Legend and folktale have close relationship with myth even if they are different traditional stories. Myths are considered true or sacred for certain culture whereas folktales may took place at any time and any place, and are not considered true by the societies. While, traditionally, people consider legends as true stories but they are set in a more recent time, when the world was much as it is today. The main characters of legends generally are humans whereas myths generally focus on superhuman or god-like characters.
In some culture, it is not easy to make boxes to classify myths and legends. Instead of dividing their traditional stories into myths, legends, and folktales, some cultures classify them into two categories, namely folktales, and one that combines myths and legends. It may happen because people from some culture believe the real conection between spirit world and human life and they believe that the magic is real or the natural phenomena like natural disaster is connected with human deed and spirit realm. Myths, folktale, and legend have influence life style and arts in some cultures. Some traditional ceremonies are also inspired by myths, legends, and folktales, such as
Cat Wedding Ceremony.
Some horror stories ( ghosts, devil, etc) dark side stories in horror movies, horror games, and books (short stories and novel) are inspired by human-spirits relationship in legend, folklore, and myths. Horror stories elicit the emotions of fear, disgust and horror from audiences or readers. They raise dark fantasy in people's mind.
In
Supernatural, a supernatural and horror television series, the stories adopt ghosts and mythical creatures from various culture. So, do mythical creatures and monsters in Final Fantasy.
See
horror movie trailers and horror movies list if you love them. Some of them may be based on
scary myths like Medusa Myth or other ancient myths and legend.
In some culture, some historical events especially in ancient times have relationship with the world of mythical creatures, gods, and spirits. Or, perhaps, they personify the incidents, disasters, bad luck, and fear in the dark as if they faced spirit or scary supernatural power that they could not understand.
The sensation of mystery and darkness influence Gothic style, gothic art, gothic looks, and gothic poetry. H. P.Lovecraft; Richard Matheson; Edgar Allan Poe; and Stephen King use sensation of mystery and fear in their horror stories.
Howard Phillips "H. P." Lovecraft (August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an author of horror, fantasy and science fiction.
Lovecraft's guides literary principle of "cosmicism" or "cosmic horror." The idea that life is incomprehensible to human minds. The central theme in most of Lovecraft's works is that of forbidden knowledge, non-human influences on humanity, Inherited guilt, and fate. Since his childhood days, he was interested in horror stories when his grandfather told him Gothic horror stories. Arthur Machen’s tales of the survival of evil of ancient times in combination with Lovecraft’s own perspective in the mysteries, contributed to Lovecraft stories. Edgar Allan Poe was the biggest influence for Lovecraft. Lovecraft had many similarities with Poe
Lovecraft and his dark stories have impact on popular culture and many modern writers. The Lovecraftian world had influence in dark and mysterious theme in literature, music, movies, and games.
In 2011, The anthology
Historical Lovecraft by Innsmouth Free Press presents 26 tales of horror with Lovecraftian style. It presents tales of horror through times: Stalin’s Russia, 10th century Rome, Neolithic Mesopotamia, and Ancient South East Asea are just some of the backdrops before which madness and history collide.
Our tongue likes hot of chili and our heart and mind sometimes like the sensation of mystery and fear.
