Vampiric Cryptids

In 1995 the world was shocked by startling news released out of Puerto Rico... livestock was being slaughtered frequently throughout the island, and all the deaths had one thing in common: the corpses were completely drained of blood. Thus the legendary Chupacabra was born and the grotesque sucker of goats has quickly clawed its way into being a staple of cryptozoology. Stories of livestock drained of blood, supposedly by some sort of creature have spread across the globe and are frequently making the news.

Unfortunately, tracking down specifically what the term 'Chupacabra' refers to is difficult. The translation means "goat sucker" but the term has been used loosely for any strange looking animal. The media frequently uses the term as a catchall for any normal animal with mange and has been captured and researchers like to use it for any creature that appears dog-like or gargoyle-like but is extremely unusual for any other classification. For that reason, I generally prefer to avoid the use of the term.

Another problem with the Chupacabra is that many people assume that since the term and media attention came along in 1995, the phenomenon started around that time. That isn't true. Vampiric livestock attacks have a very long history in cryptozoology. The focus of this post is to share a few examples prior to 1995.

• In the months of November and December, 1905, sheep were being massacred on farms around the area of Badminton, England. The police suggested it was an escaped jackal but no such jackals were reported at the time. Huge, black dogs were also seen around the area, some on the same day as attacks.
• Bladenboro, North Carolina had a rash of dog mutilations in 1954. Dogs were frequently found ripped to shreds or cut open with their blood drained. At the same time, shrieks and strange shadowy creatures were seen in the surrounding forests. The media quickly blamed a lynx that was killed as the attacks ceased but law enforcement accused feral dogs.
• The story of the 1970-1971 Chicken Man attacks is a personal favorite of mine. In El Reno, Oklahoma, farmers began to find their chicken coops raided and their birds either missing or ripped open and drained of blood. No culprit was ever seen but huge, ape-like tracks were found at multiple scenes. 
• During the 1972 Bigfoot wave in Roachdale, Indiana, a farmer and his family found over 100 of their chickens ripped open and drained of blood. The grisly scene was discovered after they went to investigate a strange sound coming from the coop. As the farmer got closer to the coop, he saw a giant, manlike creature in the doorway and as it walked away, the farmer fired upon the strange intruder. 
• Our last case is probably the most famous of this list, but is still stuck in obscurity. An enormous farm known as Bodalog, situated in mid-Wales, was plagued with a supposed vampiric beast from the depths of a nearby river. In 1988 the unseen creature murdered at least 35 sheep with only a small incision-like bite to the sternum. Many have suggested that the creature might have been some unknown species of snake, but since the creature was never seen, the mystery to its origins will remain unsolved.

There is an abundance of cases where livestock, poultry, or pets are killed, mutilated, and sometimes drained of their blood by supposed unknown animals. I have logged close to 150 individual cases simply by looking through the books I own. Unfortunately the subject have been largely ignored or, due to its popularity, the cases have been tainted by the Chupacabra. 

Because of this, I have decided to put my previous idea for a book aside for the moment a focus on my research on this diverse subject. I have begun writing a rough draft for a book focusing on these cases and discussing various explanations as to why these things happen. 

My Journey Around America

Vacation time is always one of my favorite events of the year, three years ago I went to Maine and got to visit the International Cryptozoology Museum. I always try to incorporate my paranormal interests and my recent trip was no exception.
I had the privilege of visiting three of the most historically important cities in America; New Orleans, Gettysburg, and Washington DC (all three of which are considered to be "the most haunted city on Earth" according to all the postcards and tourist traps).

On my visit to New Orleans, I visited a vampire boutique (where I purchased a guide to the paranormal aspects of the city), a handful of voodoo shops, and a witchcraft store (where I got a copy of Psychic Self Defense by Dion Fortune). We also visited the Audubon Zoo which had an excellent exhibit on the Rougarou (a Cajun version of the werewolf. The term is derived from the French Loup-Garu) and Bigfoot's three-toed cousin, the Honey Island Swamp Monster. Needless to say, I got suckered into purchasing a Rougarou T-shirt.

My Gettysburg trip was fairly brief because it was a short stop on the way to visit some friends who live in Harrisburg, PA. We visited a Civil War museum, saw some of the statues and monuments, and went to numerous ghost shops. Gettysburg, interestingly, has no less than five different ghost stores as well as a handful of Wiccan, fortune teller, and other paranormal related venues (and an excellent comic book store). Needless to say, if you are looking for ghost-hunting equipment or a ghost-hunting team to join, you should probably move to Gettysburg.

