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88-540: Public knowledge of the story expanded greatly with the 1981 publication of Jan Harold Brunvand 's non-fiction book The Vanishing Hitchhiker . In his book, Brunvand suggests that the story of The Vanishing Hitchhiker can be traced as far back as the 1870s." Similar stories have been reported for centuries across the world in places like England, Ethiopia, Korea, France, South Africa, Tsarist Russia and in America among Chinese Americans, Mormons and Ozark mountaineers. What

176-653: A hippopotamus . The tooth was then removed from the altar and its veneration prohibited. Devotional medals with St. Christopher's name and image are commonly worn as pendants , especially by travelers, to show devotion and as a request for his blessing. Miniature statues are frequently displayed in automobiles . In French a widespread phrase for such medals is Regarde St Christophe et va-t-en rassuré ("Look at St Christopher and go on reassured", sometimes translated as "Behold St Christopher and go your way in safety"); Saint Christopher medals and holy cards in Spanish have

264-398: A 2003 article, "Nowadays it would be naive to ask for mere press releases and print articles when most people turn to websites and on-line databases for information." He recognized that urban legend reference sites, like Snopes.com provide readers with far more timely examples and current information than he could keep up with in his books. The Study of American Folklore. An Introduction

352-516: A Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism. While at Michigan State, he attended a Reserve Officers' Training Corps program and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant upon graduation. Brunvand went on to earn a Master of Arts degree in English from the same university in 1957. He briefly served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps at Fort Monmouth and was discharged with the rank of 1st Lieutenant. While attending Michigan State, Brunvand met Richard Dorson ,

440-617: A Guggenheim Fellowship in the Humanities (Folklore and Popular Culture) that same year. Throughout the next decade, Brunvand focused his research on Romanian folklore, with a particular interest in Romanian house decoration. He returned to Romania in 1973-74 and again in 1981, receiving grants from the International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX) to continue his studies. His research would later be published in

528-527: A conversation about ghosts, and the second person asks the first if the latter believes in ghosts or has ever seen one, to which the first person claims never to have seen or believed in ghosts at all. The second person replies that this is doubtful, and vanishes. This was the version used in the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark book series. The first proper study of the story of the vanishing hitchhiker

616-442: A dangerous river, where they were perishing in the attempt. The hermit promised that this service would be pleasing to Christ. After Christopher had performed this service for some time, a little child asked him to take him across the river. During the crossing, the river became swollen and the child seemed as heavy as lead, so much that Christopher could scarcely carry him and found himself in great difficulty. When he finally reached

704-478: A disconnect with his students and their views toward folklore. "They always seemed to think that folklore belonged to somebody else, usually in the past, that was something quaint and outdated." He began asking his students to think about and discuss stories from their own lives. These stories helped form the basis of a collection which Brunvand later included in several popular books on the topic of urban legends. In 1981, Brunvand's first book devoted to urban legends

792-524: A folklorist and professor, who became a mentor. Brunvand took an undergraduate American Folklore course Dorson offered in the fall quarter of 1954 and, in subsequent semesters, completed two of Dorson's graduate courses in folklore as a special enrollee. The work Brunvand and other classmates did for Dorson's classes included "preparing a large and well organized personal collection of folklore garnered from oral tradition and furnished with informant data and background comments." These papers would later serve as

880-408: A friend. "Urban legends," Brunvand says, "have a persistent hold on the imagination because they have an element of suspense or humor, they are plausible and they have a moral." Though criticized for the "popular" rather than "academic" orientation of his books, The Vanishing Hitchhiker and others, Brunvand felt that it was a "natural and worthwhile part of his job as a folklorist to communicate

968-487: A gold-plated reliquary holds the skull of St. Christopher. According to church tradition, a bishop showed the relics from the city wall in 1075 in order to end a siege of the city by an Italo-Norman army. The Cathedral of St. James in Šibenik holds a relic claimed to be the incorrupt leg of the saint is kept at the . It was brought over in 1484 from Constantinople through Corfu and originally intended to be transferred to Korčula . The feast day of Saint Christopher

