Every corner of the world is filled with spooky legends that become part of its history. These stories, whether rooted in fact or born from imagination, linger through generations. Get ready to explore some lesser-known urban legends that might just make your blood run cold.
The Drowned Boy Of Hawaii
In a small village on Hawaii’s Big Island, paradise hides a haunting tragedy. Legend says that in 1947, a boy playing by a pond slipped and fell in. His friends sought help, and divers arrived quickly.
The divers found the boy’s body sitting upright on a rock at the bottom, eyes and mouth wide open, swaying with the water. They retrieved his body, but the tragedy didn’t end there.
Villagers reported unseen fingers tugging at their pants as they walked near the pond, convinced the boy’s spirit lingered, seeking company in his watery grave.
Years later, another boy was pulled into the pond and found in the same eerie position. He was resuscitated, but locals then heard mournful cries from the pond at night, said to continue until the boy finds a replacement.
Beware Of Long Ear
Somalia is known for its challenges: crime, piracy, and poverty. To protect their children, mothers use the legend of Long Ear to keep them from wandering into the forests.
Long Ear (Dhegdheer) is a cannibalistic woman who craves lost children. She roams the forests, her long ear to the ground, listening for the sounds of lost youngsters.
If she finds a child, she devours them within minutes. The tale gets even scarier: Long Ear particularly enjoys eating ill-mannered children who disobey their parents, adding an extra layer of fear for Somali kids.
The Rolling Calves Of Jamaica
Jamaica’s beauty—lush rainforests, stunning beaches, and rich culture—draws visitors worldwide. But if you wander out at night, beware the rolling calves.
These creatures are said to be the spirits of evil people, especially butchers. A rolling calf looks just as it sounds: a calf rolling along the road, with one or both eyes red and fiery, dragging chains.
Some versions describe goat hind legs and mismatched forelegs. Rolling calves block travelers, chasing and torturing anyone who runs.
To escape, throw objects for it to count, or race to a crossroads. Carrying a tarred whip in your left hand can also send it running.
‘The Price Is Three Sacks’
In Scotland, legend tells of a witch warning villagers against cutting down the forest for farmland. She threatened infertility if they didn’t heed her words.
A deal was made: the villagers could clear a small part of the forest, leaving one sack of produce after each harvest.
Centuries passed until a new generation built a mill, tearing down almost the entire forest. The witch returned, promising suffering for the broken treaty. The villagers hanged her, and with her last breath, she demanded three sacks of produce as the price.
The mill owner, fearing the witch, complied. His crops flourished, and he had three daughters. But greed took over, and he stopped paying. The next morning, his youngest daughter vanished.
The mill started running, but instead of grain, blood flowed. The daughter was found crushed between the millstones.
By the 1960s, only a silo remained. A boy dared to stay overnight reported empty grain bags coming to life, dragging themselves toward him, causing him to jump from the loft and break both ankles.
Eight Feet Tall
Japan is home to many chilling legends. There’s the Slit-Mouthed Woman and Teke Teke. Now, there’s Eight Feet Tall (Hachishakusama), a demon who lures children between 9 and 11.
She appears as a very tall woman with long black hair, dressed in white, and calls out “Po . . . Po . . . Po” in a masculine voice.
Like Slender Man, she stalks children for days or months, taking the form of trusted family. Once she finds an opening, she abducts, tortures, and kills the child.
Seven Sisters Road
In the early 1900s, a young man in Nebraska argued with his parents and sisters. He led each of his seven sisters into the woods, hanging them from separate trees in a row.
Years later, the trees were cut down for a road south of Nebraska City, named Seven Sisters Road. People reported screams, dimming headlights, ringing bells, and red eyes in the shadows.
Another version claims the father hanged his daughters after suspecting his wife of infidelity.
Check Behind You
Wakehurst Parkway in Sydney, connecting Seaforth to Narrabeen, is known for its paranormal activity and unexplained murders.
Motorists report malfunctioning radios and locking doors. The legend of Kelly, murdered along the parkway in the 1970s, warns drivers to check their back seats.
Kelly appears in the back seat, causing accidents if unnoticed. Yelling “Get out, Kelly” may save you. During the filming of The Parkway Hauntings, the cast and crew experienced a deep glow behind the actress playing Kelly, causing extreme cold and fear.
The Vanishing Hotel Room
In 1889, a mother and daughter traveling in Europe checked into a luxury hotel in Paris. The mother fell ill, and the daughter sought a doctor who prescribed medicine.
Upon returning with the medicine, the daughter found the hotel room empty, her mother gone, and the room completely changed. The curtains, carpet, and wallpaper were different, and their luggage was missing.
Hotel staff denied ever seeing them. The daughter sought help at the embassy but was deemed insane and sent to an asylum, where she eventually went mad and died.
These urban legends remind us that every place has its eerie stories, passed down through generations. Next time you’re out, remember these tales—you never know what might be lurking nearby.
