Legends & Folklore.

Medusa Uploaded on January 7, 2007 by Serge Melki

When the trees begin reaching out with skeletal arms, fires crackle in every home and masked hoodlums invade your home in search of candy, I am reminded of legends and folklore passed down by parents and grandparents alike.

Many of us remember tales about a haunted house down the street, ghosts in the nearby cemetery, or even a simple childhood story of good and evil. The history of such tales is rooted in past days when whole families could not read or did not own a book. In order to teach values to the children, or warn them away from the unsafe situations, many parents passed down their own stories and folklore.

The fact that such story-telling is with us today is a testament to their effectiveness and value. Such stories were told and retold many times, receiving embellishment that enhanced, not detracted from the moral of the story. Additionally, these stories are pure entertainment. Told in times when winters were long, and radio and TV were not widely available, if around at all.

I enjoy reading and listening to such yarns. They are often full of local history as well as full of action and intrigue. They capture the imagination, and when told at night in the flickering firelight can leave a lasting impression. They are full of heroes and villains, the wary and unwary. Full of far-away adventures and vivid descriptions they are just plain fun to hear.

My favorites for the last few years are from the guys at Weird U.S. They have collected fun and interesting tales from every state. It’s an interesting read, I even found a few that I knew from growing up in Maryland. Some are scary, others are silly, but they’re all fun. Check some out today.