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1056-693: A holy death; mariners; market carriers; motorists and drivers; sailors; storms; surfers; toothache ; mountaineering; and transportation workers. Christopher is the patron saint of many places, including: Baden, Germany ; Barga, Italy ; Brunswick, Germany ; Mecklenburg, Germany ; Rab, Croatia ; Roermond, the Netherlands ; Saint Christopher's Island ( Saint Kitts ); Toses, Catalonia, Spain ; Mondim de Basto, Portugal ; Agrinio, Greece ; Vilnius, Lithuania ; Riga, Latvia ; Havana, Cuba ; San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic ; Paete, Laguna, Philippines ; and Tivim, Goa, India . Numerous places are named for

1144-551: A literal translation of the original Greek term 'dog-headed. (kunokephalos). This tradition may have translated the term as "dog-like" (canineus). This later evolved into a misreading as the Latin term Cananeus , ' Canaanite ', thus turning Christopher into a Canaanite. According to the medieval Irish Passion of St. Christopher, "This Christopher was one of the Dog-heads, a race that had the heads of dogs and ate human flesh." It

1232-422: A local cemetery . In this and other versions of the urban legend , the unsuspecting motorist makes contact with the family of a deceased person using the information the hitchhiker left behind and finds that the family's description of the deceased matches the passenger the motorist picked up and also finds that they were killed in some unexpected way (usually a car accident ) and that the driver's encounter with

1320-464: A more public forum. I believe that the public and media image of what a folklorist does is in fact part of what we should be doing, whether we were trained specifically for it or not, whether we work in academe or not, and whether we like it or not." Brunvand and his books became so popular, that, when Richard Wolkomir dubbed him "Mr. Urban Legend" in an article for the Smithsonian , the title

1408-525: A paper on Norwegian-American folklore in the archives of Indiana University and one about the Norwegian folk hero Askeladden . In 1957, Brunvand returned to the United States as a graduate student at Indiana University , Bloomington, Indiana. He switched majors, from English to folklore, and took a series of classes offered through the university's summer institute. He worked as an archivist in

1496-564: A personal name. The Eastern Orthodox Church venerates Christopher of Lycea (or Lycia ) with a Feast Day on 9 May. The liturgical reading and hymns refer to his imprisonment by Decius who tempts Christopher with harlots before ordering his beheading. The Kontakion in the Fourth Tone (hymn) reads: Thou who wast terrifying both in strength and in countenance, for thy Creator's sake thou didst surrender thyself willingly to them that sought thee; for thou didst persuade both them and

1584-600: A phenomenon like the ethnic joke, examples of which are told by target groups, or is the urban legend essentially a mainstream occurrence? I don't think the final word has been written yet on the genre, but Jan Brunvand has made admirable strides toward that end." The Mexican Pet: "New" Urban Legends is Brunvand's third book in a series of books about urban legends meant to appeal to a general audience. This time, Brunvand includes stories collected from colleagues, students, professional newscasters and appeals through his own publications, lectures and media appearances. He organized

1672-475: A single volume collection titled Casa Frumoasa: The House Beautiful in Rural Romania, published by East European Monographs in 2003. In 1968, The Study of American Folklore: An Introduction was published by W.W. Norton and Company. Brunvand received an Honorable Mention for this book in a 1969 Chicago Folklore Prize competition. The Chicago Folklore Prize is "supported by an endowment established by

1760-489: A story they heard. They forget details and fill in the gaps by inventing what they are missing to make sense of the story. Though criticized for the popular orientation of his books, Brunvand was dedicated to publicizing the field of folklore, exploring the roots of the stories, where possible, and, in some cases debunking them. "Folklorists fill different educational roles," Brunvand told members of The Missouri Folklore Society in 2003, "sometimes in classrooms, but often in

1848-519: A wayside cross and found out that the devil feared Christ, he left him and enquired from people where to find Christ. He met a hermit who instructed him in the Christian faith. Christopher asked him how he could serve Christ. When the hermit suggested fasting and prayer, Christopher replied that he was unable to perform that service. The hermit then suggested that because of his size and strength Christopher could serve Christ by assisting people to cross

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1936-605: A while, Brunvand's hobbies and academic interests intersect, notably with an article in The American Fly Fisher debunking a fake quotation by Thoreau . He writes a series of columns on Seniors Skiing.com. Brunvand was a guest on National Public Radio's All Things Considered in September 1999. He spoke to Noah Adams about his book Too Good to be True: The Colossal Book of Urban Legends . His Encyclopedia of Urban Legends , illustrated by Randy Hickman,

