Africa, as a continent, is still considered to be a land of great mystery where many secrets are still hidden away from the watchful eye of our modern technological world. For centuries strange stories of bizarre animals that just should not be have made many cast a curious eye towards the dark continent and wonder if perhaps Africa plays host to such creatures as living dinosaurs and the ancient ancestors of mankind that have failed to evolve past their more primate appearance. However, despite these ancient tales of living fossils a more recent addition to the ever expanding cryptozoo has made it’s presence known and basically scares the shit out of those who claim that this creature is a very real threat. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce, Popobawa.

Popobawa, if it exists, is one of those bizarre cryptids that goes so far beyond the imagination it is almost impossible to pin down. The creature who’s name means simply, “Bat-wing” in the Swahili language, has been described in so many different ways many believe this animal could possibly be a shape shifter that can appear in any form that it desires to whomever is unfortunate enough to witness it’s appearance. However, the most common description given by witnesses describes a creature that is three to four feet tall, a human like body colored in a deep blood red, a giant single eyeball is set in the center of the beast’s head and giant bat like wings are said to sprout from the creatures back. The one physical attribute that scares the bejeezus out of many most specifically men, is the giant continously erect penis that the creature sports quite possibly making this evil gargoyle like entity the poster child for viagra.

The women of the Tanzanian island of Pemba, where the creature is believed to haunt need not fear a visitation from this horny little winged imp, however the men are the ones that seriously need to worry for Popobawa craves one thing and one thing only, choice, prime, grade A man booty. It is said that Popobawa pays a visit to a different male subject every night to get it’s proverbial freak on. Popobawa is said to annouce it’s arrival by scratching on the roof of the house of his victims and before it is to late the creature attacks pinning it’s victim to the bed anally raping it’s male victim time and time again before leaving at the break of dawn. When considering the attacks of the Popobawa one can not help but be reminded of the stories that arose out of medievel Europe of succubus and incubus attacks upon humans as they slept. Others believe that what the victims are experiencing is a form of sleep paralysis. The more scientific explanation seems plausible if it were not for the fact that practically every dude in Tanzania has reported being attacked by the evil little beast at least once in their lives.

Like the Chupacabras of Latin America, Popobawa is a fairly recent addition to the world of Cryptozoology. The most popular story concerning the origin of this winged weirdo centers around an insane Sheihk who in the late 1960s, created the beastie from practicing black magic to take revenge upon his enemies. Unfortunately the mad Sheihk lost control of his demonic creation and Popobawa started it’s campaign of being a pain in the ass (Pun totally intended) on the lives of the male population of Tanzania. One curious story from 1971 speaks of a young Tanzanian girl who was possessed by the demonic creature and warned all those present that if they did not spread the word of his existence his attacks would become more furious and more dangerous. Needless to say by the end of the day the dude population became very aware.

Many researchers are highly skeptical concerning the existence of the Popobawa for very good reason. It is widely believed that the creature was a brilliant ploy by the government to create mass panic among the uneducated and highly superstitious populace to keep them in line. When you think about it what better way to keep the male urge of rebellion silent by creating a story of a demonic creature that seeks to rob them of their masculinity. However to play devil’s advocate if the Popobawa does exist just thinking of his depredations sure makes my butt hurt.

Rick E. Hale
t_seeker@hotmail.com

I’m a pretty easy going guy and hate is not a word that usually makes an appearance in my vocabulary, however if there is one thing that makes my blood boil, the one thing that I truly hate is the faking or hoaxing of evidence pertaining to claims of the paranormal. Outright hoaxes have always been a thorn in the side of those who take the study of the paranormal seriously and seek to prove the existense of the otherworldly through scientific methods. Since the early days of photography hoaxing has been there with hucksters attempting to make a quick buck on the backs of the bereaved by claiming to have the ability to capture the apparitions of the dearly departed as the unsuspecting victim sat for their portrait. Cryptozoology is no different folks have done everything from creating finely crafted monkey suits to wooden models of lake monsters and photographing both trying to pass them off as the real McCoy. Recently a couple of Joe Six Packs from Georgia claimed to have the dead body of a Bigfoot, unfortunately this turned out to be the biggest cryptozoological hoax of the last forty years. In case you are new to my entries I will repeat what my personal philosophy is concerning hoaxes, those who fake and hoax evidence are douchebags.

In 1967, an exhibit began making the rounds of carnivals and malls that made an amazing claim. The exhibitor, Frank Hansen stood atop a podium outside his exhibit and yelled, “Come one, come all see the amazing corpse of a wildman encased in ice.” Usually something like this would immediately be seen as a hoax however the strange case of the Minnesota Iceman which appeared to be the dead body of a bigfoot like creature encased in a block of ice, may have been totally and completely legite. Although Mr. Hansen felt he could make a quick buck.

The creature first came to the attention of researchers when a zoology student from the UNiversity of Minnesota plucked down his two bits to see this ancient wonder. When the curtain was pulled back and the iceman was revealed the student came to the conclusion that whatever this thing may be it appeared to be the real deal and immediate attention was required. When the student returned from the carnival he contacted the gentleman who would come to be known as the father of modern Cryptozoology, French cryptozoologist Bernard Heuvelmans. The student explained to Heuvelmans that he had seen a sight that needed to be investigated because it just may prove that hairy bipeds still walk among mankind. Of course the famed researcher was ecstatic at the prospect of having the oppurtunity of examining such a creature upclose and personal.

In 1968 Heuvelmans and his colleague Scottish zoologist, Ivan T. Sanderson first viewed the creature at the Chicago Stock Fair and just knew that they had to do whatever it took to get a closer look at this alleged iced over throwback to an ancient epoch. Bernard and Ivan, made contact with the exhibitor, Frank Hansen asking to take a look at the creature. At first, Hansen was reluctant stating that he was not the owner of the exhibit, Hansen explained that the owner of the iceman was a mysterious wealthy collector that may not take kindly to a couple of scientists trying to disprove the truth of the amazing discovery. The two researchers assured Hansen that they wanted to prove that the iceman was legitimate and show the world that such things do in fact exist and call our world home. Hansen relented and the investigation began.

For three days the researchers examined the iceman closely taking copious notes and hundreds of photographs. In his personal notes, Heuvelmans stated that he and Sanderson could smell putrification from the few spots where the flesh was exposed. In his notes Heuvelmans described the creature as, “Being a hairy bipedal man of no more than six feet tall. His body was covered with a short coat of dark hair approxiamately three to four inches long. The creatures left arm is raised above the head and a deep gash was visible between the elbow and the wrist. It also appears that the right eye of the creature was damaged due to it being dislodged from the socket and hanging over it’s cheek. The penis is clearly visible. I am convinced that this creature is real.” Sanderson agreed with his colleague’s finding so much that while as a guest on Johnny Carson’s “Tonight Show” during Christmas week of 1968, Sanderson told Johnny of the incredible find and that it constituted an otherwise unknown creature to modern science.

However despite all the efforts of Heuvelmans and Sanderson to legitimize the Minnesota Iceman and bring public attention to it the creature disappeared in the early months of 1969. For months the creature seemed to take a hiatus from the carnival circuit. By the time the creature reappeared, John Napier the chief primotologist of the Smithsonian Institute became involved with the investigation of the Iceman. After much questioning, Frank Hansen claimed that the block of ice that contained the creature melted after a mishap with the refrigeration unit and subsequently the creature decayed to the point that it was buried in an unmarked grave somewhere in Minnesota the creature that was now being shown was nothing more than a mere model. Due to this unfortunate turn of events, Napier and his bosses at the Smithsonian lost interest and declared the whole affair to be an elaborate hoax especially after several Hollywood special effects designers came forth and claimed they had created the creature. Heuvelmans and Sanderson cried foul stating emphatically that the creature they inspected was real and it was impossible to fake the smell of decaying flesh. Sadly, at this point, no one would listen it was believed that the Minnesota Iceman was a hoax perpetrated by a few creative people who saw only dollar signs.

