Enoch: A Bigfoot Story

I really considered giving this blog another title but, in the end, I decided I could not.  This is a post about the book by Autumn Williams and my thoughts on what she and her witness “Mike” had to say but I want to state, up front, that this is not a review.  This book was written back in 2010 so some of the information in it may be outdated but I do not think that what I gleaned from the work will be effected by the age of the book.

First of all, I want to offer belated congratulations to Ms. Williams for what is a very well written first book.  She does an excellent job of blending her internal dialogue and struggle with the stories and opinions that “Mike” is sharing with her and I think that she handles the narrative like a professional journalist.  I had just completed Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air previous to reading Enoch: A Bigfoot Story and I think the two compare favorably.

That is as close to a review as I will get though.  Anyone who has been reading the blog for a while knows that I am of the opinion that Sasquatch is not a native of this particular plane of reality.  Looking back at the archives, there are so many articles with bits and pieces of my thinking on Sasquatch that I can not cite just one that outlines my feelings on the matter.  I think that, given some of the witness reports, at least some of the giant creatures that are being seen out there are more on the paranormal end of the spectrum.  “Flesh and blood” creatures do not disappear in a flash of light when shot at, for example.

Regardless of my opinion though, I read Ms. Williams and Mike’s words with great interest.   It is quite obvious to me that Mike is either the mother of all tale tellers, weaving a story so complex that I, a fiction writer of sizable novels, would need Evernote to keep track of what happened when, or he has had an ongoing set of experiences with something.

Is his interaction necessarily with a giant ape / relict hominid?  No.  I could very easily make the case that Mike has stumbled on or close to a portal to the Otherworld and he is dealing with manifested creatures from that realm.  There is no reason why a Sasquatch in entering our realm could not bat Mike into the swamp and Mike’s behavior : leaving food offerings, being, for the most part, very deferential of Enoch and others of his kind, not overstaying his welcome, developing a loving friendship with the being  and a willingness to go into a really wild place to interact with the being(s) could just as easily describe the life of a Faerie Seer as it could a Sasquatch witness.

Long story short, though, whether he was interacting with a giant ape, a relict hominid or some species from the Other Side, his experiences are valid and instructive.  Ms. Williams’ small appendix at the back of the book giving advice to people who think they might have Sasquatches on their land could be a primer for people seeking to interact with the spirits of their land but that is not really the point I wanted to make in this blog.

I have taken the spirit view of Sasquatch for some time but I have always said, too, that I am willing to be surprised.  What I found most pleasant about this book was the repeated advice from the author to would-be witnesses not to chase these creatures.  I have said on more than one occasion, and Ms. Williams supports this on almost every page of her book, that the person most likely to view a Sasquatch is going to be living like a Sasquatch.  Why do you suppose that hunters seem to see these creatures all the time?  Because witness testimony seems to indicate that the Hairy Ones are hunters.  If I am looking for deer and the Sasquatch is looking for deer then chances of our paths crossing increase exponentially.

Mike, of course, really did create the perfect storm of opportunity to see and interact with one of these creatures.  He basically plopped himself down in a swamp and stayed there for long periods of time, not running around hooting and hollering and banging on trees, but simply living.  As he and Ms. Williams both note, his temperament was such that extended separation from humans did not bother him and it shows in the way that he took himself out to camp and simply stayed.

Once he learned his lesson about technology and the Sasquatch, he also quit trying to film the creature and simply relaxed and enjoyed his company.  I agree with Ms. Williams wholeheartedly that all the tech in the world is not going to ‘prove’ that Sasquatch exists.  Nothing, short of a body is going to ‘prove’ to the scientists and other skeptics that these creatures are real and such a scenario would be a nightmare for the creatures and for the human who brought the creature in (not that I think that a human with a gun could manage it).