2024-630: Is a book intended for students of folklore with a particular emphasis on American Folklore as transmitted in the English language. For the purposes of this book, Brunvand defines folklore as "those materials in culture that circulate traditionally among members of any group in different versions, whether in oral form or by means of customary example." The book is divided into three main categories: verbal (dialect and speech habits, proverbs, riddles, tales, rhymes, folk-songs, ballads), partly verbal (superstitions, customs, dances, plays), and non-verbal (gestures, music, handcrafts, folk architecture, food). Within

2112-520: Is a book intended to introduce the idea of urban legends to the general public. Included in the book are such chilling and humorous stories as "The Vanishing Hitchhiker," "The Economical Car," "The Ghost Airliner," The Girl with the Beehive Hairdo," "The Solid Cement Cadillac," and "The Killer in the Back Seat." Brunvand's approach, according to reviewer Janet L. Langlois, "sensitizes

2200-466: Is an American retired folklorist , researcher, writer, public speaker, and professor emeritus of English at the University of Utah . Brunvand is best known for popularizing the concept of the urban legend , a form of modern folklore or story telling. Urban legends are "too good to be true" stories that travel by word of mouth, by print, or by the internet and are attributed to an FOAF: friend of

2288-577: Is celebrated on 27 July in Šibenik. Greek Orthodox churches in Grevena , Filothei , and Siatista hold other relics claimed to be those of the saint. In the Late Middle Ages, a claimed large tooth of St. Christopher was delivered to the church in Vercelli . Pilgrims came from all over Europe to look at this relic until the end of 18th century when a naturalist determined it was a tooth of

2376-504: Is in use throughout the Lusophone world. Because St. Christopher offered protection to travelers and against sudden death, many churches placed images or statues of him, usually opposite the south door, so he could be easily seen. He is usually depicted as a giant, with a child on his shoulder and a staff in one hand. In England, there are more wall paintings of St. Christopher than of any other saint; in 1904, Mrs. Collier, writing for

2464-503: Is the English version of the Greek name Χριστόφορος ( Christóphoros or Christóforos ). It is formed from the word elements Χριστός ( Christós , 'Christ'), and φέρειν ( phérein , 'to bear'), together signifying, "Christ bearer". Widely dispersed into other languages and cultures from the Greek, many native forms of Christopher are used both to refer to the saint and as

2552-429: Is venerated by several Christian denominations. According to these traditions, he was a martyr killed in the reign of the 3rd-century Roman emperor Decius ( r.  249–251 ), or alternatively under the emperor Maximinus Daia ( r.  308–313 ). Churches and monasteries were named after him by the 7th century. There is no evidence for the historicity of the saint. The most famous legend connected to

2640-741: The British Archaeological Association , reported 183 paintings, statues, and other representations of the saint, outnumbering all others except for the Virgin Mary . In the Eastern Orthodox Church , certain icons identify Saint Christopher with the head of a dog. Such images may carry echoes of the Egyptian dog-headed god, Anubis . Because of the association of the representation of dog-headed saint with stories of werewolves or of monstrous races,

2728-539: The Candelmass market in Västergötland . A maid asked to go along. At an inn they got off to get a bite to eat, and the maid wanted something to drink, a jug of beer (a common beverage). The first time the innkeeper fetched beer, the jug was filled with malt , second time acorns , and finally blood . They were then horrified. The maid explained that this year will yield much grain ; plenty of fruit on

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2816-611: The University of Utah , Salt Lake City, Utah, where he remained a professor until his retirement in 1996. By 1967, Brunvand was a member of the Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association . He had also served as Book Review Editor for the Journal of American Folklore, which he resigned after receiving a Fulbright Scholarship research grant in 1970 to study folklore in Romania. He also won

2904-412: The 6th century and had spread to France by the 9th century. The 11th-century bishop and poet Walter of Speyer gave one version, but the most popular variations originated from the 13th-century Golden Legend . According to the legendary account of his life Christopher was initially called Reprobus . He was a Canaanite , 5 cubits (7.5 feet (2.3 m)) tall and with a fearsome face. While serving

2992-714: The American Folklore Society in 1974 and was elected president of the organization in 1985. From 1977 to 1980, Brunvand served as editor of the Journal of American Folklore, with the goal of making the journal more readable and useful to its major audience, American folklorists. He widened the scope of the journal by including articles written by those outside folklore, but whose work was "relevant to that being done by professional folklorists." He wanted to emphasize folklore and literature, folklore and history, folklife, festival and modern folklore. In 1976, Brunvand's book Folklore: A Study and Research Guide

