Cryptids of the Week: 11/23 - 11/29, 2014

This is the third "Cryptids of the Week." To see the first two posts about Cryptids of the Week, click the label. These are the two Cryptids of the Week for November 23 thru 29, 2014.

Thunderbird

Native Americans always told stories of giant birds that could carry off deer, and people! They called these creatures Thunderbirds and believed that they caused thunder when they flapped their wings and could bring bad storms with them. These might not just be indian legends, though, because people still see giant birds today! 
Some people who have seen T-birds say they look like a huge black bird, almost like a condor, but others call creatures that look like living pterosaurs Thunderbirds. In 1977, a "flap" of Thunderbird sightings happened in Illinois, and one of the huge birds being seen swooped down and picked up a ten year old boy named Marlon Lowe. The bird carried Marlon across his yard but eventually dropped him.    A Thunderbird was seen in Alaska in 2002. There have been several sightings of the huge birds this year. 
Thunderbird on a Native American totem pole


Goatman

When somebody sees a Goatman, they usually saw it looks like a real satyr. It may be extremely hard for some to believe, but tales of creatures that look like a half-man half-goat are told all over the country. Most Goatman stories involve some sort of "Lover's Lane" legend. Some famous examples are the Maryland Goatman, the Pope Lick Monster, and the Lake Worth Monster, although the latter is sometimes described as a Bigfoot-like creature. Some say the Goatmen came about as failed genetic experiments, but there are lots of other theories. 
In October, 2014, J. nathan Couch published a book on the subject called Goatman: Flesh or Folklore? The book discusses many different legends of Goatmen from across the United States. For more on the book see here or here. 

Goatman


Those are the cryptids of the week for this week. The next CotW will be posted sometime next week.
Hope everybody had a Happy Thanksgiving yesterday!

Comments