WV is quite the trip from this side of the state, MD and NC are much, much closer surprisingly. Legends, Ghosts and Witches, and Superstitions: a selection of books from the Appalachian Studies Bibliography. Another cryptid with ties to the Point Pleasant and Charleston areas of West Virginia is the Sheepsquatch. They range from the widely known Mothman of Point Pleasant to the Flatwoods Monster in Braxton County. This cryptid is said to be a large, humanoid creature with a glowing red face. 2019 Description Banner depicting folklore cryptids of West Virginia, including the Mothman, Sasquatch, and others. How dark was dark is my question. You have to wonder, do the old mound sites serve as some sort of portal to somewhere else? In a possibleconflict of interest, Cockrell published thestory of his sighting, followed by numerous other articles and interviews detailingother sightings that same summer. The dog is large and powerful in build, a handsome creature despite hair that is somewhat matted and unkempt. Another familiar aspect to this case is the size of the creature. Institution. Alleged encounters with cryptids of various shapes and sizes have a long history in the state of West Virginia, a history that has most recently been recognized in the Bethesda Studios video games Fallout 76. So does this state have anything hidden to offer? On the ends of its long fingers were suction cups which had thorns protruding from them. But there are numerous other creepy creatures and mythical monsters throughout the world that cryptozoologists and thrill-seekers are eager to find. It's been seen by many people over the years, and there have even been some sightings of it outside of West Virginia. The Ogua is a cryptid said to live in the Greenbrier River. It just so happens that these areas are renowned for paranormal activity. While it's fun to talk about cryptids, keep in mind there are "real monsters" in the woods of West Virginia. Tor. [3], Robert Cockrell would late contact paranormal author Gray Barker, who popularized tales of the Mothman. While Appalachia refers to a large area that covers parts of New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, North and South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi,and Georgia, we'll be focusing on West Virginia. Since then, the Mothman has gone on to become the central figure in a bevy of books, documentaries, and a 2002 Richard Gere film based on the 1975 book The Mothman Prophecies. The alligator turtle is the most similar known animal to the Ogua, but it's not an exact match. Presented with zero spin or bias, this book delivers just the facts and allows you, the reader, to decide for yourself if the stories within actually happened or not. I COME IN PEACE. WVU Libraries West Virginia They also gathered a statement from the mother of the local farmer, in which she said that, at the approximate time of the crash, her house had been violently shaken and her radio had cut out for 45 minutes, and a report from the director of the local Board of Education in which he claimed to have seen a flying saucer taking off at 6:30 in the morning of September 13th (the morning after the creature was sighted). On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. To date, the 1968 encounter is the only sighting of the Vegetable Man. West Virginia University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Eventually the creature began making appearances in neighboring Randolph County, where residents joined the Valley Head Rod and Gun Club in offering a reward for its death totaling $400 (over $7200 today). This creature, however, looked nothing like the original Mothman. Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published. The Mothman Museum in downtown Point Pleasant, WV. "I think Bigfoot is blurry, that's the problem. From there, the boys and a group of locals went to the. The most famous of these supposed creatures by far is the Mothman, first sighted in the town of Point Pleasant in 1966. It is described as being a quadruped about the size of a . The physiology doesnt work. Various sightings across the region in the mid 1990s describethe Sheepsquatch as a large, furry or woolly white creature, usually a quadruped, although sometimes bipedal. I've been recently sinking my teeth into any info on Cryptids. This is my list for the Top 5 Cryptids of West Virginia!For millennia, people have claimed seeing unusual creatures that don't fit our paradigm of understand. However, I took this time to do some intense research on what I saw, and thats when I came upon the Dogman phenomenon for the first time. Ben Miller writes "We finally have made it to probably the most famous of cryptid states which would be West Virginia. Others are experiments gone awry, or once normal animals mutated by radiation, and given the names of infamous cryptids to match their new forms. else seems to be a better explanation than something from our physical world. The confluence of the Monongahela River and Paw Paw Creek in Rivesville, West Virginia is the site of one of the most famous alleged sightings of what has become known as the Ogua, a word supposedly borrowed from the Delawares or Shawnees. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The "cryptid wiki" article covering White Things / Devil Dogs. https://www.phantomsandmonsters.com/2014/02/bipedal-wolf-like-cryptid-reported.html. One of the few pages with information about this creature. West Virginia was part of Virginia until the area refused to endorse the ordinance of secession in 1861. It is always seen by the person who is about to die, and sometimes by others who are close to the person. However, he gave no suggestions as to where it could have escaped from. I COME AS A FRIEND. North America (Minus Mexico and Caribbean), Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology. Right as soon as I do that, theres a six-foot ledge on the left side of the road where some small trees have fallen over whereas on the other side, theres a steep hillside that has a path cleared through the thick underbrush where deer like to hide in. I felt like this thing, a creature that shouldnt even exist yet it was standing right there in front of my car, was the true ruler of the forest and we humans were nothing compared to what it can really do. The Flatwoods design is popular in Japanese UFO culture, having been used in numerous video games and media. Also hosts of the yearly Mothman Festival. In the fall of 2015, a Bedford County woman called 911 with claims she saw one carrying offspring . From the funny to the frightening, the sincere to the weird, there is something for everyone within these pages! The alligator turtle is the most similar known animal to the Ogua, but it's not an exact match. Cryptozoology is the "study" of these creatures, and is considered a pseudoscience, as it does not follow the normal scientific method. Shortly thereafter, a putrid sulfuric odor filled the air. Even with this, though, something from somewhere else seems to be a better explanation than something from our physical world. Such accounts may describe an alligator or alligator snapping turtle that made its way northward from the Gulf Coast, incidents with the latter being recorded as far north as Maine. It had a massive head similar to that of a wolf or a large German Shepard, but bigger in proportion with pointed ears and tuffs of fur at the tip of each ear, as well as a long muzzle with these great, big fangs gouging out at the front of his snout. According to several eyewitness testimonies, people have reported seeing the same exact creatures all over the United States and even in some remote parts of the world. ", "The Zanzibar Leopard Between Science and Cryptozoology | PDF | Panthera | Organisms", "People Keep Seeing the Mothman in Chicago", "The mythic child-stealing Thunderbirds of Illinois", The Sasquatch and Other Unknown Hominoids, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_cryptids&oldid=1142174140, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Giglioli's Whale, Rhinoceros dolphin, High-finned sperm whale, Alula whale, Unidentified beaked whales, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Dinosaur (lake, river and/or swamp monster), Jonesville Monster, Southern Sasquatch, Boggy Creek Monster, Chemosit, Kerit, Koddoelo, Ngoelo, Ngoloko, Duba, Large and hairy human-like entity, various other descriptions, Winged Man, Bird Man, UFO-Bird, Mason Bird Monster, This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 22:49. Limited Time Offer FREE Shipping Within The USA! In the late evening half light, the person and the handcart took on a weird shape. Theyre not a haunting part of humanitys imagination like we all believe them to be; monsters do exist in this world and this fact alone makes us realize how small our world really is. These are just a few of the many cryptids that are said to roam the state of West Virginia. Tales like Kozuls wove themselves into the folklore of the area, convincing many of their veracity despite some local residents later admitting to banging on neighbors houses and screeching to spread stories of the monster as teenagers. . Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. Cryptids are animals that cryptozoologists believe may exist somewhere in the wild, but are not recognized by science. It's described as being a reptilian creature with spikes down its back. Les O'Dell is a native West Virginian born in 1974 and raised in Marion County. The crowd was huge but everyone was polite and had a great time finally being back. The Sheepsquatch's initial sightings state it ran from people, but it seems to have become more aggressive over time. Sunset on August 27, 2017 in Lavalette, West Virginia was at 8:07PM, so it would have been getting dark around the time of your encounter. The Grafton Monster or Beast of Grafton was a cryptid from Taylor County, West Virginia sighted in 1964. Not your typical kind-hearted denizens of the forest, these and other mysterious creatures are the targets of a group of hunters known as the Appalachian Investigators of Mysterious Sightings, or A.I.M.S. Bigfoot reports are also tied to these areas as well. Regardless, Ogua sightings offer historians a unique opportunity to draw connections between the rumor mills of the colonial borderlands and those of deindustrializing Cold War America. Monongahela River Monster/Ogua Sighting. They just assumed that what I saw couldve been a black bear and driving after dark like that makes your mind play tricks on you, but this wasnt a trick I saw. For the upcoming film, see. Canines do not walk on their hind legs unless forced to do so, and this is discussed in the NCS article , Normal canines do not have hands or paws that offer much dexterity at all. Many of the cryptids on this page feature prominently in developer Bethesda's 2018 online role playing game, Fallout 76. Just as I slowly drove around the corner, I saw this thing step onto the road on all fours. Bigfoot is a large, ape-like creature, primarily found in the deep woods or mountains, which describes our region perfectly! I guess I drove way too far for my liking. Cryptidscreatures whose existence is unsubstantiated, like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monsterare found in folklore throughout the United States and the world. From the Mothman to the brakesucker (not really exists), there's no shortage of strange creatures said to roam the mountains and valleys of the Mountain State. Having experienced a UFO sighting a few years ago myself, I was wondering if there might also be any reported Cryptids in my area? After two years West Virginia's largest cryptid celebration returned and it returned to record numbers. When I first saw it, I thought it was a 500-pound male black bear because it was roughly the same size as one and we do tend to have a few roaming around where I live now. Discrepancies exist in the actual color of the armour, some claiming it to be black while others say it was green. . West Virginia University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action That's how we can get so close to 'em.". Go Camping, West Virginia! It could have easily ripped the doors off my car and pulled me out of it, it couldve caught up to me if I tried to escape, and even if I tried to scream for help, it wasnt going to help me because I knew how powerful this predator was, even if I dont know it yet. In 1994, a twenty-eight-year-old man said that he was seven years old at the time. You have to wonder, do the old mound sites serve as some sort of portal to. Did a pack of wolves escape from a wildlife sanctuary and somehow found their way here? Run, he's fuzzy, get out of here." Charleston is the capital and the largest city. He immediately reported them as being possible signs of asaucerlanding based on the premise that the area had not been subjected to traffic for at least a year. The Frametown Monster, believed to be the same creature from Flatwoods, bore similar pipe-lined metallic armour from the waist down. Others have also suggested it could have been an "interdimensional traveller."[1]. Perhaps the key (or a key) to this case (and maybe to the phenomenon in general) lies in the concentration of ancient burial mounds in the area. On June 19th, 1964, the Grafton Sentinel published an article claiming the sightings of the Grafton Monster were the "personification of active imaginations." More than 20 calls came in from people who allegedly sighted the monster. The object came to rest on land belonging to a local farmer. It was later revealed that the tracks were likely to have been those of a Chevroletpickup truckdriven by a local, who had gone to the site to look for the creature some hours prior to Stewert's discovery. Their car came to a sudden stop and refused to start again. What cryptid are you? West Virginia Cryptids: A Visual Travel Guide for Traversing the Mountain State Paperback - May 13, 2021 by Mr. Mark A Randall (Author), Mr. Les O'Dell (Author) 9 ratings See all formats and editions Paperback $10.00 1 New from $10.00 The area now known as West Virginia has always been steeped in mystery. Notable examples include: Painting based on the witness' descriptions, The Flatwoods Monster from The Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask, The Flatwoods Monster Forms (1952) - The Flatwoods Monster Forms (2002), Flatwoods Monster from Ninja Baseball Batman, The Flatwoods Monster as potrayed in the Popular and arguably awful game Fallout 76. Various sightings across the region in the mid 1990s describe the Sheepsquatch as a large, furry or woolly white creature, usually a quadruped, although sometimes bipedal. To begin, the witnesses described glowing amber eyes. Several of them had even reportedly sighted the monster. See the additional links section for a small sampling. Mrzer Bruyns, W. F. J. My parents were concerned about the state I was in and asked me what happened I basically told them everything that transpired just before I pulled in. Jennings would go on to say that the being looked weakened, sickly. In my opinion, I think he was the alpha male of this pack. I wasnt dreaming of this incident nor was I hallucinating it; it wasnt even a simple misidentification. Its first appearance in West Virginia dates to 1966 in Clendenin, WV, when a man digging a grave saw a bird . , on Destination America, the AIMS team goes to Braxton County, West Virginia to investigate a similar cryptid, the Shadow Creature. (ft. Tenebrous Jim). Can anyone fill me in? There is no way to be sure, and no way to prove it, but it seems to me that something is accessing our plane of existence from somewhere elseanother dimension, plan, or universe. But the eyes the eyes were the one thing, the only thing about my encounter that night, that Ill never forget and even writing about it to you all right now sends a bone-chilling fear down my spine. Mothman, Sheepsquatch, Thunderbirds, Flatwoods monster, and Devil Dogs? And a shapeshifting dog manthat certainly cannot exist in the natural world. How West Virginia Lore Inspires Graphic Art, Mothman Festival returns Saturday in Point Pleasant. If you enjoy the content on this site please help us fund it buy making a small donation in order to offset our costs. Watch on. After this encounter, it affected me so much that I was forced to isolate myself from everyone I know, including my family and friends, for a little over a month or two, but I eventually broke out of my shell and got back into the social life again. From the Loch Ness Monster to the Jersey Devil, the world loves to believe in otherworldly creatures, and West Virginia is no exception. "In the first place, the guys have jobs, so we usually try to do it in three days, over a weekend and we have limited time. This event took place during the height of McCarthyism and the Red Scare; as such, the phenomena was attributed both to the US Government and the USSR as possible secret weapons testing gone awry. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Most state that the monster was armless, while others claim it possessed small, "toy-like" arms. Cumberland Spaceman (Solway Firth Spaceman), Pterosaurs and Pterodactyls in Cryptozoology, The Buru, Giant Lizards and Giant Crocodiles, The Death Dealing Tree of the Phillippines, The Mysterious Giant Snake Of North-Africa, Titanoboa and largest snakes of the world. North America (Minus Mexico and Caribbean), Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology. Scholars have noted that the cryptozoology subculture rejected mainstream approaches from an early date, and that adherents often express hostility to mainstream science. Numerous flashing red aircraft beacons can be seen from the area of the sighting, and the creature itself was probably a common barn owl, perched on a tree branch. From the waist up, however, it was a reptilian humanoid. Few people, however, even within the state itself, have heard the strange case of West Virginia's own Vegetable Man. We usually have them beat on intelligence, so we have to use our intelligence with old school tracking and reading signs ability with new technology. Mystery surrounds fate of killer crocodile that 'ate 300 people'! (Implies that he felt the monster was of extraterrestrial origin.). Unfortunately, investigations into the Flatwoods Monster both at the time and over the years have thoroughly debunked its existence. The Flatwoods Monster (also known as the Braxton County Monster, Braxxie (by locals), or the Frametown Monster) is a cryptid sighted in the forests of Flatwoods, West Virginia and Frametown, West Virginia, respectively. There is no fossil evidence or evidence of an upright-walking bipedal canid. Cookie Notice While biologists regularly identify new species following established scientific methodology, cryptozoologists focus on entities mentioned in the folklore record and rumor. Unidentified Flying Creatures: Eyewitness Account of a Bat-like Encounter in Auburn Ravine, California, Reader Submission: Skunk Ape Sighting in Lake City, Florida. Suddenly, he could make out the words. This series is made to give you information on those stories, and leave the decision if they. If so, then how did this one get so freaking huge? I was 19 at the time, but I respected the DUI (Driving Under the Influence) so I wasnt drunk while driving home that night. This is a narration of the sighting. Bigfoot reports are also tied to these areas as well. This Wolfman, as I previously referred to it as, gave out a grunt and actually frowned at me for a few seconds before standing back up and walking to the other side of my car, and it jiggled the other door handle adjacent to the passenger side. