Urban Legends

In the wooded outskirts of Maryland, beneath an old railway bridge in Prince George’s County, locals have long warned of a figure that should not exist. In this chapter, we examine the urban legend of the ‘Goatman’, a creature said to haunt Lovers’ Lane bridges and rural roads, swinging an axe at those who dare to enter its territory. Join us as we explore where the Goatman stories began and just how they spread through modern folklore. Text Me (this is 3rd party & I cannot respond,...

To listen to the full chapter and the rest of our Modern Myths, join us on Patreon for just £3.00 a month by visiting https://patreon.com/urbanlegends ______________ Long before it became a modern campfire story, the 'Pukwudgie' was described in the oral traditions of Algonquian-speaking peoples across the Northeast, a small figure of folklore. Join us as we delve into the history of these strange creatures, just what they are, and what they are said to do across all tales. Text Me (thi...

In this chapter, we examine one of America’s most famous vampire cases, the story of 'Mercy Brown'. During the tuberculosis spread of the 19th century, grief, fear, and limited medical understanding gave rise to the belief that the dead could feed on the living. Join me as we explore the real history behind this legend, how the press helped shape Mercy’s story, and why this case blurs the lines of folklore and medicine. Text Me (this is 3rd party & I cannot respond, but I see all messages...

To listen to the full chapter and the rest of our Modern Myths, join us on Patreon for just £3.00 a month by visiting https://patreon.com/urbanlegends ______________ In this chapter, we investigate the urban legend of the 'Platte River Death Ship'. On foggy days along the Platte, it is said that a frost-covered phantom sailing ship is known to appear, its crew gathered around a body that’s revealed to be someone the witness knows, later revealing itself to be an omen of death. Join us as w...

This week’s chapter steps away from the archive and into the inbox as creator Luke Mordue answers the listener questions over the years. If you have any questions you want answer, you can drop us a text, an e-mail, or DM on our social media accounts for a future edition. Text Me (this is 3rd party & I cannot respond, but I see all messages) Support the show If you have more information or a correction on something mentioned in this chapter, email us at luke@lukemordue.com For ...

In this chapter, we delves deep into the urban legend of the 'Jersey Devil'. From its roots in the Pine Barrens and the Leeds family story into the 1909 wave of sightings, when strange tracks, alleged attacks, and public fear spread across South Jersey and beyond. Join us as we examine what was actually reported, how the story travelled, and what the panic reveals about rumour, media, and the human need to give a name and a shape to the unknown. Text Me (this is 3rd party & I cannot...

To listen to the full chapter and the rest of our Modern Myths, join us on Patreon for just £3.00 a month by visiting https://patreon.com/urbanlegends ______________ Three separate stories, one title, but is there any truth? In this chapter, we examine the 'Dog Boy' of Arkansas – tracing the documented history of Gerald Bettis, reports of abuse and cruelty inside the family home, and how that address later became a stop on ghost tours, whilst also delving deeper into two other stories that sh...

In this chapter, we trace the evolution of the haunting ‘Humans can lick too’ Urban Legend. From early cautionary tales about young women alone at night through to its modern form shaped by fears of home invasion, serial killers, and the thin line between security and vulnerability in our own homes. We examine how this legend blurs folklore and reality, how it has absorbed real crimes and media scares, it's surprisingly long history, and why the simple act of a hand reaching down in the dark ...

To listen to the full chapter and the rest of our Modern Myths, join us on Patreon for just £3.00 a month by visiting https://patreon.com/urbanlegends ______________ In this chapter, we trace the story of the so called 'Frozen Hill People' from 19th century Vermont newspaper accounts and family scrapbooks to modern retellings in magazines, folklore collections, and online media, asking where it sits between rural desperation, hoax, and horror. We separate what can be verified from what...

Some stories are kept secret for a reason, and among the Diné, the figures outsiders call 'skinwalkers' is one of them. In this chapter, we examine how this subject sits within Diné teachings about witchcraft rather than monsters, why many details are not shared publicly, and how 19th-century accusations, modern reporting, and internet mythmaking reshaped the idea for the rest of the world. We separate community perspectives and documented history from hearsay and pop-culture distortion. To...