When we visited Washington DC, we didn't do anything paranormal focused but we did visit a handful of monuments, the National Zoo, and the Smithsonian Natural History Museum (which, unfortunately, did not have any of their prehistoric animal exhibits available to the public due to revisions in the exhibits). The Museum did have a couple sections that were of interest to cryptozoologists, though. They had a neat display about the coelacanth and giant squid, a fascinating exhibit about the thylacine (aka. Tasmanian tiger/wolf), and a stuffed okapi.

Overall I had a wonderful time. Next year we might venture to Florida, so I might go looking for the infamous Skunk Ape!

My sister and I with the terrifying Rougarou at New Orleans' Audubon Zoo

Book Update

I am changing my focus for my upcoming book. I decided instead of rewriting the same cases that everyone knows, I want to contribute something specific to the field.
Because of this, I have adjusted the focus of my book to looking at paranormal aspects of cryptids.

I have a great interest in the 'fringe' ideas about unknown animals. Here is the list of the chapters I will have as of right now:

• UFOs
• this will be to explore the idea of a connection between UFOs and cryptids; specifically Bigfoot, flying humanoids, and lake monsters
• Extraterrestrials
• this will be to explore the idea that some cryptids are extraterrestrial in nature: specifically Bigfoot and the chupacabra
• Lover's Lanes
• this will look at popular Lover's Lane cryptids such as Bigfoot, Goatman, Mothman, and Owlman
• Earth Energies
• this will explore the idea that cryptids have connections with 'earth energies' which would include subjects such as ley lines and powerful places (stone circles, graveyards, etc.)
• Psychic
• this will look at the idea that some cryptids have a psychic aspect such as Bigfoot, flying humanoids, and black dogs
• Fairies
• this will look at the possible connection between fairies and cryptids
• Tulpas
• this will look at the idea that cryptids are thought-forms created through the power of the mind
• Ultraterrestrials
• this will look at John Keel's idea of multi-dimensional beings (this chapter will also discuss the djinn)
• Where does this leave cryptozoology?
• this will discuss what will happen to cryptozoology if these creatures really aren't unknown animals

If you have any suggestions for inclusions in the book, let me know in the comments!

Future Projects

I have four projects I am currently working on, all four of which should be completed by the end of the year.

The first project is mostly done, there is just some revisions and adjustments left. The project is a regional listing and evaluation of various diminutive humanoids. Essentially it is a directory of dwarves. I will put the directory on the Kindle Store as an ebook sometime in the future.

The second project ties into the third one; I am writing a book about the history of fortean, paranormal, and occult within the last two centuries. I am hoping it will be out by September but I am unsure.

The third project ties into the second because it is a card game which focuses on important paranormal events. More about that to be announced.

I run the paranormal club at my school. We are currently in the works of planning a paranormal conference to raise funds and to generate some cases. Again, more about that to be announced.

If you have any questions about the projects, email me or comment.

Creature Weekend

I have gone to a lot of paranormal conventions and conferences; the Mothman Fest, Pittsburgh and Erie MUFON conferences, the Butler Paranormal Conference, and now Creature Weekend. Out of all of those, Creature Weekend has managed to take all of my favorite components of all the others and improve upon them. I had a blast!

The speakers were all extremely nice and great to hang out with. I already knew Ron Murphy and Ken Gerhard so we got to hang out more. I did get to meet Ron Morehead who is very laid-back and cool to talk with.

With my good friend, Ron Murphy

With the one, the only Ken Gerhard

With the infamous Ron Morehead

The Center for Cryptozoological Studies was also there, of which I am a proud member. Brian Seech and Terrie Seech are some of the nicest people you will ever meet.

I got to run the Center for Cryptozoological Studies' evidence table

At the evidence sharing event with Brian Seech

The Ohio Bigfoot Co-Op was there as well. They gave an interesting presentation about their research in Salt Fork State Park.

The esteemed Steven Blair and Mark Hudak of the Ohio Bigfoot Co-Op

I also got a chance to see the new Beast of Whitehall documentary from Small Town Monsters, which was great. I purchased the Minerva Monster documentary which I will be reviewing soon.

