2 ms·

> There is a "funny" story in Bulgaria how the most famous mushroom foraging expert in Bulgaria a few decades ago died because he made a mistake when foraging.

> There is a "funny" story in Bulgaria how the most famous mushroom foraging expert in Bulgaria a few decades ago died because he made a mistake when foraging. Do you have a citation or evidence for this? I ask because a while ago another commenter on HN said that the president of a mushroom society in Boston died from the same thing, and when I looked and searched I could find no mentions of this. Without additional evidence I'm putting all claims of "Mushroom expert does from mushroom misidentification!" into the "old wives tale/bullshit bucket". These types of stories just seem to be the ones that people love to talk about and share, even if they originate as a falsehood. Again, not saying it's not possible, but I am saying without a reasonable citation I'm discounting it as BS.

vmladenov 3y ago
> Do you have a citation or evidence for this? If I've understood the previous commenter correctly, he's talking about a виц (comes from German witz, cognate of wit in English) which is a funny story joke that spreads by word of mouth. Here is the one in question: https://kvo.bg/vicove/vicOTJK1I/vapros-koi-sa-poslednite-dumi-na https://kvo.bg/vicove/vicOTJK1I/vapros-koi-sa-poslednite-dum... Roughly: > Q: What were the last words of the mushroom forager? > A: I hadn't tried that kind until now!
- hn_throwaway_99 3y ago
  Yeah, if I understand your point and link: this is not something that actually happened, it's just a joke, but after enough retellings for some reason people think that it is real.
  - vmladenov 3y ago
    > after enough retellings for some reason people think that it is real I do not think anyone thinks it's real; you might be getting caught up by the word "story", just some dark Balkan humor.
    - hn_throwaway_99 3y ago
      I see the original commenter I replied to said it was just a "tale", but I don't think that's how most readers would interpret that comment. Saying something "happened a few decades ago" is oddly specific if it's just a joke/tale. Also, the whole point of their comment was to emphasize how foraging for mushrooms is dangerous - using an old wives tale as "evidence" for your position would be a very odd choice indeed.
    - solarkraft 3y ago
      I expected it to be real.
krastanov 3y ago
It is very much an old wives tale. I was not trying to make it sound otherwise. It is just representative of the attitude locals have to foraging: it is popular, but it is understood to be dangerous and mishaps still happen.

vmladenov 3y ago

> Do you have a citation or evidence for this? If I've understood the previous commenter correctly, he's talking about a виц (comes from German witz, cognate of wit in English) which is a funny story joke that spreads by word of mouth. Here is the one in question: https://kvo.bg/vicove/vicOTJK1I/vapros-koi-sa-poslednite-dumi-na https://kvo.bg/vicove/vicOTJK1I/vapros-koi-sa-poslednite-dum... Roughly: > Q: What were the last words of the mushroom forager? > A: I hadn't tried that kind until now!

hn_throwaway_99 3y ago
Yeah, if I understand your point and link: this is not something that actually happened, it's just a joke, but after enough retellings for some reason people think that it is real.
- vmladenov 3y ago
  > after enough retellings for some reason people think that it is real I do not think anyone thinks it's real; you might be getting caught up by the word "story", just some dark Balkan humor.
  - hn_throwaway_99 3y ago
    I see the original commenter I replied to said it was just a "tale", but I don't think that's how most readers would interpret that comment. Saying something "happened a few decades ago" is oddly specific if it's just a joke/tale. Also, the whole point of their comment was to emphasize how foraging for mushrooms is dangerous - using an old wives tale as "evidence" for your position would be a very odd choice indeed.
  - solarkraft 3y ago
    I expected it to be real.

krastanov 3y ago

It is very much an old wives tale. I was not trying to make it sound otherwise. It is just representative of the attitude locals have to foraging: it is popular, but it is understood to be dangerous and mishaps still happen.