Fearsome critters
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Fearsome critters was a collective term coined in early American lumberjack folklore for a variety of strange or frightening imaginary beasts that inhabited the timberwoods of North America and Canada.
Most of the "fearsome critters" were invented as explanations for the difficulties and dangers that were a part of the desolate environment of the 19th-century lumberjack community. Some were, of course, invented as sheer entertainment in exaggerated "tall tales" and were used for teasing newcomers and gullible cityfolk. The creatures ranged from humorous animals, birds, reptiles, and insects to bizarre hybrids of terrifying description. Frequently the creature's name indicates some aspect of its behavior, such as the Come-At-A-Body or the Hide Behind; in other instances the name is derived from an older word such as the Fibbertigibbet (a witches familiar's name) or Harpy-Hag (a classical monster). Fearsome critter stories have been collected by history, folklore and backwoods enthusiasts.
[edit] List of fearsome critters
Felines
- Cactus cat/Gyascutus
- Silvercat
- Splintercat
- Wampus cat
- Whangdoodle
Canines
- Axehandle hound - reputedly subsisted on axe handles left unattended; mentioned in Jorge Luis Borges' Book of Imaginary Beings.
Fish
- Goofang - the Goofang swims backwards to keep the water from irritating its highly sensitive eyes
Snakes
Humanoids
- Hidebehind - it would seize unwary lumberjacks and devour them, it was said to be so fast that it could hide behind the nearest tree before a man turned around. May be related to the wendigo.[citation needed]
- Leprechaun - North American variety of the Irish creature has since gone extinct in its native land.
Various critters
[edit] References
- Cox, William T. with Latin Classifications by George B. Sudworth. Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods. (Washington, D.C.: Judd & Detweiler Inc., 1910
- Boatright, Mody C. Tall Tales from Texas Cow Camps. (Dallas: The Southwest Press, 1934)
- Botkin, B.A. (Ed.) A Treasury of American Folklore. (New York: Crown Publishers, 1955)
- Davidson, Levette Jay & Forrester Blake (eds.). Rocky Mountain Tales. (Tulsa: University of Oklahoma Press, 1947)
- Leach, Maria (ed.) Funk & Wagnall's Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and Legend. (New York: Harper & Row, 1972)
- MacDougall, Curtis D. Hoaxes. (New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1958)
