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Archive for the ‘werewolves’ Category
New Film “Cryptozoology” Trailer
Posted in bigfoot, cryptozoology, cryptozoology art, dogman, England monsters, giant birds, Linda Godfrey, monsters, strange creatures, unexplained phenomena, werewolves, wolfmen on April 4, 2018|
Holiday Window Dogman
Posted in animals, cryptozoology, cryptozoology art, dogman, Michigan Travel, monsters, strange creatures, unexplained phenomena, Weird Michigan, werewolves, wolfmen, tagged dogman, michigan dogman, Montcalm County, Weird Michigan, werewolves, wolf in window, wolfman, wolfmen on April 4, 2018|
Interpretive photo montage by Linda Godfrey
This report came to me some years after the original incident, which occurred in December, 2006. The witness, a professional accountant who asked to remain anonymous, was busy putting up Christmas decorations around his mobile home near Entrican, close to the center of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula when an unexpected visitor showed up. And no, it wasn’t Santa.
To give you an idea of this locale, Entrican is a tiny community in the middle of Montcalm County, surrounded by creeks. Indianhead Lake lies a few miles to the northwest, with state game areas close by. It’s a good environment for wildlife. The witness has since moved from the area, but here is his story, edited only for clarity and the inclusion of details added in my subsequent interview with him :
“Ms. Godfrey – You’re going to think I’m crazy. I know I would – I need to tell someone. I was living in a single-wide mobile home in central Montcalm County Michigan. It was near a crossroad called Entrican and I just moved down from Tok, Alaska.
I was living alone with two cats and I just decorated for Christmas––putting up the tree, lights, general stuff like that around the house. I had a big picture window looking out to my wooded backyard with a stream about 100 feet from my trailer. You could see the Christmas tree in the window; it was beautiful it looked just like a Christmas card if you could see it from the woods out-in-back.
You have to understand Ms. Godfrey, I deal in facts at my job and I have an MBA in Accounting. It is difficult for me to relate this to anybody. I saw this not only once but three times in that Christmas season.
It was about 11:00 the first night; I was watching the news so it had to be around that time. The picture window was not draped because of the woods; I liked to see the stream and the forest out the window. It reminded me of my home back in Alaska. The cats were a little antsy that night, darting back-and-forth under the tree, looking out the window. I thought there was a deer or a black bear out in the woods–it happens more times than not Ms. Godfrey; that is one of the reasons why I rented this trailer. I glanced out the window and there it was. It looked like a wolf and it was right outside the picture window, so much so the snout hit the window. It was watching my cats. It didn’t take any notice of me until I walked up to the window.
It was looking at me and I was watching the–for a lack of a better word–wolf. We were staring at each other for about five minutes. It had a canine appearance but was bigger than any dog or wolf I have ever seen. Do you know that 80s movie, ‘The Howling?’ It looked in the manner of that, if I had to say. There was one difference, though; it did not seem evil or menacing. I’m very confident in saying that it looked like every other animal in the forests. It had a very domestic dog-like appearance. It had dark, matted fur and those eyes Ms. Godfrey; I felt those eyes had lucid thought behind them.
It didn’t seem malicious and the cats were right by me looking at it. The cats sensed it out in the woods before I saw it. The cats didn’t ‘puff up’ so I don’t think it frightened them, but they knew something wasn’t quite right.
Then the strangest thing happened; it turned around and walked on two legs back to the woods. It was up on its hind legs and didn’t drop on all fours. The first thing I thought was [that it must be] kids. I started to think better of it and it was annoying not to know about what I just witnessed. You know what I am talking about, the little thing in the back of your mind saying ‘Hold on, what just happened’?
Well Ms. Godfrey, I was not going to get any sleep that night until I found out more. I got dressed, put on my coat and got the flashlight. There was a moon out and I could see everything till I got to the woods. There was paw prints from the stream to the trailer and back to the stream again. These were huge paw prints not like any wolf or dog and they were only two sets of them, not four. Didn’t think about photographing the paw prints or measuring them. They were coming from the stream.
I walked up to the picture window; the paw prints stopped and I looked up to the window. My cats were watching me from inside the trailer and I notice the snout print on the window. It dawned on me that I was looking up to see the snout print. There is a dip in my back yard and the trailer was a bit higher than usual. I’m 6’4” and I still had to look up to see the print when I was right outside the window. It was about 7 to 7 ½ feet from the ground to the snout print. It was eerie to know that there was something not quite right out in the woods.
