8 Obscure and Creepy Urban Legends from Around The Globe

An urban legend which originates from the Czech Republic, The Black Ambulance is pretty much exactly that: a black ambulance. However, this black ambulance prowls the streets at night, preying on victims that are homeless, lost, or simply walking alone.

Reports of encounters with the Black Ambulance exist have witnesses claiming to have seen the vehicle parked in secluded areas under the cover of dark. Other reports have eye-witnesses seeing people being dragged inside the ambulance, with sounds of screaming and crying for help emitting from within.

The Black Ambulance legend began around the 1980s and spread rapidly via word of mouth. The fear of being targeted led people to take their safety into their own hands, such as walking in pairs at night.

Authorities conducted investigations into the Black Ambulance, as rumor had it that the vehicle was said to be involved with black market organ trafficking. Legend has it that there are doctors inside who, once they have dragged you in, quickly remove your organs before disposing of your bleeding body.

If you spot a black ambulance in the distance, maybe walk in the other direction—and quickly.

Another vehicle-related Urban Legend originates from Mexico. The Red Car, also known as El Carra De Las Brujas  or Vehicle of Witches, is a vehicle supposedly driven by a group of witches hunting for lone men.

Legend has it that inside the red car there are two to five women, often described as incredibly beautiful, who will stop when they see a man walking alone at night. The vehicle will approach the man and the women will entice him into the car with a promise of fulfilling his dreams.

Often the men are powerless to resist, and once they enter the vehicle, things turn sour. Afterwards, the men are usually found at the side of the road, bloodied and battered with demonic carvings etched into their skin, for they have been sacrificed to the devil.

So if you're a man who finds himself wandering alone at night, have your wits about you. And if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Jean Romier was a 24-year-old student studying medicine when, in 1925, he was approached by an elderly man wearing an odd riding cloak. The pair conversed for a while about classical music, and the elderly man, who went by the name of Alphonse Berruyer, invited Romier to a concert he was hosting at his apartment on Friday evening.

Romier accepted the man’s invitation, and on Friday he approached the Rue De Vaugirad apartment and was welcomed into the home. Here he met Berruyer’s family, and the concert began.

Romier stayed for a few hours, listening to the music and chatting with Berruyer before leaving. He had a strange feeling about the evening, but enjoyed himself regardless.

As Romier walked home, he remembered that he'd left his lighter on a table. He returned to the apartment, but no one answered his knocks.

A neighbor appeared and asked if they could help, so Romier explained his predicament. However, the neighbor told Romier that his story was impossible, as the apartment had been empty since Alphonse Berruyer died 20 years years ago.

Growing suspicious that Romier was a thief, the neighbors called the police. Once the authorities arrived, Romier, the officers, and the apartment owner entered the apartment and found it completely empty.

That is, apart from Romier's lighter sitting atop a dusty table in the back room...

Hachishakusama or The Tall Woman is an Urban Legend from Japan who is described as a “ghostly figure” with pale skin, elongated limbs, and long black hair that trails from beneath a wide-brimmed hat to hide her face.

Hachishakusama is said to have a range of supernatural abilities which she uses to kidnap children. She is said to have the power to disguise herself as a relative to lure kids towards her, as well as the power to blend into her surroundings, allowing her to ambush unsuspecting little ones.

She can also emit a hypnotic sound, repeating the word “Po” over and over, sending any nearby children into a hypnotic trance before she attacks.

La Ciguapa is an urban legend from the Dominican Republic that is often described as a beautiful demonic woman who appears only at night. La Ciguapa is said to emit a soft moan or chirps similar to that of birds to lure lost men towards her.

Once the men find her, they're greeted by a naked, dark-skinned woman with long black hair and hypnotic black eyes. The creature then takes the man to a secluded area and kills them by draining their blood through a kiss, or by killing them and devouring their body over a period of weeks.

Those who venture out to search for the missing men usually come back empty-handed, as La Ciguapa has backwards-facing feet. When following her trail, you are led away from the missing men.

Corpo Seco, also known as The Dry Corpse, is a Brazilian urban legend. This tale is about a man who was so wickedly evil that, when he died and was buried, the earth rejected him, refusing to let him rot.

His soul was so monstrous it was rejected by the devil himself and was returned to his body. As such, the damned man/creature was cursed to roam the earth trapped inside a dry, coarse corpse, terrifying all those unfortunate enough to encounter him.

The Melon Heads are part of an urban legend that ranges across several US states. They're said to be legendary beings who get their name from their bulbous, melon-like heads.

In Michigan, the legend says that the Melon Heads are children with hydrocephalus who lived within the Junction Insane Asylum. After enduring much physical and emotional abuse, the children became feral and escaped to roam the forest surrounding the asylum, attacking any humans who came near them.

According to Connecticut legend, the Melon Heads resided in an asylum for the criminally insane in Fairfield County, which burned down around 1960. The fire caused the death of many patients, with the remainder being unaccounted for.

It's said that those who escaped into the forest are the Melon Heads, who resorted to inbreeding and cannibalism, which caused their bulbous-shaped heads.

The Ohio legend describes a mad scientist by the name of Dr. Crow who experimented on children who were abandoned and left in his care. He performed inhumane experiments, such as injecting chemicals into their brains, which caused their disfigurement.

After years of abuse, the children murdered Dr. Crow and burned down the facility. The children now inhabit the forests of Crybaby Bridge, and, due to their paranoia about society, they kill and eat any human being they encounter.

The Lantern Men of Bedfordshire are said to be ghostly lights—believed to be of evil intent—who try to lure their victims into the marshy, watery reeds of the Fens.

The legend dates back to the early 1900s, when a local fisherman took his dog for a walk around the fens. The dog ran off into the distance and the man whistled out to it to come back, but as he scanned the landscape, he noticed a strange light that appeared hovering above the marshy ground.

At first, the man assumed it was another dog walker and began to walk towards it. He stopped once he sensed an ominous presence.

The light then began to twist and turn frantically, too frantic to be controlled by a human. The man, now spooked, collected his dog and rushed to a friend's house for cover.

The man retold his story to his friend, and as they both feared an evil spirit, his friend placed a horn upon a long pole outside his home to distract the entity. When the men checked on the horn the next morning, it had been incinerated.

The Lantern Men are said to carry candle-lit lanterns to lure people towards them with their hypnotic flame, and when you follow the light across the marshes you're doomed to drown amongst the reeds.

It's said that they are attracted to whistles, and even to this day, the people of Bedfordshire are reluctant to whistle whilst out alone!

If you find yourself in any of these regions, your sagest bet is to follow the rules of these urban legends. Don’t get into any unknown vehicles, do not follow that light, and if a naked, beautiful woman signals for you to follow her, maybe politely decline and run.

Featured image: Stefano Pollio/Unsplash; Additional images; chmyphotography/Unsplash; Steinar Engeland/Unsplash; Marvin Zettl/Unsplash