About Myths

A myth is a story, specifically one that is unique to the social game platform Roblox. There are two kinds of myths on Roblox: folktales created by Roblox players, which are closely related to creepypastas, and actual accounts with a narrative using Roblox as a storytelling format. 
==Overview on Myths==
Myth hunting revolves around the premise of "hunting" (another term for "investigating") Roblox myths. Myth hunters are players that actively investigate myths.
In the earliest forum posts of SmithCult, before myth groups were established, the predecessors of myth hunters called myths "creepypasta guys", or creepy/weird Roblox accounts. Many of them believed that myths were hackers or anomalies, if not real people. It is unknown how the term "myth" was actually coined, however it is widely agreed that myths are typically a Roblox account or a connected series of Roblox accounts that exist to tell a story, although some myths are actually myths in the traditional sense—folktales made up by Roblox players. These stories, if done properly, are told in a coherent, thorough, yet also mysterious method that is uncovered through rigorous investigation.
Much of a myth's story and character can be observed through all of what the myth has created, such as (if applicable) games, models, and decals, but this can also include a myth's dialogue or body language (i.e. the way that they interact and move in-game). The Roblox forums when they existed were also a method of myth storytelling, as observed in the ramblings of SmithCult. Some stories are of varying quality, but that does not mean that myths can be considered a "wannabe" or "edgy try-hard," as anyone could be a Myth.
Some myths are folktales made up by Roblox players, often called Roblox Legends. These stories usually predate most myths and are recognized as Classic Myths, they usually are not actual Roblox accounts. These stories usually have some real-life stakes, such as death, insanity, or Roblox account termination.
There is no such thing as a 'fake' or 'real' myth. The difference is how they portray their stories. Popular myths are popular because they’re able to tell a good story that is interesting and is able to grab a hunters' attention and maintain it.
One exception to this rule is when a Roblox player creates an account in order to insert themselves into an existing narrative without permission, such as fake Cult family members. This act is frowned upon by members of the community and warrants the term "wannabe", as they want to be a part of the myth, so they force themselves into the narrative without actually being involved.
==Myth Classification==
Main article: Myth Terminology
In most Roblox groups, myths are ranked according to the quality of the games and the overall number of place visits of the myth game itself. Group myths and family myths are exceptions to this.
Occasionally, myths are also classified based on their behavior. For instance, a "hostile" myth will do everything they can to deter myth hunters and will actively temper with their investigation. Most myths are "safe" meaning that they will answer questions and are typically agreeable. Some myths are in-between.
==Types of Myths==
Main article: Myth Types
Naturally, if any niche exists for a long time, archetypes will begin to pop up. Many myths can be categorized into one of several categories based on the general aesthetic or tone of the myth. These styles can include: clown myths, void styled myths, myths that focus on a Cult of some sort, surreal (or abstract) myths, or a family myth. Myths are not limited to just these styles and it is typically the mark of a unique and interesting myth if it does not pertain to any style altogether.
==History of Myths on Roblox==
===1st Generation Myths (2006-2011)===
In the early years of Roblox, discussions on odd Roblox users were frequent on the website's forums, and videos were created on these oddities. On December 7th, 2008, the user aquajet316 created a series on YouTube called 'Roblox Myth Investigators.' In the first video of the series, aquajet316 showed an object in his game, known as The Weird Thing, which became one of the first myths on Roblox.
One myth that was frequently spoken of in the Roblox forums was Noli. Roblox players took notice of the mysterious user and started creating videos about him on platforms such as YouTube. The early fanfare surrounding Noli led to the earliest Noli/Void inspired myths, such as Lezus. Other prominent myths such as Zeltrek, who was terminated for posting about Satanism, 1x1x1x1 and John and Jane Doe, who were feared to hack Roblox players, and Nemoy, who was centered around a Roblox forum creepypasta, popped up.
===2nd Generation Myths (2012-2016)===
By the early 2010s, multiple myth hunting groups were created. 2012 saw a big shift in the myth community, with myths such as G0Z, pioneer of the 'clown myth,' and The Cult Family, one of the first family myths, joining Roblox. The popular Robloxian Myth Hunters group was created, along with the infamous 2012 April Fools Incident. The following years saw the makings of the well-known classic myths, like Mulberries. The creation of the well known myth hunting group Roblox's Myths brought more attention to the myth community. Littlenathanial, who joined in 2015, was an innovator of the 'trigger myth' subgenre. The Nursery Myths, and later the Shadelight myths, were hunted extensively, and a notable Roblox's Myths investigation took place. Many myth hunters used YoutTube as a way to show their finds in creepy Roblox games. thewwe1938 and other myth YouTubers made Roblox myth series' and gained a loyal following.
===3rd Generation Myths (2017-2019)===
Fears of users hacking Roblox players spread like wildfire in 2017. Test accounts 1x1x1x1, John and Jane Doe, and others gained notoriety. The topic was covered extensively by popular YouTubers and led to the myth community having more publicity. Famous Roblox YouTuber Flamingo documenting the hacker/horror inspired myth RUST_010 led to a surge of myths and myth hunters in the year after. Flamingo's Roblox myth series brought attention to many myths, such as the Noli inspired myth The Cole Family, the biggest myth group on Roblox, The Smiles Family, the abstract myth Grocery Gang, among others. The massive popularity on the myth community brought attention to many controversies, such as the #stopkazdam movement in 2018, Grocery Gang's dissolution in 2020, and Kazdam's exile in the same year.
===4th Generation Myths (2020-Present)===
The exile of Kazdam and the eventual shut down of Roblox's Myths led to short uncertainty as to where the myth community stood. The scandal left many older myths in jeopardy. Their absence led to newer myths, such as AmeliaAgard and OurBonsaiTree, gaining in popularity. Utilizing social media to promote myths grew popular during this time, with myths like 4nn1 and Jenny_Feelings going viral on the platform TikTok. Unseenbones' rise to fame in 2022 due to being documented by Kreekcraft brought in new interest to 'hacker myths.' Myth events became trendy, with the RMD Myth Awards and the Myth Community Wiki Awards being established in 2021. The 2023 Myth Prom drew in a record of over 500 Roblox players. Many records were broken during this time, with 4nn1 becoming the myth with the most place visits in 2022. 
myth timeline.png|Timeline covering major events throughout myth genre history (via Gopherberry)
unknown.png|Timeline covering popularity of several myths. (via Gopherberry)
mythplacevisits.jpeg|A bar chart showing the most popular myths by place visits. (via BingBangRoadblocks58)
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