3080-804: The Brunvand text seems to confirm that introducing folklore by way of genres remains an effective and, for many, a preferred teaching tool even if it does not reflect the most current theoretical perspectives." American Folklore: An Encyclopedia is an illustrated volume that contains within its pages more than 500 articles covering American and Canadian folklore and folklife. Subject areas include holidays, festivals, rituals to crafts, music, dance and occupations. The book provides short bibliographies and cross-references for further research. Saint Christopher Saint Christopher ( Greek : Ἅγιος Χριστόφορος , Hágios Christóphoros , lit.   ' Christ-bearer ' ; Latin : Sanctus Christophorus )

3168-459: The Folk Tales of England and North America (1966) delineates the basic vanishing hitchhiker as follows: Ghost of young woman asks for ride in automobile, disappears from closed car without the driver's knowledge, after giving him an address to which she wishes to be taken. The driver asks person at the address about the rider, finds she has been dead for some time. (Often the driver finds that

3256-530: The Indiana University Folklore Archives from September 1958 to June 1960. During this time, he met Archer Taylor, who, as a visiting professor, taught a course on proverbs and riddles. This course, according to Brunvand, "changed his life." Proverbs became one of Brunvand's favorite topics to study and discuss. In 1961, Brunvand's A Dictionary of Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases from Books Published by Indiana Authors Before 1890

3344-691: The International Folklore Association and is awarded annually by the University of Chicago for an important contribution to the study of folklore." Brunvand's A Guide for Collectors of Folklore in Utah was published by Utah Publications in the American West in 1971. In the years 1973 to 1976, Brunvand, again, took on the role of associate editor for the Journal of American Folklore. He was named Folklore Fellow by

3432-601: The Roman numerus Marmaritarum ('Unit of the Marmaritae'). He was reported to be of enormous size, with the head of a dog instead of a man. This was in line with the cultural beliefs of the time, which held that typical Marmaritae were tall, strong, and rascally; being a cynocephalus was also consistent with this image. Roman writer Pliny the Elder reported that the " Cynamolgi cynocephali , of Ethiopia were men with

3520-650: The Russian Orthodox Church proscribed the depiction of the saint with a dog head in the 18th century. The roots of that iconography lie in a hagiographic narrative set during the reign of the Emperor Diocletian , which tells of a man named Reprebus , (also, Rebrebus or Reprobus ; 'the reprobate' or 'scoundrel'). He was captured by Roman forces fighting against tribes dwelling to the west of Egypt in Cyrenaica and forced to join

3608-449: The Way of a Good Story! . He made several appearances on Late Night with David Letterman and, in 1987, began a twice-weekly syndicated newspaper column called Urban Legends. He participated in countless radio talk shows and dozens of press interviews, educating people about this pass-along folk narrative that, typically involves people misunderstanding or making false assumptions about

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3696-410: The above involves the vanishing hitchhiker departing as would a normal passenger, having left some item in the vehicle , or having borrowed a garment for protection against the cold. The vanishing hitchhiker may also leave some form of information that encourages the motorist to make subsequent contact. In such accounts of the legend, the garment borrowed is often found draped over a gravestone in

3784-482: The all-purpose intelligentsia know that folklore is just as much fun as interplanetary travel and not nearly as expensive." To this, Brunvand countered: "I really won't think I have arrived until they refer to Carl Sagan as 'The Jan Brunvand of astronomy.'" Patricia T. O'Connor, writer for The New York Times , described The Choking Doberman and Other "New" Urban Legends as "a collection of 'urban legends,' fictitious narratives that are passed from person to person in

3872-731: The author of The Vanishing Hitchhiker. Includes more recent urban legends such as the Senile President, the Adulterous Evangelist, and the Smelly Gym Sock in the Big Mac. 233 pages hardbound. $ 34.95 (Harvard 1988: 229)." Brunvand retired from the University of Utah in 1996, but continued doing some research and writing as professor emeritus of English. He frequently writes for publications dedicated to skiing, vintage automobiles and fly fishing. Once in

3960-425: The beginnings of a large archive of folklore housed at Indiana University. On June 10, 1956, Brunvand married Judith Darlene Ast, also a student at Michigan State University. Four days later, the couple left for Oslo, Norway, where Brunvand attended the University of Oslo on a Fulbright scholarship . He spent the year studying folklore. He started publishing in academic publications during this period, notably

