In search of the genre ‘urban legend’

Abstract

The present essay aims at locating, from a theoretical point of view, a narrative genre in widespread circulation in contemporary societies, particularly in the virtual media: the so-called urban legends. Firstly, we discuss different definitions of urban legends – proposed within distinct research areas, such as folklore studies and sociology –, with a focus on the discursive aspects involved in the constitution of the genre. Secondly, we explore the boundaries and intersections between this and two similar, and frequently confused genres: the rumor and the fait divers. We conclude our discussion by reviewing and questioning the very issue of the delimitation of a genre.