cryptids of west virginia cryptids of west virginia

The sculpture is adjacent to the Mothman Museum which opened in 2005 and offers exhibits related to the first "Mothman sightings" of the 1960s and Mothman's transition from rumor and superstition to a regional cultural icon. Mrzer Bruyns, W. F. J. List of megafauna discovered in modern times, http://www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org/share/AquaticMammalsIssueArchives/1991/Aquatic_Mammals_17_1/17.1Raynal.pdf, "Reports Surface of Monster Lurking in Russian Lake", "Divers preparing for icy waters of Russia's 'Loch Ness', "Meet the creature found by divers in Russia's Loch Ness, famed for legends of monsters", "The Megalodon: A Monster of the New Mythology", "Ningen: The generation of media-lore concerning a giant, sub-Antarctic, aquatic humanoid and its relation to Japanese whaling activity", "Steller's Sea Ape: Identifying an Eighteenth-Century Cryptid", "Fantastic Cryptids And Where To Find Them", "On the hunt for the elusive Bukit Timah Monkey Man", "Bigfoot and beyond: Why tales of wild men endure", "Decades later, the Dover Demon still haunts", "The Honey Island Swamp Monster: The Development and Maintenance of Folk and Commodified Belief Tradition", "A Search for Mysteries and Monsters in Small Town America", "Twilight of the mammoths: Ice Age extinctions and the rewilding of America", "The New Zealand Moa: From Extinct Bird to Cryptid | Skeptical Inquirer", "It's the monstrous new trend sweeping travel what is cryptid-tourism? It appeared to be some sort of robotic suit or . Now, what Im about to tell you guys is 100% true and I swear upon my life that what Ive experienced is something Ill never forget. WV is quite the trip from this side of the state, MD and NC are much, much closer surprisingly. Few people, however, even within the state itself, have heard the strange case of West Virginia's own Vegetable Man. Witnesses commonly report this, and in fact, there have been a rash of dogman reports in Pennsylvania of upright canineswolf-like in appearancethat stand between 810 feet and have glowing yellow eyes. They always have long, shaggy, white fur or hair, and are said to move quickly and aggressively towards other animals and people, while making terrifying noises. Mothman, Sheepsquatch, Thunderbirds, Flatwoods monster, and Devil Dogs? Following the collapse, there were no more reported Mothman sightings in the area, and speculation arose that the events were connected. Buy us a coffee? Cryptid Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. What cryptid are you? This could possibly be a reptilian version of the Flatwoods Monster, only without the skirt-like structure around its waist. West Virginia is no stranger to dogman reports and werewolf folklore. Strange Horse-Like Creature Spotted in Prescott, Arizona, The Four-Eyed Beast of Beckley West Virginia: National Cryptid Society Podcast Season 1 Episode 5, The Stickman of Clark County, Ohio: National Cryptid Society Podcast Season 1 Episode 4, The Lizardman of Honey Grove, Texas: National Cryptid Society Podcast Season 1 Episode 3, I Saw Something: National Cryptid Society Podcast Season 1 Episode 2, The FOIA Files: National Cryptid Society Podcast Season 1 Episode 1. University 1549 University Ave. | P.O. Anyone interested in trying to catch a glimpse of the Blue Devil today may do so by traveling down scenic Grassy Creek Road in Webster County between Jumbo and Grassy Creek. He never spoke to me, just had that unrealistic toothy smile on his face. Mystery surrounds fate of killer crocodile that 'ate 300 people'! The following is a series of questions I presented to the witness after the initial report. Another possible explanation for some dogman sightings could be bears with the disease mange. Cryptid Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. Bigfoot is a large, ape-like creature, primarily found in the deep woods or mountains, which describes our region perfectly! 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. Cryptids are animals or creatures that are mentioned in folklore or other accounts, but whose actual existence is questionable. The entity was initially reported as being about 10 feet tall and 4 feet wide. Another close-call in Ocala National Forest Apes are in Ocala! There's a few YouTube vids about him. It's been sighted in various parts of West Virginia, and it's even been caught on camera a few times. WE KNOW OF YOU ALL. Flatwoods Monster and Mothman in Tomodachi Life. [1][3], One teenager interviewed suggested the Grafton Monster may have been an escaped polar bear. The existence of arms is a similar matter. While most cryptids in the game are hostile to players, the Mothman can appear as a helpful creature. Today the Grafton Monster is one of the most well-known West Virginia cryptids and cryptozoologists and enthusiasts frequent the town every year in their search for evidence of the beasts existence. Goatman - spotted in Kentucky and Maryland, not to be confused with a satyr or faun, Thunderbirds - a legendary Native American creature, allegedly once spotted across the country, Tennessee Wildman - a Sasquatch like creature, spotted in Tennessee, Grassman - a Sasquatch like creature, spotted in eastern Ohio, Snallygaster - a bird-reptile creature, spotted in Maryland, Rosemary ellen Guiley; Visionary Living, Inc., Staff. Leading this group is John "Trapper" Tice, who hopes to track and capture some of the most allegedly evasive beasts. I WISH MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. Taking to the flaming hot West Virginia almost heaven-like highways to visit some cryptid hotspots and more.00:00 Almost Heaven00:49 Point Pleasant, WV01:31 . Appalachia is home to some potentially dangerous animal predators, many of whom tend to be more active in the fall months. The cryptid comeback not only brings exciting mysteries into the lives of outsiders but promotes pride of place to the residents of towns like Point Pleasant. As soon as it did that, I couldve sworn right there and then that it wasnt alone. Jennings would go on to say that the being looked weakened, sickly. Rivonverhandeling. It's not the photographer's fault. Gray Barker, the man who proposed the concept of "Men in Black," was inspired by the Monster. The Grafton Monster or Beast of Grafton was a cryptid from Taylor County, West Virginia sighted in 1964. 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. Author John Keel's 1975 book. For the following witnesses to living cryptids, there is no dispute. From the waist down it was similar to the Flatwoods Monster, but from the waist up it was a reptilian humanoid. Unidentified Flying Creatures: Eyewitness Account of a Bat-like Encounter in Auburn Ravine, California, Reader Submission: Skunk Ape Sighting in Lake City, Florida. From there, the boys and a group of locals went to the. I live in eastern VA and I am very curious. It's described as being a reptilian creature with spikes down its back. The game takes place in an alternate future, post apocalyptic Appalachia. In a letter written to Cockrell, Barker suggested the Grafton Monster could possibly be "an alien visitor from another planet". West Virginia View source A state of the east-central United States. Sometimes they can aid in holding down or moving something that is holding their interest but the are limited in their ability to manipulate their surroundings with paws alone. He rushed home terrified and called his friends Jerry Morse and Jim Mouser to accompany him for further investigation at the scene. The reptilian version of the Flatwoods Monster. My name is Ronald. How West Virginia Lore Inspires Graphic Art, Mothman Festival returns Saturday in Point Pleasant. Take this tour to learn more about each of these Mountain State monsters: descriptions of claimed sightings, possible explanations for their appearance, and explorations of the historical context surrounding their rise in popularity. You have to wonder, do the old mound sites serve as some sort of portal to. The Mothman is said to be a winged creature with glowing red eyes. (Going from red to yellow rapidly.) It sounded like a record player running faster than it should, a sort of high-pitched jabbering. 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. More than 20 calls came in from people who allegedly sighted the monster. After traveling about of a mile the group reached the top of a hill, where they reportedly saw a large pulsating "ball of fire" about 50 feet away. Perhaps you're even familiar with tales of blood-sucking chupacabras and West Virginia's Mothman. The Sheepsquatch's initial sightings state it ran from people, but it seems to have become more aggressive over time. Check out some of the interesting artwork. Have you heard the story of Grafton's monster? Cryptid Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. These are just a few of the many cryptids that are said to roam the state of West Virginia. The Mothman Museum in downtown Point Pleasant, WV. Bigfoot is arguably the most well known cryptid, at least in North America, however legends of similar creatures can be found around the world. In the fall of 2015, a Bedford County woman called 911 with claims she saw one carrying offspring . In this series of National Cryptid Societys case files, you will read what the witnesses have experienced in their own words. Slamming hard on the accelerator, I bolted away and drove out of there like a bat out of hell; Im not pulling your leg here, but the distance from right where I was when I saw those things to my home I literally arrived home and pulled into the garage in just one minute. In this blog post, we'll take a look at five of the most popular cryptids in West Virginia. In the anime series Sgt. There are a number of reported sightings, supposed tracks and blurry photos of Bigfoot from our area. With that said, this case shares many similarities with other reports. Sticker. It was admitted as the 35th state in 1863. He surmised that it might have been the sound of the creature's ship taking off. Ships from Norcross, GA. From the Loch Ness Monster to the Jersey Devil, the world loves to believe in otherworldly creatures, and West Virginia is no exception. They've investigated monster reports in Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky and Ohio, but have captured none. After two years West Virginia's largest cryptid celebration returned and it returned to record numbers. The encounter didnt end there, though. ". They range from the widely known Mothman of Point Pleasant to the Flatwoods Monster in Braxton County. (ft. Tenebrous Jim). Unfortunately, investigations into the Flatwoods Monster both at the time and over the years have thoroughly debunked its existence. Keep an open mind when reading these accounts, and also remember ones perception and memory of an event can be influenced by the emotions felt at the time of the occurrence. Could these werewolves be a manifestation of John Keels ultraterrestrials? The Flatwoods design is popular in Japanese UFO culture, having been used in numerous video games and media. 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. The six-man A.I.M.S. In my opinion, I think he was the alpha male of this pack. Deep in the hills of Braxton County, West Virginia lies a small town with a big secret. The full report is below including an extended discussion on the YouTube program Bigfoot The Truth Told.. North America (Minus Mexico and Caribbean), Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology. West Virginia was part of Virginia until the area refused to endorse the ordinance of secession in 1861. I drove from my home to the town of Wayne, then past Tolsia and Louisa, and finally, as far as Chapmansville. 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. I NEED YOUR HELP.". Bigfoot reports are also tied to these areas as well. Legends, Ghosts and Witches, and Superstitions: a selection of books from the Appalachian Studies Bibliography. [2], The next day at work, Cockrell said nothing to his co-workers about the monster. In the Wii U game The Wonderful 101, the character Gimme has a striking resemblance to the Flatwoods monster. There are now more groups dedicated to gathering reports of Dogman encounters than ever before. Set in the head were two eyes, described as "portholes", glowing green-orange and the size of half-dollars. However, none of that ever happened to me; it was as if God was watching over me that night, protecting me from the malevolent beast that was circling me. Thats exactly how I felt at the time of my encounter. 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. However, upon hearing of other sightings he decided to speak up. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! This filled me with relief, knowing that I wasnt alone, that there are people out there who swear on their lives and even to this day that what they saw out there was real. On November 12th, 1966, a group of grave diggers in Clendenin claimed they saw a man like figure flying low through the trees near a cemetery. 124125. Ansted, West Virginia Mystery Hole The "mysteries" of this quintessential roadside. The couple, circling the vehicle in hopes of spotting the culprit, spotted something far worse than they could have imagined. 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. Local experts and authorities attribute the sightings to a large heron or crane, owls, or even pranks and hoaxes after the initial report made the news. It just so happens that these areas are renowned for paranormal activity. The monster as it appears in Fallout 76, complete with the image posted. The other thing to consider is if perhaps the creature that the witness described is perhaps related to the skinwalkers of Navajo lore. 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. North America (Minus Mexico and Caribbean), Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology. 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. While it's fun to talk about cryptids, keep in mind there are "real monsters" in the woods of West Virginia. I estimate that I saw at least five other pairs of eyes staring at me; three of them were low on the ground on all fours, the other two were standing upright but they didnt reveal themselves out of the darkness like the first one did. WonderfullyWeirdArt. However, he gave no suggestions as to where it could have escaped from. I was driving home from taking an incredibly long drive. Mothman is said to be a harbinger of misfortune or doom wherever it appears. Though a number of individuals have claimed they saw this monster over the years the most well-documented case is that of coal miner Frank Kozul in 1929, who reported seeing the beast while walking to his home in Fairmont one night in July through the woods on Morgans Ridge somewhere in this vicinity. Whatever this thing was, it was intelligent enough to know what a doorknob or, in this case, a door handle is for. The full report is below including an extended discussion on the YouTube program " Bigfoot The Truth Told. 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. Those who have reported these sightings describe a beast of varying sizes with white shaggy fur and long fangs that emits a chilling scream and alternates between moving on two legs and four. Fortunately, all the doors to my car were locked and every window werent open, but this still horrified me to a point where I couldnt even breathe. Cookie Notice The Wolfman did it to us in Kentucky, and just things you see, you know are way faster than we are. Another familiar aspect to this case is the size of the creature. The crowd was huge but everyone was polite and had a great time finally being back. ), 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. Ive never felt that scared before in my entire life and not only that, that was the first time Ive cried that much in a long time. There is too much to reasonably cover about Bigfoot on this page, but we'd be remiss not to mention it. and our 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. (91) $14.93 FREE shipping. Mothman, The Grafton Monster, The Wampus Cat, White Things,, and other bizarre creatures, including Bigfoot, lizard people, and out-of-place panthers! This creature is probably the most well-known cryptid in West Virginia. 