The Buck–and the Wolf–Stops Here
It happened again [twice] about two weeks later. The only thing I could think: It was using the stream and the Flat River for a road, and it was attracted to the Christmas lights in my picture window. It only pressed its snout against he window the first time. The other times, it stopped about 15-20 feet from the trailer, a good 70-75 feet from the woods. There was snow on the ground and it was a crisp, clear winter’s night. All three times.
All three times the Christmas lights were on, blinking slowly.
Interpretive photo montage by Linda S. Godfrey
Here is something else to think of Ms. Godfrey; about two, maybe three hundred yards down Grow Road is the Buck Stop Lure Company. Basically they sell deer pee in bottles. Maybe that is why it was around Entrican. I still don’t know what I seen that Christmas season but it was peculiar to say the least. I wondered what it was. I didn’t feel afraid. It bothers me, not that I saw something, but what it was. That is what annoys me to no end.”
Of course I did not think this man was crazy. I’ve heard too many similar stories.
I scarcely need to mention that this site lay deep within the heart of known Michigan Dogman territory. I did tell the witness there have been many other instances of upright canines (and Bigfoot!) peeping in windows of houses, sometimes even rattling the door knob or smashing against an outside wall. It also does happen that occasionally a Dogman will make multiple visits to a particular home. Adding strong lights to a lawn often helps, but in this case the creature seemed attracted to the colored, blinking lights.
And even though it seemed like it intended no harm, it may also have been interested in the cats. Or who knows, perhaps the nearby source of deer pee did have something to do with it.
Equally interesting is why the creature visited 3 times, then stopped (as far as the eyewitness knew). I also can’t help but wonder if the mobile home’s subsequent owners were visited, too.
As the song goes and this eyewitness found out, there’s no place like home for the holidays.
Fake Werewolf Pix: They Did the Monster Mask
Posted in animals, Bray Road, cryptozoology, cryptozoology art, haunted roads, Michigan dogmen, monsters, Native American Anthropology, strange creatures, Uncategorized, werewolves, tagged animals, Bray Road, cryptozoology, dogman, werewolf on August 21, 2017|
Halloween isn’t here for a couple of months yet, but the werewolf masks — or at least, some old photos of them– are already coming out. There is one making the rounds on some groups that someone clipped from my old, now static and partially dismantled BeastofBrayRoad.com site (which is about to be reborn). It’s very definitely a person in a mask, and the photos were sent to me by Wisconsin friend Donna Pulkowski, after she posed in them just for fun and made sure I knew that. The one above was taken on Potter’s Road, Elkhorn. Another, below, is set on Bray Road.
The one that has been causing all the fuss is below, along with the text from the old site. But please wait just a second before scrolling all the way down for that.
First, I want to post one that was sent to me anonymously some time ago. The appearance of it doesn’t come together as a canine for me, but is one of the best of this type of photo I’ve received. It was sent as a print, taken outdoors, so I have the full shot and the zoomed detail. I can’t recall seeing it anywhere else but that doesn’t mean it didn’t. It looks to me like someone wearing a wolf pelt with head, and clothing. The legs appear human. But that’s just my opinion. Please have at it!
Post from the past: October 29 2009 HOAXES NOT JOKESES
People send me similar things all the time: Cousin Pete in a werewolf suit, or a landscape with a brown blob that is supposed to be a dogman. Sometimes the senders even helpfully add outlines in red crayon to show where the head or legs go.
Why do they do it? Some of these senders want my endorsement so they can sell the pic on e-bay, others are just sort of kidding themselves that they have captured proof that cryptids exist. Some, I have no doubt, really did capture a photo of what they saw but the pic just isn’t good enough to identify it. I truly hope that some day, someone WILL come up with a clearly defined, measurable, unfaked video or pic of an upright wild canine that the world can chew on.
It’s the folks who just like to trick others that I worry about. I know of at least four Beast impersonators on Bray Road alone (hint; Halloween is their fave time for critter-scamming).
For one thing, they could get shot. It has happened to hoaxers in other places such as the so-called Choccolocco Monster of Missouri whose fun ended when someone aimed a rifle at him. (He survived but learned his lesson.)
I also worry about the safety of innocent motorists who may be passing by. Causing someone to have an accident would not be cool.