Bernard Heuvelmans would go to his deathbed claiming that the creature he and Sanderson examined was a real specimen of a recently deceased bigfoot type creature he even had a theory as to how the creature came to be in this country. He believed that the creature was a relict Neandertal that was captured and eventually killed by hunters sometime during the Vietnam war. He further believed after the hunters discovered what they had killed they smuggled the creature into the country in a body bag and the mysterious millionaire had the creature froze and put on display. Most researchers reject this theory and believe that whatever the creature may have been was a relict Homo Erectus smuggled into the country from Africa. Whatever the case the mainstream scientific community believes that the Minnesota Iceman was an elaborate hoax. I repectfully disagree.

Rick E. Hale
t_seeker@hotmail.com

I have a little bit of trivia for you What do a millionaire Texas oil man with a cool name, an iconic American actor and the alleged mummified hand of a Yeti all have in common (Play Jeopardy Music now)? Give up? Perhaps the greatest conspiracy to prove the existense of the fabled Abominable Snowman as well as the greatest comedy of errors in the history of the serious study of previously unkown and undiscovered creatures. Allow me to explain.

In 1957, Texas oil man, business man and adventurer extrodanaire, Tom Slick, first heard of the alleged mummified hand of a Yeti hidden away in the Buddhist monanstery of Pangboche, Nepal where for centuries it had been worshipped as as a holy relic by the monks. For years Slick, had been leading expeditions into the world’s largest mountain range, the Himalayas, in a grand search for that most elusive of cryptozoological mysteries, a creature that we had come to know here in the the west as the Abominable Snowman but the citizens who lived and worked along the foothills of the Himalayas knew as the Yeti. Of course Slick, came up short every time never able to find anything more than just footprints which really proved nothing, to the skeptics of the world foot prints in the snow meant nothing, but a known animal that could have left them and the melting and refreezing of the snow made them appear to be something they were not. But the hand of a Yeti, although mummified, could finally be the proof that Tom Slick so desperately sought and he would do anything to have.

In 1958, Tom Slick and his associates paid their first visit to the monastery of Pangboche and immediately inquired of this hand that could possibly prove the existense of a creature that had eluded science for decades. The monks had absolutely no problem showing the gentleman millionaire and his associates the object of their affection, worship and deep devotion afterall they probably figured this was just some guy who wanted to pay his respects. When Slick was brought into the sanctuary of the hand he knew immediately that this was the real deal, the hand of a Yeti. The hand was really nothing more than a few scraps skin and hair hanging precariously to a skeleton. However the hand was twice the size of a normal human man and certainly did appear to be something beyond the ordinary. When Tom Slick, asked the monks if he could take the hand from the monastery for scientific study the monks became enraged and told the adventurer that he and his crew must leave immediately and never return. The hand was the center of their veneration and must never be removed otherwise their small society of holy men would come to ruin. At first Slick and his associates obeyed the demands of the Pangboche monks, however as they were leaving Tom Slick hatched a plan to at least bring a few pieces of the hand back to the west, a plan that would make cryptozoologists the world over look like a bunch of shady characters.

In 1959, Tom Slick, dispatched his close friend and associate, Peter Byrne to the Pangboche monastery not to inquire again if Slick could have the hand to prove to the world that such a creature existed and called one the most isolated regions of the world home. Nope, Slick had a more sinister goal in mind, Slick asked his associate to steal a few bone fragments from the hand without the monks none the wiser. I kind of wonder how it went down. Was it something as elaborate as let’s say Tom Cruise dangling from a rope in Mission Impossible? Highly Unlikely, basically Byrne waited for everyone to be asleep, slipped in, stole a few fragments of bone from the hand and replaced them with the bones from the hand of a mundane human and slipped out. The kindly peaceful monks of Pangboche, Nepal had no clue what so ever that the object of their worship had been so sacriligiously tampered with.

Enter iconic American actor Jimmy Stewart. Byrne was successful in smuggling the bones of the alleged Yeti hand across the borber into India now all they had to do was make it to the good Old U S of A. Slick called upon his close friend and Yeti enthusiast, Jimmy Stewart, to meet his buddy Byrne in India and transport what Slick believed to be the greatest scientific find in history into the west. Jimmy had no problem and borded a plane with the mortal remains of a mystery hidden away in his luggage. And folks are worried about bombs and drugs. After this things get, well how should I say this, pardon my French a little fucked up.

In 1960, the great mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary and naturalist Marlin Perkins made the trip to the Monastery of Pangboche, Nepal not to prove the story that the hand belonged to a Yeti but rather disprove it. Upon inspection of the hand Sir Edmund discovered that several bones were actually attached with string and wire and did not appear to fit with the general make up of the hand, the British Lord immediately announced to the world that the Pangboche Hand, the supposed mummified remains of the hand of a Yeti was a hoax and a fraud. Slick never even had the chance to begin his scientific study of the bones that he and his associates had so crudely acquired, no one would believe them anyway not only had they committed a crime that crossed international borders, who would take their word over the word of Sir Edmund Hillary, the mighty conqueror of Everest.

For a little over thirty years the Pangboche had was considered a fraud despite the efforts of Cryptozoologist Loren Coleman, who became aware of the plot to steal the hand from reading the archives as he prepared the biography of Tom Slick in 1989. Unfortunately the whole affair cast a dubious light on the Texas millionaire and champion of large hairy creatures the world over. However in 1991, Tom Slick would finally be justified when the NBC television program “Unsolved Mysteries” received samples of the stolen bits of the Pangboche hand and shocked the world with it’s analysis. DNA testing was still in in it’s infancy but was quickly becoming an excat science when the bones were analyzed. The testing showed that the tissue of the hand was “Near human” and did not match any primate known to mankind. I’m sure if Hillary and Slick were floating around in the after life Slick turned to Hillary and let out a triumphant, Boo-yah, in your face mother trucker. Just a theory.

I recently heard that Twentieth Century Fox was thinking about making a movie about the whole Pangboche Hand debacle, casting Nicholas Cage as Tom Slick however instead of taking the subject seriously it would be a comedy. I don’t know I think I’ll go and see it. Anyways, the DNA testing and results done by Unsolved mysteries proves to me that the their is truth to the Pangboche hand having once belonged to the fabled Yeti. It has been believed for years that Bigfoot, Yeti and other hirsute denizens of the world’s forests and mountain ranges are perhaps relict populations of the ancient more ape-like ancestors of modern man. The results said the bone fragments were, “Near Human” which to me proves that maybe just maybe the elusive monkey man still walks among us.

Rick E. Hale
t_seeker@hotmail.com
myspace.com/bldrdsun

When the European white devil first landed upon the pristine shores of Australia, they were shocked to discover that not only was the large island populated with an indigenous race of people that looked very much like the folks who populated Africa, but they were surprised to find an entire new world of strange species of animals that went far beyond their wildest dreams. Never in all their days had they encountered animals that carried their young in pouches attached to their bodies or a large animal that hopped around moving faster than the wind. However one animal in particular scared these colonists so bad that they stayed away from the many virginal inland lakes and rivers for fear of being made a snack by this nightmarish creature.

When the explorers met with the aboriginal tribes, the tribesmen described the creature as being a large fur bearing semi aquatic animal with a horse like tale and long sharp tusks that the beast used to run it’s prey through before it made it’s kill. The tribesmen called the creature a Bunyip, which plainly meant “Devil” and this Bunyip was the enemy of all mankind.

Naturally the newcomers were terrified by such stories especially after being showed representations of the beast painted on the walls of caves and hearing the bizarre calls in the middle of the night that the tribesmen told the explorers was the call a Bunyip made before it made a kill. Upon hearing these horrific tales the colonists decided it would be a wise idea to take the council of their native friends and stay far away from the many inland lakes and swamps that dotted the landscape of the land down under.

For many years many researchers regarded the tale of the Bunyip as just another monster tale told by the natives to keep the otherwise unwanted colonists in line or away from their sacred sites that is until 1846 when a shocking discovery was made which seemed to prove the existence of this otherwise impossible animal. While prospectors were mining for gold in the Murrumbidgee river in New South Wales, one of the men discovered a large strange skull half buried under the mud of the river. Believing he may have found something that could make him a rich man he dug the skull up and was shocked by what he saw. The skull was as large as bull and sported two large sharp tusks that protruded from the mouth cavity. The prospector rushed the skull to the Australian Museum in Sydney where scientists declared the skull to be that of the fabled Bunyip, the creature that so terrified the early settlers of the new land.

The alleged Bunyip Skull was put on display in the museum’s main hall and the entire population of Sydney and the surrounding area came to witness the final remains of the fierce beast that had come to be known as Australia’s bogeyman. The display of the fabled creature prompted many to come forward with their own stories of their encounters with the bunyip. Many told their story of coming across the creature while taking an innocent swim in a lake or river or hearing the creature as it let out it’s blood curdling cry of death as the moon came up at night. However, the frenzy was short lived when the skull was stolen never to be seen again. After the dissapearance of the skull the Bunyip went back to being just a legend.

Today the Aboriginal tribes of Australia still believe in the Bunyip and take great pains to avoid the fierce monster. Scientists and other researchers believe the Bunyip may be a racial memory of the mega fauna that once inhabited the island but were hunted to extinction as late as ten thousand years ago. The most likely suspect for the bunyip is believed to be the Diprotodon, the largest semi-aquatic land marsupial to ever walk the earth. The fossils that have been discovered of the Diprotodon seem to match the description of the Bunyip and historians now believe that the skull put on display in 1846, belonged to the ancient marsupial. Or perhaps the Bunyip is another one of the creatures that inhabit the Dreamtime. The Dreamtime is that mystical experience when the ancients created the world and gave life to the aborigines and the all the animals of the earth. Anthropologists tell us that the tribesmen make no distinction between reality and the Dreamtime and they believed that the strange creatures that lived in one world was able to live in another. Perhaps.

Rick E. Hale
t_seeker@hotmail.com

Dedicated To Gladys Hale
Proud member of the Eastern Band Cherokee Nation
And The greatest Grandmother A kid could ever want
At rest with her ancestors October 1st, 1987

When I was a child I was absolutely terrified of thunder storms. When the thunder cracked and the lightning ripped the sky apart I would rush to the nearest safe haven and pray to god that it would soon end. However all that came to an end when I was five years old and my grandma told me that I had nothing to fear because the storm was just the Great Bird or Thunderbird bringing renewal to the Earth. To a kid with an imagination such as mine, all I could think about was a giant bird flapping it’s enormous wings as it flew over head causing the rain to fall and the grass and the crops to grow. What an amazing sight to behold.

The legend of the Thunderbird seems to be a common legend among pretty much all the Native American Nations of North America. The Thunderbird was a being to be respected for it’s power but feared as well. Although my grandmother’s explanation for the storms was charming and it helped me overcome my fear, unfortunately not all stories concerning the mighty Thunderbird can be considered to be so quiant.

In Lawndale, Illinois in the summer of 1977 one eleven year old boy, Jake Lowe, would have a run in with not just one bird of gigantic proportions but two and the experience would leave an indelible mark upon his psyche for all time. Jake and Several of his buddies were behind his house enjoying a game of hide and go seek while they enjoyed the last rays of the warm summer day. Suddenly Jake was torn away from his game when he heard an awful screech come from overhead. Jake looked up and watched as two gigantic black birds with immense wingspans came flying out of the north Jake screamed when he realized that the two winged nightmares were flying directly towards him. The thin wiry boy took off running but was stopped when he realized his feet were no longer touching the ground, one of the deadly birds had Jake in it’s grasp most likely with the full intention of flying the lad away for a late afternoon snack.

Jake screamed and punched at the birds talons as it carried him a good twenty feet into the air. Jake’s mother upon hearing her son’s screams, rushed outside to see the nightmarish sight. Jake’s mother began to scream at the birds and throw rocks and sticks at the winged terrors until they finally dropped her son. Jake, his mom and his friends watched as the two giant black birds flew off into the horizon never to be seen again.

Young Jake Lowe, was lucky that day. There are numerous historical accounts from here in the good old US of A and abroad of colossal birds that fly out of no where and carry off their unsuspecting victims be they dog, goat or human. For the most part the mainstream researcher will tell us that these stories are hoaxes due to the fact that such animals just do not exist. They further claim that when a sighting of a giant bird is seen the witness is seeing a regular bird but their frame of reference is off due to altitude. However according to the fossil record at one time such a bird did exist that would have been capable of carrying off a full grown man. The Teratorn, a colassol bird with a ten to twenty foot wingspan existed during the Pleistocene era and may have existed into relatively modern times. Some researchers believe that it is a slim possibility that a small relict population of these birds have beat all the odds and still traverse the skies even to this day. However others suspect that giant birds may not be birds at all but something far older and far deadlier.

Reports have come from the darkest jungles of Africa and the jungles of South America of the possible existence of living Pterosaurs, flying dinosaurs that lived and supposedly became extinct with the other lizard kings over sixty-five million years ago. In 1994 and 1996 a team of researchers from various scientific disciplines mounted an expedition to the rain forests of Papua New Guinea after hearing stories of a giant flying beast that had a history of terrorizing the locals. The creature called the Ropen, was said to be the size of a man, with an enormous wingspan, a long beak filled with razor sharp teeth and a thick membrounous hide with no feathers. The researchers spoke with many of the natives who claimed to see the Ropen fly overhead at night and dive at unsuspecting folks who would dare to venture out after dark. The natives claim that centered in the chest of the giant flying lizard is a giant light that shines brightly as the Ropen ventues into the night. The locals also claim that when burying their dead they have to dig extra deep because the creature will come at night and dig a fresh corpse up for food. Most mainstream researchers believe that what the locals are seeing is nothing more sinister than an oversized fruit bat which are common in the area, however when it comes to the reports of the bioluminesense that leaves them scratching their heads.

Half a world away on another continent the locals of the Congo region in western Africa tell stories of a giant flying lizard that brazenly descends from the clouds anytime of the day and carries away livestock and children in their greedy little claws. The natives describe the beast as being six feet long with a twenty foot wingspan, powerful talons and a beak filled with rows of dagger sharp teeth. The locals call the creature the Kongamoto or the Breaker of Boats because it is known to attack men as they fish in the various lakes and dive bomb their boats until they are broken. Except for the lacking bioluminesence the creature sounds very much like the Ropen.

Over the last thirty plus years researchers have journeyed to the region and showed pictures of possible suspects to the locals each and every time they pick the picture of a pterodactyl. When told that such a creature has been dead for tens of millions of years and this beast could not possibly be the Kongamoto, the locals become angered insisting that their winged nightmare is a giant flying lizard that they are told should not be.

Some paleontologists tell us that the regions of Africa and South America where such creatures have been witnessed for countless generations by the locals have not really changed that much since the age of the dinosaurs. Sure there have been some minor climate changes but they believe that the ice ages did not reach the equitor and the Congo and New Guinea may have stayed relatively tropical while the rest of the world froze it’s ass off. So it is possibly, however unlikely, that something from that ancient time period may have remained. But would you believe that back here in the good old US of A folks have been witnessing what they describe as being giant flying lizards?

In April 1890, a call went out over all of Arizona for any brave soul who could take down a flying beast that was terrorizing the countryside and claimed that this beast was the mythical Thunderbird. The story of this winged nighmare spread throughout the entire southwest of it’s wings that sounded like thunder and it’s gigantic body blotted out the sun. Many who claimed to have seen the mighty creature told tales of witnessing it as it swooped out of the sky and carried away cattle, dogs and the occasional man. Several intrepid cowboys answered the call and claimed that for the right price, they could capture and kill the beast and show the world that such things still exist.

The locals told the brave monster hunters that the creature left it’s lair as the sun rose over the mountains and flew off for the days hunt. The hunters sat and waited in the brush until they watched as the majestic form of the creature could be seen flying over the mountains just as they were told. They watched in awe as the enormous creature flew towards them letting out a mighty roar that made their blood run cold. As the bird flew overhead the cowboys opened fire. It took several rounds to fell the creature but it came crashing to the ground with a great thud. The mythical thunderbird was dead.

I am well aware that some of you are probably thinking, “Ah bullshit, just another legend of the old west.” Would you believe that their was photographic evidence? When the cowboys brought their kill inot the town of tombstone to collect their reward a reporter and a photographer met them a picture of the beast was taken with the proud cowboys standing over the bagged beast and a story was written up. In the April 26, 1890 edition of the “Tombstone Epitaph”, the story of the beast and the brave men was written, the beast was described as having a twenty-five foot wingspan and looked more like a lizard than a bird. Thus ends the strange story of the Arizona Pterosaur, the picture and the story have been lost to time although a few researchers claimed to have seen it.

The Legend of the Thunderbird has always been one of my favorite cryptozoological mysteries not just because of the story my grandmother told me but because it would seem almost every culture has a story of a giant flying creature. Perhaps there is some truth to the myriad of stories of dragons and great birds because they are still among us flying on wings of thunder.

Rick E. Hale
t_seeker@hotmail.com

You know I never really cared for the term, “Mass hysteria” it has no style, no panache and most of all it completely lacks a sense of humor. When I think of that phrase I think of a bunch of “experts” sitting around a table clutching their Ph.ds in a death like grip saying that folks who experience some unexplained phenomenon on a mass scale are a bunch of ignorant rednecks who are not smart enough to realize that the whole affair was made up in their minds. No I prefer, mass wackiness, and for only one reason, it just sounds funny. However there was nothing funny about the events that ocurred in the small southeast Wisconsin community of Elkhorn, when a denizen of the ever growing Cryptozoo came to the town and scared the daylights out of it’s citizens. This creature was a terror that forced the citizens of the cheese state to stay in doors at night with the doors and windows safely secured and praying that the daylight would soon rescue them from the beast that haunted their cornfields. The citizens of Elkhorn had many questions but my question is this, Since when does the Wolfman crave Wisconsin cheese?

Appropriately enough, The beast of Bray Road as it had come to be known, made it’s first and terrifying appearance on the night of October 31, 1989. The first known witness was driving down the unassuming Bray Road just minding her business maybe even listening to the radio when suddenly her car lurched, shit, she probably thought, flat tire. Thinking that nothing could possibly harm a hair on her head on this lonely road she exited her car and quickly went about the business of checking for a flat. After the inspection, and satisfied that all her tires were drivable she began to wonder what she had felt. Satisfied that everything was fine she turned around to stare off into the cornfield when she saw a large, hairy, dark form come charging across the field in her direction. The witness would later relate to investigators, that at first she was transfixed at the terror that came bearing down on her at first she thought it was a massive dog until it came to a stop and reared up on his hind legs. The witness finally came to her senses when the “animal” let out a loud throaty growl that sounded like it had been gargling with broken glass and asphalt. The witness made the smartest move she could think of she jumped into her car and sped off like a pack of demons were chasing her.

Terrified by what she had seen and breathing heavily, the witness looked behind her to see that the nightmarish creature was in hot pursuit and quickly gaining ground. The young woman let out an earth shattering scream when the beast leapt into the air landing it’s heavy form on the trunk of her car. She violently swerved for several minutes trying to force the horrific beast from the rear of her car. She would later tell investigators that the beast’s hungry eyes burned brightly in the night as it’s mouth dripped saliva all over the rear window. This creature was hungry and desired to make the young woman it’s late night snack. Finally the beast rolled from the car and hit the pavement, the witness sped off into the night as the beast let out a haunting howl.

When word of this horrible beast got out others who were to to afraid to come forth, mostly due to fear of ridicule, with their own heart rending experiences with the giant dog like creature that was able to run around on it’s hind legs. One citizen of Elkhorn, related to investigators that while she and her little brother were driving down Bray road they saw what they believed to be an injured dog sitting on the side of the road. The closer they came to the animal she realized whatever this thing was it certainly was no dog. The witness described the beast as being well over six feet tall, powerfully built and looking like a wolf while having the characteristics of a man. As they drove by unable to take their eyes off the creature they could see that it was holding in it’s clawed hands and feasting upon roadkill. Needless to say she hauled ass after the creature snarled and bared it’s gore filled fangs.

A few days after her sighting, the young woman’s mother called the local animal shelter to see if there were any reports of a dangerous predator on the loose in their community. The warden replied that to his knowledge there were no reports of bears, wolves or mountain lions loose in the close knit town. The woman knew that her daughter was not making this story up and came to the conclusion that it would be a good idea to alert the local newspaper. If the animal shelter would do nothing about she sure as hell would. Enter Wisconsin native and journalist, Linda Godfrey.

At first, Ms. Godfrey was skeptical about what she was hearing. To her it sounded that the creature was less a dog and more like a beast that resides in fairy tales and shlock horror flicks, it sounded as if this witness was saying that a werewolf was on the loose in the land of Dairy. However considering the seriousness of the claim and the honesty of the witness, she would go about investigating this claim and others to determine whether or not some nightmarish creature was stalking the citizens of Elkhorn, Wisconsin.

Upon her investigation, the journalist discovered that others in the immediate area as well as surrounding communities had seen this exact same creature. One eleven year old girl claimed that as she was looking out the widow of her bedroom she spied the creature sitting in her backyard. At first she thought it was some kind of dog until it reared up on it’s hind legs and walked into the forest at the rear of her home. After the sighting of this creature the poor little girl was never the same.

Several farmers in the area would tell the journalist that some unknown creature of colossal proportions was stealing their livestock. When the farmers would go to check on their animals all they found were pools of blood and perhaps a few scraps of flesh that at one time was their prized hog. Others would report that shortly after letting their pets out to use the bathroom they would hear a loud bark or yelp. When they went to check on the family dog it was no where to be found. Many others claimed to see the beast carry off roadkill into the surrounding woods or cornfields. Whatever this thing was it was huge, dangerous and hungry.

The story of the beast was published in December of 1991, and as with any paranormal or unexplained phenomenon witnessed on a mass scale the wackiness ensued. Practical jokers of all stripes from the basic prankster to the downright sadistic ass came out of the woodwork turning the beast of Bray Road into their personal bitch. People would drive down the road to see a fake road sign with the silohuette of a wolf crossing the street with the words, “Warning, werewolf crossing”, written in bold letters. The witnesses were partically targeted by the practical jokers with these signs in their front lawns. Folks were seen walking around the community wearing werewolf masks. One local politician decided to get in on the fun when running for office, he sent out fliers with a werewolf on it stating that the beast was personally endorsing him in his bid for re-election. Yep, good times were had by all in Elkhorn and the neighboring community of Delevan that is of course except for those who had the displeasure of witnessing the creature and it’s depredations, they were not amused by the attention and most of all they were scared.