4048-437: The book for its failure to make explicit the background theory used to evaluate the works and classification system included in the book, contradictions in detail and narrative, its authoritarian tone, and its charismatic or arbitrary approach to knowledge with serious ethnocentric biases. Peter Tokofsky, in his article Introducing Folklore: A Review Essay , suggested that "the longevity and, presumably, continuing strong sales of

4136-482: The book in thematic categories: animal stories, automobiles, horrors, contaminations, sex and scandal, crime, and products, professionals and personalities. There are new versions of earlier legends, newly obtained pieces and leftovers from his files. Among the stories included in the book are: "The Mexican Pet," "Cabbage Patch Kids' death certificates," "The Green Stamps." Many of the stories have been disseminated through print and broadcast media. Brunvand wrote in

4224-457: The depth necessary for people actively researching urban legends. Janet L. Langlois, for example, wondered what criteria Brunvand used in selecting stories for the book, as well as what made the legends American, urban and modern. Reviewer Gary Alan Fine wrote, "The paperback edition makes an excellent supplementary reading for introductory folklore students. It's all good fun, and Brunvand, folklore's Carl Sagan , should thrive and prosper, letting

4312-521: The experiencer. According to Goss most of the stories are "fabricated, folklore creations retold in new settings." Skeptic Joe Nickell , who investigated two alleged cases, concluded that there is no reliable evidence for vanishing hitchhikers. Historical examples have their origin in folklore tales and urban legends . Modern cases often involve conflicting accounts that may well be the result of exaggeration , illusion or hoaxing . Jan Harold Brunvand Jan Harold Brunvand (born March 23, 1933)

4400-472: The future (however, Klint does not mention whether the prophecy was correct), as well as category E332.3.3.1(e) because she wanted something to drink, and E332.3.3.1(g) because she was on her way home. Paranormal researcher Michael Goss in his book The Evidence for Phantom Hitch-Hikers discovered that many reports of vanishing hitchhikers turn out be based on folklore and hearsay stories. Goss also examined some cases and attributed them to hallucination of

4488-486: The ghost has made similar attempts to return, usually on the anniversary of death in automobile accident. Often, too, the ghost leaves some item such as a scarf or traveling bag in the car.) Baughman's classification system grades this basic story as motif E332.3.3.1. Subcategories include: Here, the phenomenon blends into religious encounters, with the next and last vanishing hitchhiker classification  – E332.3.3.2 – being for encounters with divinities who take to

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4576-746: The guise of true stories and sometimes persist until they reach the status of folklore." These stories are bizarre but believable and often attributed to a friend of a friend (FOAF). Like in his book, The Vanishing Hitchhiker , Brunvand provided the reader with a survey of urban legends, stories such as "The Choking Doberman," "The Poison Dress," and "The Death of Little Mikey." Each story, with its accompanying variations, are categorized into themes and motifs: victimized women and children, food and beverage contamination, fearful encounters, sexual embarrassment, and humorous retribution. Though Robert D. Bethke called The Choking Doberman "the kind of work one immediately wants to share with friends," he also criticized

4664-489: The heads of dogs." Pliny's work, The Natural History was, during the first century A.D., a well-respected compendium of Roman science. It reports accepted "knowledge" about people from Cyrenaica . Pliny notes that these "dog-headed men" resided in "Ethiopia"—a name used to encapsulate areas of Africa West and South of Alexandrian Egypt by contemporary Romans. Reprebus and the unit were later transferred to Syrian Antioch , where bishop Peter of Attalia baptised him and where he

4752-562: The infant Jesus across a river on his shoulders. Small images of him are often worn around the neck, on a bracelet, carried in a pocket, or placed in vehicles. He is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers . The Eastern Church tradition depicts the saint as a cynocephalus ('dog-headed creature') in a literal interpretation of its legendary tradition. Legends about the life and death of Saint Christopher first appeared in Greece in

4840-485: The injury wasn't anything a cold towel and a cold beer wouldn't fix"). "Day 10," Jim Reilly wrote in an article describing the competition," was the last we heard from Jan. We assume he made it home, but maybe he...vanished." His favorite hobbies are fly fishing and skiing. He and his wife, Judith, continue to reside in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Vanishing Hitchhiker: American Urban Legends and Their Meanings

4928-462: The king of Canaan, he took it into his head to go and serve "the greatest king there was". He went to the king who was reputed to be the greatest, but one day he saw the king cross himself at the mention of the devil. On thus learning that the king feared the devil , he departed to look for the devil. He came across a band of marauders, one of whom declared himself to be the devil, so Christopher decided to serve him. But when he saw his new master avoid