Beyond those considerations, I wonder about the psychology of the pure prankster. There is a degree of mean-spiritedness there, along with disdain for the hoaxees. A hoaxer is actually mocking those people who have had real unexplained experiences, and makes it harder for researchers to do their work.
However, I’ve never been able to link any known hoaxers to reported Beast sightings by date or location. And I have a feeling that most people know a human in a bear or gorilla suit or werewolf mask when they see one. I’ve received far too many sightings of unknown upright canids over time and geographical distance to blame them all on hoaxers. In other words, hoaxes do not prove or disprove the existence of cryptids, they just gum up the binoculars.
My final word is a plea to would-be Halloween jokesters is to curb your enthusiasm and stick to scaring trick-or-treaters at your own front door this year. At least you can then give them some candy to make up for it.
Beast of Bray Road: Following the Path
Posted in bigfoot, Bray Road, cryptozoology, cryptozoology art, dogman, haunted roads, monsters, strange creatures, Uncategorized, unexplained phenomena, werewolves, Wisconsin history, wolfmen, tagged beast of bray road, bigfoot, Bray Road, cryptozoology, Elkhorn, Linda Godfrey, werewolf on May 8, 2017|
New cover by Nathan D. Godfrey
It’s been over 25 years since, as a Walworth County newspaper reporter for The Week, I broke the news that people were calling our local animal control officer to say they had seen what looked like a werewolf around Elkhorn, Wisconsin on Bray Road. People are still calling, emailing and messaging me, and yes, there are still sightings of large wolves or other canines walking upright — as well as reports of what witnesses say looks like a reddish-furred Bigfoot and odd light phenomena on Bray Road — but also widely spread around the US, Canada, and even South America. Welcome to my blog, where I share sightings, news, appearance schedules, links to podcasts, a form to report your encounter, and much more. Thanks for checking in here, and please hit the follow button for update notices!
Recent podcasts:
October 31, 2017 – Two hours with Binnall of America’ Halloween Special, discussing and theorizing on Monsters Among Us book at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/binnallofamerica/2017/11/01/boaa1022-linda-godfrey
August 10, 2017– See You on the Other Side podcast with Michael Huberty and Allison Jornlin
http://othersidepodcast.com/blog/2017/08/15/157-monsters-among-us-cryptids-linda-godfrey/ — withLinda Godfrey, Wendy Lynn Staats and Allison Jornlin.
July 12 — 2-17 guested on Cosmic Switchboard with James Bartley, part one of two-hour show available at https://www.thecosmicswitchboard.com/2017/07/14/linda-godfrey-interview/
July 11, 2017 REPLAY of The Graveyard Shift interview, on demand http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thegraveyardshift/2017/05/14/gssn08ep17-time-loop-linda-godfrey-interview-replay
July 11, 2017 – a solid two-hour talk with Daniel on End of Days Podcast https://youtu.be/vQo4MKisCj8
June 13, 2017– The Creature Zone with Linda Godfrey http://withoutyourhead.com/viewnews.php?autoid=109577
Two Ghoulish Gems; book reviews
Posted in animals, Books, cryptozoology, monsters, Native American, strange creatures, thunderbirds, Uncategorized, unexplained phenomena, werewolves, tagged beasts, book review, books, Gerhard, Kentucky, monsters, mysterious, Nunnelly on April 28, 2017|
I like to release book reviews in twos, for some reason. I think it’s because when I finish reading one really good book, it piques my appetite for another great read right away.
This time I’m pairing Ken Gerhard’s A Menagerie of Mysterious Beasts and Barton Nunnelly’s Mysterious Kentucky, the Dark and Bloody Ground. These two gentlemen, and I mean that in the highest sense of that word for they are both truly gentlemen, have each written a book with the word “mysterious” in the title and a wide swath of unexplained beasts and phenomena cavorting through the interior pages. While Gerhard goes global, however, Nunnelly sticks to his home turf of Ol’ Kentuck. Together or one at a time, these books provide a rich harvest of unknown tidbits that will have readers gobbling every word Gerhard and Nunnelly have served up. To quote the immortal request of Charles Dickens’ urchin Oliver Twist, all I can say is, “Please, sir[s], I want some more.”