In Native cultures, the Hairy One may be scary monsters used to keep children in camp but they may, just as easily, be seen as guardians of the woods.  The First Nations folks see these beings as a separate people, a spiritual people, in much the same way that Europeans, a little more than a century ago, understood the Faery to be a people who lived side by side with them and sometimes interacted with them (and even interbred with them – try that without some sort of physical interface).  In Iceland, to this day, there is tremendous respect for the elves who are believed to live in stones and other natural features of the land.  There is a common theme here; it is a theme of relationship.

As I said earlier, the Celts and other European peoples, not so long ago, behaved toward the “Little People” much the same way that Mike behaved toward Enoch.  They offered food on a regular basis, spoke about them with respect (and obliquely so as not to draw too much attention), interacted with them when given the chance but always kept in mind that these were a strange and powerful people that you did not want to anger.

I have hammered at the idea of respectful interaction with spirits in these pages and I would like to take this opportunity to extend my urgings to the creature known as Sasquatch.  Folks, I do not care whether the Hairy One is a giant ape, a relict hominid, a spiritual creature or some combination of the above or none of the above, interacting with such a being would be a sheer privilege and that privilege should be treated as such and not squandered in the provision of some concept of ‘proof’.

 

 

 

Review: Wood Knocks – various authors

I have made my views on the creature known as Sasquatch plain in other articles for this blog. I have made it clear that I think that at least some of the giants people are seeing in the woods are kin to the Faery and do not belong completely to this world. In the parlance of modern paranormalists, I think Sasquatch is an inter-dimensional being that is capable of walking into our world and back out of it, pretty much at will.

That said, I greatly admire the work of the people who actually go into the woods looking for the creature and who spend their time talking to witnesses, setting camera traps and even flying drones hoping for a glimpse of the elusive ‘booger’. While I think that a lot of them just might be tilting at windmills, it is still admirable that they have the strength of their convictions and are willing to walk their talk.

The new anthology from Leprechaun Press, Wood Knocks, Volume 1: A Journal of Sasquatch Research is a collection of articles from the sorts of people who have devoted their lives to exploring the strange and especially to looking for cryptid creatures such as the Sasquatch. The anthology is an easy read, at just over 200 pages, so do not expect extensive or detailed articles, but it is packed with information that new and experienced Sasquatch aficionados will find interesting and informative.  In my view, the cover art by Sam Shearon is worth the price of the book, all by itself.

The meat of the book is quite good as well.  Whether we are talking Sasquatch amongst the First Nations people (David Weatherly) or hunting the Orang-Pendek in Sumatra (Richard Freeman) or talking about the presence of Sasquatch in Wisconsin and its surrounding areas (Linda Godfrey), the writing is, with one notable exception, crisp and there are cases in the book that I had not heard of, side by side, with some of the old standards. I enjoyed this chance to ‘touch base’ with the work of many authors that I admire and some that I did not know.  Freeman’s article on the Orang-Pendek made me think that the Sumatrans may have a genuine undiscovered species in their midst.

Having said that, there is one article in the anthology that is a confused, rambling mess and could have easily been cut from the line up with no damage to the work. As I noted above, readers will be able to discern this one quickly and will have to decide for themselves whether the tidbits of information in the article are worth the pain of reading the disjointed ramblings of someone with entirely too much research and not enough space to present it cogently.

I would have been quite happy if that article had been cut and the other writers given more space to present their research. I had the feeling, in several of the sections, that the authors had a lot more to say but were unable to do so due to the editorial pen or space limitations or both. This is a real shame since, as I mentioned, there is quite a lot of original research amongst the articles. I would have been particularly interested to see Micah Hanks spin his thoughts on abductions out further and Nick Redfern’s article on infrasound was interesting but too short.

Wood Knocks is noted as volume 1 of a journal of Sasquatch research. If this is going to be a continuing series of works then the series is off to a good start and, with some minor tweaks, I can see such a series becoming a respected reference amongst those Sasquatch researchers willing to flex their minds a bit and look at new ideas, even if they do not agree with them.

Movie Review: Minerva Monster

As most of you know, I am an inveterate podcast listener and I could not help but hear about the folks over at Small Town Monsters and the series of films they are making about classic Sasquatch encounters.   I have listened to the interviews with interest and last night (15 May) I finally had a chance to go on Vimeo and rent the first in this film series.

