1.Define important terms- (American Heritage Dictionary)Folklore- The traditional beliefs, myths, tales, and practices of a people, transmitted orally.
Worldview- 1. The overall perspective from which one sees and interprets the world. 2. A collection of beliefs about life and the universe held by an individual or a group.
Fairy Tale- A fanciful tale of legendary deeds and creatures, usually intended for children.
Epic-An extended narrative poem in elevated or dignified language, celebrating the feats of a legendary or traditional hero.
Myth- A traditional, typically ancient story dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, or heroes that serves as a fundamental type in the world view of a people, as by explaining aspects of the natural world or delineating the psychology, customs, or ideals of society.
Legend-An unverified story handed down from earlier times, especially one popularly believed to be historical.
Ballad-A narrative poem, often of folk origin and intended to be sung, consisting of simple stanzas and usually having a refrain.
Urban Legend-An apocryphal story involving incidents of the recent past, often including elements of humor and horror, that spreads quickly and is popularly believed to be true.
Apocryphal-Of questionable authorship or authenticity
2. Summarize the reading.
In New Legends for Old the author discusses how legends, specifically urban legends, have developed in society. The author says, "Legend Study is a most revealing area of such research because the stories that people believe to be true hold an important place in their worldview." When properly interpreted they give information about the society from which they develop.
To show how a legend develops and how it affects and is affected by a given society the author traces one urban legend in particular titled "The Boyfriends Death". At the first recorded telling of this story it was relatively simple. As it went through more tellings and spread the story grew, different tellers added their personal flair to the telling. It also took on characteristics of the places it was told, or of other urban legends told in that area.
The author concludes by providing some explanations for why people tell these legends. There are several reasons, however, "[the] common role nowadays seems to be to show that the prosaic contemporary scene is capable of producing shocking of amazing occurrences which mat actually have happened to friends or to near-acquaintances but which are nevertheless explainable in some reasonably logical terms." Basically, they tell them to convince themselves that while their own lives are boring and seemingly unimportant, "shocking and amazing occurrences" do happen.present a question for discussion."Several of the informants explained that the story was told to them in spooky situations, late at night, near a cemetery, out camping or even " while on a hayride or out parked," occasionally near the site of the supposed murder. Some students refer to such macabre legends, therefore, as "scary stories," "screamers," or "horrors."Most urban legends are meant to scare the audience. What is it about horror which fascinates people? Is it the adrenalin rush? Does attributing these characteristics to others make one feel normal? Why do people like to be scared?
3. present a question for discussion.
"Several of the informants explained that the story was told to them in spooky situations, late at night, near a cemetery, out camping or even " while on a hayride or out parked," occasionally near the site of the supposed murder. Some students refer to such macabre legends, therefore, as "scary stories," "screamers," or "horrors."Most urban legends are meant to scare the audience. What is it about horror which fascinates people? Is it the adrenalin rush? Does attributing these characteristics to others make one feel normal? Why do people like to be scared?
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I asked a few of my friends and family why is it that they liked watching horror movies, and what some of them said were the typical answers: the suspense...the goosebumps, and so forth. Perhaps, its that we take pleasure in seeing others in trouble or close to their death. I love watching horror movies, especially when I know the scary part is coming because I get a rush, I sense fear, my hands get cold, my heart starts racing, all my muscles get tense, and then when the scary part is over, my whole body begins to relax. God! I love those feelings. Rare is the time when you get these feelings, at least for me. That is why I love horror movies.
-Cindy
I like the way she cited "new legends of Old" in her explanation. I personally do not like to watch scary movies or hear about them. I hate getting chills and much prefer a romance, no matter how cheesy.
For me, I like the adrenaline rush I feel when I am scared or when I feel the moment of horror coming. The taunting music playing in the background stresses me out and the hideous monstrous faces of the villains keeps me awake at night. The ironic thing is that I always know exactly how I will react to a movie, but I can’t help watching it. I think it’s the element of surprise, and to agree with Cindy, in everyday life, the feeling fear and intense emotions is rare, and although they might be bad reactions, because it is a movie there is the promise of an ending to the terror
Well I like to be scared because its a thrill that goes through my body and it keeps me awake to possibilities. I think that human beigns love attributing characteristics to others because its not to themselves and so if its not done on you, it doesn't matter what happens. I think that horror is a good way to bring up important social issues to the table. It's also fun, at times.
When I watch a scary/horror movie, I rarely ever get scared. Most of the time I ask "what's the point". I even diagnosed myself as being immune to scary movies. They do nothing for me really. I enjoy watching a scary movie simply because they tend to be sarcastic, ironic and sometimes funny, but not because I expect chills or anything. On another note, I sometimes wondered what would I do do if I was in a the characters position and the first thing that comes to mind is panic which is unsual for since I tend to be collective most of the time. I don't think that the horror fascinate people nor make them fearfull. I think that the horror builds a sense of security and people, in a rather non-sympathetic, are grateful that they are not being chased by a headless zombie. When psycho-analized, a lot can be learned about human behavior and feelings in relation to horror movies.
I think that people enjoy watching or listening to scary stories because they want to hear or see something so strange and out of the ordinary. I think people enjoy seeing what sick things happen to other people, as long as it isnt happening to them or someone they care about. I dont think that people believe in most horrors that they see and hear, but reather just enjoy the suspense that it brings. I think that believing that it wont happen in real life, though it was said to be, people just enjoy the imagination of something so sick actually occurring. Most scary movies nowadays are actually more funny than deemed scary due to the simple fact that they make things seem so ridiculously unrealistic. I dont know what it is that makes people want to see scary movies. I personally dont enjoy them when they are based on true stories such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but movies like SAW, which arent really scary but completely gruesome. The only reason i enjoy those movies is because i just imagine how sick the writor had to have been to think of so many differernt strategies and ways to kill people. Then again the people that were killed were people who didnt value their lives, so i think movies like those teach us life lessons.
From personal experience people LIKE being scared..for me not too much..I don't really like being scared but I DO love to hear about ghost stories and urban legends. I like watching a Haunting, and Ghost Hunters and Worlds Scariest Places and shows like that especially around Halloween..I love those stories just because they are out of the ordinary and thats why I think other people like them too because its something thats not normal. I think horror stuff shows people "this is what could happen but it doesn't happen often". Scary movies show the REAL bad side of an event.
I just like to hear about this stuff not actually experience it. Last year i went to a haunted house in the city and in the end it wasn't very scary but just standing on line not knowing whats behind the door can really play a toll on one's emotions and just freak you out.
People love listen to something scary. It’s in everyone, but they never want to be the actually character who feels the pain in the scary stories. It shows how people are.
I think that people like to watch horror movies like everyone said, because of the rush and the expectation that comes before it. with great expectation, people get this sense of rush and fear all over their body waiting for the suspenseful moment to occur. I like to watch scary movies because of that rush flowing all over my body. I like to expect something horrifying to happen especially in horror movies. The action excites me and also stops me to think about what the writer of the horror play or movie is like. They're probably very creative and imaginative in the horror agenda
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