The Creature Weekend was an awesome event, one of my favorites. The atmosphere was super laid-back and everyone was awesome to hang out with. I loved every minute of it. I am definitely coming back next year.

Creature Weekend is soon!

I try to go to as many paranormal conferences as I can. I have gone to two MUFON conferences, the Mothman Festival, and the Butler Paranormal Conference. I love meeting all the different researchers and witnesses, having discussions, buying books, and attending talks on a wide range of topics within the weird. This weekend has an upcoming event which I have anxiously looked forward to since I had heard about it.
So what is the long awaited event? Creature Weekend.
Creature Weekend is a chance for lovers of cryptids and monsters to meet, talk, hang out, and learn lots about every creature you can think of.

This year has an awesome set of speakers;
Ron Murphy... Ron is a really good friend of mine, he is an expert on fairies and is a seasoned cryptid researcher. He has numerous crypto-focused books, all of which are highly, highly recommended.
Ken Gerhard... Ken is an awesome researcher who always brings something new to the table with each of his books. He is a great guy who is really cool to hang out with.
Ron Morehead... Ron is a seasoned Bigfoot researcher. He is best known for his astonishing recording of supposed Bigfoot vocalizations, known as the Sierra Sounds.

The Center for Cryptozoological Studies will also be there, Brian Seech is always fun to talk to.


Needless to say, this will be an awesome weekend.
I cannot wait. I will write a short post about the event when I get back.
You can find information on the event here.

On Wildman: Tracking Bigfoot Through History by Ronald L. Murphy, Jr: A Book Review

For most kids, Bigfoot is a fascination. It was for me and many of my fellow classmates. Although most of them eventually grew out of the obsession. I never did, and I am glad Ron Murphy didn't either.

Ron's new book, On Wildman, recently came out and I just read it today.

It was an absolute joy to read, detailed and consistently entertaining.

On Wildman focuses on Ron's journey through the deep forests and murky swamps of the world's mythologies and folklore in search of hairy man-beasts.

Ron covers nearly every aspect of the Wildman mythos. From the Greek satyrs to the English woodwose, from Shakespeare's Caliban to the Nephilim of the Bible, Ron graciously covers it all.

The book is masterfully written and pleasantly illustrated with art from various cultures throughout history.

If you are interested in Bigfoot or any of its cohorts, get this book.
If you are interested in folklore and myth of cryptids, get this book.
If you are interested in primates in myth, get this book.

Anyone even vaguely interested in the topic of cryptozoology and folklore should get this book.

It is destined to be a classic piece of cryptozoological writing.

Click here to buy the book!

New Book by Cryptozoologist and Folklorist Ronald Murphy Jr.!

Ronald Murphy Jr. is a world class expert on fairies, writer, actor, and cryptozoologist extraordinaire.
He has written numerous books, both non-fiction and fictional, including On Dogman, On Mermaids, and The Unexplained World of the Chestnut Ridge.
Ron is a seasoned researcher with cryptozoological and folkloric subject. He has done extensive research for all of his books and all are extremely well written and detailed.
I am glad to call Ron my friend and associate, he has done much for the subject.

He has come out with a new book!
On Wildman: Tracking Bigfoot Through History
On Wildman is his third book in his 'On' series where he examines the cultural and mythological origins of well known figures in cryptozoology. His other two were about Mermaids and Dogman.

I ordered his new book last night and cannot wait until it comes. After I read through, I will do a review as well.

I highly recommend anything Ron has written. You can find his website here and his new book here.

Werewolves

Werewolves, the man-wolf creatures of the night, said to terrorize townspeople and consume children and sheep. Werewolves are considered to be a strictly European notion, but most cultures around the world have some concept of people transforming into animals, in the Southern United States it’s the skinwalkers, in Japan, the kitsune, and in Mesoamerica, the nagual. Stories of these shapeshifting creatures are abundant, and many continue today.

The official term for shapeshifting into a wolf is lycanthropy. Many attribute legend of werewolves to people who had the mental disorder known as Clinical Lycanthropy, a form of psychosis in which one believes themselves to be a wolf or half-wolf.

