The Vanishing Hitchhiker (Amber Dearman)

## Introduction

Urban legends are a type of folklore that revolves around mythology and stories connected with horror, humor, and paranormal components that people can not explain. Throughout history, society has believed in common urban legends that are passed down to future generations by word of mouth, newspaper articles, blogs, and film or television. The anonymity and vagueness of these urban legends contribute to the different variations and adaptations as people change the details of the stories. The Vanishing Hitchhiker, explained by folklorist Jan Harold Brunvand, is a traditional urban legend where realistic and paranormal activities coincide.

## Legend Summary and History

The basis of The Vanishing Hitchhiker legend is that people are driving a vehicle when they come across a hitchhiker on the side of the road and the hitchhiker mysteriously vanishes. This legend focuses on the idea of resurrection by describing the disappearing individual as a ghost of the dead. The tale of The Vanishing Hitchhiker can be seen as far back as the 20th century when the ghostly figures were seen at night and they were predominantly females. In an analysis of “ A History of the Vanishing Hitchhiker” by Richard K. Beardsley and Rosalie Hankey, the justification is made that there is no specific origin of the hitchhiker legend but it is assumed that it is derived from European folklore cultures. This legend is commonly known as the story told by a friend of a friend who experienced the phenomena of a vanishing hitchhiker.

## Adaptations of Legend & Analysis

Jan Harold Brunvand concludes that different adaptations of The Vanishing Hitchhiker come from economic status and futuristic ideals. Brunvand focuses his research on the fact that in the current tellings of the legend, the individual travels by automobile such as cars or motorbikes versus the past when the individuals rode buggies or wagons accompanied by horses. One of the past versions of the legend included, “a ghost rider who used to jump on young men's horses as they went past a certain woods near Delmar on their way to parties. The rider, a woman, always disappeared when they arrived at their destination”(Wechner). The origin of this specific version was from the 1890s when automatic vehicles were not abundantly available and their main mode of transportation was through horse and buggy. Not only does time play a factor in the different versions of the legend but the variety in car brands signifies a shift in social hierarchy based on who the story is from. For example, if one story is heard about a friend of a friend driving a Cadillac when they come across a hitchhiker, then it is assumed they are wealthy. Since this legend is mainly heard from word of mouth, alterations tend to be abundant as everyone has opposing interactions with the inexplicable hitchhiker.

Common stories of The Vanishing Hitchhiker involve a female ghost that appears then vanishes without a second thought but newer adaptations signify that it is not always an innocent woman. In the 2014 supernatural TV series, Constantine, episode 5 incorporates the urban legend by revealing a teenage boy named Philip as a hitchhiker. A driver picks up Philip from the side of the road but then quickly realizes that he is a ghost. Philip disappears from the passenger seat of the car and then reappears covered in blood in front of the vehicle where the driver ultimately gets frightened and crashes the car into a tree. Many aspects of this adaptation differ from the original stories of The Vanishing Hitchhiker the main detail being that Philip is a male rather than the traditional female figure. Another opposing detail is that the bloody ghost was meant to incorporate more of the murderous or revenge outlook which contrasts the female ghost who normally presents a loved one or someone who wants to cause harmless mischief. Philip being a young boy with a violent twist to his story allows the idea that TV shows tend to add a dramatic plot to the storyline of the hitchhiker legend to make it more interesting. In other words, if Philip was a just young girl who was found and then vanished from sight then that does not add the suspense to the rest of the episode that the producers are trying to capture. Changes to the minor details of The Vanishing Hitchhiker can ultimately transform the presentation of the legend and how it is viewed by the public.

The phenomenon of TV producers adding or changing original features of The Vanishing Hitchhiker can be seen in a well-known paranormal TV series, Supernatural. In season 2, episode 16 “Roadkill”, the main characters Sam and Dean come across a woman in the middle of the street who had just gotten in a car accident with her husband due to almost hitting a hitchhiker. The woman, Molly, gets into Dean's car where she claims after the wreck she was chased by the male hitchhiker and she recognizes the music playing on the radio of Dean's car as the same music she heard when she encountered the hitchhiker. At this point, the music indicates the appearance of the hitchhiker and Dean speeds up to run into the man but he disappears. Many aspects of this story are significantly different from the original tales of The Vanishing Hitchhiker. The first detail that sticks out is that the hitchhiker was a male who chased down Molly after the wreck instead of simply disappearing. Another alteration is that a specific song on the radio plays when the hitchhiker suddenly appears on the road. These changes that were embedded into the storyline of the legend create a captivating plot that appeals to the audience which is the producer's goal. The Supernatural series is known for introducing a problem and then the characters find a solution so these adjustments to the urban legend allow the producers to continue with that trend. Adaptations of this extent are usually created rather than being heard from other individuals because of the extra paranormal entities that are included.

## Works Cited

Beardsley, Richard K., and Rosalie Hankey. “A History of the Vanishing Hitchhiker.” California Folklore Quarterly, vol. 2, no. 1, 1943, pp. 13–25. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/1495651. Accessed 21 Sept. 2023.

Brunvand, Jan Harold. The Vanishing Hitchhiker: American Urban Legends and Their Meanings. W. W. Norton, 1981.

Cerone, Daniel, and David S. Goyer, creators. Constantine. NBC, 2014.

Kripke, Eric, creator. Supernatural. 2005. Kripke Enterprises Wonderland Sound and Vision (2005–2013) Warner Bros. Television, 2020.

Wechner, Bernd, et al. “The Vanishing Hitchhiker.” Bernd Wechner, https://bernd.wechner.info/Hitchhiking/vanish.html. Accessed 22 September 2023.