5016-403: The legends themselves, historical evidence of how the legend may have originated (often with European or East Asian roots), and an explanation of what the legend might mean in an urban or modern context. Although recognized by critics for its usefulness as an introductory volume and reference point for expanding the field of folklore, reviewers cautioned that The Vanishing Hitchhiker lacked

5104-463: The local king, he refused to sacrifice to the pagan gods. The king tried to win him by riches and by sending two beautiful women to tempt him. Christopher converted the women to Christianity, as he had already converted thousands in the city. The king ordered him to be killed. Various attempts failed, but finally Christopher was beheaded. The name Christopher , as used in the Anglophone world,

5192-698: The names of the state ministers of the Byzantine Empire and those church ministers who were involved in the laying of the foundation stone, the construction or the consecration of the church. The inscription attests to the veneration of Saint Christopher in Chalcedon in the 5th century. A nunnery in Galatia was consecrated to Saint Christopher around the year 600. The Museum of Sacred Art at Saint Justine's Church (Sveta Justina) in Rab , Croatia claims

5280-428: The next two decades, Brunvand added to the collection with "new" urban legends: The Choking Doberman and Other "New" Urban Legends , The Big Book of Urban Legends (which was formatted as a comic book), The Mexican Pet: More "New" Urban Legends , Curses! Broiled Again! , The Baby Train: And Other Lusty Urban Legends , Too Good to be True: The Colossal Book of Urban Legends , and The Truth Never Stands in

5368-511: The other side, he said to the child: "You have put me in the greatest danger. I do not think the whole world could have been as heavy on my shoulders as you were." The child replied: "You had on your shoulders not only the whole world but Him who made it. I am Christ your king, whom you are serving by this work." The child then vanished. Christopher later visited Lycia and there comforted the Christians who were being martyred. Brought before

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5456-537: The phrase Si en San Cristóbal confías, de accidente no morirás ("If you trust St. Christopher, you won't die in an accident"). St. Christopher was a widely popular saint, especially revered by athletes, mariners , ferrymen , and travelers. He is revered as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers . He holds patronage of things related to travel and travelers—against lightning and pestilence —and patronage for archers ; bachelors ; boatmen; soldiers; bookbinders ; epilepsy ; floods; fruit dealers; fullers ; gardeners ;

5544-848: The reader in a highly readable and effective way to both the dynamic narrative process in an urban context and the discipline of folklore and folklife studies." Some of these stories previously appeared in an article Brunvand wrote for the June 1980 issue of Psychology Today . As with Heard About the Solid Cement Cadillac or the Nude in the Camper?, Brunvand categorizes the different legends included in The Vanishing Hitchhiker into classic urban legend types. For each legend type, Brunvand offers samples that show variations on

5632-983: The results of his research to the public." For his lifetime dedication to the field of folklore, which included radio and television appearances, a syndicated newspaper column, and over 100 publications (articles, books, notes and reviews), Brunvand is considered to be "the legend scholar with the greatest influence on twentieth-century media." Brunvand was born on March 23, 1933, in Cadillac, Michigan, to Norwegian immigrants Harold N. Brunvand and Ruth Brunvand. He and his two siblings, Tor and Richard, were brought up in Lansing, Michigan . Brunvand graduated from J. W. Sexton High School in Lansing in 1951. From high school, Brunvand attended Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan , where, in 1955, he earned

5720-560: The road as hitchhikers. The legend of Saint Christopher is considered one of these, and the story of Philip the Evangelist being transported by God after encountering the Ethiopian on the road ( Acts 8:26–39) is sometimes similarly interpreted. The author was Joen Petri Klint, a priest in diocese of Linköping , Sweden , and diligent collector of omens . In February 1602 a priest and two farmers were on their way home from

5808-459: The roads incognito and rewarding kind travellers; other variants include hitchhikers who utter prophecies (typically of pending catastrophes or other evil events) before vanishing. There is a similar story which is about two travellers sitting next to each other on a train (normally a man and a woman). One of them is reading a book and the other person asks what the book is about, and the first person says that it's about ghosts . They then have

5896-463: The saint recounts that after converting to Christianity, he devoted his life to carrying travelers across a river. One day he carried an unknown young boy across a river after which the boy revealed himself as Christ. Because of his help to travelers, he became the patron saint of travelers. In the iconography of the Western Church , the saint is often depicted as a giant with a staff carrying

