There are a number of ways to enjoy cultures around the world, but one of them is kind of reserved for those that happen to love mystery, horror, and aren’t afraid to be a little bit scared. Urban legends aren’t always terrifying, but they are able to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up a bit. Some of them are fairly innocent and have been able to last for quite a while due to the belief of those that want to hang onto the legend. But others have been debunked by quite a few people and have nearly been lost to history. Those that live in the areas that have been host to these legends likely remember, or have studied the old legends once or more, and are no doubt dedicated to keeping them alive.
Some of these legends have been incorporated into movies, TV, and other forms of media, while others have remained less known throughout the years, perhaps because they’re not seen as good enough for cinema or TV. But these are some of the most interesting legends we could find, and to be fair, they’re among those that people might be willing to look into.
The Yeti that roams the Himalayas might not be fun to run into.
Living in the mountains of Asia, the Yeti is essentially the creature that gave rise to the legend of Bigfoot, as the snowbound creature has been the basis for many representations in pop culture over the years as they’ve been seen as cute and cuddly creatures in cartoons to fierce, vicious guardians of various secrets within the mountains. To this day a lot of people still feel that the Yeti are a race that live deep within the mountains, and while a good number of people doubt and would be glad to debunk this legend, the Yeti are one of the many world legends that are maintained by using the idea that the world is a much deeper and unknown place than we understand.
One thing that stands out about the Yeti though, and by extension, Bigfoot, is that there’s no telling where in the mountains something like this creature might survive, and the way that humans keep trying to shrink the world through exploration, it’s not tough to think that one day we might know whether or not they really exist.
The ghost bus of Beijing might be interesting to witness.
The story of the ghost bus of Beijing is an odd one to be certain since the story goes that a young man boarded the last bus to Fragrant Hills and not long after, the bus was flagged down by what looked like two men. While the bus driver initially didn’t want to stop, he ended up letting the men on, only to realize that there were three very pale men that had been waiting, and they were pale, extremely pale. Another odd detail was that they were wearing antiquated robes. While the bus driver told the other passengers that the men were likely actors that had not changed after work, it’s fair to say that people were obviously skeptical of this. Only after the young man had been kicked off the bus after an old woman had accused him of stealing something from her did the realization come that the three men had not been normal, and they were thought to be spirits since the young man recalled a breeze passing through the bus, and seeing that the men had no feet beneath their robes.
To this date, the legend has been changed numerous times in the telling, but it was said that the bus disappeared for the next day and was found at a nearby reservoir, though how it appeared there was hard to say, since there wasn’t enough petrol in the tank to reach that location. Some even say that the tank was filled blood, but it’s tough to know what’s real and what’s exaggeration. That’s why urban legends are so hard to believe or disprove, because strange things happen.
A lot of folks can’t help visiting Loch Ness for a peak at the ‘monster’.
The Loch Ness holds a great deal of history, but the Loch Ness monster, of which many legends, stories, and rumors have been spread over the years, is more or less one of the legends that a lot of people want to believe in, even if they don’t want to be seen as a fool. It’s not hard to understand why some folks want to believe since this picture and many like it do look like something that could be seen as real. But like it or not, there are always going to be those that want to debunk a legend or anything that science can’t fully explain.
If there is something in Loch Ness, however, or if there was, it’s fair to say that the creature never really found it necessary to interact with the world above that often, other than to take a peek now and then. That’s hard to believe obviously, but at the same time, there are creatures within the vast waters of the world that don’t come up for anything most times and are rarely seen. But the legend of the Loch Ness Monster is one of those that some can’t help but believe in to this day.
The Bleeding Stone in Greece doesn’t sound like something to mess with.
One of the biggest things to think about is that the slaughter of thousands of people took place on this site centuries ago, and this is where the legend came from. On the anniversary, the memorial stone with the names of the victims was said to bleed, creating a memorial of sorts to remember those that had been slain there. The emperor that was in charge at that time disapproved of this monument and had it removed, which is something that anyone who’s ever watched a horror story could tell you is a very, BAD idea. Apparently this site was cursed for some time, a phenomenon that owed its legendary status to this long ago massacre.
To this day there is still a business that rests upon the site, but to satisfy the spirits that are believed to remain, the information, that which has survived, is kept within the building as a way to alleviate the curse. Whether people want to believe in curses in this day and age, one can’t help but see a bit of coincidence, or connection, with the past from time to time.
Pinky Pinky of South Africa is kind of a pissy spirit.
Africa feels as though it would be a great spot from which to draw many urban legends since the history of the continent is ripe with many, MANY great stories that are both insightful and extremely interesting. Without insult, each time I think of Africa I tend to whisper, “Anansi, tell me a story.” There’s nothing offensive about it since the spider god that has been found in popular culture is quite the storyteller as the legends go. But one has to wonder if Anansi would be willing to spin the tale of Pinky Pinky, a pink-hued beast that apparently resides in the girls’ bathroom and is said to do horrible things to young girls.
I don’t want to dump on Africa since there’s plenty of beauty to be had on this continent, but there is unfortunately great horror to be experienced as well. This legend might be a good example of that, but again, I won’t go into this matter any further, since the tales that come from Africa are often quite interesting.
The Tree Ghosts of Vietnam are interesting to think about.
One can only imagine how many ghosts there might be roaming around Vietnam, but rather than haunt others and become a general nuisance and terror to others, it would appear that the common belief is that ghosts wandering about in Vietnam inhabit the trees, and are to be respected. This also means that the trees, if they’re to be cut down, are given a ceremony in order to give the ghost a chance to exit the tree so that they might find another home. Those that chop down trees without performing the ceremony are said to be cursed or fated to have bad luck from that day forward.
Just imagine if that type of belief was rampant in the USA, nearly every logger in the country would have the worst luck of anyone around.
La Llorona of Mexico is a legend to be wary of.
The story of a woman that drowned her children and herself after her husband left and never came back is one that has managed to find its way into the Hollywood mainstream, and yet it’s not nearly as popular as some of the more ridiculous movies that are out there as of now. But the fact that this is a legend that’s existed for a while without the kind of exposure that it received in recent years is creepy as hell, since like it or not, this is something that people have believed for a while. The idea that no one can go near this specter is tragic, but the idea that someone would go this far is even worse.
You can’t help but wonder about the events that have started these legends, and how in the world people feel justified in adding to them. Hey, we’re human, we do strange things sometimes.
Kuchisake-onna of Japan doesn’t sound like someone you’d want to meet.
The legend of this ghastly woman is that if she approaches you it’s best to not say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ when she asks you if she’s beautiful. If you want to be nice and say yes, then she’ll cut your face from side to side to match hers. If you say no then your fate is sealed. If you’re vague about it, you might have a chance. Of course, getting smart with a spirit is bound to be a bad idea after a while, especially since fear does strange things to people.
But you know what? The urban legends that we accept and the ones that we don’t know enough about are those that are the creepiest since one can’t always discern the fact from the fantasy. That’s what makes urban legends great.
Kuldhara, India feels as though it might be worth a look.
The story of Kuldhara could actually have a few practical reasons as to why such a prosperous area might have emptied overnight and left nothing more than an emptied region that has baffled historians to this day. Some think that maybe the water supply dried up, or that the people were fleeing the taxation of a local ruler, but whatever the case, the reasons appear to be bound in reality and entirely practical. As far as urban legends go it would appear that this one might be easier to explain. But at the same time, simply getting up and going so quickly is hard to figure out.
That’s a rather concentrated effort for a place that was so prosperous between their trading and agricultural skills. But kind of like Roanoke, this story is something that one can’t help but think is interesting, but also kind of dubious.
The White Lady of Germany is a myth with many sources.
The White Lady is a common legend around Germany since much of the time when she’s shown herself it’s heralded misfortune and even death. But trying to pin down exactly who she’s said to be, and what has happened throughout the course of history in which she’s been seen to appear is kind of tough. The fact is that when this specter has shown up, things tend to happen, and there’s even a rumor that goes along with this legend that at one point she was seen lurking about with a crazed look, right before Hitler started up the nonsense that would lead to WWII.
You can believe what you want when it comes to legends, but this one is kind of tough to get past since plenty of people likely cling to it.
WTR? (Why’s That Radass?)
It’s always fun learning about other cultures. But learning something about their more terrifying legends is a bit creepy, unless you happen to like being scared. How about it Radassers? Which legends do you find most interesting?