I am not a fan of the “let’s run around in the woods, scare ourselves silly and do ridiculous things to attract Sasquatch’s attention” genre.  I watch the show that must not be named when there is a locale that I want to see and I can tolerate 45 minutes of people trying to pass off coyote howls and owl calls as Sasquatch vocalizations.  I am not totally against this mis-named show – it does raise awareness of Sasquatch and make people think about the creature – but I would think that people who spend as much time in the woods as these folks do would have better woodcraft.  I suppose it is simply a matter of generating suspense for viewers whose idea of the great outdoors is their backyard but I find it irritating after the first episode or two.

Having said that, I can assure you that Minerva Monster does not succumb to the temptation to copy the “successful” formula.  This movie is a straight up, serious documentary with no narrator about a classic Sasquatch sighting that happened in and around the Cayton property in Minerva, Ohio area in the summer of 1978.  The entire story is told from the perspective of people who were there and who witnessed the events or their aftermath.  Even the background on the town of Minerva is handled by the mayor and a local historian so that, often, the viewer feels as though he or she is simply sitting in a room with the person on camera, hearing their story.

I enjoyed the fact that there was no attempt to sell a particular viewpoint.  The cameras recorded whatever the witnesses told them no matter how outlandish. The most blatant example of this occurred when testimony was presented that indicated that the ‘monster’ was seen in the company of two large cats!  Anyone trying to present the bipedal ape or relict hominid angle would have cut this testimony but the director, Seth Breedlove, leaves it in and let’s the audience parse out what they make of it.

Another good example of this insistence on witness voice is the fact that no one in the film comes out and says that the Minerva Monster was a Sasquatch (or Bigfoot).  Some people say that they looked into the Sasquatch phenomenon after the episodes but most of the people in the film are of the opinion that something was there, something was seen but they really have no idea what it was.  I found this willingness to not try to explain the witness sightings and the findings most refreshing.

There were a number of other aspects of the film that were well done.  The closest that the documentary comes to computer animation is a series of drawings about events that are being discussed but which could not, of course, be recorded.  I believe these may be renderings from the talented artist who did the movie posters, Sam Shearon, but I am not certain on this point.  The production values are quite good for a small production shot on a tight budget.  As you would expect, there is nothing fancy in the camera work and sound but everything is clear and the only glitches with sound come from outside sources that could not be screened.  The background footage of the areas being discussed was useful in helping me visualize what the witnesses were talking about.  I would have liked to see a little more of the Cayton’s property and how it relates to the surrounding area but, again, given the limited resources for the film, editing decisions had to be made.

I would whole-heartedly recommend this documentary to anyone interested in the Sasquatch phenomenon and an in-depth presentation of a case that created a storm of media attention.  Not only does the film cover the sighting itself, it also talks about the aftermath of the sighting. The Caytons were faced with “yahoos” with pick up trucks full of beer and guns wanting to go on their land to hunt the creature, people blocking the street where they lived hoping for a sighting and subtle but pervasive ridicule in the town.  We often forget that sighting of an unknown anything can change people’s lives and not always for the better.

As noted, the video is available for purchase or rent through Vimeo On Demand but if, like me, you are impressed with the film, then you can purchase a DVD here.

Why Do We Need A Sasquatch?

I’ve noted previously that I listen to a podcast hosted by Shannon LeGro, Ryan Sprague and Sam Shearon called Into the Fray.  The linked episode is the St. Patrick’s day edition of the podcast and features an appearance by well known podcaster Micah Hanks of The Gralien Report.  The show ranges widely over a number of topics and is well worth a listen.

I was intrigued, however, by a question that Micah Hanks brought up during the course of the discussion.  He asked, setting aside the ‘reality’ of Sasquatch and the hunt for evidence, even supposing that there was no actual physical creature that we could point to and call a Sasquatch, why is it that human beings have had some version of this creature in their folklore for literal centuries?  I think that is quite a good question and it got me to thinking.

