Urban mystic legends of Russia

In the article about the transformation of unexplained facts we were looking for similarities and differences between them and urban legends. As we found out, the real story can easily be transformed into a horror story, a horror story to be a paranormal fact. The story can undergo numerous transformations before it learns the listener. From the actual case, vividly retold by an eyewitness, history can be transmitted from one narrator to another, much transformed, gaining new details and losing the details. She could easily become an urban legend, losing any connection with the original eyewitness. Urban legend could be the basis of the artwork, and that, in turn, will spur a new wave of stories and retellings. However, it can occur and on the basis of knowingly false information (rumors or newspaper "duck").

Modern urban legend, which has mystical overtones, is processed and placed in modern conditions bilicki. Such stories, passed from person to person as descriptions of real accidents, eliminate the magic in the conventional concept, but is often filled with supernatural events. Their heroes are usually close to the listener people (the story-teller himself, his relatives, friends, or colleagues), and usually specify a particular scene. It is believed that the basis of these stories may lie the actual cases, unique dacvim interpreted under the prevailing mythological notions.

In this article we will discuss the plots of such stories circulated in Russia.

Researchers come to the conclusion that the genre of true stories existed in Russia before the XVII century. The article Beliefs of the ancient Slavs we described in detail the main characters of such works of the dead, witches, goblins, devils, werewolves, etc. Here we will not dwell on them. We understand, how did these little stories, having reached the 21st century.

The globalization of subjects of true stories became much more. So, in villages virtually any region over the last 15 years there have been stories about the "Chupacabra" who came to Russia from Puerto Rico.

My grandfather last summer saw the Chupacabra. She had chickens dragged. He went out in the yard, and saw it! Eyes burning, she is not large, but nimble. I looked at him and rode away.

It is interesting that for many parents, the Chupacabra has even become the subject of intimidation of their children, so they do not walk at night or just listened to them. To some extent it has replaced stories about wolves, Gypsies, and Baba Yaga.

Until recently, the true stories not directly mention UFOs, often, there are stories about flying through the sky serpents, cavalries and the like.

No, here in our time such things happen. My uncle - he even don't believe. Well, it's the New year walking home through the cemetery. Night, the moon shines full, the snow is white. The silence around the crosses. And suddenly he sees - the sky, the horses gallop. Four, like, you know how weddings go, and I think that people sit. Uncle crossed himself and fell face down in the snow. Rose - no one. So it is all the way back home baptized. And could pick up. Routinely take. Why do you think people go missing without a trace?!!

I went out on the porch in the evening. I look, and in the East a huge balloon glows. We thought at first that the moon or the Sun, are very similar in size, but no. The slim sickle moon rose in the night, and the Sun was setting in the West. I went to her husband and children to call to also looked, but he then disappeared.

Appeared and stories about aliens.

That night I went home. Not very late. See, the grass is. Not tall and lit all. Similarly, the alien was.

The rest of the villages, little has changed. There is still widespread stories about witches, the dead, water and brownies.

We present a few examples of stories told not so long ago.

That summer I was sick back very much, thought will die. The beast it's a pity it was, because for her, than me, no one to care. Gathered strength and went to feed. I leaned something, suddenly I see and under the threshold lies a crumpled newspaper. Deployed, and there hair. Then I was like lightning shot - it's a spell someone gave. I then burned the newspaper and recovered the next day.

Died once my neighbor. He was a good man. For forty days I returned home from the vigil, the sitting of the thread sorted. He pulled me to the window to look. And it was getting dark already. I see it looking out the window. He turned then and left. To say goodbye, therefore, came. I was scared and the TV turned on to how not to be one. So, while my back, and sat.

I Wake up once at night and I seems to be pushing something strangling. I was the wife's name, and words can not say, and to move too. Felt that the hand of some very hairy. And then I left.

I fished once at the willows. As bait, I pull became. And it's not even twitching, just no fish. Thought for the snag hooked. Suddenly I see and under float at me eyes look. Nothing else was visible, only the eyes. I thought guys are joking, but otherwise was you can see her hair, face, hands, and there is only eyes. I told him: "Water-water! Let go!". And then the eyes disappeared and I was able to pull the bait. Even the hook is not broken.