A Menagerie of Mysterious Beasts; Encounters with Cryptid Creatures by Ken Gerhard
Most people probably wouldn’t consider a quiet cluster of children more frightening than, say, a modern day version of a werewolf – until they look in the children’s eyes and 
see only glistening black pools. At that point, for me, the Black-eyed Kids or BEK’s gain a few points on the mysterious creature horror scale. These and other creatures that are not your grandfather’s monsters are discussed alongside more traditional entities in Ken Gerhard’s “A Menagerie of Mysterious Beasts.” Readers will find themselves contemplating the Polish Wilkolak, sort of a vampire/werewolf combo, for instance, or pondering whether a photo of an alleged Chupacabras is truly a depiction of the blood-sucking goat killer or something else that simply appears otherworldly but has a mundane explanation.
Mundane is not a word I’d use to describe any part of this book, however. Whether readers are newbies still wrapping their craniums around the vast array of beasties, or seasoned enthusiasts seeking to hone their knowledge of favorite cryptids or catch up on the latest reports, Gerhard’s ghoulish gathering provides an irresistible gateway to the unknown. It’s a volume I’ll be keeping close at hand.
Mysterious Kentucky, Vol. 2; the Dark and Bloody Ground by Barton M. Nunnelly
This is it…the book I and many other fans of Mysterious Kentucky, Vol. 1 have been pining for Barton Nunnelly to finish and deliver. Well, he has at long last delivered, and how!!
Mysterious Kentucky, Vol. 2 covers more strangeness of each area of the huge state Native Americans considered cursed land, from historic lore to present day happenings. And joy of joys, the section on Kentucky Bigfoots alone comprises 118 pages of pure Sasquatch encounter bliss. It’s a hefty tome, packed chockablock from the first story which concerns, appropriately, Kentucky’s first people, to the last entry, Kentucky’s Chernobyl! The book must be seen and held to convey just how info-dense and well organized it is.
Nunnelly is also a gifted artist, and his illustrations enlighten the research and careful writing that take this book to the level of must-have permanent collection shelf of my personal library. The sense of immersion in the Blue Grass State is so complete, I almost looked around for a few blades of teal-colored grass as I sat and read. And as spooky as Nunnelly has revealed Kentucky to be, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find a few stems materialized on my bookshelf. After reading this book, I can guarantee stranger things have happened.
Werewolves in the Trees?
Posted in animals, cryptozoology, cryptozoology art, dogman, Michigan dogmen, Native American, Prehistoric mounds, Uncategorized, unexplained phenomena, werewolves, wolfmen, tagged cryptozoology, dogman, michigan dogman, Montague, werewolf, wolfman on February 10, 2017|
Artwork by Linda S. Godfrey 2017
Flight of the Mid-Michigan Dogman
Could a dogman travel from tree to tree in a snowy woods? That is what appeared to happen in a 2016 incident according to a report from a Michigan man in 2016. And this was only the beginning of his sightings of upright, wolf-like creatures. Between February and October of that year, he had no fewer than three encounters with creatures he said reminded him of a werewolf. The woods where this occurred are thought by local residents to be filled with ancient Native American burial mounds. Indeed, local historical records tell of a massacre of Potawatomi people by a rival tribe there in 1642.
The geography of the area also helps support the possibility of large cryptids there. Montague, a city of about 2500 people, lies only about four miles from Lake Michigan. Its wet and woodsy habitat is perfect for predators looking for food or a good hideout. To the east lie wide swaths of forest land, and an hour to two hours to the north and west are the known Michigan dogman sighting areas of Big Rapids, Luther, Baldwin and others.
The writer’s own words tell the tale, with only a few minor edits. He did not give me permission to use his name, and my accompanying sketch is my own artist interpretation of the large, wolf-like head he describes in his report:
Hello Linda. I live in a town called Montague here in west Michigan. About an hour to hour and a half as a crow flies southwest of both Big Rapids and Reed City. I live with my father on the family farm that sits on 30 acres of woods, creek and marshlands. All of my encounters have come this year [2016] from February to about a month or so ago [October].
The first came on or about the eighth of February [2016] at approximately 3:52 am. A heavy winter storm was hitting the area with some nasty weather. I was up early to get a jump on the snow shoveling, so the driveway was accessible for the propane delivery guy later that morning. As I was about halfway down the driveway I heard a loud splash in the creek to the south about 25 yards away, thinking it was a deer or two I had jumped. I stopped shoveling and scanned the creek and wood line for any movement. As I scanned the creek I came to the wood line and saw this pair of yellow/amber eyes about 7 1/2 to 8 foot tall standing right next to a huge oak tree.
