If you have internet, you know about the 'killer clowns' running around the US, terrorizing neighborhoods and public areas. And so in honor of that, I thought we'd delve a little into the history of terrifying Clown urban legends. If you have claurophobia, like I do, then I suggest reading this with one eye closed and every light in your house flipped to 'on'. If said lights flicker, I recommend you stop reading this and start running.
My personal favorite on the creepy list is the Clown Statue. If you've heard it, then I'm sorry about the sleepless nights you've had, and if you haven't heard it... well then I'm sorry about the sleepless nights you're about to have. First, let me explain that there isn't one particular incident or area where this story sprung from, however the closest I can tell is that it popped up in about 1990, in the area of West Palm Beach, Florida. A woman, name withheld, was shot by an orange haired clown on her front door step. From there sightings and rumors circulated for a few months.
So, what's the legend? It starts out with a teenage girl who is house sitting for a rich family. Many rooms are closed off, but she's told that while she stays there for the week, she may explore, and eat whatever food is in the fridge. Well, the food runs out a bit quicker than she'd expected, doors are sometimes wide open, and some other odd things occur.
The girl is allowed to watch TV in any of the main rooms. On about the third or fourth day, she decides to settle down into the very comfortable overstuffed lounge chair in the Master Bedroom. She hasn't been in here before, and finds that she's rather uncomfortable here. Part of this discomfort stems from the clown statue in the far corner of the room. She calls the owners of the home, inquiring if she may be allowed to cover the statue up as she watches TV.
The owners, with calm voices, instruct her to go downstairs to the garage, to retrieve a tarp. As she opens the door to the garage they tell her to keep going out of the house. She asks why, and they inform her that they do not own a clown statue and that she must immediately call the police.
There are many versions of this story, some involving children and the clown being a sex offender. But, in this story, all is well that ends well. But this isn't the only clown related myth that circled the grapevine. For instance, we all know much too well about John Wayne Gacy, who was a serial killer active in the mid 70's. He was christened the 'Killer Clown', because he would often host parties where he would dress up as a clown.
But let's go back even further. The archetype of evil clowns doesn't stem from one particular story. They're referenced all over, from 14th century stories of Jesters, to Edgar Allen Poe, in such writings as "Hop-Frog". The trend continued with Stephen King's "IT" and has be reinvented by the TV show American Horror Story in their 4th season, Freak Show.
What's going on now is a phenomena referenced by sociologists as 'Phantom Clowns'. The first report of these widespread sightings occurred in Brookline, Massachusetts circa 1981. A child said that a man dressed as a clown attempted to lure him into his van. From here, clown sightings spread like wildfire for a few months, before dying down until it again cropped up 4 years later in Phoenix, Arizona, then again in 1991 in West Orange, New Jersey. Things didn't settle though, as another four years went by until 1995, in Honduras. 2008 started the sightings in Chicago, Illinois. While most of the sightings are harmless, they are none the less scary and scarring to young children. Some sightings however, are fatal. So in light of recent sightings, I recommend that if you or your child sees a clown, do not engage it. In a few months these reports will die down again, but for now, be vigilant and safe.
This post first appeared on Travel The World With Urban Legends, please read the originial post: here
