In the olden days, “urban legends” were called folklore. They were stories, songs and riddles so synched to our collective psyche that they spread like a virus through tribes and villages — and were passed down for generations. Epics like the Iliad, Beowulf and the Nibelungenlied (inspiration for Wagner’s Ring-symphony) are products of that oral tradition.

Today, the same phenomenon thrives — not on social-networking sites like Facebook — but in an old-fashioned medium called e-mail. We share folklore every week via these sometimes-funny, group-hug e-mails that your friends and family forward to your Outlook, Gmail, or Yahoo. Here we curate both moving and mind-bending exhibits.

Please shoot us a piece of e-folklore that’s come to you by emailing us here:

Wonders of the world

Amazing striped icebergs

Here comes the Sun

Spectacular Road To Bolivia

Breathtaking Pictures and Facts

Spiritual Satire, funny stories (even Eric Idle)

Celestial Entertainment (Music and lyrics by Eric Idle)

Happy St. Paddy’s Day

Evolution vs Creationism

Can you say OIL?

Why’d the chicken cross the road? (Answers by Oprah, Obama, Hillary . . .)

Scenes that make you do a double-take

The Obama-Palin paradox (guest-starring, John McCain) 

Kids say the wisest things

Zen-lightened 1st graders

Kids and Pets (Precious)

Out of the mouth of babes

What love means to 4-8 year olds

Inspirational stories

A German’s Point of View on Islam

The Reverse Circle of Life

To handle yourself use your head, to handle others, use your heart

Urban Legends and E-folklore

Water or Coke?

Online magic-trick

What happened the year you were born

Consciousness Reminder: There was a blind woman . . .