It took off with a super burst of speed to the west, it then leapt into the air and all I heard for the next few seconds was the tree tops clanging against one another. It was like it was riding the treetops. I stood there for the next few minutes questioning my sanity. For the 6 to 7 seconds I saw this creature it stood 7 1/2 to 8 feet tall, stood on two legs that looked like a dogs hind legs. Big wolf like head, with a snout and ears that resembled that of a German Shepard, and those eyes of yellow/ amber in color.
SIGHTING TWO
The second sighting came on or about March 24, at approximately 2:38 pm. I had decided to walk up the creek and clear brush. I always carry a firearm with me on these occasions. I had gotten about 450 yards up the creek that flows through entire acreage of the property, it was strange to me how completely quiet or as I say “dead” the woods were. I always jump something up whether it’s a deer or turkey or ducks that are always there. I didn’t even hear any birds which was really strange. I rounded a bend in the crick when up ahead about 55 yards is what looked to be the back of a black bear that was digging into the bank of the crick.
As I was setting my firearm down on one of the little islands in the crick I snapped a branch and it stopped completely what it was doing. I froze and watched as this thing stood up on two legs and started to turn around towards me. It stood 8 feet tall and had a huge wolf like head, snout and ears of a dog, and all black fur. In the first encounter the creature’s fur was grey in color with some white, this one was all black.
It kept glancing over to the east and back towards me. It had not yet seen me, it put its snout into the air and looked like it was sniffing the wind. I’m completely freaking out at this point and reach to pick up my firearm to get out of the area quickly when there was a splash up the creek I looked up and now this thing was on all four legs, it still stood 5 to 5 1/2 feet tall. At this point I don’t want to run out of fear that it will give chase, so I stay frozen. It looked at me and snarled, and I thought it was sizing me up and then all of a sudden it looks to the east, back at me one more time, and took two giant leaps toward the east, and onto the bank of the creek, that’s about a 25 foot distance. It then jumps towards the treetops and disappears to the east. I stood there in total disbelief.
I got home and my mind just kept racing. So I decided to confide in my father about what I had seen and he looked at me as if I were an alien. Said I was crazy and I should get my head checked out. I know what I saw!
ENCOUNTER THREE
The third and final encounter came on May 29, 8:52 pm. My dad and I were having a fire down by the creek and we were getting low on wood. He asked if I could go get more wood for the fire from behind the pole barn. I hesitated and said in a few minutes. I was afraid of those woods, which is something I thought I would never say. After about ten minutes I start to make my way towards the back of the pole barn it’s just about dark and I keep hearing this rustling and a lower growl like dogs are playing and when I reach the back of the barn it stops. I light a cigarette and look out into the woods which are 10 yards away, again the woods had gone completely silent, it was eerie. Then there was a sound like a zipper being zipped up. It was about 30 yards to the south. I waited for a minute and decided to look out to where I heard the sound. As I glanced to my right I saw something move.
It is just about completely dark, and there is a stench in the air that is absolutely putrid. It smelled of rotten guts and urine. I figured it was a rotten carcass of a dead animal. And then as I was shining my flashlight a deep guttural growl, like a raccoon would make came from the area I had heard the rustling sound. So I shone my light over towards the sound and I saw eyes about 5 1/2 feet off of the ground, the eyes were red in color and were very shiny. It really didn’t freak me out as a lot of critters have red eyes when exposed to light. Then this thing stood up on two legs, this thing was really tall 8 to 8 1/2 feet, it growled again and literally turned around and walked away to the south.I thought I had crapped myself, I came back home and my dad asked where was the wood? I said I didn’t feel well and was going to bed. I went out the next day to look around the area I heard the noise. I found only a deer skin, the rest of the deer was gone, including the head.
Also two neighbors of mine have heard very eerie howls coming from my family’s woods, saying they only come at dusk. They have been in the area for 50 + years and said they have never heard a sound like the one that they heard.
Also my friend’s cat Albert was trapped 60 feet up in a tree for 3 days during that storm that hit here just recently and refused to come down. It took tree cutting experts with a bucket to get him back. The rescuers said the cat hissed at them and did not cooperate with the rescue, and was shaking uncontrollably.
