Urban legends are stories of supposed true events. Many of these stories have an air of dark humor attached to the unfortunate death or incident. Some legends do not involve death or serious injury. However, most urban legends seem to have a common component which is a moral lesson. 

There are many books, television shows and movies available for the urban legend enthusiast. A quick search on the internet yields page after page of sites devoted to urban legends. The glaring question is, why are urban legends so popular? In a fact-seeking society, urban legends still have a top spot on the interest radar. 

To be considered an urban legend, there have to be a few key elements present in the story.

Believable

One such element is it has to sound somewhat believable. The punchline, so to speak, may be outrageous. However, there have to be parts of the story that are mundane and easy for the listener to know could happen. For example, “John” walks his dog everyday at 6 am. There is nothing unusual about that activity, many people walk their dogs.

Another way an urban legend can be believable is by the story happening to a friend/relative of a friend/relative. This makes it seem more plausible because it happened to someone close to someone the speaker knows. There is no better proof than almost personal experience, right?

Buildup

Another element is the buildup. This goes hand in hand with the mundane, believable element. A good story takes the listener through a series of events that lead to the final outcome. Even the goriest urban legends have the buildup.

How good would a legend be if it merely stated “He was stabbed with a hook”? There has to be a lead up and perhaps a background given of the characters and event. This makes the legend more interesting.

The end

The last element is the finale. The destination of the urban legend is to plant you smack dab into the middle of an unusual event. This finale could leave you trembling in your boots or laughing so hard you almost forget to pity the poor victim. 

The end has to provoke a reaction. Without proper reactions, the story would stop and eventually fade out. It is the end that makes the story travel on to new audiences. It is important to note that simply the end will not result in the desired reactions. 

The media

Urban legends have been around for years, being retold simply by word of mouth. Then people started writing some of those legends down. Before you knew it, the phrase “Urban legend” became synonymous with great entertainment. Some of the stories that some areas wish would finally die out, became honest to goodness legends.

Anyone fascinated with unusual tales can find what they are looking for in urban legends. Thanks to the media, if you can dream it up, there is probably an urban legend about it. Everything from dates gone wrong to having body organs stolen are covered in the urban legend section. 

The straight facts

Urban legends are not going anywhere any time soon. There is way too much to be gained by keeping the stories alive, and maybe even coming up with new ones. Urban legends are often thought-provoking and can even be emotional for the speaker and the audience. 

How do these legends get started? Only the original story-teller knows. Does it really matter? Not really, if some of the details are fuzzy, make it up! The truth is that urban legends are appealing because each one offers a glimpse outside of the mundane life. 

It doesn’t matter if you believe an urban legend or not, the value is in the retelling of the story. Some stories are told for the shocked or even horrified response from the listener(s). Some urban legends are told as a part of the local history/lore of an area. 

The next time you are in the mood for a good story, try looking up the area you live in on the internet or local library. See what urban legends pop up, you might be in for a surprise. Your neck of the woods might be more than just home sweet home.