I read a fascinating article the
other day that named the ‘Creepiest Mythical Creatures’ in the U.S., state-by-state. I didn’t know such a list existed, and I’d certain never heard of most of the creatures, save for the New Jersey Devil and the Skinwalkers of the Southwest. Weirdly, Bigfoot didn’t even make the list.
What surprised me the most were the more than half-dozen critters who were water-based: U.S. versions of Scotland’s famous Nessie. These ranged from Tahoe Tessie to Michigan’s Pressie. Scattered amongst the lake monsters were Skunk Apes, Tommyknockers, and the Mogollon Monster.
Artist’s impression of Tahoe Tessie
Are any of them real? Here’s my take. What’s yours?
Although it may not have been Bigfoot,
I clearly remember a warm summer night - late - sitting with a friend in my old VW Bug on a deserted road in the woods, windows down, us chatting. There had been a bit of local gossip about ‘something strange’ in the woods of late. Nothing definitive but I do remember that Bigfoot was among the names being bandied about.
That night, on that road, just chatting away, the background noise of the forest suddenly stopped. Dead. Silence. No crickets, no breeze, no swishing of pine branches. Was the scary ape-man watching us through the forest of Douglas Fir and Spruce? I have no idea what was out there, but we were so creeped out we rolled up the windows and drove back to the main road. I don’t think we ever spoke of it again.
Now I’ve been to Devil’s Lake in North Dakota, known for the Sea Serpent. What did I feel there? Nothing but a little anxiety from a coming storm and annoyance that fishermen had cleaned their catch in the hotel bathtub.
I’ve also never felt a Skinwalker energy in Arizona or New Mexico, nor a discomfort on the Mogollon Rim. And, as much time as I’ve spent in Oregon, never once in the woods have I experienced an ‘Agropelter’ bombarding me with branches.
But that one summer night, years ago . . . that one stays with me.
Nancy
P.S. If you want to find your state’s creepiest creature, here’s the article. And if you’re not in the U.S., what mythical critter stalks your neighborhood?
I remember when I was a kid, there were rumors about a witch that roamed around, even in daylight and ran after buses. The thing was getting out of hand and scared people so much. And the stories kept popping up. It felt like our whole area was part of a mass delusion but then it died out. Though, I still feel there must be some truth to the earlier stories, at least.
For those who have seen such creatures, it sticks. I live in a rural area in North Carolina and my husband saw a black panther on the property line about 10 years ago. I thought he was seeing things in the dappled shadows from the trees. He was adamant and irritated that I didn't believe him. Two days later we both saw it at the same time, and haven't seen it again since. There was no question what it was, and other sightings were reported in previous years. Yet, no reports of livestock or pets missing or killed.