The Legend of Bigfoot

T. S. Mart, Mel Cabre

Description

Bigfoot. Sasquatch. Skunk Ape. He's everywhere. The most well-known cryptid in American history, Bigfoot is as feared as he is loved. The subject of thousands of stories, this creature has been pegged as a monster terrorizing the woods, a supernatural entity stealthily living among us with an otherworldly agenda, or simply an animal trying to live a life of seclusion. With various theories and beliefs abounding, research and discussion have become a hobby for many, and even an occupation for some. In The Legend of Bigfoot: Leaving His Mark on the World, T. S. Mart and Mel Cabre reveal the myths, personal stories, and pop culture surrounding the legendary icon. Featuring more than 80 images recreating the Bigfoot's appearance from firsthand accounts and folktales, The Legend of Bigfoot showcases the many faces of the creature. Included are the Boston Bahumagosh, which is said to weigh up to 400 pounds, stand up to 10 feet tall, and terrorize the Boston area; the Honey Island Swamp Monster—also known as the Louisiana Wookie—who roams the Louisiana swamps with yellow or red eyes; and the Wendigo, placed between 7 and 15 feet tall with long, yellow fangs and yellow-tinted skin. Half phantom, half beast, the Wendigo lives in the forest and dates back to the earliest Native American legends. Featuring legends, culture, and history from across the globe, The Legend of Bigfoot brings the famed cryptid to life in this entertaining and accessible guide.

Bigfoot has captured America's attention, seeping into the cultural veins of our society. Over the years, the creature has morphed into a phenomenon because he is many things at once: a vulnerable animal, a supernatural wonder, a paranormal entity, a monster, a toy, a superhero, an intriguing creation.
He is a cultural icon.
But what is he really?
Is Bigfoot an animal, created in the same way as other animals, driven by an instinctual need for survival? A warm-blooded creation who potentially migrated across the Bering Strait and then across North America? Or, is Bigfoot a supernatural force, created with abilities far superior to humans? Perhaps, he exists in an unusual manner as a paranormal entity, sent from another place by a means humans haven't fully come to understand.
Maybe the beast is a figment in our mind, a monster born out of a fear living deep within our psyche—a product of our imaginations we hold onto for various reasons.
As we explore each possibility with an open mind and a sense of wonder, the goal is not to prove or disprove Bigfoot's existence, or to discredit one belief for another, but to enjoy the experience as we examine evidence and apply critical thinking (debate) that allows every reader to ask questions and draw conclusions. Everything that is not a fact is an interpretation grounded in biased opinion. And that's okay, too, as long as we understand our biases and the purpose they serve.
We'll be referring to Bigfoot as "he" throughout the text. Except where obvious, the pronoun is not meant to imply certain characteristics or traits exclusive to that gender. Frankly, no one knows the distinctions between a male and female Bigfoot.
Bigfoot as an Animal
There is a certain amount of documentation—yet no definitive proof—suggesting Bigfoot is a bipedal primate that lives in the remote areas across North America and other parts of the world. Some call this the Undiscovered Ape Theory.
Investigation confirms people confuse him with bears and other wildlife. Most of the observational evidence belongs to footprints and other casted body parts. Hair and scat samples have been tested and point to a creature that has not been scientifically identified. Do these belong to a Bigfoot? No one knows, but we can speculate.
While referring to Bigfoot as an animal, we'll keep in mind the major differences between humans and other animals. This will allow us to explore Bigfoot behaviors and apply the typical boundaries that exist.
Humans are capable of complex reasoning with a limitless variety of thoughts and words used in language. We can solve difficult problems using abstract thought, and we have the ability to self-reflect, analyzing data that helps in decision making.
If Bigfoot is an animal, then there are several characteristics and behavioral patterns we can assume based on all other animals.
Animals serve a purpose within the ecosystem
Animals depend on an ecosystem to survive. Since we find Bigfoot all over world, like humans, he would possess the ability to adapt within different biomes or habitats. The most prominent would be the Boreal forests and mountains of the Pacific Northwest and the temperate forest and grasslands of the Northeast, Midwest, Southern Appalachia, and the Deep South since these are the locations one might most likely see a Bigfoot in North America.
With no available data defining Bigfoot's behavioral patterns within a habitat, we can only speculate at his role in the ecological community based on scattered evidence. If scat (feces) found by researchers belongs to a Bigfoot and not some other animal or human, then evidence suggests he eats plants and berries. Other detailed encounters show that Bigfoot eats fish and livestock (See the Ruby Creek incident in section four). Based on these and other findings, we can assume that like a grizzly bear or cougar, Bigfoot is an apex predator who helps control the population of deer, elk, and other small mammals while also helping to propagate nature by dropping seeds in his scat and embedding them into the ground with his large feet.
Animals act on instinct
Animal instinct is a fixed, unlearned pattern of behavior that occurs in response to a stimulus or motivational need. If Bigfoot is an animal possessing instinct, then his fight-or-flight intuition might account for his adeptness at hiding and running from potential danger.
Instinct also drives communication. Animals use four methods to communicate: visual, auditory, tactile, and chemical.
Visual pertains to an animal's physical appearance. The dilation of a cat's eyes, the quirky dance of flamingos, and the grand display of antlers on a moose all send messages to those nearby. While no one has seen a Bigfoot dance, he has shown off a larger-than-life appearance to those who have seen him, and some researchers feel the stick structures and ground glyphs found within the regions of Bigfoot sightings represent a form of communication.
Stick structures are an arrangement of trees and sticks that nature could not have produced. When they occur in areas where other Bigfoot evidence is found, some researchers think they might represent a form of communication. Common structures include: Broken trees, twisted until they expose wood fibers on the inside; asterisks made up of multiple sticks of equal size or length arranged in a pattern; arches and loops of all sizes; and walking sticks where several sticks are strategically placed or propped against a tree. The scientists also believe ground glyphs—sticks made into symbols—could be intended to impress a mate or offer clues to their location, a territorial marker.

Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction

1. What Is Bigfoot?
2. Who's Who Among Bigfoot
3. History and Legends
4. Bigfoot Culture
5. Facts of Fiction
6. Bigfoot around the World

Bigfoot Culture Timeline
Notes
Chronological List of References
Index

Sujets

• Pie Grande
• Folclore
• Popular culture
• Cryptid
• Biology
• Body (disambiguation)
• Life science
• Zoology
• Social sciences
• Mythology
• Mammal
• Bigfoot
• Mystery
• Sasquatch
• 454 Life Sciences
• Body
• Myth
• Yeti
• Folklore
• Science

Informations

• Publié par: Red Lightning Books
• Date de parution: 13 octobre 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781684350605
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 5 Mo

Extrait

THE LEGEND OF BIGFOOT
THE LEGEND OF BIGFOOT
Leaving His Mark on the World
T. S. Mart and Mel Cabre
Illustrations by Mel Cabre
This book is a publication of
Red Lightning Books
1320 East 10th Street
Bloomington, Indiana 47405 USA
redlightningbooks.com
2020 by T. S. Mart and Mel Ayers
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences-Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992.
Manufactured in the United States of America
Cataloging information is available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN 978-1-68435-139-8 (hardback)
ISBN 978-1-68435-140-4 (ebook)
1 2 3 4 5 25 24 23 22 21 20
This book is for Mom and Roger, who walked beside me down the roughest path .
- T. S. Mart
You knew how offbeat I was from the get-go. Thank you, Antoine, for being equally offbeat with me .
- Mel Cabre
CONTENTS
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1 W HAT I S B IGFOOT?
2 W HO S W HO AMONG B IGFOOT
3 H ISTORY AND L EGENDS
4 B IGFOOT C ULTURE
5 F ACTS OR F ICTION
6 B IGFOOT AROUND THE W ORLD
Appendix: Bigfoot Culture Timeline
Notes
References
Index
PREFACE
B EFORE THE U NITED S TATES B ECAME A C OUNTRY , the legend of Bigfoot existed. The subject of thousands of stories, this creature has been viewed as a monster terrorizing the woods, a supernatural entity stealthily living among us with an otherworldly agenda, and simply an animal trying to live a life of seclusion. Theories and beliefs are vast. Research and discussion have become an occupation for some and a hobby for many others.
Alongside believers are skeptical fans who enjoy the idea of a large monster roaming forested areas. While hiking in the woods, these fans might imagine a pattern of fallen trees, visualize impressions in the soft ground, and joke about the possibilities. Around the campfire, they hear a shrill cry and think, What if We ve seen it on TV-Bigfoot showing up at the campsite of jerky-loving young adults. It s fun.
Prior to the rise of technology and mass media, story based in truth was at the heart of a good legend. Historical icons and their experiences influenced the culture of those times. It s not so different today, except information travels by commercials, movies, fictional books, video games, and so on, instead of by word of mouth. Because of this, there exists a new culture of Bigfoot fans, those who value entertainment as much as they value the monster himself.
Regardless of where you fall on the pendulum of believer to skeptical fan, if you find Bigfoot to be fascinating to any degree, this book is for you. Focusing on five different regions of America, we ll give a complete overview of Bigfoot and show how mainstream America has been influenced by various legends, the men who turned legend into reality, and the continuation of the fanciful idea of what-if. Whether you are serious, scared, or laughing, we hope you enjoy this resource for fans dedicated to America s favorite cryptid.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
T HERE ARE TIMES WHEN THE STARS ALIGN and all the pieces of a dream fall into place. As Mel and I were dreaming about writing this book as a mother-daughter team, our editor, Ashley Runyon-whom we didn t know at the time-was dreaming about publishing a cryptid resource for fans. Our agent, Cyle Young, who d never heard of a cryptid before he met any of us, strolled in between us. Thank you both for bringing us this opportunity, which has fulfilled one half of a lifelong dream. Ashley, you are the reason this book exists, and your advice and suggestions have helped make it shine. Thank you to Darja Malcolm-Clarke and the copyeditors who meticulously combed through and polished this book. You are amazing. Any and all remaining errors are our fault alone. To the design and production team-your creativity and attention to detail have soared beyond our expectations. Thank you for your excitement about this project.
Many people are far more educated on the subject of Bigfoot than we are. Many have no idea how they ve helped us, but we ve been reading, watching, and learning from your expertise. A few of these individuals are Loren Coleman, Seth Breedlove and the Small Town Monsters Crew, Lyle Blackburn, the late Mark A. Hall, and the late Ivan T. Sanderson.
