September 2000, Our Visit to the Austin Zoo
Folklore & Legends
September 2000, Our Visit to the Austin Zoo
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How Can You Find Out the Truth? Introduction to Superstitions, Folklore, Legends and Urban Legends There are many legends and superstitions we live with each day, but Halloween seems to bring many more to the light of day. What is a superstition any way? The Little Oxford Dictionary, defines a superstition as "any belief or attitude, based on fear or ignorance, that is inconsistent with the known laws of science or with what is generally considered in the particular society as true and rational, especially belief in charms, omens, the supernatural, etc." So the belief that something can make events occur or not occur based on something we do or something that happens to us. This belief is usually held out of fear, however, sometimes the belief can explain events in a way that is easy to understand. Such as walking under a ladder bringing bad luck. While it can be dangerous to walk under a latter, the belief that it brings bad luck can not be scientifically proven. What is folklore? www.Dictionary.com defines folklore as "the traditional beliefs, myths, tales, and practices of a people, transmitted orally. A body of widely accepted but usually specious notions about a place, a group, or an institution: Rumors of their antics became part of the folklore of Hollywood. A popular but unfounded belief." So folklore is a commonly held belief that is exchanged by people through conversation and stories. What are legends? "An unverified story handed down from earlier times, especially one popularly believed to be historical. A body or collection of such stories. A romanticized or popularized myth of modern times." www.Dictionary.com Many times a legend evolves from a true story. A true story is told by one person to another, who tells another friend. When the friend tells a friend, he adds a few details of his own to make the story more exciting. As the story is told and retold, details are added and subtracted by the story tellers. Eventually a legend evolves that is handed down over time. What is an urban legend? According to www.Dictionary.com, an urban legend is "a story, which may have started with a grain of truth, that has been embroidered and retold until it has passed into the realm of myth. It is an interesting phenomenon that these stories get spread so far, so fast and so often. Urban legends never die, they just end up on the Internet! Some legends that periodically make their rounds include "The Infamous Modem Tax", "Craig Shergold/Brain Tumor/Get Well Cards", and "The $250 Cookie Recipe"." Superstitions can be formed to explain coincidences. Although today's modern scientists have many answers for every day occurrences, in ancient times people sought ways to explain things they did not understand. Most people fear what they cannot explain, so superstitions had a way of comforting people. Carrying a rabbit's foot for luck or wearing special jewelry made people feel they were safe from the unknown. These wives tales remain in place, because people usually believe what they are told. These beliefs have been handed down over time and many people still cling to the beliefs of old. How Can You Find Out the Truth? If something does not sound quite right, it may be a story that someone has made up. If you want to find out the truth, ask your parents, a teacher, a librarian or other trusted adult. They can help you find the truth. Many stories are circulated on the Internet. These stories generally sound very reliable. One of the clues to look for is names, not something from a reliable source or a friend of a friend. Other stories do have made up names. About.com has an Urban Legends and Folklore section, http://urbanlegends.about.com/science/urbanlegends/. Many false stories circulating the internet can be found here, as can the truth behind them. In fact, http://urbanlegends.about.com/science/urbanlegends/library/blhoax.htm, is the page for Current Internet Hoaxes, including Viruses, Chain letters, Stories and Warnings. |
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