As with most reports of monsters the monster hunters came out of the woodwork stating that they and only they had the skill and the talent for hunting the beast and bringing int’s reign of terror to an end. One gentleman was discovered by police sitting vigil in a cornfield wearing a home fashioned suit of armor and holding a large double barrel rifled loaded with, you guessed it, silver bulletts. The man was quickly taken into custody and upon release was warned never to return to Elkhorn ever again. Monster hunters oftentimes are far more dangerous than the monster they are hunting especially when the ammo starts flying.

Others monster hunters of the religious variety appeared in Elkhorn stating that the beast was a product of person being in league with Lucifer. These folks claimed that the creature was a demon conjured up by those who practiced the dark arts somewhere in the community. These monster hunters claimed, that for a price, they could perform an exorcism and rid the area of the satanic creature. Yes siree, greed and sixteenth century ideology are still very alive and fatal bed partners even in the supposedly enlightened twentieth century.

When the summer of 1992 hit sightings of the Beast Of Bray Road came to mystifying and abrupt end, it would seem that either the creature moved on to a different locale or perhaps the would be professional exorcists were triumphant in the their battle aagainst Satan and his demon spawn. Many, even today, are still scratching their heads and wondering just what the creature may have been, and of course there is no shortage of theories. Several folks claim that what eyewitnesses saw was a bear or a large coyote and if you believe that I know of a bridge in Brooklyn that is for sale. While bears may have the height going for them, bears are unable to run for long distances on their hind legs and as far as I know there are no six foot coyotes runnning around out there.

The other theories come from the a legend of the Ojibway nation and a very real animal that once called Wisconsin home and terrified the local Loway tribe. At one time a wolf like creature the Loway called the Shunka Warak’in lived in the area. The name means, “Carries away dogs” for that is what the large wolf like creature did it would steal dogs and eat them. However the animal was hunted to extinction by the white population when it made a nuasance of itself.

The other theory was offered by the Ojibway who believed the creature was a “Dog-man”. The Dog-men were a horrible half wolf half human that they believed lived in the area and hunted their brothers and sisters carrying many away, the men for food the women for a bride. These Dog-men, may be the cause of many of the Native American legends concerning the Wendigo or the Skin Walker.

Again I pose the question, what did the citizens of Elkhorn, Wisconsin and it’s sister communities witness for a little three over years? Perhaps it was a werewolf, a dogman or some demonically inspired creature of the night we will never know because the Beast of Bray Road has not shown it’s shaggy head for over sixteen years.

Rick E. Hale

t_seeker@hotmail.com
you can also find me at Myspace.com/bldrdsun my user name Ourmysteriousplanet.

On the morning of December 23, 1938, Captain Hendrick Goosen of the fishing trawler The Nerien made a discovery that would single handedly turn the science of paleontology on it’s ear and give it a swift kick right in the old keester. As Captain Goosen and and his men were fishing off the coast of Madagascar they pulled their first nets of the day in to check out on what they caught. When the nets were brought on board the Captain discovered a strange large fish that looked like nothing he had ever seen before flipping and flopping around in the net with the other more familiar fish. Believing that he had found something truly phenomenal the good Captain took the fish ashore and called a good friend who was a professor at the local college and asked him if he could find just what the hell this thing was.

When news got out of this wonder fish discovered in the waters of western Africa every academic from various scientific disciplines rushed to Africa to take a look at the fish that had been caught by a simple fisherman. At first, many researchers said no way this fish, which had been identified as a Coelacanth, could not possibly be it had died out when the dinosaurs went to meet their maker. However, despite the fact that this fish was supposed to be extinct, laid on a table looking up at them with it’s cold fishy eyes and posthumously laughing, “Suckers, if I made many more did.”

Cryptozoology or the study of previously unknown species of animal, has always been my second great love in the research of the strange and unusual. Although I will admit I have never had the pleasure of coming face to face with the likes of a Bigfoot or a Nessie, I still feel if the Coelacanth can beat all the odds and swim it’s way into the twentieth century and beyond, it is still a possibility that other extinct or unknown animals may still call our little blue green sphere home. Mainstream science would have us believe that every animal known to man has been discovered, catalogued and put on display for the entire world to see. These researchers have forgotten why they got into the biz, science’s chief mission is to explore, discover and most importantly to learn.

On our world there are still remote and isolated places that mankind hasn’t even begun to explore, locations where something truly amazing may still and thrive well hidden away from the prying eyes of mankind. Throughout the centuries strange tales have been told of amazing creatures that we are told just should not be. Do these tales constitute hardcore objective evidence for the existence of bizarre creatures? No, of course not, however it does provide a springboard for serious scientific enquiry on the subject. Of course errors are made and folks do make misidentifications of known animals under strange circumstances, however when hundreds reports seeing a long snake like neck stick out the water or a large bipedal manthing running naked through the woods then you can truly say, “Yep, something strange is afoot.”

In this series we are going to stay away from the, “Rock Stars” of the cryptozoo and explore other creatures that are far stranger and far more fantastic than a giant swimming lizard and the long haired hippy-thing that haunts America’s forests. Some of these animals will be familiar some not so familiar but many have reported seeing them and survive to tell the tale.

The Mongolian Death Worm.

In his 1926 book, “On The Trail of Ancient Man”, Paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews (The inspiration for the nazi ass kicker, Indiana Jones) wrote of a strange story that he heard from the Nomadic tribes of the Gobi desert in Mongolia. The Nomads described an animal, a worm to be exact, that was two to five feet long and thick as a man’s arm. The nomads told the researcher that to hunt this worm was unwise because this worm had the ability to spit a corrosive liquid from it’s mouth and emitt a strong electrical current that could kill something as large as a horse from a distance. Naturally Andrews, was intrigued by the stories of an undiscovered species living in the sparsely populated desert and went out to see if he could capture this death worm and bring it back to the west for scientific study. Unfortunately, when Andrews and his reluctant guides ventured into the desert to search for the Death Worm they returned with zip, zero, zilch. Nothing.

The Death Worm has been witnessed for countless generations by the nomadic tribesman who call the Gobi home and they greatly fear this creature. The creature has been known to melt the face off anyone who dares to get to close with it’s acidic saliva or give them a shock they will soon not forget. Luckily for the tribesmen and whoever else would dare to search for this creature, the death worm is known to be active in the months of June and July and pretty much hibernates the rest of the year. I would imagine the tribesmen pretty much don’t do shit during those two months in the fear that they might disturb the deadly worm.

As with most denizens of the cryptozoo a specimen of the Death Worm has never been captured for scientific study, however a former Premier of Mongolia, came upon a death worm as he traveled the rough terrain of the Gobi and said the creature was, “The most horrific thing he had ever seen.” If we are to believe the leader of the Mongolian nation perhaps we can believe the reports of animals that have been discovered dead in the desert their carcasses looking as if someone had spilled sulfuric acid on them or the occassional human corpse that is found fried up like a crispy critter. If these humans and animals were not victim’s of the Death Worm why did they die in a manner consistent with the stories? Perhaps the Death Worm really does exist.

Over the years mainstream researchers have offered a few theories on what the Death Worm might be. The main suspect is a rare snake related to the cobra that is highly elusive and highly deadly but is known to science. The snake is known to kill it’s pray with a poison spat from it’s mouth that can reach up to ten feet. If the stories of the Death Worm are true than it is impossible that this cobra is a suspect, a snake’s venom paralyzes it’s prey it does not melt away the flesh. The second suspect is an eletric eel. An electric eel does match the length and width of the creature that is said to burrow under the sands of the Gobi, however electric eels live underwater and do not melt it’s victims with a corrosive substence neither are their electrical charges strong enough to kill a man. Another theory draws on the magical superstitions of Mongolia. Some believe the Death Worm may be a thoughtform conjured up by magic and are the protectors of a lost kingdom or treasure.

When you take into consideration that the Gobi desert is a vast wasteland of rock and sand not to mention that the temperature at night can dip well below zero and the stories of countless generations of tthe tribesmen who call this unforgiving land, home it is possible that such a creature could exist. Visiting the Gobi desert is an unwise option that many have not considered, if you get lost out here, well basically you are screwed. If the desert doesn’t kill you maybe the Death Worm will. No baiting your hook with this bad boy.

Rick E. Hale

t_seeker@hotmail.com

“Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night may become a wolf when the full moon blooms and the moon is full and bright!” When it comes to horror movies I’m not the kind of guy who likes slasher flicks. You know the kind, where the sexually repressed maniac grabs the nearest butcher knife and starts carving up big tittied coeds like a Thanksgiving turkey. Nope, for me I’ll take my horror film with a supernatural edge. Ghosts, demons, vampires and werewolves. However when it comes down to the two favorite monsters of the genre my money is on the werewolf. I really don’t care for watching morally corrupt, undead pretty boys who have a flare for evening clothes and a cheesey eurotrash accent. My money is on the damned soul forced to change into a ravenous beast by the light of full moon and although he hates what he becomes and the horrible crimes he committs he is completely powerless to do anything about it.

Over the last sixty plus years Hollywood has offered up a plethora of werewolf movies where some are good and others, well, not so good. “Silver Bullett”, a 80s horror flick starring Corey Haim is one of the best in the genre. The story details the struggle of a wheel chaired bound boy against a seemingly unstoppable foe, a priest who becomes a wolf. Gary Busey is great as the alcohlic uncle who eventually forgets about his own demons to save his nephew from becoming a midnight snack. And no one can forget the truly awesome, “An American Werewolf in London.” This is by far my favorite probably due to the fact that I have a streak of evil a mile long that absolutely loves dark comedy. And of course the Classic, “The Wolfman” Starring the immortal Lon Chaney Jr, who portrays an American visiting his cousin in Europe when he comes across a gypsy werewolf that sinks his teeth into the American turning him into one of the children of the night.

Although I love these movies and they are great entertainment when you have nothing else better to do, like anything else that Hollywood sinks it’s teeth into (pun intended) concerning the paranormal they only get it half right and this is something H-wood is famous for. The legend of the Werewolf does not just go back to the misty slopes of the Carpathian mountains nor is it reserved for the wind swept moors of the British countryside. The legend of the cursed soul forced to become a ravenous beast has it’s shadowy beginnings much further back in the cold mists of prehistoric man and believe me when I say this, Truth is much more terrifying than Fiction.

Anthropologists tell us that the legend of the werewolf may have gotten it’s start with the magical and religious beliefs of prehistoric man. According to these researchers, ancient man believed that by dressing themselves up in the skins of the animals they hunted for food they would gain that animals cunning and physical prowess and make it easier for the hunter to track his prey and make a kill so his little family unit would have a something to eat and wear in the frigid European winters. This Sympethic Magic, as it was called was a great technique and was used by practically every ancient society known to man. Since bears and the ravenous wolf was the most readily available animal in many parts of prehistoric Europe, and the most feared, they were the animals most used. The wolf was a cunning hunter who almost rivaled the prehistoric human for supremecy in the hunt.

These tales of ancient hunters, reserarchers say, is the primary source behind the werewolf legend however many ancient sources from classical Greece have something much different to say concerning the idea of a seemingly normal human being transforming into a blood thirsty creature of the night.

The modern, Lycanthropy, which is used to describe the transformation was first coined by the Roman poet, Ovid who tells a tale of an Athenian King named Lycaon, who was said to have the ability to turn into a wolf at night. Ovid describes the condition, “In Vain he (Lycaon) attempted to speak…he thristed for blood…he raged among the flocks and panted for slaughter…his vesture turned to hair…his countance turned rabid…his eyes glittered savagely.” The transformation of King Lycaon sounds pretty much like any werewolf movie we have ever seen. Of course upon reading this the skeptics, or player haters as I prefer to call them, Feel that Ovid is not describing the transformation of King Lycaon into a ravenous beast rather they say that Ovid is describing a man in the throes of rabies. This explanation really is very absurd, my cousin got bit by a squirrell when we were kids and contracted rabies from the little bastard and I can tell you this my cousins vesture(Flesh) did not grow hair.

If the first hand account of Ovid’s does not convince you of the possibility of making the transformation from man to wolf consider the words of Gaius Petronius who in 60 CE gave us the Satyricon. Gaius speaks of an acquitance he met at a wedding and showed him something the historian would not soon forget. Gaius and his friend left the wedding as the moon came up, the friend began to remove his clothes and piled them into a bundle in the middle of the woods. Gaius tells us that the friend urinated in a circle around his clothes and Presto Changeo turned into a wolf before his eyes. The friend let out a haunting howl and trotted off into the woods. One other story from the classical world tells us that during one of the first Olympics a race of werewolves called the Neuri participated and walked away with all the rewards and accolades. Mike Phelps, ain’t got nothing on these hairy dudes.

Although the modern legend of the werewolf got it’s start with the ancient Greeks our final image of the werewolf comes to us from medieval Europe. The modern term werewolf, was first coined in 1212, by the historian Gervase of Tilbury. In his work, “Otia Imperialia”, Gervase gives many descriptions of men and women who had the ability to turn from human to wolf. The term Werwulf was not just reserved for this horrific man-beast but was also ascribed to outlaws.

During the period of what many historians called the, “Burning Times”, many alleged werewolves were caught in the frenzied belief that satan and his evil minions were lurking behind every corner seeking a good christian soul that they could corrupt. A person who could transform from man to wolf did not do it by the the classic method of being bitten by a werewolf, instead much darker methods were used. In 1573, a tale of greed, evil and cannibilism came out of France that shocked the entire nation and cemented the belief that werewolves were a product of collusion between mortal man and the Prince of Darkness. Gilles Garnier, was, by all appearances a seemingly normal peasant farmer until he was arrested and put on trial for heresy and cannibilsm. At his trial Garnier, told the judges that one day as he was hunting in the forest he was met by a black clad stranger who told Garnier that if he fell down and worshipped him, the stranger would give him a magical salve and a wolfskinned belt that would turn him into a wolf. Of course, Gilles, could not turn the stranger down and ultimately paid the price for being in league with this obviously satanic spirit, Gilles, admitted he was guilty of killing numerous children and eating their flesh while in his preternatural wolf state. Gilles Garnier, was found guilty of these hideous crimes and burned at the stake.

In Europe being a werewolf was considered to be a curse handed down by God to a family or a single person. Many believed that a potential werewolf could be identified early in life and and certain precautions could be taken to save that person from a life lived in hell. A uni-brow was considered to be a dead giveaway that a person was a werewolf or a child born with a caul, a thin membrane that some children were born with. In the event of this ocurring the child was pierced through the hands with silver nails or the caul was immediately removed from the child’s face and burned in a fire made of Mountain Ash. It was also said that if a person was suspected of werewolfery they could be identified by cutting a strip of flesh from the suspect if hair was discovered growing under the person’s skin they were immediately arrested and burned at the stake.

The legend of the werewolf or shapeshifter, was not just believed in by nervous Europeans looking for a sinister flesh eating boogeyman it would appear that certain Native American tribes here in the US believed in some form of a shapeshifter. The tribes of the American southwest believe in and greatly fear an evil being called a “Skinwalker.” The Skinwalker is said to be an evil sorceror who gains the ability to change into a beast by giving his soul to wicked primordial forces of the earth. A tale says that the Dineh or Navajo once wiped out an entire village of suspected Skinwalkers when they believed that the wicked sorcerors were stealing their children and making meals of them. The legend of the Skinwalker is so feared by the Navajo that they refuse to speak of the beings in polite settings especially to whitey. It is believed to speak of the Skinwalker is to invite it’s wrath.

