Let’s be honest, it’s clear that when one uses the term “mythological monsters” or “mythological creatures,” they are admitting these things aren’t real. The word “myth” is literally present for a reason. It is difficult for people to believe that they might be just seeing things or seeing what they wanted to see. That doesn’t mean that is always the case, however. They very well could be seeing something out and about, but that does not mean it’s Bigfoot, for example. That infamous sasquatch has become a massive part of folklore for years. One reason for this might have something to do with a group of people that have a condition called “hypertrichosis.”
Otherwise known as Werewolf Syndrome, it is a condition among both sexes where hair growth is excessive. It grows all over the body, including parts of the face where hair follicles might not be present normally. As well as in places where hair only grows in a minor way. One family with this condition lived away from civilization for decades before they began to stand out. Due to living off-grid, it was easy to write them off as potential monsters. Especially as people related potential animal prints to them. Once myths begin, stories grow from there, especially when it comes to encountering these “creatures.” In this article, we’ll examine encounters with mythological creatures. You can then decide how real the stories might be.
[Image via Arcgis.com]
Bigfoot Sightings In America
Perhaps nowhere else on Earth has as many sightings of the infamous Bigfoot as the United States of America. We felt the number was high, so we looked into it and found a graph that shows all the places that reference a sighting. Arcgis.com has a ton of information about the sightings of Bigfoot in America. They break it down to not only the possible biomes the Bigfoot would likely prefer, but have detailed information on each sighting. This includes rough dates a sighting took place, as well as how reliable a sighting is by its use of a “Sighting Code” rating. While there are a lot of Bigfoot sightings here, there are a ton of other monster sightings worldwide.
[Image via RUV]
Icelandic Wyrm Encounter
Mythological monsters from Icelantic roots usually come from Norse Mythology. There are several monsters within the Norse territory, but one ranks pretty high. The Lagarfljotsormurinn is a sea serpent but often will be referred to as a “wyrm.” It is claimed you can find the monster in Lake Lagarfljot near Egilsstadir, on the eastern side of Iceland. Folktales connect to this monster dating back to the 14th Century. In 2012 though, a YouTube video showed a shape moving beneath the ice with many believing it was the serpent. Finnish researcher Miisa McKeown dismissed this, claiming it was likely an icy fishing net or cloth and most of all, the object was stationary! Many believe Iceland’s government did not outright dismiss this as a hoax to help inflate their tourism industry.
[Image via Charlotte Observer]
The Pixie Skeleton
Encountering mythological monsters or creatures, then telling the story to your friends is one thing. However, if you bring back proof of something you encountered… that adds an entirely new variable to things. In March 2015, a UK alternative arts podcast was given strange photos by a listener in Cornwall. The images show a tiny, partial humanoid skeleton that includes a rib cage, spine, and even skull. The listener worked for a bird rescue center and on a routine check of a falcon’s nest, he found these bones. Widely assumed to be the bones of a Pixie or Fairy, protohumans have been found in places like Indonesia so it wouldn’t be surprising that one came from this area. Yet many believe this skeleton isn’t even real.
[Image via JM-MEDIA/Shutterstock.com]
The Djinn Divorce
This encounter back in 2014 in the United Arab Emirates was crazy. The story goes that a man wanted to divorce his wife when he discovered she was possessed by a supernatural spirit, known as the Djinn. (You might recognize this name from The Witcher – they drew inspiration from this myth). This possession somehow seemed to arise within her when she refused to have sex with him. Her response to being told this was that he discuss it with her family. Funny enough, they claimed religious scholars tried to exercise this spirit several times but failed. The Dubai Sharia Court granted the divorce but forced him to pay $11,000 in alimony. This was later dropped when it was found out that she lied about being possessed by the Djinn. We were shocked too!
[Image via Outside Magazine]
Marble Mountain Bigfoot
One thing you are not expecting to deal with on a youth group camping trip is Bigfoot. There you are, trying to get closer to God and enjoy time with friends… and now you’re worrying about yet another potential myth being real. Taking place in the wilderness of the Marble Mountains in California in 2011, Youth Group Leader Jim Mills claims he saw an odd-looking creature ominously walking around along a ridge near them. To his credit, Mills actually did film what he was seeing for about seven minutes. While it was grainy and did not technically prove anything, it was the longest video ever recorded about a potential sasquatch at the time.
[Image via BreakerMaximus/Shutterstock.com]
Royal Air Force Alconbury Werewolf Sighting
Most of the time, it is easy to dismiss what random people claim to see. However, things become a bit more official when the military gets involved. The Royal Air Force Alconbury in Cambridgeshire seems to be a hotbed for strange encounters though. Back in the 1970s, it is said they had a werewolf issue. Four encounters, however, were proven to just be hairy humanoids. Yet one story from 1970 comes from a guy named “Wes” who saw a werewolf near the secure weapons storage area. He claimed it was bipedal, 5 foot, hairy with a flat snout and large eyes. Wes claimed he did not shoot the werewolf because he felt no aggression from it.
[Image via ABC News]
Jersey Devil Sighting
Mythological monsters like werewolves are one thing, but America’s New Jersey Devil has quite a folklore behind it. There are numerous different descriptions of the creature, but it seems that one man caught an image of one on his camera. New Jersey native David Black claims to have captured the animal on his camera back in 2015. Around 6:00 PM, he thought he saw a llama outside. He decided to get closer, and the moment he did, the creature sprouted wings and flew away. While Black’s image is questionable, another person shared a video showing the Devil. The most interesting part here is that it was only 9 miles from Black’s encounter.
[Image via NBC-15]
The Strange Sounds In A Kentucky National Park
Picture this, you’re relaxing and taking a load off for the day and suddenly you hear a noise. A man fired his weapon inside Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. Of course, this is Kentucky and known for having dense wooden areas all over, especially in large parks. Due to this being a “national park,” it sparked a federal investigation. Apparently, a backcountry camper was approached by a man that claimed he heard noises nearby. It was shortly after this that the camper heard gunfire, and claimed he saw the man shooting at a sasquatch or Bigfoot that he claims to have seen step out from behind some trees.
[Image via Obsidian Fantasy Studio/Shutterstock.com]
Goblins In Zimbabwe
While mythological monsters can be believable through some stories, Zimbabwe is known for some absolutely bizarre encounters. Such an incident happened in 2012 involving schoolgirls from the St. Sebastian Secondary School. They claim to have fled their classrooms when goblins, resembling dwarves, transformed into baboons and attacked them. On top of this, evil spirits known as zvikwambo can attack people but are only visible to whom they attack. This could be them, but goblins are possibly to blame. They have been known to invade marital beds to demand “sexual favors” as well as attack nurses, police, politicians, and much more. Most would say this situation involving schoolgirls was nonsense. Could baboons have gotten into the school? Maybe, but even that is still far-fetched.
[Image via The Demonic Paradise – Fandom]
Aswang Attacks
You’ll find a lot of mythological monsters in Filipino folklore but there is one known for its strong influence that is feared by all. Known as the “Aswang,” these creatures are able to shape-shift and prey on both humans and animals at night, seeking to drink their blood. Back in 2014, it was claimed that an aswang attack was taking place. An anonymous text sent out shocked everyone, it read: “WARNING: To everyone in Batangas, don’t loiter around at night. A group of aswang riding a big truck from CAPIS CAM SUR is already in Sto. Tomas. Don’t trust anyone you don’t know. This is not a joke. From: POLICE Tanauan.” This was a hoax, but belief in them has caused panic, such as when a woman beheaded her own son due to thinking he was an aswang in disguise.
[Image via GBHBL.com]
Mermaids/Sirens
It is possible that movies like Disney’s Little Mermaid made many of us see mermaids as nice, lovable creatures. Yet this movie was based on a story by Hans Christian Andersen. He wrote a lot of fairytales Disney would one day convert into animated features. His original tale referenced mermaids to be like they were described by sailors. Also known as Sirens, they were mythological monsters who would sing and distract sailors with their songs sometimes causing shipwrecks. Some would jump from the ship to see them, and never return. Sirens likely did not kill the sailors but they likely either drowned or were attacked by numerous sea creatures in the water. Ships obviously hit rocks where the mermaids were thought to be.
[Image via Christies/BNPS]
Yeti Prints
It is not very common that one comes across a footprint that can be considered a potential sasquatch print. However, that is exactly what a British Explorer found while hiking the Himalayan Mountains in 1951. He took a photograph of a 13-inch footprint that was certainly not capable of being human. Wanting to see where the prints took him, he followed them for a while and took many more photos. While the photos were later sold for a lot of money in 2014, the footprints certainly could be any number of potential animals. Yet these mountains are known for being the home of the Yeti, one of the other mythological monsters in the sasquatch family.
[Image via BroBible]
The Alabama Leprechaun
Most of the time, the infamous leprechaun is found in Ireland. Yet in 2006, one television crew for WPMI near Mobile, Alabama went to investigate as a crowd gathered. They claimed to have seen a leprechaun hiding in a nearby tree. A small (very) amateur sketch was produced and combined with interviews with local residents, this sketch became a huge story. Especially on this little upstart company that never went anywhere called YouTube. Most believe this was a prank, and some believe it was playing off of racial prejudices. A follow-up interview was done in 2015, where the crew spoke to a man who claimed to be the first to see the leprechaun. He essentially treats it like a groundhog, once tweeting that “the leprechaun was at 70% visibility.”
[Image via Fer Gregory/Shutterstock.com]
Anubis In Illinois?
No, we’re not going to discuss the latest potential blockbuster. Rather, this story is about a claimed encounter. A former U.S. Navy member named Emma wrote to author Linda Godfrey about a weird experience she had while stationed in Illinois at Naval Hospital Great Lakes. In 1993, she and her future husband Jon and friend Jim were assigned shore patrol. Yet when Emma radioed Jon at 3:00 AM and he did not respond, she went to find him. She found him with his mouth agape, and in front of him, she saw a bizarre figure. When she later saw a cartoon drawing of the Egyptian God Anubis, she claimed this was what she saw! It had large, green-yellow eyes and long arms. It even puffed like a cat when Jim showed up. Which is odd, considering Anubis resembled a jackal.
[Image via KFSM]
2012 Utah Bigfoot Sightings
Based on collected data regarding where the best biomes are for the Bigfoot to live, Utah is certainly a hotbed. Which might be why there have been so many reported sightings. Two from 2012 stand out the most. In October 2012, a group of siblings was hiking in Provo Canyon when they spotted a bear in the woods. Wanting to capture the moment, they started filming. Right as they did, it stood up on two legs and hikers ran. Also in 2012, a large animal was spotted in the woods in the Utah Hills. As a hiker approached it, the animal stood up and started throwing rocks at the hiker. This is apparently considered normal behavior for a sasquatch. Both sightings leave a lot to be desired. Plus, they do know bears stand up on two legs all the time, right?
[Image via Google Earth]
The New Zealand Taniwha
This is one of those times when we can buy into mythological monsters being real. In 2014, New Zealand engineer Pita Witehita was using Google Earth to view Oke Bay. Suddenly, he spotted something odd. When viewing a specific section, he saw what seemed like a giant sea creature from Maori legend. Known as the Taniwha, the Maori people tell stories of what they can do. Almost dragon-like, Taniwha are said to be guardian spirits for the people. The government has even worried about the creatures, proven in 2011 when the Auckland City Council wanted to build a railway that went right through land inhabited by the creatures. Maori advocates asked if they were considering any protection for the Taniwha, to which a council member claimed they were letting off the “T-Bomb.”
[Image via JM-MEDIA/Shutterstock.com]
Dogman Sighting
The Dogman is one of the mythological monsters that does not get a lot of attention compared to others. Yet it is rumored to have been plaguing Michigan natives for several years. The first sighting was in Wexford County back in 1887, when a few lumberjacks spotted the Dogman while working. Since this point, several sightings have been reported throughout Michigan. Those who describe the creature claim it has a dog’s head with the torso of a man. Depending on who you ask, it’ll have either blue or amber eyes. Yet most agree its howl sounds a lot like a human scream. While it could be other animals, it’s tough to dispute that this creature existed or still exists.
[Image via Juan Manuel Kreiter/Shutterstock.com]
Slapping Water Sasquatch
Most people do not expect to see a sasquatch, especially the infamous Bigfoot in a place like Tampa, Florida. Yet mythological monsters have shown up in unexpected places many times. In 2015, two men were canoeing in a Tampa swamp expecting to see alligators in the area. Suddenly, they heard a noise on the bank where they thought gators might be congregating. When they found a way to get closer to the bank, they did not see an alligator. They claim to have seen a hairy beast grabbing something out of the water before it walked away. Creepy stuff!
[Image via Melkor3D/Shutterstock.com]
Dragons Over China
It is no surprise that when you talk about potential mythological monsters showing up in China, a dragon would be at the top of the list. The infamous creature is heavily connected to the region and has been for over a thousand years. In August 2014, two Jilin University students were walking out of a library when they spotted something weird on their cell phone camera. Appearing to be 33 feet long, red, and flying…complete with four legs and a tail…they were seeing what would obviously be a dragon. Recorded footage from the students made its way online, yet it’s hard to really make out what they claim to have seen. As if it’s a complete hoax or something.
[Image via OSORIOartist/Shutterstock.com]
Loch Ness Monster Sighting From World War II
When it comes to mythological monsters, very few carry the same level of fame that the Loch Ness Monster possesses. In 1943, a man named C.B. Farrell of the Royal Observer Corps was said to be keeping an eye out for potential German bombers. He was stationed at Loch Ness! One morning, Farrell was scanning the skies when he noticed a large animal in the loch. This made him take out his binoculars to see it better. When he did, he spotted a 4-foot-long finned neck. The soldier assumed the creature was eating breakfast at that point, and he even saw it duck its head back in the water. Then went back up to the surface again. Weird, right?
[Image via Shad Selby/Shutterstock.com]
The Falling Bigfoot
It’s not very common that one can say they spotted anyone from the mythological monsters list in such a compromising position. In 2019, a few hikers in Frisco, Colorado were taking a break when they saw something odd in the mountains above them. At roughly 11,000 feet of elevation, they saw this mysterious creature fall off the mountain. Curious to see what it was, the hikers immediately decided to go and check out where the creature would have likely fallen, but the creature wasn’t there. They did. manage to see footprints as well as handprints in the snow. They decided to avoid following, but this also meant the monster lived!
[Image via Digital Storm/Shutterstock.com]
The Scottish Unicorn
We often picture unicorns as majestic, beautiful animals that are just like horses. Except they have a horn on their head. This is why some might scoff at us adding them to a list of mythological monsters. Yet literature suggests that these creatures aren’t always nice, and have no problem ending lives. Back in 2014, a man claimed to have seen a unicorn in Caithness, Scotland. He was hiking near the Castle of Old Wick when he saw it. He also managed to get a picture before it ran off toward Loch Hempriggs. The man said that he did not recommend going to search for it, as it likely came to him out of trust. While unicorns are referenced in many stories from ancient history, there has not been any actual evidence. As for the man’s picture, he seems to be unwilling to share it publicly.
[Image via Raggedstone/Shutterstock.com]
Edwin Godoy Bigfoot Encounter
Edwin Godoy was serving at Fort Lewis back in 1978 when he encountered a sasquatch-like creature. He and his platoon returned from a military exercise around 8:00 PM one evening when their truck lost power. Now unable to start it, Godoy was ordered to stay behind with the vehicle while the soldiers walked back to the base to get assistance. After midnight, Godoy noticed a huge hair-covered figure with red eyes, swaying back and forth. Only 300 meters away, it spotted Godoy and began running toward him. He fired at the creature, hitting it and causing it to run off. Godoy claims human-like footprints were left in the area, as well as pools of oily blood too. That resulted in scientists coming to check out the area and examine Godoy himself. He has since had other paranormal encounters, which seems really odd.
[Image via Taras Stelmah/Shutterstock.com]
The Baba Yaga
The Baba Yaga is one of the mythological monsters you do not hear as much about, due to being part of Slavic folklore. It is often depicted as a supernatural being, usually deformed. Yet it could be a ferocious-looking woman. Usually, it is presented as a witch-like being. The problem is that Baba Yaga could be both a hero and a villain, depending on the story. She will fly around on a mortar and live deep in the forest, and seeking her out could lead to a potential reward or the end of your life. It is recommended not to seek the Baba Yaga out, as the tales surrounding her tell us a one’s life is ended more than rewarded.
[Image via Washington Department of Transportation]
Traffic Cam Sasquatch
If you want to ensure people buy into what you’re selling, you need proof. Anytime you want to prove mythological monsters are real, you need to do exactly what the Washington Department of Transportation did. They placed a traffic cam near the Sherman Pass, which seemed to catch Bigfoot standing and even walking around in the snow back in January 2020. Of course, one could easily say that even though this is convincing enough proof…perhaps it was not Bigfoot. It could be just someone walking around in a costume that knew the camera was there. Mythological monsters like Bigfoot are perfect for hoax footage.
[Image via WKYC]
The Legend Of The Melon Heads
Many people in Ohio are big believers in the Melon Heads. They aren’t described as creatures, but rather humanoids with bulbous heads. Yet they rank as mythological monsters because of their appearance and the fact that they attack people when they emerge from hiding. Back in the 1970s, people claim to have come across them as they roamed the woods in Northeast Ohio. The legend of the Melon Heads begins with Dr. Crow, a man scientist that performed procedures on orphans that showed up on his property one day. Their brains swelled and caused their heads to deform. Tired of being abused by Dr. Crow, they burned his house to the ground, killing the crazy scientist. They have survived in the woods ever since. Untrusting of other humans, they attack any they see.
[Image via The Unredacted]
The Spring-Heeled Jack Encounters
It is easy to get Spring-Heeled Jack confused with Jack the Ripper. However, Spring-Heeled Jack came first. He’s certainly among the list of mythological monsters while the Ripper was just a real serial killer. SHJ was first seen back in 1837, and sightings have since been reported all over the United Kingdom. He apparently has a bizarre appearance complete with clawed hands and eyes that resemble red balls of fire. Considered diabolical in his appearance as well, he wore a black coat and helmet. Yet some say he’s tall and thin with a gentlemanly appearance. It is claimed he can bring out blue and white flames and had sharp metallic claws as fingertips. He’s also able to make amazing leaps, giving him his name. Yet all encounters seem to be missing true details or context.
[Image via Daniel Eskridge/Shutterstock.com]
Camp Pendleton Sasquatch Sighting
In the Fall of 1968, four marines from Camp Pendleton saw a sasquatch-like creature during nighttime training. The witness submitted his report of the encounter in 2001 anonymously. The marines were waiting in a dug-out hill, a little after midnight. The group heard something coming up the side of the mountain. The marines told whoever it was to stop, but that was when they saw it. The witness claimed they saw a huge monster, around seven feet tall and three-and-a-half feet wide. It also had a pointed head with long hanging arms. The marines were terrified and waited silently as the monster walked off. It’s hard to say that these four men were just seeing things, but what they did see might not have been Bigfoot. It could have just as easily been a bear by this description.
[Image via EA_stasy/Shutterstock.com]
Kraken Sightings
For centuries, we always assumed that the Kraken wasn’t real. It made total sense to only categorize it among the mythological monsters that seamen told tall tales about when they came ashore. It was always described as a large squid or octopus of some kind, which seemed so crazy. Keep in mind, they also told us stories about mermaids and other sea monsters that were just being referenced to make them sound cooler. However, we have now proven that giant squids do actually exist. It is also proven that they do not mind attacking anyone in their territory. Yet most of these creatures aren’t nearly as large as the Kraken has been reported to be. That tells us either there were potentially larger squids centuries ago, or they did see very large squids and created a myth to make them seem much larger.
[Image via Animal Planet]
‘Finding Bigfoot’s’ Multiple Encounter Stories
The Animal Planet show, Finding Bigfoot, ran for 9 seasons somehow from 2011 to 2018. “Researchers” on the show examined a lot of sasquatch encounters worldwide. Did they find Bigfoot in all that time? Obviously not. Yet to be fair to the show, they did interview several people with relatively good evidence. This resulted in several videos or pictures where one could potentially believe Bigfoot or some other sasquatch was present. Most of the time, this “evidence” was never really enough to prove anything. In spite of this, the encounters many of the people claimed they had including some videos were absolutely insane. If nothing else, this show brought out some incredible stories. The problem is that they never truly lived up to the title of the show, as Bigfoot was never found in 100 episodes.
Where Do We Find this Stuff? Here Are Our Sources:
Smithsonian Institution
Associated Press
The Telegraph
ABC News
Google Earth
Animal Planet
The Mirror
Huffington Post
Study.com
AL.com
Arcgis.com