[UA] New artifact and ritual as an urban legend

[Robin Pfeifer]

Cassady Toles wrote: "I don't know that one, I joined up a few days ago, but
you all didn't hear
it word of mouth, you heard it over the internet."

As has been mentioned already (digest mode and a different time zone make me
slow to respond) the interesting bit about the Bloody Mary mythology is that
it has somehow formed by word of mouth exclusively and has even been found
to have moved to Europe. To quote from the article: "[The myths] are a
striking example of 'polygenesis,' the folklorist's term for the
simultaneous appearance of vivid, similar tales in far-flung locales." And
later: "[Bloody Mary's] name was first spoken in hushed tones among children
all over America nearly twenty years ago. Even in Sweden folklorists
reported Bloody Mary's fame."

So in this specific subculture of homeless children a complete mythology was
formed by word of mouth. Incidentally, before the discovery of writing
mythology was spread by word of mouth exclusively of course, and with a lot
of attention to detail.

And there is another difference between the tale of the Clandestine Gun and
other urban legends: the gun exists in the UnAverse and people can point to
actual bullets and bullet cases. They just can't seem to jot it down. In the
OU this would rather increase interest and the spreading of the tale than
work the other way round IMO.

Robin



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