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Urban Legends and Myths

Esha S.


Dear Readers,

  I do not own any of the stories that are in this book. This book contains stories that may not be suitable for the weak of heart, or the pregnant. I will credit the original author, or whoever made the story. Most of this book is going to be about Urban Legends, and stories passed down for generations. Enjoy!

 

  The Slender Man

  The Slender Man is a paranormal creature that has no eyes, mouth, nose, or ears. The appearance of Slender Man is very unusual. The Slender Man is a male (male in appearance) that has very long legs and arms. He also has 4 to eight long black tentacles.

  The author of the article states this in his appearance “His face is pale and slightly ghostly, and almost appears to have been wrapped in a type of gauze or cloth. His facial features are also an object of debate, and many people believe that his face looks different to each person, if it is seen at all. He often keeps his long, pale hands crossed politely behind his back or hanging loosely at his sides. His suit is black, sometimes portrayed as pinstripe in artwork, a common misconception thanks to the very similar Jack Skellington from Nightmare before Christmas. He has long coattails which he lets flow proudly. He wears long dress shoes, which are always shined a perfect, gleaming black.”

 

  (Image Source: www.slenderman.com) (Image Source: www.nydailynews.com)

  The behavior of Slender Man is very unusual. He tends to make children his victims. Despite the rumor that he kills the children almost exclusively it is hard to tell if his main objection is slaughter.

  The articles author states this in the text “Even though Slender Man was fabricated on SomethingAwful forums (or was he?), some people have already claimed sightings. He is seen mostly at night peering into open windows and walks out in front of lone motorists on secluded roads. His main intentions appear to be kidnapping children, as when he is seen near them in photographs, they usually disappear shortly afterwards. The Slender Man has also inspired many stories such as those of Marble Hornets.”

  A pasta member who was relying on Marble Hornets stated this “There has been a big misconception about my pal the Slender Man due to the appearance of this article. He does not have hair or a face. Everything else is correct. There is also some questioning as to whether or not there is more than one. I find that unlikely. It's most likely Slendy fucking with your head in order to make you think that there is more than one, which he has been known to do. As of now, Slendy has 3 or 4 known accomplices.

  These are Hoodie, Maskie, The Rake and possibly The Observer. Not much is known yet because the next episode of the Noah Maxwell ARG has not yet been released. In the Marble Hornets ARG, Hoodie and Maskie are possibly his followers. In the Everyman HYBRIDS ARG the Rake seems to be working with him, but we aren't really sure if that is true or not.”

 

  Hoodie (Image Source: Dave Near @ Youtube) Masky (Image Source: Slenderman wikia)

  The Rake (Image Source: www.imgbuddy.com)

  The Slender Man is stated to be seen in historical references. Starting with Brazilian cave paintings dating back to 9000 BC. These paintings show a strangely elongated character leading a child by the hand, but make no reference to the extra appendages.

  The next known possible reference to the Slender Man comes from around 3100 BC in lower Egypt, with references to the "Thief of the Gods" or the "Thief of Kuk" becoming common place during the reign of Pharaoh Wazner. Hieroglyphic carvings representing the Thief were found in the pharaoh's tomb, who was rumored to have had some kind of encounter with the entity. The carvings resemble a strange figure with multiple upper limbs, one that has never been found in any other hieroglyph language.

  Renowned German woodcutter Hans Freckenberg created at least two woodcuts featuring a character he described as Der Ritter (The Knight) during the mid-sixteenth century that were discovered in Halstberg Castle in 1883. Whilst Freckenberg was well-known for his realistic depiction of human anatomy - something that was unusual among woodcuts of the time - these pictures featured a skeletal, multi-limbed character.

  Historians are unsure of the exact symbolic nature of the character, with some claiming that it is a personification of the religious wars that raged in Europe at the time, while others say it represents the mysterious plagues that have been believed to be the reason for the mysterious abandoning of the Hastlberg Castle and the nearby village in 1543.

  However, many insist that Freckenberg was attempting to represent "Der Großmann" (the Tall Man). According to legend, he was a fairy who lived in the Black Forest. Bad children who crept into the woods at night would be relentlessly chased by Der Großmann, who wouldn't leave them be until he either caught them or they were forced to tell their parents of their wrongdoing. Even then, there is a chilling account from an old journal, dating from about 1702.

  There is also a Romanian fairytale which tells the legend of the Tall Man, featuring this description which may have taken to refer to the Slender Man

  "The tall man stood in a clearing, dressed as a nobleman, all in black. Shadows lay over him, dark as a cloudy midnight. He had many arms, all long and boneless as snakes, all sharp as swords, and they writhed like worms on nails. He did not speak, but made his intentions known,"

  In the fairytale, the Tall Man causes a mother to kill her husband and child, before he slid from a fireplace and "clenched her in his burning embrace."

  There is also an English myth referring to the "Tree Man", whom is said to have a slim body with appendages that looks like tree branches.

  He is only known to be seen in the woods and was used as a story that parents told their children to thwart bad behavior. There have been quite a few disappearances of children that have been said to be linked to the "Tree Man". That is it for this legend. You can find more about The Slender Man on these websites: