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 which were said to inhabit the timberwoods of the United States 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 "tall tales" and were used for teasing newcomers and gullible cityfolk. The creatures ranged from humorous animals, birds, reptiles, and insects to bizarre chimeras of terrifying description. Frequently the creature's name indicates some aspect of its behavior, such as the Come-At-A-Body or the Hidebehind; in other instances the name is derived from an older word such as the Fibbertigibbet (a witch's familiar's name) or Harpy-Hag (a monster of English folklore). Fearsome critter stories have been collected by history, folklore and backwoods enthusiasts.
Some of the fearsome critters, such as the Hidebehind, were derived from Algonquian legends. A few turned out to be based on descriptions of actual creatures: the Glutton, for example, is now recognized as a description of the wolverine, while the Fisher-Cat was a description of a type of marten. (In some rural areas the term, now often shortened to "fisher", is still used in reference to martens.)
[edit] List of fearsome critters
[edit] Beasts
[edit] Biped
- Anderbeast - A humanoid creature that stands 3 feet tall and is covered in dark red hair.
- Agropelter
- Hyampom Hog Bear
- Leprechaun - North American variety of the Irish creature, since become extinct in its native land.
- Tote-road Shagamaw
- Whirling Whimpus or Whirling Wumpus
[edit] Quadruped
- Axehandle hound- reputedly subsisted on axe handles left unattended; mentioned in Jorge Luis Borges' Book of Imaginary Beings.
- Cactus cat
- Central American Whintosser
- Flittericks
- Funeral Mountain Terrashot
- Gumberoo
- Glawackus
- Gyascutus
- Hodag
- Hugag
- Jackalope
- Picoderm - the smallest and fiercest monster in the woods. Plays tricks on other creatures for its own amusement.
- Sidehill gouger
- Silver cat
- Splintercat
- Squonk
- Teakettler
- Tripodero
- Wampus cat
- Whangdoodle
- Wapaloosie
[edit] Miscellaneous
- 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]
- Snipe
- Snow Wasset
[edit] Birds
- Billdad
- Gufus
- Phillyloo Bird
- Roperite
[edit] Fish
- Cougar Fish
- Fur-bearing trout
- Giddy Fish
- Goofang - the Goofang swims backwards to keep the water from irritating its highly sensitive eyes
- Log Gar
- Upland Trout
- Whirligig Fish
[edit] Serpents
- Hoop snake
- Joint snake
- Slide-Rock Bolter
- Snoligoster
- Snow snake
[edit] Insects
- Moskittos
[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), The American People: Stories, Legends, Tales, Traditions and Songs. (New Jersey: Transaction Publishers, 1977)
- 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)
- Tryon, Henry Harrington. Fearsome Critters. (Idlewild Press, 1939)