To listen to the full chapter and the rest of our Modern Myths, join us on Patreon for just £3.00 a month by visiting https://patreon.com/urbanlegends ______________ The 'Dead Children’s Playground' urban legend is most often linked to the small play area beside Maple Hill Cemetery in Huntsville, Alabama. A place where grief and suggestion overlap. Visitors report swings moving on their own, childlike voices emitting from the dark, and odd lights appearing in photographs, but is there any tru...

Each Halloween, stories circulate of decorations that look disturbingly real, until someone realises theres a very good reason for that. The 'Halloween Hanging' story is often dismissed as an Urban Legend as scattered reports over the years have blurred fiction and fact, leaving many to wonder how much truth hides behind the tale. Join us as we discuss the origins of this eerie story, and how very real incidents may have shaped its spread. This week’s episode also features a mid-roll ad from ...

To listen to the full chapter and the rest of our Modern Myths, join us on Patreon for just £3.00 a month by visiting https://patreon.com/urbanlegends ______________ Long before online conspiracies took hold, one of the most famous legends in music history began to circulate claiming that Paul McCartney had died in 1966 and had since been secretly replaced by a double. Known as the 'Paul is Dead' urban legend, it transformed Beatles fans into detectives, studying the bands lyrics, album artwo...

In this chapter, we explore a story that’s grown far beyond its origins, from a simple Raggedy Ann doll to a symbol of modern horror. The legend of 'Annabelle'. Join me as we trace her history alongside Ed and Lorraine Warren, the couple who shaped her fame and controversy. We’ll examine the psychology that makes dolls so unsettling, uncover the real events behind the story, and look at how belief, media, and myth turned a children’s toy into a global icon of fear. Text Me (this is 3rd ...

**Trigger Warning: This chapter involves harm to children.** In this chapter, let's delve into the urban legends that brought forward what is now known as 'The Satanic Panic‘, from the first sensational cases and flawed investigations to the media frenzy and courtrooms that followed. We’ll look at how fear, politics, and culture combined to create a moral wildfire, one that still echoes in today’s conspiracy movements. Text Me (this is 3rd party & I cannot respond, but I see all mes...

To listen to the full chapter and the rest of our Modern Myths, join us on Patreon for just £3.00 a month by visiting https://patreon.com/urbanlegends ______________ For decades, stories of an unknown figure staring through bedroom windows have circulated in whispered warnings and late-night news reports, but is there any truth to it? In this chapter, we explore the origins of the 'Killer in the Window' Urban Legend and the real incidents that connect to it. Join us as we examine how a fleet...

From ancient carvings and medieval manuscripts to shipwreck songs and seaside myths, 'Mermaids' have haunted human imagination for centuries. Over the years, they have been a symbol of beauty, danger, sin, and even salvation. But where did these beings come from, and why have they endured in so many cultures across the world? Text Me (this is 3rd party & I cannot respond, but I see all messages) Support the show If you have more information or a correction on something mentioned in this c...

To listen to the full chapter and the rest of our Modern Myths, join us on Patreon for just £3.00 a month by visiting https://patreon.com/urbanlegends ______________ In the late hours of the night, a bus winds its way through the quiet streets of Beijing - a vehicle that has given rise to one of China’s most haunting modern legends. Known as the tale of the 'Midnight Bus', it tells of unsuspecting passengers, strange late-night boardings, and a ride that takes a turn into the supernatural. In...

To listen to the full chapter and the rest of our Modern Myths, join us on Patreon for just £3.00 a month by visiting https://patreon.com/urbanlegends ______________ In the crowded streets and buzzing venues of modern life, a rumour began to spread of strangers attacking at random with needles, leaving their victims with more than just fear and discomfort. Known as 'Pin Prick Attacks', this urban legend has gripped communities with its unsettling blend of danger, anonymity, and the dread of a...

In this chapter, we investigate the ‘Knife in the Briefcase’ urban legend, a chilling tale that has circulated in cities across the world. Rooted in warnings about predatory strangers, it tells of women lured into vulnerable situations by a man whose professional façade hides something far darker. We trace the story’s spread through history and explore its links to real crimes and cultural fears. Just how much of it is true? Let's find out... Text Me (this is 3rd party & I cannot respond,...