Some links have also been made to Queen Mary I as she suffered multiple miscarriages during her reign. This evolved into something more gory – groups invoking a bleeding spirit or witch called Mary. In the earliest versions, an unmarried woman would see the face of her future husband in the glass or a skull if she were destined to die before being wed. Perhaps the most famous modern myth, this tale suggests that if you are to look in the mirror and say 'Bloody Mary' a specified number of times, something will happen. Here I present 10 of the scariest urban legends and examine their roots and influence. My new novel, Say Her Name is my version of the most famous urban legend of them all, the 'Bloody Mary' curse. Many authors have retooled urban legends as inspiration for novels or movies. Most are still told orally over marshmallows and hot chocolate but some are recorded. Much like traditional folklore, modern myths are embellished or altered as they are retold. Let's face it, a sleepover isn't complete without at least one candlelit tale of terror. Just as Little Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks were spread by oral tradition, urban myths are spread by word of mouth, creating contemporary folklore, often with a moral sting in the tail. Ghost-less ghost stories, urban legends are modern day fairytales.