Today modern science accepts the possibility that a human can turn into a ravenous beast although the transformation is far from physical but rather wholly psychological. Lycanthropy is a condition of the mind where a human being believes that they actually make a physical transformation from man to beast. One famous case of actual Lycanthropy comes to us from France when a young man was arrested by the cops for having blood on his shirt and around his mouth the police also reported that the insane man attacked them and tried to bite their faces as he growled like a wolf. When the man came to himself he was visited by a doctor who discovered that the night the strange man was arrested he murdered his friend in his apartment and ripped out his buddy’s throat. The man was sent to a psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane for his crime. While in the hospital the man was witnessed by many employees to run around on all fours and howl at the moon one male nurse said that as he looked in on the mentally Ill man he had to take a double take because at first glance he thought he saw a giant wolf in the patient’s room.

The legend of the werewolf is perhaps the greatest monster known to mankind in our short but illustrious history. Like the vampire, the werewolf is the subject of many myths going back not just centuries but millenia and shows no sign of going away anytime soon. Is it possible that a seemingly normal human being has the ability to transform from a man to a blood thirsty creature of the night? Maybe thats for you to decide, me, I’m like the Fox news of the paranormal (without all the republicans) I report you decide.

Rick E. Hale
t_seeker@hotmail.com

All around our small insignificant planet there are to be found certain locations that many claim are imbued with certain mystical properties as well as paranormal phenomenon. A few examples include Glastonbury Tor in Great Britain. So many stories of the Tor (Which means Hill in Gaelic) and it’s lone sentinel, Glastonbury Abbey have been told over the centuries it has become almost immpossible to seperate fact from fiction. The Tor is said to be the burial site of the remains of the greatest of all Kings, Arthur who is said to said to ride forth on Christmas Eve to protect his beloved country. One other tale tells that Joseph of Arimethea established the first christian church in England and hid the Holy Grail somewhere in the church or buried it on the Tor. The Tor is also supposedly the doorway that leads to, Annwn, or the kingdom of the Fairie realm.

From France we are told that the water to be found at the grotto of the Sanctuary of Our Lady Of Lourdes has miraculous healing powers that are reported to heal everything from cataracts to cancer by just drinking the mystical water. Millions of pilgrims knock back a glass a year just to be made whole of whatever ails them. Sedona, Arizona is another place that is said to have properties that not only heal mind, body and soul but it is also considered a doorway into another realm of conciousness. Of course such locations and the reports that are told about them are highly subjective and have a tendency to be a little New Agey, but millions swear that some kind of positive influence is at work and has made a positive change in their lives.

These locations are amazing and do appear to have some kind of positive energy flowing through them would you believe that such a place exists in Illinois? The problem with our next and final entry in the state of Illinois is that this location does not appear to be blessed with the positive energy said to be at the above mentioned locations, Instead Williamsburg Hill in south central Illinois is said to be a beacon of all sorts of weirdness and negativity, sort of like the Sith tree on planet Dagobah in Empire Strikes Back.

Rising 810 feet above the the small ghost towns of Towerhill and Shelbyville, Williamsburg Hill is quite possibly the spookiest place in Illinois. So many reports of hauntings, strange creatures and UFOs have been reported here over the years it is difficult to pin down why Williamsburg Hill has such a bad reputation and such a bad attitude. Perhaps the trouble started sometime in 1839, when the town of Tower Hill was founded by Doctor Thomas Williams. When Doctor Williams first rolled into the area he was warned by the local Native American tribes that the hill and the surrounding area was a place of great evil and a home for all manner of evil spirits. Although the natives were afraid to step foot near the hill, Doctor Williams pretty much did what every other white devil of the day did, he ignored the warnings of the local tribes and established his town.

For a little over forty years, Tower Hill became a bustling metroplis of over two thousand people and enjoyed incredible prosperity thanks in part that the town was smack dab in the path of the busy stagecoach line that brought the rich, famous and sometimes infamous to the town. However like many other things the party was over in 1881 for the small town when the stagecoach line was retired and the new railroad completely bypassed the town. Virtually overnight the town of Tower Hill became a ghost town when many citizens felt they needed to be closer to the railroad and moved east to Vandalia. As of 1900 all that remained of the town were a few folks eeking out an existense, a Methodist church and a few shops that were quickly failing. The high times were over with a vengence for Tower Hill.

However as time rolled by folks who were seeking a more quiet genteel life began to move back to the shadow of Williamsburg Hill and this is perhaps when all the weirdness began. Many of the stories of terrifying apparitions are associated with the small overgrown cemetary that sits on the highest summit. Ridge Cemetary is home to the eternal remains of many of the early settlers of Tower Lakes and would have been completely forgotten if it were not for the vandalism that has been committed against the cemetary over the years and much darker rumors of occult rituals being practiced in the cemetary. Many folks have claimed to hear bizarre chanting coming from the hill and the sounds of humans and animals in distress.

Over the years citizens of Tower Hill have reported seeing strange and frightening apparitions on the Hill and near the cemetary. The apparition of an old man that is said to be mad has been frightening those brave enough to step foot upon the slope of Williamsburg Hill. The apparition comes screaming out of the woods and dissappears as before he can assault the witness. One citizen claims that she witnessed a ghostly funeral procession in the vicinity of Ridge Cemetary. The witness, who was a little girl at the time, said she watched as a group of black garbed figures materialized out of the fog following behind a black casket, she could hear weeping and sobs coming from the ghostly procession and watched as the party vanished into thin air before her eyes.

Others brave enough to explore the Hill and Ridge Cemetary have reported seeing large dark shadows and apparitions that attempt to entice people to committ suicide within the gates of Ridge Cemetary. One witness reported a strange occurence one day when her daughter caimed that the people who lived in the ground wanted her to come live with them. Needless to say such a terrifying experience caused the woman never to come near the cemetary ever again.

Other witnesses have reported seeing a tall, hairy, bipedal creature haunting the mists and forest of Williamsburg hill. Teenagers have claimed that as they were walking along the path they would catch fleeting glimpses of the Sasquatch like creature following along side them darting from tree to tree. Apparently the Hill may also be home to it’s very own dragon but of course this story is highly suspect and is probably not a true phenomenon associated with the hill.

Many citizens of the surrounding area have reported seeing strange bright lights hovering over or near the Hill leading many to believe that the hill is actually home to an alien base located deep with in the hill. One witness claimed to have seen a large red ball descend out of the sky and land on top of the Hill. The witness then reported watching as the large red ball took off from the Hill and flew over his car causing the car to stall.

When you read the stories and eyewitness accounts of the bevvy of bizarre phenomenon associated with Williamsburg Hill one can not help but wonder what has caused this seemingly innocent hill to have such a crappy disposition. Perhaps the Native tribes that warned Doctor Williams was right, maybe this place is cursed. Native American tribes lived very close to the earth and were well aware of places to avoid because they were believed to be an abode of really really bad things and Williamsburg Hill appears to be such a place.

One theory in the field of paranormal research is that certain areas are vortex or doorways to other dimensions from which spirits, demons and strange creatures from the ether region are able to gain access to our world. Many researchers believe that Williamsburg Hill is one such vortex and beings from other dimensions are able to pop in anytime they want either to say, hey what up dawg or scare the living shit out of people. One other theory we must consider about Williamsburg Hill is that all the phenomenon associated with the hill is pure crapola and the Hill is a victim of the ever popular Urban Legend. With this theory I must respectfully disagree, the phenomenon of Williamsburg Hill have been reported by very sane credible witnesses who have absolutely nothing to gain by reporting their experience infact, the folks who live around Williamsburg Hill would rather you not come around and stir up trouble, spiritual or otherwise.

