Myth and the Urban Landscape
Myth is folklore writ large, or to turn that phrase around, folklore is myth with a specific sense of local place, a
particular piece of landscape.
The Casket Girls and Vampires of New Orleans
ew Orleans blends the past and the present into a heady mix where almost anything seems possible. Especially at Halloween. The balmy New Orleans evenings do more than just hint of the uncanny. It is a sense that strengthens and grows in the approach to Halloween turning even the stoutest hearts towards tales of past. […]
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?
The Werewolf Panic of the 1970s
In the autumn of 1972, numerous Swedish newspapers described how werewolves were causing people to panic in a town in a town in southern Sweden. According to the articles, fearsome werewolf attacks caused a “werewolf panic”, children were “paralysed with fear”, and one article even said that the following concerning the werewolves, “three school children killed!
Cursed Paintings: Ill-Fated Portraits and Unlucky Landscapes
The cursed painting is an enduring urban legend that continues to have the ability to scare us, and also makes a good tabloid news story.