31 dossiers

Folklore Creature

A being from regional folklore — not a ghost, not quite a cryptid. These dossiers trace the creature through the oral and written record rather than the woods.

High confidence

Flatwoods Wild Man report area

Flatwoods, West Virginia

Town-area setting of a reported 1919 wild-man encounter.

5 claims · 3 legends→

Devil’s Tramping Ground

Bear Creek, North Carolina

Chatham County barren circle where, per legend, the Devil paces.

4 claims · 3 legends→

Pocomoke State Forest

Pocomoke City, Maryland

Multi-county forest with church and creature traditions.

3 claims · 3 legends→

High confidence

Hollywood Cemetery

Richmond, Virginia

Cemetery associated with published local folklore.

3 claims · 2 legends→

Railroad Bridge

Pope Lick Trestle

Louisville, Kentucky

Trestle of the "Goatman" legend—where the real danger is the train.

Hāʻupu

Kauaʻi peak associated with a guardian giant.

2 claims · 2 legends→

As Nieves Latte Stone Quarry

Songsong, Northern Mariana Islands

Rota stone quarry associated with the legendary giant Taga.

2 claims · 2 legends→

High confidence

Donkey Lady Bridge

San Antonio, Texas

Bridge in San Antonio; research record.

2 claims · 2 legends→

Town Folklore Area

Huggin’ Molly Folklore Area

Abbeville, Alabama

Town folklore area in Abbeville; research record.

2 claims · 2 legends→

Old Buncombe Road, Ghost Hound of Goshen area

Union, South Carolina

SCETV places ghost-hound folklore along this forest road.

2 claims · 2 legends→

Lovelock Cave

Lovelock, Nevada

Archaeological cave associated with a Paiute giant tradition.

2 claims · 2 legends→

Pine Barrens (Jersey Devil country)

Hammonton, New Jersey

1.1 million acres of cedar swamp—the Jersey Devil’s hunting ground since 1735.

2 claims · 2 legends→

Old Alton Bridge (Goatman’s Bridge)

Iron bridge haunted by a lynched goatherd—or a goat-headed demon.

2 claims · 1 legend→

St. Ann's Retreat

The Logan Canyon retreat with the most debunked legend in Utah—the nuns who never were.

2 claims · 1 legend→

Puente La Llorosa

Aibonito, Puerto Rico

Bridge appearing in an Aibonito cautionary tale.

1 claim · 1 legend→

Nounou

Kauaʻi mountain known as Sleeping Giant.

1 claim · 1 legend→

Hagåtña Springs

Hagåtña, Guam

Spring in the story of the maidens who saved Guam.

1 claim · 1 legend→

Agugulu village folklore landscape

Agugulu, American Samoa

Living village with a protective-creature place-name tradition.

1 claim · 1 legend→

Historic Settlement

Like-A-Fishhook Village

Garrison, North Dakota

Historic settlement associated with documented cultural history.

1 claim · 1 legend→

Hodag Statue at Rhinelander Chamber of Commerce

Rhinelander, Wisconsin

Civic statue commemorating Rhinelander’s Hodag folklore and hoax history.

1 claim · 1 legend→

Allegan Forest

Fennville, Michigan

Forest associated with documented cultural history.

1 claim · 1 legend→

New Jersey Pinelands

Hammonton, New Jersey

Forest region research record.

1 claim · 1 legend→

Government Building

United States Capitol

Washington, Washington, D.C.

Legislative building with demon-cat folklore.

1 claim · 1 legend→

Folklore Monument

Jackalope Square

Douglas, Wyoming

Town-square sculpture celebrating jackalope tall tales.

1 claim · 1 legend→

Petroglyph Site

Piasa Bird Bluffs

Alton, Illinois

Mississippi bluff painting of the monster that ate warriors.

1 claim · 1 legend→

Snallygaster country

Middletown, Maryland

The dragon-like schneller Geist of the South Mountain valleys.

1 claim · 1 legend→

Petroglyph Site

Judaculla Rock

Cullowhee, North Carolina

North Carolina’s densest petroglyph boulder—1,548 carvings and the legend of Tsul’kalu.

1 claim · 1 legend→

Slide-Rock Bolter country

Lake City, Colorado

The fearsome critter that slides down mountains to swallow tourists.

1 claim · 1 legend→

Wampus Cat country

Townsend, Tennessee

The Cherokee panther-woman of the Smokies—half woman, half cat.

1 claim · 1 legend→

Squonk country (hemlock forests)

Lock Haven, Pennsylvania

The weeping woodland creature that dissolves into tears when cornered.

1 claim · 1 legend→

Melon Heads

Woods-lurking "melon-headed" children—Ohio’s most durable cryptid legend.