5984-580: The saint, including Saint Christopher Island , the official name of the Caribbean island of Saint Kitts, and St. Christopher Island in Antarctica . Many places are named after the saint in other languages, for example Saint-Christophe is a common French place name; similarly, San Cristóbal is a place name in many Spanish-speaking or Spanish-influenced countries, and the São Cristóvão

6072-483: The structure, morphology and typology of the folktale. Brunvand taught at the University of Idaho , Moscow, Idaho, from 1961 to 1965. He served as associate editor of the Journal of American Folklore from 1963 to 1967. In 1965, Brunvand taught for a year at Southern Illinois University , Edwardsville, Illinois, focusing on folktales, folklore and literature, before moving with his wife and four children to

6160-426: The text, Brunvand provided for the reader information on data collecting methods, a general assessment of folklore material, bibliographic essays, and extensive lists of books and articles. To some, like reviewer Elliott Oring , the classification system used by Brunvand made The Study of American Folklore more of an "index" of American folklore rather than a "study" of it. Reviewer Kenneth Laine Ketner criticized

6248-436: The trees; but war and pestilence . Then she disappeared into thin air . The incident contains all the hallmarks of a "vanishing hitchhiker". It fits well with Beardsley's and Hankey's B and C categories (when the hitchhiker disappeared after making a prediction ). The beer's transformations match Baughman's category E332.3.3.1(b), when the maid left behind seed, acorns and blood, and category E332.3.3.1(d) when she predicted

6336-473: The vanishing hitchhiker occurred on the anniversary of their death. Other variations reverse this scenario, in that the hitchhiker meets a driver; the hitchhiker later learns that the driver is actually an apparition of a person who died earlier. The song " Phantom 309 " is an example. Not all vanishing hitchhiker legends involve ghosts . One popular variant in Hawaii involves the goddess Pele , travelling

6424-472: The vanishing hitchhiker was subsequently identified as the late Mother Cabrini , founder of the local Sacred Heart Orphanage, who was beatified for her work. The authors felt that this was a case of Version 'B' glimpsed in transition to Version 'D'. Beardsley and Hankey concluded that Version 'A' was closest to the original form of the story, containing the essential elements of the legend. Version 'B' and 'D', they believed, were localized variations, while 'C'

6512-438: The women that sought to arouse in thee the fire of lust, and they followed thee in the path of martyrdom. And in torments thou didst prove to be courageous. Wherefore, we have gained thee as our great protector, O great Christopher. The Roman Martyrology remembers him on 25 July. The Tridentine calendar commemorates him on the same day only in private Masses . By 1954 his commemoration had been extended to all Masses, but it

6600-453: The work for the "rhetorical devises" Brunvand used "apparently to suit the popular market." Critics also pointed out that Brunvand's urban legend books raise a question about race and stereotypes that, to some, are left unaddressed. Bethke wrote "We are told that the stories are projective of American popular culture, but precisely what racial segment of the culture participates in the currency of such stories? Specifically, we are dealing with

6688-615: Was commonly accepted at the time that there were several types of races, the Cynocephalus, or dog-headed people, being one of many believed to populate the world. The German bishop and poet Walter of Speyer portrayed St. Christopher as a giant of a cynocephalic species in the land of the Chananeans who ate human flesh and barked. Eventually, Christopher met the Christ child, regretted his former behavior, and received baptism. He, too,

6776-513: Was dropped in 1970 as part of the general reorganization of the calendar of the Roman rite as mandated by the motu proprio , Mysterii Paschalis . His commemoration is of Roman tradition, in view of the relatively late date (about 1550) and limited manner in which it was accepted into the Roman calendar, but his feast continues to be observed locally. A stone inscription of 2 m × 1 m (6 ft 7 in × 3 ft 3 in)

6864-582: Was found in the ruins of a church in the ruins of the ancient city Chalcedon near present day Istanbul . The inscription bears witness to the laying of the foundation stone, the construction and the consecration of a church in the name of "Saint Christopher's Martyrdom". The inscription states that this Church of St Christopher dates back to the time of the Fourth Ecumenical Council, the Council of Chalcedon . The inscription also mentions

