Three Creepy Urban Legends From Around The World

The Slit-Mouthed Woman of Japan

Everyone country has their own urban legends that have exaggerated over time. In the United States, you have the candyman, boogeyman, and alligators in the sewers of New York. However, there are some creepy urban legends that are truly horrifying. One in particular that stands out is the girl called Kuchisake-Onna from Japan, also popular in China and South Korea.  Legend has it that she was the wife of a Samurai, who she betrayed. The man discovered she had cheated on him with a younger and better-looking man. In a fit of rage and anger, he pulled out his sword and slit her mouth ear to ear. Once mutilated, he asked her “Who will find you beautiful now?”

Many people in Japan have claimed to have seen her, as she returned as a malicious spirit. They described her as a beautiful young lady wearing a surgical mask who asks a simple question, “Am I pretty?” If you respond by saying yes, she’ll rip her mask out and ask you once again. Anyone who changes their original answer or screams is met by a tragic death. But those who answer yes the second time around will have their own mouth split open by a pair of scissors she carries with her. In the 1970’s, a rumor began that she can be tricked by ambiguous answers or by throwing candy at her, giving the victim time to run away. To this day, many are concerned about walking alone late at night because of this urban legend.

The Black Volga

What makes the next creepy urban legend unique is the likelihood it is true or based on some truth. The story began in the mid-1930’s in Moscow, the capital of the Soviet Union. According to the tales, high-ranking Soviet officials drove the black Volga around town looking for the young girls who were pretty. They would kidnap these girls as sex slaves for the highest ranking Soviet comrades. As the years passed, a similar scenario started to emerge elsewhere. During the 1960’s, the city of Warsaw had plenty of Black Volga’s driving around, causing panic among the locals. It was believed that kidnappers were snatching children off the streets for sinister reasons. It was believed the blood of children could cure leukemia, thus it was sold to the rich who were desperate for a cure. Rumors got so out of control, locals began spreading tales of vampires, mysterious priests, and Satanists behind the wheel of the black Volga. It’s hard to say to what extent this sort of stuff went down, but the Soviet Union was known for wide corruption. It wouldn’t be too surprising to discover that these things did occur.

The Well To Hell

Yet another creepy urban legend that takes place in Russia. The Well to Hell is a fairly recent one that caused hysteria. Back in 1989, Russian scientists in Siberia drilled a hole about 9 miles deep into the earth’s crust. The drill broke through something very unexpected. They had drilled into a cavity deep underneath and lowered equipment to further investigate what was down there. The temperature was over 1,000 degrees celsius. They were able to capture 17 seconds of audio before the microphone melted as it was being lowered. The audio clip horrified everyone as it sounded like thousands of tortured souls screaming in pain and agony. The scientists were convinced these were the damned in Hell, and many of them quit their job immediately. As if this creepy urban legend couldn’t get any worst, those who stayed the night suffered a terrible fate. In the middle of the night, a plume of luminous gas burst out of the hole. It was said that a gigantic winged demon came out of the hole, and the words “I have conquered” were seared into the flames in Russian. The demon killed many of the surrounding scientists, and little else is known by the survivors who managed to escape.