Urban Legends

This chapter enters the mysterious and unsettling world of shadow people. Join us as we explore the origins and apparent encounters whilst delving into the depths of human psychology to understand the enduring fascination with these elusive, shadowy figures.  Is it possible that shadowy figures are entering our world? How can so many people experience such similar things? and how far back do the t...

'The Smiling Man’ was a short story that sent shivers down the spines of countless readers on Reddit, telling the harrowing encounter of a man who crosses paths with a mysterious, grinning figure during a quiet nighttime stroll. But what makes this internet legend so enduring and terrifying? In this episode, we'll peel back the layers of the story and its origins, diving into the psychol...

Let's soar through history to unravel the spine-tingling mysteries and explore the enduring fascination surrounding this enigmatic creature. We'll unravel the origins of this cryptid, delving into the eerie accounts of sightings that first gripped the town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia.  We'll investigate the theories and explanations surrounding the Mothman, from the supernatura...

**Trigger Warning: This chapter involves harm to children.** In this chapter, we unwrap a notorious urban legend that has cast a sinister shadow over Halloween for decades, 'Poisoned Candy'.  Join us as we delve into the origins, fears, and dark reality behind this enduring Halloween myth, exploring how the legend of tainted treats has become a sinister undercurrent of Halloween folklore...

In this harrowing chapter, we plunge into the chilling world of a spine-tingling urban legend that has fueled fear and fascination - the horrifying tale of 'The Dead Boyfriend' hanging above the car.  Join us as we delve into the origins, gripping narratives, and psychological underpinnings of this enduring myth whilst also drawing connections to very real crimes committed over the years...

In this chapter, we answer the chilling call of a legendary urban legend that has left us with frayed nerves for generations: the ominous words, "The call is coming from inside the house."  Join us as we unravel the origins, eerie narratives, and psychological terror behind this haunting urban legend. We'll explore how it has become a timeless cautionary tale, rooted in genuine fear...

Let's trace the eerie wail of one of Ireland’s most enduring legends, the 'Banshee'. Often dismissed as myth or metaphor, the Banshee is more than just a ghostly woman who cries in the night. Her story shifts across time and region, tangled in ideas of ancestry, grief, and death itself. This unsettling figure has followed generations through the centuries but just what is she? and w...

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? Support the show   Contact me at: luke@lukemordue.com Support...

**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...

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 wor...

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, a...

The Kraken belongs to a 600-year tradition of Scandinavian sea monsters; creatures so vast that medieval sailors mistook their backs for islands and landed on them. The word itself is said to have first appeared in a Norwegian glossary in 1646, but by the 1750s, Erik Pontoppidan was cataloguing fishermen's accounts in his ‘ Natural History of Norway’ , treating the creature not as folklore bu...

Get ready for a festive, yet perplexing journey into the world of urban legends as we explore the mysterious tale of Santa stuck in chimney. Join us as we investigate the origins, variations, and enduring fascination with this quirky holiday myth. The legend of the body of a man, dressed as Santa Claus being found stuck in the chimney has endured for many years. But where did this twisted story or...

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...

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 th...

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.  Support the show   Contact me at: luke@lukemordue.com Support the show:  https://buymeacoffee.com/lukemordue Everything else: l...

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 sc...

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, an...

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...

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....

Livestock found drained of blood. Puncture wounds with no clear cause. In this chapter, we investigate the 'Chupacabra', one of the most infamous cryptids in modern folklore. However, beneath the sensational headlines and pop culture portrayals lies an origin story rooted in real fear. From rural Puerto Rican farms to dusty Texas backroads, we trace the legend’s spread, dissect the eyewi...

**Trigger Warning: This chapter involves harm to children.** Join us as we explore a strange and unsettling tale that slithered its way into urban legend, 'The Pet Snake'. At first glance, it's a strange story of an affectionate reptile that stops eating, only to reveal a chilling intention. But behind the surface lies a story that speaks to our uneasy relationship with domesticated...

Today we turn to one of Japan’s most enduring and disturbing legends, 'Kuchisake-onna', also known as 'the Slit-Mouthed Woman'. This tale of a disfigured woman who asks a chilling question has stalked schoolyards, late-night streets, and the public imagination for decades. But beneath the horror lies a deeper story - one shaped by post-war trauma, shifting societal fears, and t...

As we begin Season V, we explore one of the most unnerving figures in modern folklore: the Men in Black. Join us as we trace the shadowy origins of these silent enforcers, following their evolution from early UFO encounters to government conspiracies and their place in pop culture. We’ll examine the strange patterns that link witness testimonies, the unsettling uniformity of their behaviour, and t...

Season Five of Urban Legends begins 14th May. In this new series, we uncover the strange, the sinister, and the stories that refuse to die. From serpents and spirits to courtrooms and cryptids, each episode takes you deeper into the folklore, fear, and facts behind the world’s most enduring legends. Written and narrated by Luke Mordue, Urban Legends blends storytelling, history, and cultural analy...