Black Shuck: Proof of Existence Finally Found?
“Bones of 7ft Hound from Hell Black Shuck ‘Discovered.’” During an archaeological dig, the skeletal remains of a very large dog were found amongst the ruins.
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.
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.
The Future Folklore of Chernobyl
The effects of the Chernobyl disaster will endure for thousands of years to come. So how will that legacy be understood by future civilisations?
The Indigenous Burial Ground: Urban Legends and Popular Culture
In North America, legends of haunted places often claim they have been built on an “Indian burial ground.” Indigenous burial ground urban legends are so widely shared they’ve become a part of popular culture. Writers used them repeatedly as a literary device in horror until they became a comedic cliché and eventually a meme.