Ostension and Criminal Legends
Contemporary Horror Tales as Part of Online Youth Lore
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7477004 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Eda Kalmre (0009-0000-5038-002X, Estonian Literary Museum, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 66-85 |
| Publication date | 2025-12-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Yearbook of Balkan and Baltic Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2613-7852 • E-ISSN: 2613-7844 |
| Publisher | Estonian Literary Museum Scholarly Press (PUBLISHER • EE) |
| DOI | 10.7592/ybbs8.2.03 |
| OpenAlex | W7128434247 |
| Language | EN |
This article examines the phenomenon of ostension and criminal legends in the context of contemporary horror tales circulating among Estonian youth, particularly through digital media. It explores how narratives about “men in white vans,” killer clowns, and Slenderman evolve from online spaces into real-life practices, triggering moral panics and shaping public discourse. Drawing on folklore theory and the concept of ostension, the study analyzes the interplay between oral and digital traditions, media amplification, and participatory culture. The findings highlight how these legends reflect societal fears, identity construction, and the blurred boundaries between fiction and reality in the digital age
Context (archaeology · Digital media · Estonian · Folklore · Identity (music · Moral panic · Narrative · Phenomenon · Popular culture · Crime, Deviance, and Social Control · Folklore, Mythology, and Literature Studies · Gothic Literature and Media Analysis
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |