Part One: Of all the stories of beasts and monsters said to lurk in the shadows and share our world, none are more mysterious than tales of hominid-like creatures
- bipedal entities said to be taller than a human, covered in thick hair and in most reports having a strange odour.
- bipedal entities said to be taller than a human, covered in thick hair and in most reports having a strange odour.
Mostly Big and Hairy
Harry from Harry and the Hendersons. Of the vast stories of beasts and monsters said to lurk in the shadows and share our world with us, none perhaps are more mysterious and perplexing than encounters with bi-pedal ape-men - entities said to be taller than the average human male, covered in thick hair and in almost all reports having a strange, unpleasant odour. The most widely known of these creatures is Bigfoot (or Sasquatch) who are said to inhabit forests in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. In The People's Republic of China, the Yeren is a similar creature said to inhabit remote mountainous regions in the Western provinces. Tales of the Yowie, a tall creature from Australia, have endured in the Aboriginal communities here for centuries. And of course, the Yeti, or the Abominable Snowman, said to stalk the Himalayan mountains.
In fact tales of giant "wildmen" have been told for centuries throughout many different cultures and civilisations on every continent apart from Antarctica. While some are regarded as god-like creatures - said to have supernatural abilities and being of a benevolent nature toward humans - others are said to be capable of great mischief and evil. Many tribes believe these creatures are culprits of child abductions and murder if angered.
In fact tales of giant "wildmen" have been told for centuries throughout many different cultures and civilisations on every continent apart from Antarctica. While some are regarded as god-like creatures - said to have supernatural abilities and being of a benevolent nature toward humans - others are said to be capable of great mischief and evil. Many tribes believe these creatures are culprits of child abductions and murder if angered.
Yeti. What these creatures are is a matter of debate. While many in the scientific community dismiss the idea of hominid-like beasts existing, this has not stopped many people, like cryptozoologists and some scientists, from conducting their own research and putting forth some theories as to what these creatures might be. From the possibility that they quite possibly are surviving prehistoric cousins of Man, to creatures said to inhabit another dimension, what can't be denied is the fact that these creatures, if real or only the products of legends, have endured in the minds of people, even in our modern times and become a phenomenon in recent popular culture.
From casts being made of alleged large footprints left behind from these creatures, to amateur videos being posted on the Internet of people recording said creatures on film, evidence exists that in many cases hoaxes have been, and continue to be,perpetrated by fame-seeking individuals wishing to capitalise on these stories. In 1967, two men shot on film at Bluff Creek, California, footage showing what seems to be a Bigfoot walking away from them. The footage, nearly a minute long, has for years been the subject of speculation and investigation, many scientists regarding it as a hoax. We will examine this story in another part.
From casts being made of alleged large footprints left behind from these creatures, to amateur videos being posted on the Internet of people recording said creatures on film, evidence exists that in many cases hoaxes have been, and continue to be,perpetrated by fame-seeking individuals wishing to capitalise on these stories. In 1967, two men shot on film at Bluff Creek, California, footage showing what seems to be a Bigfoot walking away from them. The footage, nearly a minute long, has for years been the subject of speculation and investigation, many scientists regarding it as a hoax. We will examine this story in another part.
Yeren. In many encounters it is straightforward: a witness, or witnesses, will be living their everyday lives when they encounter the creature/s. In most cases they are seen entering properties or walking across roads, picking fruit and berries from trees or seen by hikers or campers. In many cases it is reported they seem to be just as confused and terrified by seeing a human and will be observed fleeing in panic.
There are a few rare stories of bizarre encounters with these beings that allude to them perhaps being curious of humans, and maybe having a malevolent nature. In one such story a young Native American girl by the name of Seraphine Long was reportedly abducted by a young male Bigfoot near Harrison Lake, British Columbia, in 1871. Carried into dense and remote forest she after some time returned to her tribe, claiming a family of these creatures had held her captive for at least a year before being allowed to return home. She was quite ill when she returned, and it was claimed she became pregnant to her abductor, the baby said to have died a few days after birth.
There are other accounts of people being abducted by these "wildmen", but is there any truth to them?
In the next part, we will look at how these creatures have been perceived in history by many cultures and examine whether they are evil beings.
What are your thoughts on Bigfoot, the Yeti and the like?
There are a few rare stories of bizarre encounters with these beings that allude to them perhaps being curious of humans, and maybe having a malevolent nature. In one such story a young Native American girl by the name of Seraphine Long was reportedly abducted by a young male Bigfoot near Harrison Lake, British Columbia, in 1871. Carried into dense and remote forest she after some time returned to her tribe, claiming a family of these creatures had held her captive for at least a year before being allowed to return home. She was quite ill when she returned, and it was claimed she became pregnant to her abductor, the baby said to have died a few days after birth.
There are other accounts of people being abducted by these "wildmen", but is there any truth to them?
In the next part, we will look at how these creatures have been perceived in history by many cultures and examine whether they are evil beings.
What are your thoughts on Bigfoot, the Yeti and the like?
Please post your comments below!
Matty Sweeney has written many articles for The Paranormal Guide and has a interest in all things mysterious and macabre. Many of his articles explore unsolved mysteries, cryptozoology and UFOlogy.
Matty resides in the Riverland, South Australia, a place with a few mysteries of its own...
You can find more about Matty and his research at 'Marvels and the Macabre with Matty'
Matty resides in the Riverland, South Australia, a place with a few mysteries of its own...
You can find more about Matty and his research at 'Marvels and the Macabre with Matty'
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