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! When he tracked down the source of the sound, he came face to face with the creature. At this point the group fled in panic. It is believed to be of extraterrestrial nature. Another possible explanation for some dogman sightings could be bears with the disease mange. The Mothman Festival is an annual commemoration of the visit of the cryptid known as the Mothman. While most of these will stay far away from humans, always exercise caution when hiking or camping around the fall foliage. The entity was initially reported as being about 10 feet tall and 4 feet wide. Finally, I gained this overwhelming sense of dread after seeing it walk to my side of the car on two legs, slowly bent down to level its eyes with mine, and I froze in pure, unadulterated horror when it used its hand to jiggle the door handle to try and open my car door. Moreover, the Ohio and Kanawha Valleys were once home to a vast network of mounds and sacred earthworks. Cryptids are a combi. The reporter conducted a number of interviews and returned to the site with the farmer later that night, where he reported that "there was a sickening, burnt, metallic odor still prevailing." West Virginia has played host to an extraordinary number of unusual creatures. Click to take the quiz. The owl face might be connected to aliens or other worlds. This monster, a 20-foot Nile crocodile that has been terrorizing residents since the initial attacks in 1987, may sound like the premise of a horror movie, but it's actually a real threat. But of course, they didnt believe me. WE KNOW OF YOU ALL. They also saw (and smelled) a mist that made their eyes and noses burn. Once the white dog appears, the person is marked for death and dies tragically within a few days or two weeks.". The McClintic Wildlife Management Area, better known to locals as the "TNT Area". Another cryptid with ties to the Point Pleasant and Charleston areas of West Virginia is the Sheepsquatch. West Virginia - isn't Mothman more worthy of this honor? West Virginia Dogman Encounter August 2017. White Things, White Devils or Devil Dogs, most notably the Sheepsquatch, which appears on the show Mountain Monsters, are amongst the most historically infamous cryptids in West Virginia. No discussion about cryptids would be complete without Bigfoot, or the Sasquatch. The day after the Flatwoods incident, a couple taking a leisurely drive through the mountains of Frametown, West Virginia, at dusk were met with a similarly horrific experience. One of the group shined a light, and saw"man-like figure with a round, red face surrounded by a pointed, hood-like shape", while another member reported seeing a green outfit and claw like hands. 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"Catching one is different [from proving they exist]," said Tice. The object came to rest on land belonging to a local farmer. It's located next to the Mothman Museum and the Mothman Statue. Although such sightings are recorded as early as the eighteenth century, the most well-known is the encounter of Fairmont coal miner John Edward White while night-fishing at this location in the summer of 1983. One of the locals' dog ran ahead out of sight and started barking, and moments later ran back to the group with its tail between its legs. To my shock, it was more than a wolf standing on its hind legs; it had a human-like torso from the waist up that appeared pretty muscular with broad shoulders and long forearms, longer than those of a normal human being. It had a "cowl" in the shape of an ace of spades behind a red round head. I drove from my home to the town of Wayne, then past Tolsia and Louisa, and finally, as far as Chapmansville. Regardless, anyone interested in trying to catch their own glimpse of the monster may follow in Kozuls footsteps along what is now US 19. It was easily eight-feet tall and weighed approximately 600-650 pounds or more. Have you ever been through an experience in your life where, even though youve known all your life that youre an apex predator, you find yourself going out into the wilderness alone and you suddenly feel so weak, so vulnerable, so helpless in the eyes of such a beast like this? For more information, please see our How about the rest of you? ), bobcats, cougars / mountain lions, coyotes, various snakes and even wolves could all once be found in the region, and might still be in some forgotten hills. Deep in the hills of Braxton County, West Virginia lies a small town with a big secret. The hind legs resemble more like those of a dog or wolf; this I can easily tell because they bent backwards and had these massive paws for feet, and from the looks of which, it was standing on his toes more than on his feet. Box 6069 Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 Phone: 1-304-293-4040 Fax: 1-304-293-6638 West Virginia University. We've been very close, and it's gonna take a bunch of luck, along with a lot of experts to do this. Not to be outdone by Flatwoods, the town of Grafton in Taylor County, WV, has its own local monster. I live in eastern VA and I am very curious. The identity or location of its head is unclear though if it actually doesn't have one close to its chest like most people think; some say that this strange beast might be nine feet tall (3 meters) making it taller than many predators on land. Cryptozoology is a pseudoscience, which primarily looks at anecdotal stories, and other claims rejected by the scientific community. This illustrated map of West Virginia highlights some of the state's most well-known cryptids: Mothman, The Flatwoods Monster, The Grafton Monster, Ogua, Vegetable Man, Snarly Yow, Sheepsquatch, Snallygaster, Bat Boy, and Sasquatch.