An urban legend is an apocryphal, secondhand story, alleged to be true and just plausible enough to be

believed, about some horrific, embarrassing, ironic, or exasperating series of events that supposedly
happened to a real person. It's likely to be framed as a cautionary tale.

Legends spread from person to person

Urban legends are a type of folklore, defined as the handed-down beliefs, stories, songs, and customs of
ordinary people ("the folk"). One way to differentiate urban legends from other narrative forms (i.e.
popular fiction, TV dramas etc) is to compare where they come from and how they're propagated. Urban
legends emerge spontaneously, spread "virally" from person to person, and are rarely traceable to a single
point of origin. Urban legends tend to change over time with repetition and embellishment. There can be as
many variants as there are tellers of the tale.

They're usually false, but not always

They are indeed usually false but which may also, on occasion, turn out to be true, or at least loosely based
on real events. The crucial factor is that the story is told as true in the absence of verification. Folklorists
are generally more interested in the social context and meaning of urban legends than their truth value.

Factual or not, when an urban legend is told it's meant to be believed. The teller is apt to rely on skillful
storytelling and/or reference to putatively trustworthy sources — e.g., "it really happened to my
hairdresser's brother's best friend" — in lieu of actual proof or evidence. Other stories rely on irrational
fears, such as scary things that are unlikely to happen.

Characteristics
of Urban
legends

When someone tells one of these stories it sounds interesting because of the details. They tell you:

 Who it happened to  How people felt

 When it happened  What they were wearing, etc

 Where it happened

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Common Urban Legends

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Fill in the following table with the details of each of the urban legend. Add another theme into the last
column

Name of When did Who it Where it How people What did

Legend it happen happened to happened felt they see

The Fatal Fare

Slit Mouthed
Woman

The Creepy
Clown
The dead
boyfriend
The Spider
Bite
The hook man

Now write an ‘urban legend’ that you have heard. Use the information in the table to help you:
When did it happen? Who did it happen to? Where did it happen?

Once…. / One night… A friend of mine…. In (Japan)…

A few (years) ago… A friend of a friend…. In/Near my hometown…

In 1994/in April/ in summer… Someone I know… On the way home (from….)

On 12th October/On Tuesday… A relative (cousin, aunt, etc.) On the road from X to Y…

At Christmas/Easter… A schoolmate…. At a cinema….

Last (month)… My cousin’s wife/sister-in-law… In a park /forest…

On a beach…

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Key answers

List of common characteristics

 It's a narrative (a story).

 It's of spontaneous (or indeterminate) origin.
 It's likely to take the form of a cautionary tale.
 It's alleged to be true though its veracity is unproven.
 It's marginally plausible.
 It's likely to be attributed to a trustworthy secondhand source (e.g., "a friend of a friend," etc.).
 It circulates by being passed from individual to individual, orally or in writing.
 It varies in the telling.

Name of When did Who it Where it How people What did

Legend it happen happened to happened felt they see

The Fatal NA Taxi driver On the road scared A man

Fare
Slit Mouthed one evening Toshiro and Japan Scared, panic a tall
Woman after a late his best they were could not woman
baseball friends Taro walking move for
practice and Kenichi home terror
A few years the in the got bored large clown
The Creepy ago babysitter bedroom nervous statue
Clown
The dead NA A girl and her in the woods Scared boyfriend
boyfriend boyfriend hanging
from the
tree
The Spider NA This woman some shock spider
Bite overseas heart attack
country.
The hook NA A girl and her Laneway frightened man
man boyfriend where they frantic wearing a
were parked scream stainless
feeling bold steel hook
assuring

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