6952-640: Was later added to book jackets and other publicity. In an article for Western Folklore , Brunvand mentioned a notice he found on a computer newsgroup dated 1 March 1989, presumably an insider's joke: "I think Jan Harold Brunvand, alleged author of The Choking Doberman , is an urban legend. Has anybody ever actually seen this guy?" A Harvard Lampoon publication, Mediagate, parodied urban legend books with this fake publisher's notice: "Bookman Publishing's Catalog for Fall '87: The Embarrassing Fart and More New Urban Legends by Jan Harold Brunvand. Yet another set of rumors, tall tales, and fourth-hand hearsay compiled by

7040-488: Was martyred in 308. Scholars have suggested that the Byzantine depiction of St. Christopher as dog-headed may have resulted from his identification as a member of the tribe of the Marmaritae who were a land of cannibals and dog-headed peoples. The Greek tradition interpreted this literally, which led to Byzantine icons often depicting St. Christopher with a dog's head. The Latin tradition in the opposite direction away from

7128-406: Was probably the first vanishing hitchhiker legend can be found in the 400-year-old manuscript Om the tekn och widunder som föregingo thet liturgiske owäsendet , which translates approximately as " About the signs and wonders that preceded the liturgical event ". The author was Joen Petri Klint, a priest in diocese of Linköping , Sweden , and diligent collector of omens . A common variation of

7216-617: Was published as Number 15 of the Indiana University's Folklore Series. Of the book, Brunvand says two things: "I've become better at choosing titles since then," and "The price was $ 3.00, and it was worth every penny of it. In 1961, Brunvand also received a Ph.D. in folklore from Indiana University. His dissertation, The Taming of the Shrew: A Comparative Study of Oral and Literary Versions (Aarne-Thompson type 901), later published by Routledge in 1991, highlighted his interest in

7304-946: Was published by ABC-CLIO in 2001. He gave the keynote address at the 2003 meeting of the Missouri Folklore Society. He was a speaker at the World Skeptics Congress in Italy in 2004. His is a fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry , formerly known as the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal. In 2003 Brunvand was awarded CSICOP's Distinguished Skeptic Award. Brunvand's book Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid: The Book of Scary Urban Legends

7392-505: Was published by St. Martin's Press. The book, intended for undergraduate folklore students, was a research tool with a bibliographic guide and tips for researching term papers. Brunvand edited two other textbooks: Readings in American Folklore , published by W.W. Norton and Company in 1979, American Folklore: An Encyclopedia , published by Garland in 1996. While teaching folklore at the University of Utah, Brunvand noticed

7480-756: Was published in 2004 by W.W. Norton and Company. In 2003, Brunvand entered the Trout Bum Tournament sponsored by Fly Rod and Reel. He participated in the Solo-Angler category. Known during the tournament as the Vanishing Fly Fisher (a nod to his book, The Vanishing Hitchhiker ), Brunvand spent 10 days alone fishing some of his favorite spots in Utah: Mammoth Creek , Gooseberry Creek, Price River , and Antimony River (where he "fell twice and bashed his knee, though

7568-602: Was published. The Vanishing Hitchhiker: American Urban Legends and Their Meanings helped to popularize the topic for a student audience. Urban legends, Brunvand explains, are "kissing cousins of myths, fairy tales and rumors. Legends differ from rumors because the legends are stories, with a plot. And unlike myths and fairy tales, they are supposed to be current and true, events rooted in everyday reality that at least could happen." Urban legends reflect modern-day societal concerns, hopes and fears, but are "weird whoppers we tell one another, believing them to be factual." Over

7656-520: Was supposed to have started life as a separate ghost story which at some stage became conflated with the original vanishing hitchhiker story (Version 'A'). One of their conclusions certainly seems reflected in the continuation of vanishing hitchhiker stories: The hitchhiker is, in the majority of cases, female and the lift-giver male. Beardsley and Hankey's sample contained 47 young female apparitions, 14 old lady apparitions, and 14 more of an indeterminate sort. Ernest W. Baughman's Type- and Motif-Index of

7744-575: Was undertaken in 1942–43 by American folklorists Richard Beardsley and Rosalie Hankey, who collected as many accounts as they could and attempted to analyze them. The Beardsley-Hankey survey elicited 79 written accounts of encounters with vanishing hitchhikers, drawn from across the United States. They found: "Four distinctly different versions, distinguishable because of obvious differences in development and essence." These are described as: Beardsley and Hankey were particularly interested to note one instance (location: Kingston, New York , 1941) in which

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