Urban Legends

Welcome to the Urban Legends Zone!

Whether told around the campfire or forwarded to your inbox, an urban legend is a modern-day folk tale. Some urban legends are pure fiction, while others hold at least a grain of truth. Two things that all urban legends have in common are high entertainment value and just enough plausibility to be believed.

This site is a collection of articles and links about urban legends. Enjoy! Live feeds mean new urban legends every day, so be sure to check back often.

Urban legends blog

NOT A HOAX: Noah Biorkman Christmas Card Request
Michigan news sources say an emailed request for Christmas cards on behalf of 5-year-old Noah Biorkman, who is dying of neuroblastoma cancer, is genuine. Noah was diagnosed with the disease in 2007 and is not expected to live till Christmas. Cards may be sent to the following address:

Noah Biorkman
1141 Fountain View Circle
South Lyon, MI 48178

More details...
NOT A HOAX: Noah Biorkman Christmas Card Request originally appeared on About.com Urban Legends on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 21:20:13.
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Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:20:13 +0000
'Obama Phones' - A Sign of the Apocalypse
Is it true that the Obama administration has launched a government program granting a free cell phone and wireless service to every welfare recipient in the U.S.?

No, though that is the central claim of a new forwarded email currently fanning the flames of anti-government sentiment in this country.

"Enough is enough," says the anonymous tirade, "the ship is sinking and it's sinking fast. The very foundations that this country was built on are being shaken. The age-old concepts of God, family, and hard work have flown out the window and are being replaced with 'Hope and Change' and 'Change we can believe in.'"

Which is a curious reaction, considering that the program — which does, in fact, exist — was created over a decade ago by an act of Congress.

Read the details...

'Obama Phones' - A Sign of the Apocalypse originally appeared on About.com Urban Legends on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 16:02:48.
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Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:02:48 +0000
The History of Halloween
What is the origin of the Jack-o'-Lantern? Why do children go trick-or-treating on Halloween? Who came up with "bobbing for apples"? While the modern celebration of Halloween still bears traces of its Celtic origins, it has come down to us as a cross-cultural stew of folk traditions, all pertaining in some way to death and the supernatural. Here you'll find answers to your questions about the history and lore of this one-of-a-kind holiday.

The History of Halloween originally appeared on About.com Urban Legends on Friday, October 30th, 2009 at 00:30:22.
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Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:30:22 +0000
The Urban Legends Slide Show

A gallery of odd and arresting viral images -- some real, some fake, some persistently enigmatic -- as circulated on the Internets! Start here...
The Urban Legends Slide Show originally appeared on About.com Urban Legends on Saturday, October 24th, 2009 at 12:30:07.
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Sat, 24 Oct 2009 12:30:07 +0000

The conspiracy theories about September 11

photo by chris_ford_uk

by Adam Mcculley

Submitted for your approval: A sort of deconstruction of 911...and it's conspiracy madness. My source? The findings of The institute of technology and standards. Not a blog, not a flimsy documentary...read more
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Do Ouija boards really work?

by Victoria Lucas

Ouija boards do in fact "work" depending on how you view the word "work" when it comes to using a Ouija board. Let me explain: There are many stories out there about Ouija board...read more
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Truth and fiction in chain email

by Debbie Robus

I have had a lot of crazy stories come my way in chain e-mail... animals with two heads, incredible photos that are supposedly real, diseases from soda pop cans that are the figment of someone's wild ...read more
7 articles Write Now Write

True and Creepy

photo by Dylan Luder

Humor site Cracked.com is continuing its Halloween tradition of highlighting the creepiest urban legends that happen to be true. Here are all three years' worth of proof that truth is stranger-- and creepier!-- than fiction.

The 5 Creepiest Urban Legends...
that happen to be true!
6MORE Creepy Urban Legends...
that are also true.
6 Creepy, True Urban Legends
Part 3 in the series.

The lost colony of Roanoke

photo by m.eckelberg

by BlondieWrites

In 1578, England's Queen Elizabeth granted Sir Gilbert Humphrey the right to search out and find undiscovered lands not inhabited by civilized Christian people. It had been over 150 years since the Ne...read more
8 articles Write Now Write

History and myths of black cats

photo by Andres Rueda

by Stacey Foxworthy

Most of us are very familiar with the common black cat superstitions that have infiltrated the particular culture in which we reside. In earlier times the Egyptians and Romans worshipped cats, conside...read more
19 articles Write Now Write

Sites About Urban Legends

Snopes
Rumor has it.
Urban Legends on About.com
Newest Urban Legends. The Top 25 at a Glance. Test Your Urban Legends IQ. Urban Legends Slide Show. Submit a Rumor / Hoax / UL.
Darwin Awards- Urban Legends
These apocryphal stories are included as examples of Herculean Darwinian efforts. Be glad, be very glad, these people don't exist.
Urban Legends and Superstitions
Welcome to a comprehensive site for creepy and interesting myths and superstitions.
Museum of Hoaxes
Examining dubious claims and mischief of all kinds.
WarpHead.com
The following is a collection of the more entertaining of these folktales.
Christian Myths and Urban Legends
Email is a powerful tool, but its ability to quickly, widely and cheaply spread false information is a danger. "Let every matter be established," the Bible says.
The AFU and Urban Legends Archive
Sample alt.folklore.urban for yourself (beware: some residents are reputed to have social skills that differ slightly and/or significantly from socially accepted norms).
Urban Legend Zeitgeist
The latest urban legends.

