| Our culture is defined by the myths and legends it believes and creates. If you want to know what a society fears and praises, look at its stories. As one of the first colonies in America, Massachusetts brought tales of fairies and ghosts over from Europe, molded them with Puritan religious fears and opened them up to Native mysticism. The mix created a unique brand of folk that extends to the present, although often you find the ideas of the past wearing the mask of modern society. Fears change, but not fear. Looking at the old tales we see Hercules as Paul Bunyan and John Henry. Beouwolf is Blade without the sword. Evil changes its face and those faces teach our children how to act, and those lessons that were once learned by sitting by the fire are learned on-line or through television. Storytellers are the true historians, and Massachusetts has many cold nights to get the details of the story perfect. "It's the stories of the luxury, and the < a rel="nofollow" a href="http://www.hotelsonline.com/" target="_blank">cheap hotels with the haunted pasts, and the sorted tales of terror from college dorms that make Massachusetts a thrilling experience for visitors and locals alike." We separate a legend from a Haunted Site or an Occurrence in that there are few details that can be supported and what happened was limited to a certain time. The line gets blurred. The Old Coot for example sounds more like a legend, but he is still seen today. The Red Headed Hitchhiker is a haunting, but he hints at a richer folk tradition. Enjoy what you might consider inconsistency. It what helps to keep our history alive and is the intersection of the Crossroads. After reading the horrifying tales presented here you should have absolutely no problem coming up with adult Halloween costumes that will terrify children and adults alike. |
| MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF MASSACHUSETTS |
| An urban legend from the eighties involving everyone's worst childhood fear |
| Alien, haunting or bizarre animal |
| The tale of a ghost (or a rogue jurist) who saved a small town from an invasion. |
| Serial killers, the weight of the soul and George Bush... |
| This page is always being updated so check back. If you know of an urban legend that involves Massachuetts, or just want to share one you've heard, e-mail us at: alosa1066@masscrossroads.com |
| The tale of a Newton, Massachusetts, man's srtuggle versus the credit card bill from hell. |
| The tale of an autistic boy's trip to the aquarium and the new friend he brings home |
| Are the characters in the great cartoon Scooby-Doo based on Massachusetts colleges? |
| Does the famous Native American monster still haunt Massachusetts? |
| The first in a series of articles exploring some of the more famous legends from the road |