Urban legends

May 11, 2009 20:54

What is your favorite urban legend?

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folklore, storytelling

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Comments 19

viedansante May 12 2009, 01:28:55 UTC
1. The only local urban legend I remember from when I was a kid claimed the neighborhood "gang" did satanic rituals in the woods behind my house. I heard that story around 1991/2, which fits into the satanic panic timeframe.

2. When we were young, my sister told my mother that I told her to do the Bloody Mary thing. She was crying and obviously frightened.

I didn't tell her to do it, and luckily my mother believed me. That's the only time I can remember that sister outright lying to my mother in front of me.

3. The banshee isn't technically an urban legend, but I heard it once. I actually considered blogging about that experience earlier this evening. Maybe tomorrow.

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braider May 12 2009, 02:13:09 UTC
I've never heard the bloody Mary story, actually ( ... )

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nontacitare May 12 2009, 02:37:17 UTC
I've never heard the bloody Mary story, actually.

The story goes that if you go into the bathroom at midnight, turn out all the lights, and say her name three times, she'll come out of the mirror to kill you. The horror movie Candyman is based on this legend. I heard that she was Mary Tudor, and stopped believing (mostly) in this story after I learned more about the historical figure, but as an adult reading about urban legends I learned that she has various origin stories, depending on geographical region.

And I remember stories about the Unicorn vampire. :-)

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hesited May 12 2009, 03:49:17 UTC
Ooo, I love urban legends, and I always have. As a kid, I devoured Brunvand's seminal books on the subject. Alas, that format was usually my only exposure to them. Indeed, the only classics I can remember encountering "in the wild" were "The Dead Roommate" and "Better to be Old and Rich ( ... )

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nontacitare May 12 2009, 20:44:27 UTC
I'll go with "The Licked Hand," with its horrific snapper that's worthy of an E.C. comic book.

I don't think I know that one. What's the story?

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nontacitare May 13 2009, 00:11:09 UTC
Wait, maybe I do. Is that the one where the girl hears a noise under her bed, thinks it's her dog, puts her hand down and is licked, so she goes back to sleep, confident in her guard dog under her bed? And then receives the horrific message the next day?

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wishesofastar May 12 2009, 17:59:16 UTC
Ooh, I love urban legends! I check Snopes almost daily ( ... )

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nontacitare May 13 2009, 00:05:28 UTC
Ok, the rabbit story sounds like a joke I heard.

What's the story with Eddie Murphy in the elevator?

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wishesofastar May 13 2009, 04:43:59 UTC
There's a good summary of it here; this is almost exactly the version I heard from my friend about her aunt.

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nontacitare May 13 2009, 16:21:35 UTC
Hey, I also heard that as a joke. My family must not appreciate the value of false verification to enhance storytelling.

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quiet_spike May 12 2009, 22:45:20 UTC
I was always fond of the story of the baby alligators that get flushed down the toilet and grow up in the sewers.

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nontacitare May 13 2009, 00:06:58 UTC
Do you know that actually happened at OSU? autumnfey, I did hear that from you, right?

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quiet_spike May 13 2009, 21:15:37 UTC
Really? Leave it to real life to ruin a perfectly good urban legend!

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