Editing Urban legend (section)

==Origin and structure==
The term "urban legend", as used by folklorists, has appeared in print since at least 1968, when it was used by [[Richard Dorson]].<ref>Oxford English Dictionary, 2d ed. 1989, entry for "urban legend", citing R. M. Dorson in T. P. Coffin, ''Our Living Traditions'', xiv. 166 (1968). See also William B. Edgerton, "The Ghost in Search of Help for a Dying Man", ''Journal of the Folklore Institute'', Vol. 5, No. 1. pp. 31, 38, 41 (1968).</ref> [[Jan Harold Brunvand]], professor of English at the [[University of Utah]], introduced the term to the general public in a series of popular books published beginning in 1981. Brunvand used his collection of legends, ''[[The Vanishing Hitchhiker|The Vanishing Hitchhiker: American Urban Legends & Their Meanings]]'' (1981) to make two points: first, that legends and folklore do not occur exclusively in so-called primitive or traditional societies, and second, that one could learn much about urban and modern culture by studying such tales.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brunvand |first1=Jan Harold |title=The Vanishing Hitchhiker: American Urban Legends and Their Meanings |date=1981 |publisher=WW Norton & Company |location=New York |isbn=9780393346534 |pages=xi-xii & 1-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eY-W_LiKe18C |access-date=10 November 2024}}</ref>

Many urban legends are framed as complete [[fable|stories]] with [[plot (narrative)|plot]] and characters. The compelling appeal of a typical urban legend is its elements of mystery, [[Horror (emotion)|horror]], fear, or humor. Often they serve as [[cautionary tale]]s.<ref>{{Cite web | date=2011-03-10| title=Urban Legend Definition| url=https://www.snopes.com/2011/03/10/what-are-urban-legends/| access-date=2022-01-10| website=Snopes.com| language=en-US}}</ref> Some urban legends are [[moral|morality tales]] that depict someone acting in a disagreeable manner, only to wind up in trouble, hurt, or dead.<ref>{{Cite web | date=2001-05-16| title=How Urban Legends Work| url=https://people.howstuffworks.com/urban-legend.htm| access-date=2022-01-10| website=HowStuffWorks| language=en}}</ref>

Urban legends will often try to invoke a feeling of [[disgust]] in the reader which tends to make these stories more memorable and potent. Elements of [[shock value]] can be found in almost every form of urban legend and are partially what makes these tales so impactful.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web | url=https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20150126-how-to-create-an-urban-legend| title=What makes an urban legend?| last=Robson| first=David| website=www.bbc.com| language=en| access-date=2020-02-20}}</ref>  An urban legend may include elements of the [[supernatural]] or [[paranormal]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Markarian |first=Taylor |title=50 of the Spookiest Urban Legends from Every State |url=https://www.rd.com/list/scary-urban-legends/ |access-date=2024-11-22 |website=Reader's Digest |language=en-US}}</ref>