Urban Folklore


Urban folklore is the often hilarious, always engaging, occasionally bizarre, and almost-always-with-a-moral stories that we've all heard, known, and shared as part of our daily lives. They run the gamut of simple ghost stories told around a campfire or slumber parties to rumors of industrial and governmental conspiracies and coverups. Their study provides us with insights into human nature and how people come to perceive and cope with the uncertain and complex world.

The alt.folklore.urban newsgroup (AFU) loves to discuss these stories and it, like all newsgroups, has developed an interesting subculture of its own. I post the world-famous Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) list for AFU approximately twice a month to the following newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban, news.answers, alt.answers newsgroups with an expiration date approximately one month from the date of posting. If the FAQ is not available on AFU at your site please check the other newsgroups or check out: . .

Notice:  New Book by Jan Harold Brunvand

Don't forget Jan Harold Brunvand's, the pioneering researcher in modern urban folklore research, new book published in August 1999.  It's to be entitled Too Good to be True and published by W.W. Norton.  Look for it!


The Archive Formerly Known As Cathouse

With a special thanks to Jason Heimbaugh and the tireless effort of many others, there is  a hilarious collection of materials from the subculture known as AFU.

snopes' Urban Folklore Pages