Paper short abstract:

Since the Internet comprises a mode of existence for modern folklore, place lore has become part of media culture. The paper deals with Lithuanian and Estonian cases of haunted houses that generate abundant Internet material, thus acquiring agency and becoming objects of heated vernacular debate.

Paper long abstract:

The paper deals with belief narratives that exist largely on the Internet and in other modern media, and examines the mechanisms of their production, spread and reception. The Lithuanian case centers on a ‘legendary’ building in Vilnius, Antakalnio 25, formerly the site of a military hospital, but which stood for a long time in ruins, thus becoming the focus of creativity for the kids of the neighbouring school. The Estonian cases also feature historical buildings whose functions have changed over time. Legends spun around such places seem to have developed a certain kind of self-sufficient existence, and to be to some extent self-generated, which can be readily observed on the Internet. Moreover, this type of media lore endows such buildings with a certain agency, although this can entirely depend on the users’ familiarity with the stories in question. Such uncanny places stand out in vernacular discussions due to their status as anomalous and at the same time charged with ‘superstitious’ beliefs that contradict rationality. The paper also addresses debates and contrasting points of view on such places and the challenges they pose to normative worldviews.