The Basics
By David Emery, About.com Guide to Urban Legends
Here we'll explore the fundamentals of urban legends and folklore -- what they are, where they come from, and what roles they play in human cultures, now and down through history.
What Is Folklore?
Folklore is a broad topic comprising the everyday customs, beliefs, crafts, legends, sayings, songs, and other traditions specific to different places, times, and cultures. Mythology is the subset of those traditions pertaining to the spiritual realm -- including beliefs about the origin of the universe, about gods and goddesses, and what happens when we die.
All About Urban Legends
Urban legends -- also known as contemporary legends -- are apocryphal stories, told as true and plausible enough to be believed, about horrific, embarrassing, exasperating, or ironic things that have supposedly happened to real people. Essentially a present-day version of the legends and fables of old, they tend to address the most vexing aspects of modern life.
- What Is an Urban Legend?
- Why Are They Called 'Urban' Legends?
- How to Spot an Urban Legend
- How Is an Urban Legend Different from an Urban Myth?
Netlore: Online Hoaxes & Legends
Once upon a time, urban legends were considered almost exclusively an oral tradition, spread by word of mouth alone. Only when they were collected and published in books were these popular stories ever written down. The Internet, needless to say, has changed all that. Email and the Web are now the primary way legends, rumors, and hoaxes are spread. The term "Netlore" was coined to provide a handy label for this new phenomenon.
Test Your Urban Legends IQ
Welcome to quiz central. Here you can test your knowledge of folklore and urban legends, including many of the most commonly told tales.