As with all good questions, this one does not have a single answer so follow along as I jump down this rabbit hole for a moment.

I think that Mr. Shearon has a valid point.  Since the human being became more ‘civilized’ and spent less time being afraid of being eaten in the night, it seems that our species of hominid has delighted in scaring itself.  From the ancient ‘fairy’ tales and ghost stories to big budget, epic scare-fests like Jurassic World, we seem to delight in scaring the beejesus out of ourselves and those around us.  What better way to spice up a trip into the woods than inventing a creature that moves through the forest like a giant wraith and might just snatch you when you are not looking?

In relation to the idea that we like scaring ourselves, that fear can also serve a useful purpose as Sasquatch makes a terrific booger man.  In cultures where human children do not spend all their time indoors, glued to video games or cell phones, stories often arise that are designed to prevent kids from wandering too far from home or going into certain areas.  I suspect that Sasquatch, along with a host of other creatures serves this purpose in some societies.

I think that another factor that springs up, also related to fear, is the fact that the wilderness, particularly at night, can be a scary place.  Even if there are no giant bipedal apes running about, there are still plenty of sounds and movements in the bush that get our attention and make our imaginations run wild.  While our logical mind seeks an explanation for what we are sensing and for the creepy feeling of being watched that humans sometimes get, our story telling brain cannot help but invent monsters like the Sasquatch to fill the dark corners of our mind.   Again, we circle back to the fact that we love to scare ourselves.

I think, too, especially amongst modern victims of the ‘we now know almost everything there is to know’ scientific establishment, there is a need for mystery, a driving need to have something that can not be easily explained, dissected, put in a box with a custom label, archived and forgotten about.  I think that there is a strong desire, despite our apparent worship of science and technology, to thumb our noses at the establishment and what better way to do that then by believing in and developing lore about a creature that so-called science dismisses outright and with extreme prejudice?

Related to this idea, is the thought that, humans are explorers by nature.  I see no reason why the species would have spread as it has if we did not have some instinctual chip in our heads that made us constantly ask, “I wonder what is over that hill?”.   Linked to this desire to explore is a curiosity that makes us want to see what actually lives in the deep ocean and possibly even the vast reaches of space.  Why would we be excited about going to Mars or some other planet unless we truly are a curious and exploratory organism?  Unless we have been paralyzed by the instinct squelching ‘publish or perish’ atmosphere of academia, humans have displayed a talent for contriving reasons to go ‘over there’ and one of the reasons we see more and more today is the search for Sasquatch.

In short, I feel that there are numerous reasons why Sasquatch is found in human lore.  The Hairy Man represents something visceral and real to us.  In my own view, it is a representative of the very spirit of the forest and this is why, if there were no such creature and even if there were no such legend, I believe that people would have invented it.

Book Review: Alien Animals

Alien Animals
Authors: Janet & Colin Bord
Stackpole Books, 1981

I just had the pleasure of re-reading this classic book in the field of cryptozoology. Unfortunately, this is not a tome that one will find on Kindle and I actually had to order a used paper copy for some research that I am doing. Do not be confused by the title, this book is about alien animals in the sense of a creature that is strange or out of place, not one that fell out of a spacecraft (although the authors do discuss the relationship between these sightings and UFO’s).

While this book tends to be on the encyclopedic side (how many sighting reports can we fit in one chapter), I still found the text to be engaging and quite informative. I would guess that my last reading of the book was over 15 years ago and, despite the time frame and the age of many of the reports, this is still a book that is relevant to our time. In fact, I feel that this book should be required reading for all persons getting into the investigation of Fortean phenomenon of all kinds. The Bords do not take a hard and fast stance on any of the phenomenon they discuss but allow room for many different theories to surface – such a mind set would be a nice change of pace in today’s “I have my theory and everyone else is wrong” world.