I really hope that if you live in some other state and wish to experience the weirdness that is Illinois I truly hope that you will pay our little state a visit. However if you live in the Prairie state I suggest you get in your car and take a rode trip into the strange and unusual because there are more than just cows and cornfields in the state you call home. I really hope you enjoyed this peek into the weirdness of Illinois because I had fun writing it.

Rick E. Hale
t_seeker@hotmail.com

Well let’s see so far the devil came down to Chi-town, ancient Egyptians may have been the first to call Illinois home and lastly vengeful ghosts wreak havoc on all who enter the attic of a nineteenth century mansion. Looking back I really hope we can both agree that Illinois is truly one weird place and it only gets weirder from this point on. Illinois, the Prairie state and the state that I love apparently has a monster seal approval as well. Does that surprise you?

Everyone knows that Sasquatch calls the vast acres of forest in the pacific Northwest home, but what most people don’t know is that there have been strange creature sightings in the Land Of Lincoln as well, In fact apart from Oregon and Washington state, Illinois has the most monster sightings than any other state of the union. We have tales of gigantic birds swooping out of the skies and attempting to carry eleven year old boys away for a mid-day snack in 1977. A bigfoot like creature has been spotted haunting (and stinking up) the woods around the Big Muddy River. And in the city Of Alton, the most haunted small town in Illinois, a giant mural of a grotesque creature called the Piasa graces the side of a cliff as a memorial to the brave native tribes who fought the dragon like creature in open combat and won. Among the many monsters that call our state home one creature has caused many residents of the southern Illinois town of Enfield, to scratch their head and ask, “What the hell is it?”

It was a cool Spring night in 1973, when a local man in the town of Enfield, Hank McDaniel, answered a knock at his door that would open up a whole new chapter in the weirdness of Illinois. Hank had just returned home from a rough day at work after working a double shift to help a coworker out and was tired as hell. As he plopped down on his couch and turned on the television for a little late night viewing and more than a little relaxation. The cold beer that he popped open tasted like heaven as it poured down his throat and filled his stomach with it’s cold frosty goodness. Hank McDaniel knew one thing and one thing only, tonight he did not want to be bothered he wanted to enjoy these last moments before he laid his head down for some much needed rest before a new day began and work started all over again. That is until the knock came to his door.

Hank was truly irritated, who the hell could this be? It was late and he was not expecting anyone to show up at his doorstep. “Who is it?” Hank yelled as he lifted his lanky tired form off the couch. No answer, probably some kids playing a joke. As Hank turned to sit back down on the couch a second and louder knock came to the door. By now Hank, was getting pissed, whoever this jerk was that was knocking on his door at 12AM was going to get a piece of his mind and maybe a bullett in their ass.

“What do you wa…” Hank yelled as he opened the door and was terrified by what greeted him on the front porch of his modest two bedroom home. What dared to knock on his door that late night in 1973 was neither man or beast at least not anything Hank had ever seen. Hank’s blood ran cold as he stood transfixed by the grotesque sight that greeted him. Finally the terrified was able to slam the door and grabbed the double barreled shotgun that stood ever ready by his front door. When Hank, finally built up the courage to open the door the creature stood there still staring down the frightened man. Hank raised his shotgun and squeezed off a shot at the creature. The creature was not wounded by the powerful shot but ran off into the night letting out a strange scream that sounded a cross between a high pitched scream and a car horn. Hank Mc Daniel, hardworking native of Illinois would never bee the same.

Twenty minutes later the local sheriff arrived at Hank’s front door after being alerted by neighbors that some nut was firing a shotgun in the middle of the night. When the sheriff approached Hank McDaniel he could see the terror and the abject fear written all over the man’s face. When the sheriff asked just what Hank was shooting at at 12:30 in the morning Hank was able to stammer out, “A creature on my doorstep.” The Sheriff roled his eyes and I’m sure he thought old Hank was drinking although he could not smell any alcohol.
“What kind of creature, Hank?” The incredulous Sheriff inquired of the man. After the question Hank launched into a description of a creature so fantastical it sounded as if it stepped out of science fiction film. Hank, said that the creature stood about four and half feet tall, with a strange cone shaped body, and was covered in hair. Hank said the strangest thing about the creature was that two gigantic black eyes stared into his soul and had three legs. After hearing the unbelievable story the Sheriff took a report and headed back to the station. He did not know what Hank McDaniel had seen but he knew that whatever it was Hank’s sighting would not be the last.

The next evening the Sheriff received another phone call from a panic striken woman who said that her eleven year old son had been attacked by some kind of horrific creature. The sheriff knew the call was serious when he heard the crying of the boy in the background. The sheriff quickly left his office and made his way out. When he arrived he found his witnesses standing on the front porch awaiting his arrival both seemed to have calmed down quite a bit. When the sherrif asked what happened, the young boy, Greg Garret, told his story. His mother had sent him outside to take the garbage out. When he got to the cans he could hear what sounded like something large rustling in the trees that lined the driveway on the side of his house. Greg, went on to give a description of a the same creature that Hank McDaniel, had seen the previous night. Except the still shaking boy said that the creature had two short arms that reached out at him and ripped his shirt. The sheriff, still incredulous over the creature that was now seen twice, took a statement from the young boy and went searching for the odd and apparently dangerous creature.

After a few days the stories of the assault on Greg Garret and Hank McDaniel quickly spread like wildfire among the frightened citizens of the small town of Enfield. People were terrified to let their dogs out after dark and some parents kept their children from playing outside. A few more citizens reported seeing the strange beast, however the their stories were not taken seriously. The sherrif, desiring to quell an episode of mass hysteria, threatened Hank McDaniel, with jail time if he did not keep his big mouth shut, the charge creating a public nuisance and the sheriff put out a press release in the local newspaper stating that the creature was just a dog and people did not have to be fearful. However despite all the sheriff’s efforts this did not stop some brave monster hunters from grabbing their rifles and venturing into the forest to hunt for the strange creature. One man was arrested after he shot his buddy in the leg while he was taking a leak behind some bushes. Dumb ass.

About two weeks after the initial sightings of the creature or what ever it was, dissappeared from the small town of Enfield, and good riddance. What was it that Hank McDaniel fired upon? And what manner of strange creature was it that attacked little Greg Garret and ripped his favorite t-shirt? Some believe that the creature in question was an alien visitor. this belief came about due to the fact over the last few months many folks reported seeing strange lights in the skies over Enfield and there was a report from a neighboring town of a man being abducted by aliens. One other explanation was that the creature was some animal previously unknown to science and this theory raised the curiosity of many a cryptozoologist. I have a theory, let me give you hint, G’day Mate.

From 1974 throughout 1981, reports flooded into cop shops of people who swear that they had seen a Kangaroo either jumping around their backyard or sitting on the side of the road not just in Illinois but other midwestern states as well. One well documented story tells of two Chicago cops who cornered one of the marsupials in an alley on the north side of Chicago thouroughly got their asses handed to them when they tried to take the animal into custody. Roos may seem all cute and cuddly but they can be downright mean and nasty when backed into a corner by something they perceive as a threat or scared.

Many researchers, myself included, now believer that this was what a few of the citzens saw in Enfield over those two weeks of terror. Now, obviously there are no herds of Kangaroos roaming the plains of the midwest so if that is the case what was the creature that terrified the small Illinois town in the Spring of 1973? It may not have been Roos, I think they are happy in the land down under.

Rick E. Hale
t_seeker@hotmail.com