Category Archives: Tales /märchen

Stories which are not regarded as possibly true.

Grade Killer

Age – 17
Language – English
Nationality – American
Occupation – Student
Primary Language – English
Residence – New York

Text: “I have always been scared of the dark since I was younger and I was told this story once as a kid from someone in my class. The story was that there was a man that went around and killed kids who weren’t actively getting the best grades at school. This story sounds dumb, but one night I woke up dreary in the middle of the night and thought I saw something in the window or a moving figure outside my window and then my lights started flickering and I freaked out and ran into my parents room. I couldn’t sleep alone in my room for a week after that.”

Context:
The informant tells a story from childhood where a man supposedly killed kids who didn’t do well in school. The informant said this stemmed from kids trying to scare people in school and her fear of academic failure. This story scared her a lot, especially since she was already afraid of the dark.

Analysis:
This story plays into common childhood fears like the fear of failure and punishment. The man who kills kids for bad grades is a way of turning something as schoolwork into a nightmare. The informant’s personal experience, where she was already scared of the dark and then had something strange happen, justified her fear in the moment. The flickering lights and the feeling of someone watching really make this myth feel true in her life.

Children Eater

Age – 20
Language – English
Nationality – American
Occupation – Student
Primary Language – English
Residence – Virginia

Text: “I was told a story very similar to Hansel and Gretel when I was younger. Basically, a grandma ate the children at night. I was really scared of the dark when I was younger and so every time I was alone at night in my room I thought she was hiding there and I would be scared to fall asleep.”

Context: The informant remembers a childhood story that’s similar to “Hansel and Gretel,” where a grandmother eats children at night. As a kid, the informant was already scared of the dark, so this story made her feel even more terrified whenever she was alone at night.

Analysis: The “grandma eating children” idea taps into the deeper fear of being vulnerable, especially at night when you’re alone and young. The grandma figure turning into a monster shows how folklore twists familiar figures into sources of terror. The informant’s fear of the dark makes the story feel personal to her.

Ax Man

Text: “I had this story about an Ax Man I was told at summer camp when I was younger if that’s a legend. It was about this guy who had an ax and apparently hid in the woods behind the cabin in the back corner, cabin 13, and one night he axed through the roof and killed the campers and you could allegedly hear the campers scream on the rock by the cabin even still I got told it when I was a first year camper and it scared me a lot. I was always scared every year I would get placed in that cabin and I never walked back towards it.”

Context: The informant recounts a spooky story he heard at summer camp about an “Ax Man” who hid in the woods behind Cabin 13. The informant remembers hearing this as a first year camper, and it made him terrified of Cabin 13.

Analysis: The “Ax Man” taps into fears of being isolated in a scary place, especially at night. The idea of hearing the screams of past victims makes the story creepier, adding lingering danger. The informant’s fear of Cabin 13 shows how stories can stay with you, even influencing where you choose to go or avoid at camp.

Haunted Lake Lanier

Age – 20
Language – English
Nationality- American
Occupation – Student
Primary Language – English
Residence – Atlanta

Text: “Lake Lanier is a lake north of Atlanta and its man made but before it was a lake it was a moonshine town. It was a predominantly black town, but these developers said they were building a lake here and you have two lakes to evacuate the area because after that we’re flooding the area. Not everyone so a lot of people drowned in the lake when it got flooded. If you go deep enough into the lake you can see old buildings and the old town was called Oscarville and it was flooded in 1912. Everyone believes Lake Lanier is haunted and nothing good happens there, you don’t go there because people have found bodies there and there’s a belief if you swim in the lake you can feel people touching your ankles and will try to pull you down and drag you under.”

Context:
The informant talks about Lake Lanier, a lake just north of Atlanta, where he lives. Before it was flooded to create the lake, the area was a black town called Oscarville, and many people drowned when they were forced to evacuate.

Analysis: The idea of the lake being haunted by those who drowned reflects a cultural trauma. It’s about the spirits of a town that was forced to disappear. The belief that people can still feel the touch of those lost in the water shows how history and folklore intersect, making this lake a combination of both real and supernatural danger.

Pecos Bill

Story

“There’s this tale about a man named Pecos Bill who was a cowboy in Texas who fell out of a wagon and was raised by coyotes. He was real tough and would rope tornados with rattlesnakes. Some people say he created the Rio Grande, but I can’t remember how they say he did it.” 

Context

My informant is from Texas and heard this tale from his dad who grew up on a ranch in rural Texas. He claims his dad would often compare things to Pecos Bill by saying something like, “You are tougher than Pecos Bill.” 

Final Thoughts

This tale seems to reflect a lot of local hobbies and values. The association of Texas culture with bull riding, lassos, tornados, and acting tough allows this tale to be relevant in this state. As my informant mentioned, his father would often allude to Pecos Bill in everyday speech. He likely would not have been able to do this outside of Texas, as his audience likely would not be familiar with this tale.