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Mothman is the connoisseur& #39;s cryptid.
The collected stories are a gem of American folklore, with every facet offering intrigue.
Some digestible reflections here follow:
The collected stories are a gem of American folklore, with every facet offering intrigue.
Some digestible reflections here follow:
In 1966, many townsppl of Point Pleasant (pop. ~4000), WV started reporting sightings of a "large flying man with ten-foot wings" and glowing red eyes. Many locals see this, some "up close"
4 kids said it kept up with their CAR as they sped away for great distance.
4 kids said it kept up with their CAR as they sped away for great distance.
In meantime, in same area, a man reports a UFO lands on the freeway blocking his car and a humanoid gets out and introduces himself as Indrid Cold. Others report meeting him around this time.
Indrid even show up in Point Pleasant, where a girl says he showed up in her room one night and merely observed her. People describe same man. The "Smiling Man".
There& #39;s a ton of other UFO and Poltergeist activity reported in this area during this time. And people KEEP seeing Mothman. Over 100 Mothman sightings in this period of about a year.
Keep in mind: a lot of this (including the first sighting) was taking place in "the TNT" - the West Virginia Ordinance Works, an abandoned military sight designated a Superfund site due to being massively contaminated by US military ... stuff ...
Also, at this time, Point Pleasanters are ALSO reporting shadowy suited "men in black" around town - the reporter covering Mothman for Point Pleasant is interrogated, they even threatened or tried to kidnap a Mothman witness.
Then, at the end of 1967, the Silver Bridge collapses shockingly, killing 46 people. The sightings stop. Things settle down.
Over time, people begin to see Mothman as a Harbinger of disaster. There are even reported sightings from Russia preceding a building collapse.
Over time, people begin to see Mothman as a Harbinger of disaster. There are even reported sightings from Russia preceding a building collapse.
Later, it was discovered there are certain native legends in that area concerning a winged monster.
I love Mothman (the stories, not the entity) because it really has angles into almost every aspect of paranormal interest. And it& #39;s a uniquely American body of folklore, rooted in our history and culture (seen in double date car chase in declassified ordinance works).
It also happened in a real place, which you can easily visit and is very cool to see, and happened to people who are still alive. It& #39;s very much in local memory. If you visit, get the feel. If you visit, be respectful; it& #39;s a touchy subject in some ways.
And it happened during the UFO heyday of the mid-late 60s. It& #39;s seminal story in terms of understanding modern American folklore and urban legend. Massive influence on the cultural conception of the paranormal.
There was a 2002 movie with Richard Gere and Laura Linney. The 1975 John Keel book is better. Also a couple good docs. Of the two, I prefer the 2011 "Eyes of the Mothman".
