TALES OF URBAN LEGENDS

We have all heard a legend, at least once in our life.

Whether it be about the Boogeyman or the famous Dracula, the Wolfman or the creatures lurking at the bottom of the lake, a tale is passed down from generation to generation and sometimes used as a warning, a way to keep small children in check, a way to explain certain actions – or, simply just a fun way to scare those willing to listen.

It’s best to start with one of the greats: the legendary Wolfman.
According to History.com,

“The werewolf is a mythological animal and the subject of many stories throughout the world – and more than a few nightmares. Werewolves are, according to some legends, people who morph into vicious, powerful wolves. Others are a mutant combination of human and wolf. But all are bloodthirsty beasts who cannot control their lust for killing people and animals.”

Many people believed that the way to kill a werewolf was with a silver bullet or rather anything silver. But if you think about it, who wouldn’t that kill? I mean a bullet is a bullet, no matter what you call it, but I guess that’s why it’s called a legend and not “fact.” What was once something thought of as true is now nothing more than a story told around a fire, or seen on a screen or even read about in a book – in the end, nothing more than another chapter of the legends.

The next example I want to examine closely is something that still leaves children in fear, to this very day: The Boogeyman was something that haunted my nights and left me with a fear of the dark until my early teens.

Around the world, millions of children are terrified each year by the idea of the Boogeyman. Any bump in the night or scratch on their window pane sends them running in terror to their parents. The boogeyman terrifies children around the world into good behavior – or else. He was a way that parents could get their children to behave. Fear does something to us, no matter the age, and that’s exactly what it did, the story brought fear into children’s hearts in order to keep them disciplined.

According to Mythology.Net,

“The Boogeyman is a mythical monster whose impact can be traced around the world. One of the first references to this legendary creature was found in the 1500s, though it is suspected that the boogeyman has existed much longer than this. It is thought that the boogeyman was originally a reference for mischievous creatures called ‘hobgoblins.’ Throughout much of Europe, hobgoblins are actually quite friendly or limited to light-hearted pranks, but there are tales of hobgoblins who were much more vile in nature. These creatures were said to torment humans – sometimes to the point of frightening a person to death.
Regardless of how the boogeyman came to be, he exists as one of the most well-known and feared creatures of all time. There are hundreds of names for the boogeyman around the world – each with their own interesting twist. Because the boogeyman has such a large global impact, it is difficult to determine which country told the first tales of this monster.
One thing is for certain – the boogeyman loves to lurk in the shadows of the night and its main victims are disobedient children who don’t listen to their parents. Other boogeymen are more sinister, making it even more important for children to mind their parent’s instructions. The boogeymen have a taste for naughty children and will often sneak into their rooms to carry them away into the night. These children are often never found and are said to be eaten by the boogeyman.”

The tales of the Boogeyman have roamed from child to child, from generation to generation, and probably will keep roaming around till the end of time. But, my question is, if the boogeyman supposedly feasts on bad children while leaving the good ones alone, how exactly would he know who’s a “bad” child and who isn’t ? I mean, everyone has done something bad in their life, whether on purpose or accidentally. So, how would you classify a child who’s not remotely good and has done something bad, against a child who may not be bad but just gets into trouble often?

As a kid it made sense, but now it leaves me more confused than it really should. I guess that’s a question I’ll never get the answer to, and it’s not like I’ll lose sleep over it.

So, I guess, it’s on to the next legend.

This final legend is one I’m sure we’ve all heard and, if not, hopefully after reading this, you’ll give it a look: This is the Japanese urban legend Kuchisake-onna, better known as the Slit-Mouthed Woman.

According to Japan web magazine JW,

“One of the most popular versions says it was during a dental procedure... When she was with her mouth open at the dentist, one of the products that the doctor was using smelled so bad that she couldn’t (sit) still, causing the dentist to accidentally slit both sides of her mouth. Another version of the story says that she was the wife or concubine of a samurai and that when the samurai discovered that she was cheating on him, he sliced the corners of her mouth from ear to ear with his katana.
 Other versions of the tale include that her mouth was slit by a woman who was jealous of her beauty, or that her mouth is filled with numerous sharp teeth, causing the mouth to be cut from the inside.
 In any case, she lived having her mouth slit open and after her death, the woman returned as a vengeful spirit (or onryō in Japanese). She covers her mouth with a cloth mask (a surgical mask in the dentist version), or in some iterations, a hand fan or handkerchief. She used the mask all her life after the incident. She also carries a sharp instrument with her. Again, there are different versions, such as a knife, a machete, a scythe, or a large pair of scissors. But the most common is a sickle.
The legend says that children walking at night might meet a woman with her face covered by a mask (which is quite common in Japan, especially in winter since many Japanese people wear masks [not considering COVID-19 times]). Then she will stop the child and ask, “Watashi, kirei?” (which means “Am I pretty?”). If the child answers “no”, she will kill them with the sickle. But if the answer is “yes”, the woman pulls away the mask, revealing her slitted mouth and ask “Kore sdemo?” (which means “Even like this?”). If the child responds “no” or even worse, if the child screams, she will kill them. However, if the answer is “yes”, she will slice the corners of the child’s mouth from ear to ear, resembling her own disfigurement.
So, there is no correct answer and you can’t run away from her because she is super fast and she will chase you and kill you.
Fortunately, there are two ways to survive your encounter with the Kuchisake-onna. One of the most popular versions of the legend says that if you reply to Kuchisake-onna’s saying that her appearance is “average,” she will be confused and you will have enough time to run away. Another way is repeating her question back (“Watashi, kirei?”).”

This one, when I first read it, brought a shiver down my spine, because I have always had an odd fascination with Japanese legends and, honestly, the spookiness of it just sets in right.

Now, if you’re like me, you read legends from all over and, honestly, some if my favorite legends and tales come from the Japanese. From Bake-Neko to Teke-Teke, they gave it all! If you have a good stomach and feel you can read your way through all of their stories, then by all means, go ahead – I applaud you. But if you feel that you wanna sleep at night without jumping at any sudden sound, then this might not be the stop you wanna get off at.

Japanese urban legends tell stories that make you shudder and look over your shoulder, or can make you wish you had a night-light, at least – but the stories, the myths, come to life and I feel this is what makes a legend so easy to believe.

In sum, whether it’s something you find intriguing or even remotely interesting, urban legends have made their way throughout history since ancient times, and will always be around as long as there is someone willing to tell their tales and others willing to listen.

In my opinion the best tales come with a touch of horror so slight it takes your breath away and leaves you running back for more. Those are the ones that bring a smile to my face because you never know what could be lurking out there in the dark.

I mean, they can’t all just be… legends, can they?