I Heard it From a Friend of a Friend… The History of Urban Legends

Did you know that alligators are currently living in the sewers of New York City? They
have grown accustomed to the bleakness of the environment, and their normally dark skin has
grown white and ghostly. They’ve developed a type of echolocation that allows them to navigate
the twists and turns of the complex pipe system, and they feed on the abnormally large rats and
any unlucky human victims that happen to fall into the filthy, murky waters.
Don’t believe me? It has to be true. I heard it from my friend’s sister’s roommate’s
cousin’s banjo-playing comedian boyfriend.
He’s pretty reliable…
The urban story, or what is more commonly called the “urban legend” has a fascinating
and rich history. Even though these stories are widely varied and unique, they all share several
components that categorize them as “urban legends.”
According to Heather Whipps, writer for LiveScience, folklorists generally agree that
urban legends originate in densely populated areas, change with every telling, contain some
element of truth, usually involve the paranormal or unexplainable, teach a warning or lesson, and
provide an insight into a society’s fears and beliefs.
Although urban legends themselves seem to be a more contemporary trend in
storytelling, the oral tradition itself dates back centuries. John Miles Foley, contributor for
Encyclopedia Britannica states, “[The] oral tradition [is] the first and still most widespread mode
of human communication. Far more than “just talking,” oral tradition refers to a dynamic and
highly diverse oral-aural medium for evolving, storing, and transmitting knowledge, art, and
ideas.”
Folklorists, anthropologists, and historians have long relied on the oral tradition and the
ability for people to pass down stories and cultural stories by word-of-mouth. It was the
responsibility of a culture to ensure that important beliefs were sustained and that future
generations were able to share the stories of revered heroes, tales, myths, legends, and warnings.
Through preserved oral traditions and valued story-telling, priceless works such as
Homer’s Iliad (7 BC) and Odyssey (725-625 BC) are not only passed down, but safeguarded for
generations. Foley adds, “Other familiar works with deep roots in oral tradition include the
Judeo-Christian Bible, the Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh, and the medieval English
Beowulf.”
Following in the epic footsteps of the oral traditions gone before, urban legends took on a
much more contemporary spin. As time passed and people flooded into cities and metropolitan
areas, populations and cultures became condensed and mixed. Stories, songs, traditions, and
folklore dispersed through the population, and new lines of communication were established.
Combined with modern technological problems, evolving social groups, and fears of
change, urban legends took on a life of their own. However, it wasn’t until later on in the 20th
century when folklorists took note of emerging trends in the population.

appearing in folklore studies in the mid-20th century… The phrase was popularized in 1981 with
the publication of The Vanishing Hitchhiker: American Urban Legends and Their Meanings, a
book by American folklorist Jan Harold Brunvand.”
Brunvand went on to publish over 100 works and taught as a professor emeritus at the
University of Utah. While at the university, Brunvand focused on the importance of modern
folklore, looking for meaning in cultural stories, and how we, as a society, still participate in the
“legends” and oral tradition.
Brunvand sparked a new interest in research in urban legends and modern folklore, and
soon, the public found itself once again breathing life into what were thought to be mere
“campfire stories” and “slumber party tales.”
Alvin Schwartz terrorized children with his Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (1981) series
of novels, filled to the brim with a vivid and thorough collection of North American folklore.
Stemming from a desire to share the oral tradition of songs, folktales, legends, myths, and urban
legends with a younger generation, Schwartz shed new light on a secret and aged tradition (“The
Folklorist”).
Soon, urban legends hit the big screens and audiences were treated to terrifying tales
shown in real time. Movies such as Clive Barker’s 1992 Candyman showcase the dangers of
investigating urban legends when you don’t understand the true dangers behind them. When a
Stranger Calls (1979) shows the story of the defenseless babysitter who gets a series of
threatening phone calls that originate from inside the house…
The 1998 film, Urban Legends, even goes so far as to center the entire storyline around
urban legends themselves, showing a series of classic stories ranging from the “stolen kidney” to
warning against flashing your high beams at night.
Not to be outdone, urban legend found new life again with the advancement of computer
technology. Urban legends can now be passed along with emails, and websites like snopes.com
can now be used to fact-check word-of-mouth tales you hear from that friend-of-a-friend.
Any way you slice it, the urban legend has a rich, layered, and fascinating history that
even the ghost hitchhiker would find hauntingly beautiful. The urban legend reminds us that
society is connected through folklore, communication, and a shared history that keeps us
grounded in humanity, creativity, and tradition.