This is a past event
Part of the King's Museum lecture series
A lecture by Sandy Hobbs of the University of the West of Scotland, organised by the Elphinstone Institute.
SANDY HOBBS is Aberdeen-born and bred. Having studied at the University of Aberdeen for several years in the late 1950s, he has written about that time in his book, co-authored with Willie Thompson, Out of the Burning House. He has worked at a number of Scottish universities, eventually retiring as Reader in Psychology at the University of Paisley. Currently he is Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of the West of Scotland. His longstanding interest in modern folklore led to his being one of the founder members of the International Society for Contemporary Legend Research.
WHAT IS AN “URBAN LEGEND”?
“The Boyfriend’s Death” is the name given by scholars to a tragic story found in many locations, including Scotland. Like other tales of uncertain origin but told as true, such as the Vanishing Hitchhiker and the Choking Doberman, it is often referred to as an “urban” or “contemporary” legend. However, the term “urban legend” has no agreed definition and it is widely used to refer to any widely believed false belief. Sandy Hobbs considers several stories which might usefully be called “urban legends”, including local legends from the North-East, such as Downie’s Slaughter and the Boddam Monkey. He suggests that such tales are best understood in the light of the social psychology of conversation and of memory.
- Hosted by
- the Elphinstone Institute
- Venue
- MacRobert Building 055
- Contact