15 Popular Urban Legends

Focusing on 15 popular urban legends out of the hundreds, if not thousands, is kind of difficult. But it’s a good start.

The Backrooms

This is one of the more recent urban legends created on 4Chan, but it does open one’s mind to many possibilities. Depicted as a set of rooms with yellow walls, this legend concerns the possibility of impossibly large rooms that create a huge, unsolvable maze.

Phone Call from Inside the House

As one of the more well-known urban legends, this involves a babysitter, typically a young woman, who receives eerie phone calls from a stranger. Unfortunately, the calls are eventually discovered to be coming from inside the house.

The Bell Witch

As one of the more influential legends that has helped to push other stories, the history of the Bell Witch is long and kind of convoluted. But it’s a local legend in Tennessee that many people still cling to.

Bloody Mary

Saying her name three times in the mirror is said to make this strange and malevolent entity appear. Whether something bad happens is a matter of opinion, but it’s made for several interesting movies.

The Bunny Man

You might think of Donnie Darko if you’ve seen the movie. But the Bunny Man legend is initially quite violent since the man in the suit is said to attack others.

The Curse of Escalante Petrified Forest

There is a very real law being broken if you take petrified wood from this forest. But there’s also the possible risk that you’re bringing a curse down on your head, though it’s hard to say why.

Doveland, Wisconsin

It’s interesting to think of how an entire town can just disappear. But this appears to be the case in Wisconsin, though plenty of people claim they have evidence that Doveland did exist.

The Ghost Boy of Clinton Road

A lot of people don’t even remember how this legend started. But the idea of a ghostly boy who tosses coins back to you when one tosses them in the water is kind of creepy.

Hanako-San

This could be where JK Rowling picked up the inspiration for Moaning Myrtle in her Harry Potter series. But this legend has to do with a young woman who haunts a restroom, though whether she’s benevolent or not is uncertain.

The Hook

Does anyone recall the movie I Know What You Did Last Summer? The Hook is a very solid basis since the legend of a killer with a hook for a hand is quite old and has been told many times.

Krampus

The opposing force to Santa Claus, Krampus is someone who takes from those who are ungrateful. Or so the legend goes, since thanks to popular media it’s been a little muddled over the years.

The Licked Hand

Killers on the loose have inspired many urban legends. This one is creepy since it details the account of a young woman all alone, save for a dog, in the house. When a killer hides beneath her bed and licks her dangling hand, she thinks it’s the dog.

Madam Koi Koi

This African legend is interesting since it is kind of a revenge story, but one that exists without any solid base of terror. Madam Koi Koi was a teacher who was quite mean to her students and vowed to return after her death to torment them.

Edward Mordrake

Represented in American Horror Story: Freak Show, this character had a face in the back of his head that was quite creepy. Of course, popular media has taken the story even further.

Tall Man

This is one of the several legends that have changed in many ways over the years. It’s also been confused with the Slender Man urban legend, but anyway one sees it, this character is usually trouble.