Philippine E-Journals

An Analysis of Collected Urban Legends from Cagayan de Oro City

Ollie Kearl G. Duroy | Roxan Jul C. Legaspina | May Amor M. Beja

 

Abstract:

Filipinos are fond of telling stories about events or particular people from the past. These stories are handed down from one generation to another, and narrated on special occasions, such as after a Sunday lunch or just before an important family dinner. They are usually narrated by the oldest person in the family to youngest members. Example of these is the urban legends. Through them, community members would know the culture of their ancestors. They will come to know cultures that started from their ancestors and traditions that existed before and today. Other than for entertainment, these stories are told to teach a lesson (Malburg, 2012). This article is an examination of urban legends told in Cagayan de Oro, a city in southern Philippines. According to Brunwvand (1999), urban legends are told as if they really happened. They are fictitious, and created for a reason. Urban legends are supposed to be true, but can no longer be proven as such. The stories change over time along with various tellers. Some legends are most popular, others are forgotten, and some with several versions.