One thing that I absolutely loved about the book was Appendix 1 – A Few Hints for Monster Watchers. The appendix begins with the words “What to do when you see a . . .” and then gives instructions for encounters with water monsters, alien big cats, Phantom Black Dogs, Winged Things and BHM’s (big hairy monsters – e.g. Sasquatch). The instructions not only make a lot of sense, they are geared toward keeping the observer safe. I can think of worse guidelines to follow when faced with an ‘alien animal’. Here’s an example quote from the book:

On sighting a BHM (note from Storm: Big Hairy Monster – e.g. Sasquatch), if it has not seen you, freeze and observe its behaviour, making photographs if possible. If it has seen you, act according to its behaviour. That is, if it approaches aggressively, make your escape. If it approaches timidly, appearing curious, stay where you are and try to establish a friendly relationship (if you have the nerve!) and speak calmly to it, keeping your camera out of sight (it might annoy the BHM). Do not fire guns at it or otherwise attack it, unless absolutely necessary to preserve your life. The same applies to all alien animals.

If you happen to wander across this book in a library reference section and can not check it out, the one chapter of the book that is essential reading is Chapter 6 – Animals That Aren’t: Following Where The Evidence Leads. The Bords have done a spectacular job, in this one chapter, of summing up a host of theories about ‘alien animals’, how they manifest, why they manifest in the places that they do, where they draw energy from and more. They even discuss the seemingly taboo (except to me, of course) subject of these animals being the result of magical conjuration. While I understand that the book was intended as a semi-encyclopedic treatment of some of the world’s weirdness, I think that, with all the information packed into this one chapter, this duo could easily have written another book.

As I mentioned, these two authors were not gun shy about mentioning magic in their book. The link between Aleister Crowley and the Loch Ness Monster is mentioned and the exorcism performed at Loch Ness is referenced. The Bords talk about the efforts of some of Cornwall’s witches to summon the monster known as Morgawr and their apparent success. There is even a photo of a sky clad (sans clothes) trio of witches doing an apparent ceremony. That is something that you are almost guaranteed you will not see in a modern Fortean book! In addition, the authors seem to have had some contact with Doc Shiels, a colorful character from that period who claimed to be a wizard and who also claimed success at monster conjuration both on the Cornwall coast and at Loch Ness.

The one area where I do not agree with the Bords; however, is in the insinuation in Chapter 6 that these creatures are the result of ‘black magic’ rituals. While some of the creature encounters certainly seem to be on the hostile side and could be the result of summoning a disharmonic entity, many of these creatures seem relatively harmless (lake monsters, for example, seldom seem to do anything but disappear when they notice people). As I have noted throughout this blog, some of these beings may simply be slipping through to our world as the result of poor magical practice or due to weakening of the veil from repeated magical practice in a certain area.

Other than this small quibble, though, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to both novices in the field as well as those with more experience.

Actually Finding Sasquatch

I have made no secret, in these pages, of the idea that I do not think that the Sasquatch is a creature of this world. While I realize that this will instantly make me unpopular with the folks who are tramping around in the forest looking for a relic hominid or new species of giant bipedal ape, my examination of the stories surrounding this creature has led me inexorably to the conclusion that Sasquatch is a visitor to our realm and not a permanent resident. My purpose in writing this little article though is not to debate the physical existence of this creature vs. the thought that it physically manifests from the Otherworld. My purpose is, instead, to propose some ideas toward having an experience of this creature for readers who are so inclined.

Now, please be aware that I have not done extensive field testing of these ideas but, given some of the . . . interesting methods I have seen on television shows and in documentaries, my method ought to work at least as well as spraying gorilla pheromones and leaving Reeses’s Peanut Butter Cups on a stump.

First note: leave the “team” and most of the equipment at home!! If you really want to have an experience of a being that has proven itself to be elusive in the extreme, the last thing that you need is to have a bunch of people tramping around in the brush looking for the creature. Remember, even if I am wrong and this is an actual physical animal, one is not going to get a look at it by going into the woods and moving around, talking , leaving human spoor all over the place and generally announcing one’s presence to the entire forest population. Keep the numbers down but do take at least one partner for safety’s sake.

