Faces in the Mirror: The Urban Legend of Bloody Mary
Bloody Mary is a scary urban legend that has been told for decades, but what might psychology tell us about its appeal and origins?
Mark Twain’s Wild West and the Presidential Election of 1872
In a daring act, facing frightful peril, Mark Twain exploited a legend to launch his onstage comic career. With his future as a lecturer on a knife’s edge, Twain decided to open with a worn-out narrative that had seen better days. A disgruntled audience nearly drove him from the stage … until they understood his brilliant manipulation of their own folklore.
‘Terra Incognita’: Tracing Literary Occult Pathways in North London
North London has captured the imagination of gothic writers through the ages, exploring both sides of the region’s possibly: one a promise, one a threat.
The Tales We Tell: Urban Legends as Modern Folklore
Contemporary life is full of folklore, including urban legends, those odd, funny, or scary stories suited to the times and places we live in.
Folk Healing & Hypnotism: Arthur Spray, ‘The Mysterious Cobbler’ of Bexhill
Arthur Spray, known as ‘The Mysterious Cobbler of Bexhill’, wrote an autobiography in 1935 which detailed his famed powers in healing and hypnotism.