Tales
of large hairy creatures that walk around on two legs and stand seven
to ten feet tall exist in the folklore of cultures on every continent
except Antarctica. The possibility of an unknown ape-like creature
wondering the woods has captured the imagination of believers and
skeptics alike, and has became so commonplace that Bigfoot has found his
way into popular advertising today. We’re going to look at the history
of the phenomena, theories on the creature, and how it is viewed around
the world.
The term “Bigfoot” was coined in 1958 by a California newspaper. Sightings in the logging community of Bluff Creek propelled the creature onto a national platform. Hundreds of footprints, roughly 16 inches long and 8 inches wide, were found near the logging site. Upon arriving for work, loggers repeatedly found their equipment disturbed and large tracks everywhere. Foreman Jerry Crew made a plaster cast of the tracks and took it to a local newspaper. The editor called it “Bigfoot” and the article was picked up by the Associated Press, going nationwide.
The term “Bigfoot” was coined in 1958 by a California newspaper. Sightings in the logging community of Bluff Creek propelled the creature onto a national platform. Hundreds of footprints, roughly 16 inches long and 8 inches wide, were found near the logging site. Upon arriving for work, loggers repeatedly found their equipment disturbed and large tracks everywhere. Foreman Jerry Crew made a plaster cast of the tracks and took it to a local newspaper. The editor called it “Bigfoot” and the article was picked up by the Associated Press, going nationwide.
Nine
years later, what is either the most famous Bigfoot evidence ever
captured or the most elaborate and widely believed hoax ever perpetrated
was captured on 16 mm video camera by Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin.
The footage became known as the ‘Patterson Film.’ On October 20, 1967
the two men were riding horses when they came across the creature
crouching behind a large stump. Patterson’s horse was startled. He
dismounted and grabbed his video camera. While critics have insisted
the film is a hoax, Patterson believed he caught a female Bigfoot on
camera.
Stories of hairy wild men go back as far as recorded history. In fact, The Epic of Gilgamesh,
said to be the first book ever written, contains such a beast as a
character. The Sumerian poem was found recorded on stone tablets, said
to be 4000 years old. The first written account of an encounter comes
from Norwegian explorer Leif Erikson, who discovered
America about 500 years before Columbus. Erikson told of encountering
huge hairy creatures with black eyes.
Tales of Bigfoot creatures have long existed in Canada among natives. The Shalish tribe called the creature Sasquatch, meaning 'wild man of the woods.' Native Americans across the continent have stories about the hairy wild man. President Teddy Roosevelt recounted a tell about an encounter with the creature by a trapper in his book The Wilderness Hunter. Frontiersman Daniel Boone was said to have shot and killed a ten-foot creature he called a Yahoo.
The 20th century saw tales of Bigfoot encounters, some violent. In 1924 prospector Albert Ostman claimed to have been abducted by a Sasquatch and held captive in British Columbia. The same year Fred Beck and four other miners in Ape Canyon, Washington claimed to have seen the creature, who threw rocks at their camp. Most modern reports lead one to believe that the creature is an herbivore, eating plants only, or an omnivore, living off vegetation and hunting small game.
Tales of Bigfoot creatures have long existed in Canada among natives. The Shalish tribe called the creature Sasquatch, meaning 'wild man of the woods.' Native Americans across the continent have stories about the hairy wild man. President Teddy Roosevelt recounted a tell about an encounter with the creature by a trapper in his book The Wilderness Hunter. Frontiersman Daniel Boone was said to have shot and killed a ten-foot creature he called a Yahoo.
The 20th century saw tales of Bigfoot encounters, some violent. In 1924 prospector Albert Ostman claimed to have been abducted by a Sasquatch and held captive in British Columbia. The same year Fred Beck and four other miners in Ape Canyon, Washington claimed to have seen the creature, who threw rocks at their camp. Most modern reports lead one to believe that the creature is an herbivore, eating plants only, or an omnivore, living off vegetation and hunting small game.
The Jacob's photo -Juvenile Bigfoot or bear? |
Bigfoot critics argue that there is no scientific evidence to
support the belief that the creature exists. They point out that large
numbers of them would have to exist in order to maintain a breeding
population, and couldn’t go unnoticed.
Theories about Bigfoot range from a previously unknown species to interdimensional aliens. Bigfoot critics believe reports of sightings are usually misidentified animals or hoaxes. More scientific theories hold that the creature is a descendant of the extinct Gigantopithecus, a cousin of the orangutan. Others believe it is the missing link connecting man to his ape-like predecessors.
Theories about Bigfoot range from a previously unknown species to interdimensional aliens. Bigfoot critics believe reports of sightings are usually misidentified animals or hoaxes. More scientific theories hold that the creature is a descendant of the extinct Gigantopithecus, a cousin of the orangutan. Others believe it is the missing link connecting man to his ape-like predecessors.