The first tool in the Sasquatch hunter’s arsenal should be stealth. Before even attempting to look for this being, I would strongly recommend some time learning stalking, tracking and camouflage from someone with experience. And no, I am not talking about the guy down the road who goes into the woods every season looking for deer and manages to bag one because he is carrying a high powered rifle with a scope. I am talking about the individual who can sneak up on a deer and get close enough to touch it. Find someone like that and they will be able to show the Sasquatch hunter how to move in the woods with minimal noise, thus increasing the chances of encountering all sorts of wildlife, including the elusive bipedal Tall Man.

In addition to teaching stalking and stealth, such a person should also be able to give the would-be Sasquatch hunter lessons in primitive living skills, also known as wilderness survival. My theory is that, if one can walk into the forest with nothing but a knife and live there comfortably for a few months, one literally becomes a part of the forest and thus much more difficult to detect. Now, I realize that this is beyond the ability of most people but the idea here is to take a minimalist approach and to try to stay in place for a while. A weekend camping trip out of the back of a pick up truck with roaring fires and consumption of alcoholic beverages when one is not out “hunting” is not going to yield a large percentage of wildlife sightings of any kind unless the local wildlife is habituated to human presence. While there do seem to be some instances where Sasquatch have appeared around such camp sites, I have the suspicion that they are bringing their offspring to look at the humans and teach them how not to behave.

Once the basic skills of stealth, stalking and survival have been met, we come to the more controversial part of my little Sasquatch hunting program: magic. If one is practicing one’s wilderness skills in areas where Sasquatch sightings are common, then there is a chance that an encounter may occur simply because one has the skill to move well in the woods and stumbles across a Sasquatch. So, where does the magic come in?

If, as many Native Americans believe, the Sasquatch is a spirit being then one increases one’s chances of an encounter by the use of magical evocation. If you are not an experienced magician, then become one . . .

Just kidding, it is actually quite simple to develop a small ceremony of evocation that one can use prior to going into the woods on a Sasquatch quest. Check out Jason Miller’s excellent book The Sorcerer’s Secrets: Strategies in Practical Magick for a fairly accessible introduction to the practice of results oriented magic. The book rests on Miller’s notion that successful magic relies on a base of meditation, offering and invocation – in other words, practice, just as one would if one were trying to learn a martial art or master a golf swing.

Once those fairly simple basics have become habit, one could use some of the techniques learned in the book for creating one’s own Sasquatch evocation. Hint: look at the section on The Rending of Space in the Gestures section at the beginning of the book and then consider what one would like to bring through that “hole” in the Veil. Remember, please, to close that hole once the hunt is complete to avoid any untoward “critters” coming through at a later date.

As with all things mentioned here, this evocation will take some practice and tweaking before it bears much fruit but, if one is looking for an encounter with Sasquatch, I would think that one has developed some patience or one would have given up the search long ago. If the idea of doing a little evocation prior to going into the woods seems ridiculous, consider that the ritual itself, once practiced will take about five minutes. Even if Sasquatch is a physical being, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that animals are sensitive to psychic and magical currents. If Sasquatch is a physical being, it may still be attracted by the energy of the evocation. If Sasquatch is a creature of the Otherside, it will be attracted by the rite itself. This is a curious beast so one really has nothing to lose in trying to lure it out with magic.

On Talking Sasquatches

I found a perfectly delightful post from Nick Redfern on the Mysterious Universe site this morning. This tale of a telepathic Sasquatch in the Ouachita National Forest is exactly the sort of sighting/experience that convinces me that Sasquatch are not any sort of relic hominid skillfully evading humankind for all these years.

The whole post is certainly worth reading (including the colorful comments), I would draw the reader’s attention to the following:

But then something truly strange occurred: in somewhat hesitant tones, Donnie said they continued to look on in both awe and fear, when suddenly their minds were filled with a soothing female voice that uttered the words: “Do not be afraid. You will not be harmed. Do not come closer.”