And one more thing. I set apples out for the deer every week and noticed the other day that all the apples were gone, and a rock was in every place where there was an apple. I have a trail cam on the area as I write this so hopefully I can get some pics to you. I also found some tracks that look like a huge wolfs. There used to be deer around here all the time. Had a herd of 50 or so. Now you’re lucky to see one or two, it’s like they disappeared. Been really strange around here for the past couple of years and I don’t know what to think about it. In all three of my encounters the thing I saw reminded me of a werewolf. I no longer go near the woods. I was told by a family member that a lot of the wood acreage is Indian burial grounds. I don’t share this with very many people at all in fear of getting laughed at or called crazy.
***
This report includes a couple of unusual features. In the first two encounters, the man saw the creature leap for the treetops. In the first, it appeared to be following him by jumping through the trees. That is not known canine behavior. Canines are not built with the brachiating or branching limb structure that allows them to swing by their arms as primates do. Perhaps it jumped from tree to tree. Dogmen have been seen making tremendous leaps and bounds.
A second thing I noticed was the presence of the Oz Factor, or a general bubble of silence, that seemed to envelope the area during two of the incidents. This unexplained phenomenon frequently appears in tandem with cryptid sightings of all kinds, as well as with various paranormal experiences.
Since it seems to be a recent and ongoing set of sightings, I hope to hear back from the witness if any more incidents occur. And during this final month or so of Midwestern winter weather, I’ll be listening in every ice storm for werewolves in the trees.
The Alleged Sewer Werewolves of Minot
Posted in animals, cryptozoology, cryptozoology art, dogman, Minot, North Dakota, strange creatures, Uncategorized, werewolves, wolfmen, tagged dogmen, Minot, sewers, South Dakota, underground bases, upright canines, werewolves, wolfmen on January 30, 2017|
Image by Linda Godfrey copyright 2017 all rights reserved
About eight years ago I did something I always try very hard not to do: I lost a file on a possible upright canine case alleging there were werewolves roaming the sewers of Minot, North Dakota. I remember having been intrigued by the story and setting my printout of the report aside to investigate further. Much to my chagrin, it then disappeared. It had somehow slipped between two file folders, but I only just discovered that the other day while arranging my office after a recent move. I was delighted to find it, and decided it was about time I posted the short account in case someone else might know more.
I’d received the email February 24, 2008, from a man who claimed to be a law enforcement agent in North Dakota, and who wanted to stay anonymous for fear of affecting his employment. The man I’ll call Pete said he’d been talking to an associate who told him about a recent interview he’d had with a burglary suspect. The associate said the suspect asked him if he had heard about the “werewolves” in Minot.
Enter a caption
Credit: City of Minot, by Bobak Ha’Eri, photo via Wikimedia Commons
“The guy [burglar] went on to explain,” said Pete, “that he and a friend of his were fooling around by a large culvert down by the river. (This particular culvert is about six feet across, easy for a man to walk in. It is inside the city of Minot and leads right out to the bank of the river.) The suspect said that he and his friend had seen something in the shadows that was about seven feet tall. He told my friend that they had also stepped on what they thought was a body while they were walking in the culvert. He stated that he and his friend had run out of there.
“The suspect had said that werewolves were living in the sewer system. While this sounds, of course, crazy…I have been noticing a few things since hearing the story: The city police department has had a couple of calls within the past couple of months concerning manhole covers being displaced, or off of manholes around town. Normally I wouldn’t think twice about those types of calls, but it now strikes me as odd.”
Pete said he put the information in the back of his mind until he heard me on the Coast to Coast AM radio show and suddenly wondered if there might be more to it. I’ve been trying to reach him, in return, but to no avail. I did confirm that he was indeed a law enforcement officer at the time and place he stated. But I like to have a bit more info when I post a case, especially when it’s a third-hand report and the original source is an alleged burglar. Since I’ve mentioned the report briefly in a book and on some radio shows, however, I decided to offer the information I have. I’ll be sure to update here if I do finally reach the original writer or find other sources.
Manhole Steps, by Silenzio76, photo via Wikimedia Commons
Personally, I’ve never been able to shake that mental image of two criminals stumbling over a dead body as they flee the culvert after spotting a seven-plus-feet-tall “something” watching them from the shadows. And Minot may not be the only place where people should take extra care around city water and drainage systems. In “Monsters Among Us” I shared the story of a brother and sister who claim to have seen something similar in a Los Angeles suburb. And Minot does boast a river and lies near several wildlife refuges so the habitat is certainly there.