Sasquatch hitching a ride on Nessie |
Some of the more out-there theories say Bigfoot is an alien, citing the influx of UFO sightings before and after Bigfoot sightings. Others believe the beast is a demon. Some believe it is an interdimensional being, sometimes able to become invisible or disappear to avoid being seen. It has been published that in the 1970s UC Berkley came into possession of two of the creatures, but they escaped through the 4th dimension and wandered the lab invisible for weeks. Stephen Hawking was there, and could prove it all if he would come forward.
The Illusion Theory of Bigfoot says that sightings of the
creature are the result of electromagnetic exposure or hallucinations
brought on by oxygen deprivation. The archetype theory speaks more to
the function of such sightings. People are fascinated with the idea of a
wild man, and an unconscious attraction to returning to the wild. The
tales are told much like urban legends, used to teach lessons within a
society.
Yeti? |
While Americans have been captivated with Sasquatch for
centuries, reports of similar creatures exist all over the world. Most
prominent is the Yeti, or Abominable Snowman of the Himalayan Mountains
in Nepal and Tibet. Native followers of the Bön
religion used to believe the blood of the creature had mystical
properties and could be used in ceremonies. The 20th century saw a huge
increase in the frequency of sightings due to Westerners climbing
Everest and other mountains in the region in search of adventure. Large
footprints were found by climbers, who were told by Sherpas, belonged
to the Wild Man of the Snow they called 'metoh-kangmi.’ A journalist
reporting on the phenomena mistranslated the word metoh as filthy, and
substituted ‘abominable.’ Thus, we have the Abominable Snowman.
Khumjung Yeti scalp |
Adventurers came across the Khumjung monastery that had what
they claimed to be a Yeti scalp. Largely regarded as a hoax, testing on
samples have came back inconclusive. In 1959 actor James Stewart
helped to smuggle a ‘Yeti hand’ out of the country. Bones from the hand
were replaced with human bones and taken from a monastery. Testing
revealed the bones were closely related to a Neanderthal.
Alleged Skunk Ape |
Alaskans tell of the Urayuli, a Bigfoot-like creature
found in the tundras of Southwest Alaska near Lake Llaima. Sightings
have been reported since 1956. The Urayuli is said to have luminescent
eyes and according to folklore were once children who got lost in the
woods and became the hairy beasts. The Urayuli’s arms are said to
reach it’s ankles and it is said to emit a high pitched scream like
that of a loon. Florida has its own Bigfoot-like creature known as the
Skunk Ape that calls the Everglades home. Its name comes from the
smell its reported to give off, similar to rotten eggs or methane.
Sarah Palin bags an Urayuli |
In Australia the Yowie is a part of aboriginal folklore and sightings
continue today. The Mapinguary is Brazil’s Bigfoot counterpart. Its
said to be nocturnal with red hair and a frightful scream. It is
sometimes depicted with its mouth in its stomach, an interestingly
common variance. African folklore tells about the Chimiset, an ape-like
creature with reddish or yellow hair that’s as comfortable in the
treetops as on the ground.
The Chuchunaa is Siberia’s Bigfoot, speculated by some to be the last surviving paleo-asiatic aborigines. Locals claim it is a man-eater and has withdrawn to more remote areas to retreat from encroaching civilization. The Nguoi Rung is another name for the Vietnamese Wild Man. It has gray, black, or brown hair and has been seen alone and in packs. Orang Pendek lives in Sumatra and is smaller, standing three to five feet tall. Locals say that they have backward pointing feet to confuse anyone who tries to follow them.
The Chuchunaa is Siberia’s Bigfoot, speculated by some to be the last surviving paleo-asiatic aborigines. Locals claim it is a man-eater and has withdrawn to more remote areas to retreat from encroaching civilization. The Nguoi Rung is another name for the Vietnamese Wild Man. It has gray, black, or brown hair and has been seen alone and in packs. Orang Pendek lives in Sumatra and is smaller, standing three to five feet tall. Locals say that they have backward pointing feet to confuse anyone who tries to follow them.
In
the 1970s a rash of sightings were reported near Fouke, Arkansas. The
deaths of livestock was blamed on the creature, which inspired the film The Legend of Boggy Creek.
Associated with sightings were foul smells, described as a combination
of a skunk and a wet dog. It was said to have bright red eyes the size
of silver dollars. In 1972 sightings in Missouri led to reports of the
Missouri Monster, or Momo. The Mogollon Monster dwells in eastern
Arizona and is sometimes reported with red eyes. It’s described as
smelling like a combination of dead fish, decaying peat moss, a skunk,
and the musk of a snapping turtle. In Ohio reports are still being made
of the Grassman, and date back to 1869. It is said to live off grass
and other vegetation and travel in groups.
In August
of last year a Montana man made history with an attempted Bigfoot hoax,
though certainly not in the way he had intended. 44 year-old Randy Lee
Tenley donned a ghillie suit, used by the military to camouflage
snipers, and ran out onto the highway in hopes of inciting Bigfoot
sightings. Unfortunately, he was struck by the car of a 15 year-old
girl who was unable to avoid him. He was then struck a second time by
the car of a 17 year-old girl. Tenley died as a result of the impacts.
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