Probably the best known tale of a werewolf are the stories of the Beast of Gevaudan. Gevaudan was the name for a mountainous region in the southern part of 18th century France. The Beast showed up in June of 1764 and terrorized the small town for three years. It killed women, children, livestock--anything it could. Eventually, nearly all of France had heard of the beast, and the king sent soldiers down to kill the creature. The soldiers succeeded in killing the beast and tried to bring it back to the king but because of decay and stench they buried it in an unknown location. Many speculate that the creature was just a hyena or an oversized wolf, but there are some who still call it a werewolf.
There is an abundance of modern werewolf sightings, not just in Europe, but in America as well. Researcher Linda S. Godfrey is the recognized expert on modern werewolf sightings and has a nearly complete list of modern American encounters. She has noticed, like many cryptids, there seems to be a correlation between sighting locations and the locations of both sacred sites and military bases. Godfrey speculated that this could be because the man-wolves are protection spirits from Native American mythology. Godfrey prefers to call these creatures Dogmen or Upright-Candids, because some encounters seem to attribute a more dog-like appearance to the creatures than wolf-like. Many researchers also feel that the dogmen are most supernatural than natural, due to the nature of many encounters. Nearly everyone agrees, though, that werewolves aren’t truly men transforming into wolves.

Sources

Real Wolfmen by Linda S. Godfrey

Encyclopedia of Cryptozoology by Michael Newton

Encyclopedia of Occultism by Lewis Spence

American Monsters by Linda S. Godfrey

Paranormal Terms to Know

Everyone knows the terms “UFO” or “sea serpent”, but some of the other terms I use you may not be so familiar with. Because of this, I have compiled a short list of some terms used often in the fields of paranormal.

• Flaps- patterns of time, connected to groups of unusual encounters or happenings. Described by Loren Coleman as “an attempt to understand a grouping of reports which cluster in time, and for monster accounts, usually in a specific local.” It is worth noting that nearly all encounters with cryptids (unknown animals) or UFOs come in clusters.
• Windows- specific places that seem to act as magnets for the unusual. Commonly attributed to cryptids, UFOs, or hauntings. Often window areas serve as locations for multiple types of unusual occurrences.
• High Strangeness- there are two definitions for this term, first, encounters or reports with unexplained phenomena that seems more unusual than most reports (example, there was once an encounter with a supposed extraterrestrial which apparently gave the witness “space pancakes”). The second definition are areas that seem more unusual than normal window areas, for example, the Bermuda Triangle.
• Zooforms- literally monsters. Zooforms are technically apparition creatures that resemble animals, but the phenomena seems to include most paranormal creatures, from werewolves to vampires to the bogey-man. It is an extremely vast and complicated phenomena.
• Name Game- patterns within names of witnesses of the paranormal or names of places where paranormal encounters. Some examples of names within the game are Fayette, Dover, Decatur, and Logan.
• Waves- similar to flaps, except waves are simply the clusters of sightings while flaps are the patterns within the clusters.

Sources

Mothman and Other Encounters by Loren Coleman

Mysterious America by Loren Coleman

PSIence by Marie D. Jones

Monsters! An A-Z of Zooform Phenomena by Neil Arnold

How Can Cryptids Stay Hidden?

When discussing cryptids, such as Bigfoot or Mothman, I seem to be faced with the same question, time and time again. This question seems simple but could really be quite complex if you really think about it. The question is, “If these creatures exist, how do they stay hidden against hundreds of people looking for them?”

There are many answers to this question, and which answer you use normally depends on your point of view on the specific cryptid or type of cryptid in question. I will briefly explain the three major answers to the question.

The first answer is nothing more than trying to show that there are still plenty of areas not properly explored by man, or are so vast and inaccessible that it gives large animals a fair amount of living space without needing to stray into more densely populated areas. This is normally used by believers in the specific cryptids existence or at least those who are open to the possibility.

The second is simply that the cryptid doesn’t exist and that sightings are simply nothing more than misidentifications or flatout fabrications. Thus there is no ‘real’ animal to be found. Most professional debunkers use this for nearly everything.

The third answer seems to divulge into the very strange, it can be summed up in two words, multidimensional beings. This idea has seemed to grow in popularity and has a large number of supporters. Basically those who support this idea think that since most cryptid encounters seem to have many paranormal parallels to it, the creatures most likely come from another dimension or something similar. This idea seems more logical for some cryptids but not for most of them.

Sources

Encyclopedia of Cryptozoology by Michael Newton

Cryptozoology A to Z by Loren Coleman and Jerome Clark

The Complete Guide to Mysterious Beings by John A. Keel