Cell phones and gas station explosions

photo by comedy_nose

by Bill Stone

There have been many cases of gas station explosions in recent years, and the cause of the large majority of them have been a buildup of static electricity on the person's body. This is most often ca...read more
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Urban Legends in the News

Puerto Rico's Calle 13 has 5 Latin Grammys, both urban and alternative awards
(Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune/)
2009/11/06 14:47:37
A lore unto himself: Owen Sheers is having his way with an ancient myth
(Independent/)
2009/11/08 00:19:41
Puerto Rico's Calle 13 has 5 Latin Grammys, both urban and alternative awards
(Kitchener - Waterloo Record/)
2009/11/05 11:27:39
Time line: Investigation into rumored Manoogian party
(Detroit Free Press/)
2009/11/08 11:52:38
FREE PRESS EXCLUSIVE REPORT: Did Manoogian party tapes vanish?
(Detroit Free Press/)
2009/11/08 08:44:35

Website reviews: Snopes.com

by Linhah

I loved Snopes.com. It did create a problem for me in that every time I started looking around, huge chunks of time would disappear on me. It is a fun, entertaining, and stimulating site. But it also ...read more
15 articles Write Now Write

Showing Comments 1 to 9 of 9

JoAnne Windsinger

Posted on: May 01, 09 at 06:39 PM

Interesting!

Raven Lebeau

Posted on: Apr 22, 09 at 10:01 PM

Thanks, all, for stopping by! Glad you're enjoying the zone. I come back here every few days myself to check the feeds-- there's always a few new stories to read. As far as groups go, there is a Cryptozoology group: http://www.helium.com/groups/groupshow/205, but not an Urban Legends group, per se.

Mechelle McCarrell ICS.LPN

Posted on: Apr 19, 09 at 07:05 PM

Wow! I really like your zone do you have a similar group i can join?

Mechelle McCarrell ICS.LPN

Posted on: Apr 19, 09 at 07:04 PM

Wow! I really like your zone do you have a similar group i can join?

Jim Bessey

Posted on: Apr 19, 09 at 03:17 PM

What fun! Fascinating reading. It's all true, so there! :-) ~Jim

A W Drake

Posted on: Apr 17, 09 at 01:07 PM

Great zone. Just the kind of subjects that inerest me. I will be snooping around your zone again!

Patrick Bernauw

Posted on: Apr 09, 09 at 07:28 AM

And this also is... yeah... awesome!

Shaheen Darr

Posted on: Mar 29, 09 at 08:38 PM

Alligators in sewers (imagine if rats started to evolve into them...yikes). Interesting zone,lots to read, will definitely be back for more thrills and chills...

Ethel Smith

Posted on: Mar 27, 09 at 10:50 AM

This is interesting, Eileen

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Zone Manager Raven Lebeau Helium member since Aug 24, 07 Number of Zones: 51	Contact Add as a Friend
Writing: Rating: 9

Latest Urban Legends

Fantastic Music Machine
Video clip purportedly shows a music-playing "farm machine" built at the University of Iowa.
Sun, 8 Nov 2009 15:00:00 GMT
Free Meals for Veterans
Restaurant chains are offering free meals to U.S. military personnel in conjunction with Veterans Day.
Sat, 7 Nov 2009 15:00:00 GMT
20/20 Revision
Was ABC News' 20/20 co-anchor John Stossel fired for trying to air a piece critical of health care reform?
Fri, 6 Nov 2009 15:00:00 GMT
Foxumentary
What happened to the FOX News documentary on Barack Obama?
Thu, 5 Nov 2009 15:00:00 GMT
Noah Biorkman
Noah Biorkman, a 5-year-old boy battling cancer, wants to receive Christmas cards.
Wed, 4 Nov 2009 15:00:00 GMT

Latest e-mail hoaxes

Christmas Cards For Noah Biorkman
Message requests Christmas cards for 5 year Noah Biorkman who is battling Neuroblastoma cancer.
Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:17:00 GMT
Stopped The Train - Burning Train Bridge at Sharon Springs
Message claims that attached photographs show coal train cars and a wooden train bridge burning after the train was stopped on the bridge due to a melted wheel bearing.
Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:12:00 GMT
Floating Volcanic Stones and New Island in the South Pacific
Emailed photographs claim to depict large areas of volcanic stones floating on the ocean as well as the birth of a new volcanic island.
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:24:00 GMT

Are modern day horror movies morality tales

photo by Lazurite

by Mickey Fortney

I have a question for horror movie fans; specifically for fans of the horror movies that fall into the sub-genre of Slasher flicks'. Are slasher flicks modern day morality tales designed to warn young...read more
3 articles Write Now Write

photo by Simon Welsh

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Urban Legends Tags

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TV show reviews: MythBusters

by Erin Thompson

Using explosives is every 7-year-old boy's dream. Grant Imahara is living that dream. But he's more than just a cast member on the Discovery Channel show "MythBusters," the show that uses science to p...read more
6 articles Write Now Write

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Guide to the best paranormal Internet sites

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Internet urban legends: Red Room

photo by Jo Jakeman

by Julius Albert Custodio

Red Room is a horrifying Flash animation based on an urban legend of the same name. In a short span of time, it reached a high-level of fame among tech-savvy teens and urban legend fanatics alike. Its...read more
Write Now Write

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