Urban Legends:

Also known as "Friend of a Friend" stories or modern folklore, urban legends cover all areas of life, are spread indiscriminately via word of mouth, e-mails, and even the media. Stories may contain an element of truth, but that truth is distorted each time the legend is repeated. Stories that have a basis in truth are still considered U.L. by folklorists.

Page created by Kirsten Boatwright.

Kirsten Boatwright's Power Point Presentation on Urban Legends.

Real or retouched? Click on photo.

Spotting Urban Legends:

Told AS IF "true"?

Sound familiar?

Sound possible but not plausible?

Happened to a friend of a friend?

Is there an absence of details?

Missing a verifiable source?

WWW Links:

Urban Legends Reference Pages

About Urban Legends

About E-mail Hoaxes (all kinds)

Truth or Fiction

UL: List & Story

Dept. of Energy Hoax Busters

Real or retouched? Click on photo.

Did you Know?

If the Loch Ness Monster really existed, going by the first date she was "spotted," she would now be 1439 years old.

If Sasquatch really existed, he would now be 193 years old.

The legend of the unicorn has existed for 2400 years.

Any truth? Click on photo.

Have you heard?

The library is sinking because the architect forgot to factor in the weight of the books.

Must be a lot of forgetful architects - this problem has been "heard" at: Indiana Univ, Univ. of Calgary, Brown, NYU, Central Missouri State, Tulane, U.S. Naval Acad, Middle TN St. Univ. . .

Real or retouched?  Click on photo.

MYTHS:

Sacred stories from the past meant to explain the origins of life or illustrate cultural values. Religious in their origins, they may be considered a society's first form of history or philosophy. Myths are told as "true," but vary from village to village.

FOLKLORE:

A story that presents a purely fictional plot with no clear setting in time or place. They are symbolic ways of explaining how people handle the environment they dwell in. The stories incorporate elements of fantasy and involve people, or animals that talk and act like people.

LEGENDS:

A tale about the past that is or was alleged to be historical. The tales are about people, places or events. The central character is usually a king, hero, saint, famous person or war figure. The tales always have a specific setting in time and place.