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. Monster, creature, crypto, cryptid, cryptozoology, animal, wildlife, wild, scandal, controversy, conspiracy, murder, disappear, missing, Trump, Halloween, holiday, pet, dog, cat, write, writer, writing, read, reader, reading, campaign, forum, true, truth, folklore, myth, Earth, hollow, flat, round, Mars, Moon, scared, terror, horror, science fiction, documentary, sightings, movie, show, weather, maps, YouTube, translate, calculator, news, donald, suggestion, how to, who is, who was, actor, Virginia, senate, erotic, erotica, nonsense, when was. . It just so happens that these areas are renowned for paranormal activity. Flatwoods Monster - West Virginia Cryptid Cryptid Figure Cryptozoology Collectibles. Charleston is the capital and the largest city. How dark was dark is my question. 9 days ago. Those explanations simply do not fit in this case. "Cryptids" redirects here. Suddenly, he could make out the words. Hundreds of eyewitness accounts have been documented in newsprint, books and films. If you all think encountering one werewolf-like creature was terrifying enough, imagine how I felt when I saw there was more than one creature there with this one. If the Dogman is a creature of nature, it is unprecedented in its uniqueness as well as being unacknowledged by mainstream zoology (because of the lack of evidence that would be acceptable welcome to the Bigfoot club). While the page says monsters, the proper term for the creatures on display here would be "cryptids". Getting back to the strange eyes of the creature, a report from West Virginias Northern Panhandle recounted a monster with glowing red eyes. These accounts included the story of a mother and her 21 year-old-daughter, who claimed to have encountered a creature with the same appearance and odor a week prior to the September 12 incident; the encounter reportedly affected the daughter so badly that she was confined to a hospital for three weeks. Cryptids are animals that cryptozoologists believe may exist somewhere in the wild, but are not recognized by science. Upon returning home, the mother contacted the local sheriff and a news reporter. That same night, a meteor was sighted across West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland, accounting for the trail of light. I COME AS A FRIEND. ", "In Cherokee lore, the sudden appearance of a white wolf heralds a magic, premature death. The counties with the most sightings are Boone, Kanawha, Putnam and Mason, with a surge in sightings taking place in Boone County during the mid-1990s. I honestly thought I was going to die that night, that my family and friends would never see me again, that they would never know that I was about to be killed or eaten alive by something no one even believes existed, and that there was nothing I could do about it. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! The contributors to this series of articles are doing the best they can to recount what are in some cases very shocking and traumatic experiences. He was riding in a car with members of his familyThe witness described the thing as 'mostly white, no wings, with real thick, shaggy hair.' I guess I drove way too far for my liking. A farmer then noticed two small lights over to the left of the object,and directed his flashlight towards them, revealing the creature, which was reported to have emitted a shrill hissing noise before gliding towards them, changing direction and then heading off towards the red light. I could see the muscles of this Wolfman pulsating with each breath it took, especially in the headlights. 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. To be honest with you, the fangs had a very eerie resemblance to those of a Smilodon or saber-toothed cat, but the rest of it just looked like a werewolf. Once they saw the thing land, crash land in the hills. 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. 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. The Vegetable Man was said to be very tall, arguably over 7 feet, thin with a semi-human shape. The witnesses felt as if she had to keep track of the eyes and she felt a sense of evil and foreboding. Once they saw the thing land,the boys went to one of their moms' houses, where they reported seeing aUFOcrash land in the hills. If so, then how did this one get so freaking huge? Getting back to the strange eyes of the creature, a report from West Virginias Northern Panhandle recounted a monster with glowing red eyes. It was the road that took me straight to the house of one of my Dads friends, Ezra, where there was this road called Walnut Gap Road and that was where it takes me home. If you have a personal cryptid sighting story you would like to tell us, please visit our Make A Report page on this site. What cryptid are you? 