Urban Legends

According to Brunvard, urban legends can tell us a lot about the society in which we live. Brunvard explains that these stories are an indication of our own fears and issues, and by implanting them into stories, we give voice to them. For example, “The Boyfriend’s Death” tells the story of a young couple who had gone to the woods in the boy’s car, and they were making out. The boy then left the girl alone in the car and promised he would return but never did. She later saw his body hanging from a tree.

If we assess this story according to Brunvard's theory, we would arrive at the conclusion that such a tale as this was meant to be cautionary. Particularly to teenagers or young people. We would understand that perhaps at the time, a major societal concern was young people straying from their homes and being hurt. This story provides the possible repercussion of doing so.

Legends have been built around people, places, and things, for as long as mankind has existed; urban legends have been in existence. One of my personal favorites is “The Jersey Devil”, an urban legend that managed to survive for over two centuries. The story of course originated within New Jersey, but the specific area is still debated to this day. The most popular point of origin seems to be “Leeds Point”, New Jersey.

How the Jersey Devil came to be has also been debated over the years. Some believe that the devil was born by, “Mrs. Shrouds” who wished that her next child be a devil. The baby was born extremely deformed and she decided to keep it hidden away. Until one day the baby flapped its arms, which were wings and flew out the chimney, never to be seen again by the family.

Another interesting version of the creation of the Jersey Devil c...

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...se of the Jersey Devil urban legend. At the time the legend was given life there was a strong sense of “good” and “evil” within most societies, and America was no different. During the nineteenth century, religion was a major aspect of daily living and people had clear distinctions whether a person believed in God or the Devil.

If we take closer looks at urban legends, we will see that it is quite possible that Brunvard was correct in his thinking. As children, many of our fears are generated through storytelling, books and films that have been influenced by one urban legend or another. As adults we keep those legends close and pass them on to our children whether as a means of warning, cautioning or simply to facilitate the expression of an idea or fundamental principle. Urban legends seem to play an important role in socializing within any given society.