto Ricans (Borinquen Indians). To them, salt is not pure, the opposite of "the first rainfall of May" (Hamilton 62). Furthermore, other Puerto-Rican-specific superstitions have come out of folklore and are intimately associated with certain words and dialects.

I also find it interesting how musical culture in Puerto Rico is largely taken from other countries, especially Africa. Puerto Rican music, according to Hamilton, can "hardly be said to have a distinctive flavor," which may contribute to the reasons for bringing in music from other cultures.