The city is the space for stories less. There Bannikov, and Chupacabra-like creatures that depend on rural life. Where people are limited to their apartment (if not to take into account the movement in the city and region). However, there are brownies, who, even mastered the computer equipment, the dead, ghosts and witches.

I urgently needed to print a document but the printer refused to work. Then I aloud three times, asked for a brownie and the printer printed the page I need.

That day I was at home completely alone. Went to the bathroom, where he decided not to close, just covered that smells strongly was not. We have there such shelldock little. When decided to leave, I realized that the door does not open. Usually she walks, and it's like who keeps outside. Then I've been knocked out, was very scared. Then she somehow got loose and opened. The house still was empty.

In the urban environment are developing more stories about ghosts living in a particular place. Usually this place is death. The plot of such stories similar to the stories about ghosts on the road.

I'm very late coming from school. These yards are generally poorly lit, so the light was from the Windows and from one lantern near the entrance. Once through the courtyard, I had to pass by the trash can to his house. So, turning to the dumpster, in the shadows of the trees, I saw a silhouette. Like a Ghost like, transparent. He was 8-10 meters away from me, almost at the curve. I got scared and turned around to go the other way. I almost bumped into the man who was walking behind me talking on the phone. I wanted to warn him about the Ghost, but was afraid that he would take me for a madman. I don't have time to go to the end of the back yard, he heard the squeal of brakes. When I got to the dumpster, then realized that the machine turned inside sharply to the road, drove onto the sidewalk and hit the man. Home I come not soon. I still think that the Ghost saved me, because there could be me. And I still blame myself for not warning the man with the phone. Mom told me that at that place for a long time hooligans stabbed the girl. Perhaps it was her Ghost.

No doubt, every nation in your community can tell little stories, absorbed the flavor of the area. For example, the taiga inhabitants tell about the Owner of the forest and walks in familiar places. Well, the Ural has stories about creatures guarding the ore and treasures.

We have touched here only General subjects. If you can add something we missed, write them in the comments.

Little stories traditionally considered genre-progenitor of fairy tales. Children, often based on adult subjects tell their stories - horror stories. They are divided into classic (well known as "pioneer") horror stories, and adapted for children little stories.

Horror stories usually do not have ever existed a real basis. Their characters are children, and the representation of the mystical characters is shifted in the direction of surrounding objects, is endowed with certain negative and dangerous traits.

The mystical essence which is usually represented in the form of spots, hands, fingers, eyes of different colors. Probably, all the children of Soviet and post-Soviet period known horror stories about the Red hand, Green fingers. Almost everyone remembers the song: "running, Running on the wall, Green eyes! Now they will strangle you, you, You! "and its many variations.

One family got a new apartment, but on the wall was a red stain. He wanted to erase, but nothing happened. Then spot sealed with the Wallpaper, but it had bleed through the Wallpaper. And every night someone died. And the spot after each death became even brighter.

Very often the ordinary surrounding of a specific color objects have some terrible mystical properties: Black bed sheet, Red gloves, Black tights, Red boots, White curtains, White shoes, Green disc, Black/Red/White/the Old piano, etc. the Special role these stories played funeral and cemetery merchandise (coffin on wheels, flowers from the cemetery, etc.) and items of the deceased.

The girl did not listen to mother and bought black curtains. Went to bed. At exactly 12 o'clock sees the glass leans green face. The girl was frightened and saw her mother lying dead. Well, again, the second night she went. See, again, green face. In the morning, looking her father dead. On the third night the girl went to the police, he called the uncle of the militiaman. At exactly 12 o'clock opens a window, and a green person in the room climbs. The policeman shot and killed him.

The danger can also be ordinary people, endowed with mystical properties or knowledge of a woman with a red face, setting fire to the house, the terrible old woman, killing children, etc.

Almost all stories have a similar structure "warning/prohibition - violation - penalty". It gives them "adult source" - parents and relatives, trying to protect my children from bad things. This is very similar to the sources of superstitions before us in another article. Despite the fact that on the basis of this kind of horror stories written and filmed a number of works and they clearly affect people's ideas about the mystical, as unexplained facts, they almost never get together.