While Sasquatch sightings normally fall into the “I was hiking through the woods and saw this giant creature” category, there are witnesses who report telepathic or even semi-verbal communication with these entities. If one adds these witness statements in with the subset of Sasquatch sightings that happen on and around UFO’s and then factor in the witnesses who state that they saw the creature and then it simply vanished, one becomes increasingly certain that one is dealing with a phenomenon that is not normally a part of this consensual reality.

The materialist “skeptic” will shrug his or her shoulders and dismiss the whole incident as shared delusion. The cryptozoologist will likely ignore such a report since it does not fit into his or her paradigm of searching for a new ape species. Fortean researchers will look at the report with glee and file it away as yet another incident of high strangeness. The commenters on this blog post who tried to explain the sighting attributed the incident to everything from aliens to the voice of the Goddess. I found the comments almost as interesting as the blog itself.

Part of the reason that I write this blog is to keep pointing out something that other researchers seem to be determined to miss in their rush to offer a “scientific” explanation of the unexplained. Very simply, my goal is to point out that science, while an extremely useful tool and mindset, is not the only way that humans can view their world. If one sets aside the scientific worldview for a few moments and puts on the glasses of the magic user, all of this “stuff” makes perfect sense. Society encourages us to think in either/or terms – either I view the world this way OR that way – but in actuality it is quite easy to shift perspective from one mode of thought to the other. Accepting magical thought does not mean a wholesale denial of the scientific method (in fact, magic users often keep detailed records of their experiments and use them to refine hypotheses), it simply requires a shift in perspective on suitable occasions.

What would I have told this terrified couple if I had happened to encounter them as they came out of the woods? I would have told them that their reaction was perfectly natural, that they were not insane or deluded in any way and that they were another in a long line of people to have encounters with these creatures.

You see, I am quite convinced that Sasquatch is a member of the faerie tribe, an Otherworld race that is one of the types of beings that make up what I call the Intruders. One need only look at Katharine Brigg’s encyclopedic treatments of faerie folklore to realize how many types of beings fit into this group and, while I have not run across a folkloric faerie that seems an exact match for the Sasquatch, my own experiments in etheric projection have convinced me that the Big Guy is actually a card carrying member of the faerie nation.

Here are just some of the aspects of this Ouachita sighting that scream faerie! to me:

* The sudden appearance of the beast – the couple describes it as crashing through the brush but one would think that, had it been making that much noise, they would have heard it coming long before they saw it. It is almost as if the creature stepped through a portal and into the brush near the couple.
* The extreme emotional reaction of the couple – the female literally falls to her knees and the male seems to have trouble standing as well. While I am certain that I would be shaken by the sudden appearance of an eight foot Sasquatch, the shock and awe of the witness’ reaction is something often associated with the faerie.
* The telepathic contact – folklore is full of instances of the faerie communicating with humans. The stories I have read have usually simply had the faerie speak to the human but this might be a case where the physical form that the Sasquatch chooses does not lend itself to human speech. Faerie are known for their magic so telepathic communication is definitely not beyond them
* The messages – basically, the couple are told to fear not, to not come closer and are strongly discouraged from taking pictures. Faerie are known for their privacy issues. Even if they suddenly appear from nowhere in front of an unsuspecting human, if they decide that the human is intruding, he or she is in trouble. I fear to think what might have happened if the duo had either tried to get closer or attempted to take a picture. Punishment for such an “intrusion” can range from a string of bad luck to death depending on the type of faerie. This one seems to have been a more Seelie court type since it gave fair warning.
* The voice – both subjects reported hearing a female voice though the Sasquatch was “obviously male”. As some of the commenters noted, the voice did not necessarily come from the creature before them. Like humans, faerie are known to have mates and this being’s mate may have been secreted out of sight and communicating for her mate. Alternatively, some of the faerie seem to have a hierarchical social structure. This big fellow could have been a bodyguard for his queen who was doing the talking.

When viewed through the lens of folklore and magic, then, this encounter, while terrifying, makes perfect sense. The couple did exactly what they should have done – they kept their distance, obeyed the voice in the matter of the camera and departed when they were given leave to go. Given that they had no training in otherworldly communication, they responded in a respectful way that ensured that no one came to harm.