Most importantly, we thank our friends and family, who tolerate our wild conversations. Thank you for your patience. You are loved and appreciated more than you know.
INTRODUCTION
G ROWING UP , M EL SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS DRAWING animals-and then turning them into monsters. One evening, when she was about eight, we were on our way to the drive-in, and a horsefly flew in the truck and bit her on the back. To divert her attention and help release the anger, I told her to draw me a picture of it. She wasted no time replicating the angry face of a horsefly, with horns and fangs. The world needed to know that horseflies were terrible monsters.
Not long after, Mel watched a documentary about Mothman. This was the first time she d heard the story, and it scared her so badly she didn t sleep well for several nights. It s not that she believed he was real, but the what-if was enough to cause her overactive imagination to dream up countless scenarios of doom.
Mel had already learned to cope with her fears by studying the object of focus. So, she thought, why not research Mothman? The discovery blew her away. She had no idea there was an entire world of unknown animals called cryptids or that scientist called cryptozoologists existed. From then on, she learned everything possible about the varying cryptids while studying the anatomy and behavioral characteristics of scientifically known animals. In her illustrations, she often combined the two to create mythical yet realistic creatures. Because of his majestic size and historical context, Bigfoot became one of her favorite subjects.
Fast-forward a few years. To heal from a traumatic, life-changing event, Mel and I took a year off work to regroup. In that year, we coauthored our first novel. The project emerged from a short story I had written for Mel s nineteenth birthday. At the time, Bigfoot occupied a permanent spot atop Mel s favorite cryptids list, so he had been given a starring role.
Outside a few pop-culture familiarities, I didn t know much about the cryptid. Writing that short story and then fleshing out the novel had been my first real encounters. As Mel and I visited popular Bigfoot sights and spoke with locals and individuals well versed on the topic, we found a mixture of people showing everything from serious Bigfoot intrigue to lighthearted skepticism. Interestingly, everyone (except those who claimed to have had a terrifying Bigfoot encounter) seemed to like the idea of a hairy hominid roaming the backwoods as long as he stayed there.
With degrees in social work and communications, I had always been fascinated with the way experiences and behaviors shaped people. As I became familiar with the Bigfoot subculture, I was intrigued by the dynamic composition-researchers, entertainers, hunters, entrepreneurs, men, women, young, and old. There seemed to be a slice of Bigfoot pie for everyone who wanted it.
After reading many books, watching videos, listening to podcasts, attending conferences, and browsing hundreds of websites, Mel and I finished our novel, but a new idea emerged through the process. While we found books that dove deep into Bigfoot lore, scientific studies, and regional encounters, there was no single book offering a comprehensive, objective look at Bigfoot while tapping into the dynamics of the subculture.
This book is a product of what Mel and I found to be most compelling in the world of Bigfoot. It s not a scientific or historical account, and it s not a compilation of personal encounters, yet it contains facets of all three fused together in a way that respects believers and skeptics but entertains and communicates the best of America s favorite cryptid. If you are a Bigfoot fan of any age, this book is your one-stop shop for all things Bigfoot. We hope you enjoy it.
T. S. Mart
THE LEGEND OF BIGFOOT
1
WHAT IS BIGFOOT?

B igfoot has captured America s attention, seeping into the cultural veins of our society. Over the years, the creature has morphed into a phenomenon because he is many things at once: a vulnerable animal, a supernatural wonder, a paranormal entity, a monster, a toy, a superhero, an intriguing creation.
He is a cultural icon.
But what is he really?
Is Bigfoot an animal, having originated in the same way as other animals, driven by an instinctual need for survival? A warm-blooded creature who perhaps migrated across the Bering Strait and then across North America? Or is Bigfoot a supernatural force, created with abilities far superior to humans ? Perhaps he exists as a paranormal entity, sent from another place by means that humans haven t fully come to understand.
Maybe the beast is a figment in our minds, a monster born out of a fear living deep within our psyches-a product of our imaginations we hold onto for various reasons.
As we explore each possibility with an open mind and a sense of wonder, our goal is not to prove or disprove Bigfoot s existence or to discredit one belief or another. Instead, we aim to enjoy the experience as we examine evidence and apply critical