Photo by Matt Benson
United States–There are many American folklore creatures from the east to west coast. They include anything from Bigfoot to the Jersey Devil. Let’s take a look at some of the creatures in the United States that currently inhabit the forests, cities, farms, shores, and closets of the country.
1. The Legendary Bigfoot
The legendary Bigfoot is one of American and indigenous folklore. It has its origins in Native American cultures from Michigan to California. Sometimes its aggressive, and sometimes its pleasant. The modern interpretation arose in Humboldt County, California in 1958. Local journalists took it upon themselves to tell tale of the beast whose footprints had been found in the nearby wilds. Regardless of Bigfoot’s appearance or where it came from, it’s always hairy and loves to play hide and seek.
2. The Mothman
The Mothman is a cryptid from West Virginia folklore that focuses on foreboding warnings and signs of ill-tidings. Originating sometime around 1966, a couple spotted the Point Pleasant creature. Afterward, its existence spread like wildfire. Later, this giant-sized moth would become the topic for The Mothman Prophecies (1975) by John Keel. This novel set its legacy into stone. Sightings of the Mothman, much like Detroit’s Nain Rouge, allegedly foretell bad news. This could include death or disaster.
3. Jersey Devil
The Jersey Devil spawned from the loins of one Deborah Leeds. Literally. The demon was the 13th offspring of Ms. Leeds who cursed it as being a “devil.” The child was just as devilish as imagined and had hooves, wings, a tail, and a goat’s head. Witnesses have spotted the Jersey Devil throughout history. These sightings include a 1700s account around Hanover Mill Works. Commodore Stephen Decatur claimed to have seen it flying through the air. Later, Napolean’s older brother, Joseph Bonaparte saw the creature in 1820. Even later, victims of livestock maimings spotted it in 1840. There are many more sightings of the Jersey Devil and there continue to be many more to this day.
4. Chupacabra: Creature or Dog?
The Chupacabra comes in many forms. It’s either an alien-reptile hybrid, or just an alien…or its some kind of dog-alien-reptile hybrid. While the debate rages on as to what it is exactly, it’s certainly pervasive in southern US states. First sightings of the creature come from March of 1995 in Puerto Rico by Madelyne Tolentino. Afterward, the Chupacabra has been sighted many places elsewhere around the country and the world. It is often depicted as a lizard-alien hybrid, but some have claimed it may just be a dog with mange.
5. The Montauk Monster
The Montauk Monster is interesting because there’s only really one sighting, and that involves its dead corpse. The creature, which was a deformed animal carcass, was found near the business district of Montauk, New York in 2008. Pictures of the abomination exploded through the local news and the internet. Soon enough, questions as to its existence became pressing in cryptozoological circles. Meanwhile, conspiracists believe the creature came from experiments conducted at the Montauk Air Force Station in Montauk, New York.
6. The Bogeyman
The big man. The haunter of all dreams. The Ne’er-do-well from Hell (okay I made all those up). Aka, the bogeyman. He is maybe one of the more important American folklore creatures and comes in many iterations. Yet, it’s always from under one’s bed or from their closet it seems. Parents used the bogeyman, and have used the bogeyman, for a long time to scare children into submission. Characteristically, the Bogeyman is a shapeless, dark creature. This is fitting as it’s supposed to take form in a child’s imagination (gibbering mouth full of razor-sharp teeth? check).