From the point of view of a researcher of the paranormal, interested in the other part of children's horror stories - little stories adapted. They contain descriptions of the known and familiar mystical characters, and sometimes have as a basis the real story.

Such horror stories are told now as a classic little stories. Sources indicate the narrator himself, his relatives, friends or mass media (newspaper, TV program, publication on the Internet). Mystical characters of true stories become classic ghosts, witches, aliens, etc., and the surrounding objects are endowed with unusual properties, and by the introduction of spirits, curses or source from another world.

The artist painted the picture. He drew her one day, and at night and began to notice how her at night the lights run. At first he thought he thought, and then noticed that the more draws, the brighter the lights become. The picture had turned out beautiful, so throwing her out was pathetic. He finished and the lights became very bright and then his house burned down.

The basis of this story probably was the story about the painting "Water lilies" by Claude Monet. On the Internet we can find many references about the dangers of this picture.

The fact that the painting "Water lilies" is a long trail of fire, the first of which happened in the house of Claude Monet. After the artist finished work on the painting, in the artist's Studio caught fire, in which she is almost completely burned, but several paintings, including "Water lilies", were saved.

It happens also that bilicki, told folklorist child is found in one form or another and adults:

One girl went to the dance. She was invited to dance by one guy. They liked each other. And he told her he would come for her tomorrow at 12 PM. She was waiting for him, and went to her neighbor and says, "when are You going to serve first or second, drop the fork or spoon. And see what happens." He came to her, and when she was served lunch, then dropped the fork. Looks, and on his feet hooves. On the third day he didn't come. But at 12 PM, someone rang the doorbell. The girl opened the door, and no one was there. But someone invisible was in the room. And when she went to bed, someone grabbed her and strangled.

Compare this story with bilicki from the collection "Russian fairy tales Transbaikalia, little stories and byvalina":

You know, girls, don't believe it yourself. Me that my grandmother told me.
Was one woman husband. Then he died. Whether sick, whether th. Suddenly he became to her the night to come. Comes and it wants to eat. She's gonna feed him, and he leaves. Then she was afraid. Talked to a neighbor. And that was morojenoe and says:
- You drop your fork on the floor, then see what happens.
Here's to this again in the evening the husband comes. She seems inadvertently to have dropped my fork on the floor, bent down to pick it up. Sees the man of her hooves and tail. Only she saw it, as he screams wildly - and disappeared!
So that woman, too, soon died.
They say it's hell...

There is also a series of children's horror stories associated with the evocation of spirits. The most famous call is the Queen of spades. There is hardly a man who in childhood did not cause it. This is a Russian version of the legend of Bloody Mary. A vivid image of the mysterious evil witch, a demonic entity, not limited to children's horror stories. It is quite actively used in literature and cinema, thus further fuelling interest in the legend. These ideas and motifs are also passed to children from adults - we can recall, for example, the same Yule divination. They studied as young boys and girls and older people.

Some literary critics who study children's folklore, believe that horror stories are currently gradually fading. Children tell them anything less, come up with new stories, etc. However, today's children (and many adults) not so long ago moved on to stories creepypasta (not only in text format but also in the form of pictures and videos). Essentially it's the same little stories, horror stories and urban legends, but with a different, more modern name. The characters and plots also moderniziriruyutsya. Thanks to globalization, they are supplemented by the heroes of the folklore of other countries and peoples and created a new one. For example, the same slender man, invented not so long ago on one of the forums, or horror stories in which mysterious messages come by e-mail, instant messengers or social networks.

Thus, the urban legends of Russia, mentioned here for its similarity to urban legend in American folklore, but differ by the presence of mystical overtones, formed from the folklore genre of true stories. All of them, regardless of the narrator are characters, plots and logic of the narrative. They will easily survive in the modern world, undergoing minor changes. Often they are based on a real case, which you can trace the history. On the basis of these stories it is easy to create a full work of art, but they are self-sufficient and one of their existence to leave a mark on people's ideas about the mystical since childhood.

Translated by «Yandex.Translator»