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. The Frametown Monster, believed to be the same creature from Flatwoods, bore similar pipe-lined metallic armour from the waist down. 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. West Virginia has played host to an extraordinary number of unusual creatures. (295) $5.00 FREE shipping. There was no sight of the monster but the grass was trampled where the it once stood and a low whistling sound followed them as they investigated. 246. Author John Keel's 1975 book,The Mothman Prophecies, later made into a film in 2002 film starring Richard Gere, expanded on this connection, claiming that the Mothman was a warning of the collapse. The McClintic Wildlife Management Area, better known to locals as the "TNT Area". I COME IN PEACE. 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. Dedicated in 2003, the Mothman sculpture in Point Pleasant celebrates the legends that surround one of West Virginia's most bizarre and beloved mythical creatures. 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. North America (Minus Mexico and Caribbean), Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology. The West Virginia North American Dogman Project, A Strange History of Dog-Headed Men Mysterious Universe (article), Monsters In Print: A Collection Of Curious Creatures Known Mostly From Newspapers, Solve for Bigfoot: Using ChatGPT to Mathematically Estimate The Bigfoot Population of the United States, Cryptid Encounter in Stanford: Eyewitnesses Describe a Winged Humanoid in the Cornfields of Kentucky. The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word cryptid as An animal whose existence or survival is disputed or unsubstantiated, such as the yeti. For the following witnesses to living cryptids, there is no dispute. These creatures are said to inhabit isolated wooded areas of Appalachia, and while usually have a dog-like appearance, have been said to resemble bears as well. "I think Bigfoot is blurry, that's the problem. Cryptidscreatures whose existence is unsubstantiated, like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monsterare found in folklore throughout the United States and the world. See the additional links section for a small sampling. No discussion about cryptids would be complete without Bigfoot, or the Sasquatch. Field guide of whales and dolphins. 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. Not far from this encounter, at an amusement park in Huntington, lies the third-largest burial mound in West Virginia. That's how we can get so close to 'em.". 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. The "body" was a metallic armored structure lined with thick vertical pipes. But I think it'll eventually happen.". They also saw (and smelled) a mist that made their eyes and noses burn. Most state that the monster was armless, while others claim it possessed small, "toy-like" arms. Nevertheless, the Flatwoods Monster has persisted in local legend and popular culture. . 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. His cult of worshippers, who have taken over Point Pleasant, are not so benevolent however. Sightings report that the creature has a dog-like head, but with goat or ram like horns, and sharp teeth and claws. Others are experiments gone awry, or once normal animals mutated by radiation, and given the names of infamous cryptids to match their new forms. Cryptids are animals that cryptozoologists believe may exist somewhere in the wild, but are not recognized by science. Charleston is the capital and the largest city. You have to wonder, do the old mound sites serve as some sort of portal to somewhere else? He never found it, but he enjoyed the hunt. At this location Grafton Sentinel reporter Robert Cockrell made one of the first and by far the best known sightings of the alleged West Virginia cryptid known as the Grafton Monster or Beast of Grafton. Cockrell made the sighting on June 16, 1964 while driving home from work after 11 PM on Riverside Drive along the Tygart River, describing what he encountered as seven to nine feet tall, four feet wide, and white with seal-like skin. Shortly thereafter, a putrid sulfuric odor filled the air. When we both stared at each other, even while Im inside of my car, I heard what sounded like bones popping loudly, and to my absolute shock, I watched this wolf placed its hand on top of my car hood, raise itself off the ground, and stand up on two legs. The object came to rest on land belonging to a local farmer. I've been recently sinking my teeth into any info on Cryptids. By the time it crossed the road, it paused for a couple of seconds before it slowly turned around to look at me one last time. As he moved through the woods in search of game, Frederick heard an odd noise. Institution. North America (Minus Mexico and Caribbean), Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology. So does this state have anything hidden to offer? Awkward-Reference177. 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. 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. [3], Robert Cockrell would late contact paranormal author Gray Barker, who popularized tales of the Mothman.