Why do we tell Scary Stories?

     

     Why do we tell scary stories? Folk and fairy tales are a way to teach us warnings and lessons; don't be mean to that traveling old man, be wary of wolves in the woods, don’t take that deal that seems too good to be true. Are horror films/stories the same thing, or is there more to it? And more specifically does the monster we chose to chase our hero/heroine portray more about us as storytellers than we think? This is a continuation of all my previous posts on why we tell different types of horror films. I have talked about Ghosts, Vampires, Werewolves, and homunculi/Frankenstein stories. And while I feel I could go on forever with this series as there are so many different horror genres, I feel this is a good stopping point for now. These are the classic stories that have been repeated throughout the generations of storytelling. And when it comes to some other genres the subjects are far to varied and wide to pin them down to a set formula usually. For example, zombie movies can have an entirely different meaning based on how the world, and the zombies are depicted and so many more baseis depending on who we chose to be our survivors. Home invasion movies meanings change depending on who the invader is and who is at the home. All of these different variables, mean we could be doing these why do we tell stories for far longer than I desire to dive into this subject.

      But back to my main question, as it pertains to my previous posts. Why do we tell scary stories? If you read all my previous posts you will already guess my running theme, and whether you believe it or not, it wasn’t intentional. But in all these explorations of these various genres I came to one conclusion. You are not alone.

      There are so many times people are facing obstacles in life and they feel like the weight of the world is on their shoulder, or the whole world is against them. It’s terrifying, and we feel as though it is only us going through this. No one knows what we are feeling, no one has seen or experienced these things that we are seeing or experiencing. No one could ever understand what we are going through, no one would believe me, or even if they did, no one could possibly help me. But that’s not true. There is nothing in your life that you will ever do or experience, that someone else hasn’t been through or experienced on some level. There is always someone you can reach out to or learn from. And I think, in their core, that is what scary stories are. They always have this single character experiencing this horrible tragedy, where in their area, only they are going through it and they have to bear that cross themselves. But in the story they always find someone else who either believes them and helps them, or they find someone else who went through it as well and they can learn from them. 

     With ghost stories you can find out that past relatives have been through something similar and while they might have failed or lost their fight against this tragedy. Their past experience and their love for you empowers you and gives you the strength to overcome. Or while you might have burned every bridge you once knew with your friends and family because you were lured away by that dark seducer, or vampire. All you have to do is reach your hand out, ask for their help, and you will find that your friends and family will come rushing back to your aid to help you break from from that abusive relationship. No matter what you did to them, they still love you, and are still there for you. You just have to reach out. So what about when you or a loved one is changing into something no one recognizes anymore. Either because of mental illness or vice dependance, again, you just have to reach out and find out that there are people there for you, waiting to help you. And more than that, people who WANT to help you. Lastly, when you have that special child, who isn’t like everyone else and you are afraid the world won’t accept them for who they are. You will never know unless you let them meet the world, then you will find that your special child and the world just might surprise you. 

     All these stories, I feel are our way as a people to try and get closer to one another. You tell scary stories for comradery and companionship, why wouldn't the stories themselves reflect that as well. That desire, to help others, and to know that when we need it most, someone will be there for us. You are never alone.

 “Novels and stories are renderings of life; they can not only keep us company, but admonish us, point us in new directions, or give us courage to stay a given course.” -Robert Coles