As I said, I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime I wouldn’t blame anyone for deciding to give manhole covers a wider berth–just to be on the safe side.
Pious Werewolves of Ulster
Posted in cryptozoology, dogman, strange creatures, UK cryptids, unexplained phenomena, werewolves, wolfmen, tagged art, literature, Ulster, werewolves, wolfmen on January 2, 2017|
I’m always saying I don’t believe in TRADITIONAL werewolves, but almost every culture worldwide has its own, unique version of werewolves or something similar. That fact requires me to define “traditional.” What I usually mean by that are those moonstruck, hairy creatures whose attributes are derived mainly from old European legends and Hollywood movies. But even these examples may vary. When I come across a legend with some interesting features, then, I like to note it for future reference.
Today while I was looking for something else, I happened across this charming artwork depicting a priest from Ulster named Gerald and his encounter with a couple of upright werewolves. The illustrations look a lot like many drawings made by modern day eyewitnesses and artists. The creatures appear completely canine, for instance, and they can walk either on all fours or upright. Muzzles, pointed ears and toe-pad-walking complete the pictures.
(image from Creative Commons O, Europeana Collection, from the British Library Royal Collection, c. 1196-1223)
Their behavior, however, is the big surprise here.The story is written in Latin, but as I understand it from various translations, Gerald of Ulster was camping in the woods sometime around the year 1200 when he was approached by a large werewolf.
Short version: The creature begged Gerald to come with him and minister last rites to his mate. It seems they hadn’t always been werewolves. Their village had been more or less cursed to give up one couple every seven years to wander as Lycans, and it had been this pair’s turn to serve. They hadn’t yet completed their obligation when the missus fell ill. Gerald succeeded in tearing part of her fur away to reveal the shriveled elderly woman inside, and she was then able to eat a consecrated wafer. Happy ending.
There isn’t much more to the story. I simply thought it appropriate to begin the New Year with a tale from the era that still informs today’s lore. But I saw something both touching and brave about Gerald’s willingness to follow the wolfman into the woods and in the wolf couple’s determination to keep their faith. Most contemporary reports would have the witness fleeing the scene in terror (as I would be doing) while the wolf creature gave chase and then growled off into the night. That’s probably much closer to reality. But reality bites.
And I suspect they just don’t make werewolves like they used to.
Enjoy the art, anyway, and Happy 2017!
Gerhard’s Mystery Beast Feast
Posted in animals, bigfoot, Books, cryptozoology, monsters, strange creatures, Uncategorized, unexplained phenomena, werewolves, wolfmen, writing, tagged animals, bigfoot, cryptozoology, cryptozoology books, Gerhard, Paranormal, reviews, strange creatures, werewolves on December 31, 2016|
This beauty, Ken Gerhard’s Menagerie of Mysterious Beasts, recently arrived in my mailbox and will be my first big read of the new year! Can’t wait to dig into what looks like a thorough compendium of the wild world of weird creatures. Happy 2017 to all!
Brazen Bear & that Hannity Beast Vid
Posted in animals, cryptozoology, haunted roads, monsters, strange creatures, travel, Uncategorized, werewolves, wildlife, Wisconsin history, wolfmen, tagged animals, Bear, beast of bray road, Gleason, Hannity, haunchies, travel, Weird Wisconsin, werewolves, Wisconsin monsters on December 27, 2016|
photo from Lincoln County Sheriff’s Dept.
This time of year seems to be when reporters go looking for oddities — or oddities come looking for them. Such seemed the case yesterday when a bold young black bear was seen begging bipedally from cars passing on a highway near Gleason. It was eventually captured and taken to a wildlife refuge. It seemed utterly unafraid of humans, leading to speculation it was either a pet -YIKES – or someone had been feeding it in a habituation situation.
When Hannity Show Came to Bray Road
There’s also a short compilation of Wisconsin beasties in a 3-year old article in Whoo New online blog, including the Beast of Bray Road, Muskego’s Haunchies and others. I’ve had a few people ask where to see the Sean Hannity episode on The Beast (one of the best short documentaries on the subject, I think) and the blog included this handy link.
Lindagodfrey's Blog 