The Aiatar, also known as an Ai, Aijatar , or Aijo is a serpent-like creature believed to live in Finland. It suckles smaller snakes and causes sickness to anyone that stares upon it. This beast is also believed to have a destructive force that could cause negative effect to those who encounter it in the arctic tundra.
The Allier River Monster is a three-headed, aquatic monster from Allier River, the river that runs through the French countryside and is the reputed home of a horrifying beast. The only known report of this creature ranged from 1933 to 1934. Although the evidence in this case is admittedly scarce, one cannot ignore the plethora of legends hailing from all over Europe concerning all manner of cryptids, like Nessie, Kraken and more lake monsters. That having been said, there is no mention of whether the beast was mammalian, reptilian or amphibious in origin. Still, as intriguing as this case is, it would seem in the final analysis that the eyewitnesses may have unwittingly described not a single three-headed beast, but a trio of – perhaps equally outrageous – creatures.
The Amphisbaena, Amphisbaenae, Amphisbaina and various other name, is a mythological, ant-eating serpent with a head at each end live in the desert. According to Greek mythology, the amphisbaena was spawned from the blood that dripped from the Gorgon Medusa's head as Perseus flew over the Libyan Desert with it in his hand. Cato's army then encountered it along with other serpents on the march. Amphisbaenae fed off of the corpses left behind. The amphisbaena has been referred to by the poets, such as Nicander, John Milton, Alexander Pope, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and A. E. Housman, and the amphisbaena as a mythological and legendary creature has been referenced by Lucan, Pliny the Elder, Isidore of Seville, and Thomas Browne, the last of whom debunked its existence. This early description of the amphisbaena depicts a venomous, dual-headed snakelike creature. However, Medieval and later drawings often show it with two or more scaled feet, particularly chicken feet, and feathered wings. Some even depict it as a horned, dragon-like creature with a serpent-headed tail and small, round ears, while others have both "necks" of equal size so that it cannot be determined which is the rear head. Many descriptions of the amphisbaena say its eyes glow like candles or lightning, but the poet Nicander seems to contradict this by describing it as "always dull of eye". He also says: "From either end protrudes a blunt chin; each is far from each other." Nicander's account seems to be referring to what is indeed called the Amphisbaenia. In ancient times, the supposedly dangerous amphisbaena had many uses in the art of folk medicine and other such remedies. It is said that expecting women wearing a live amphisbaena around their necks would have safe pregnancies; however, if one's goal is to cure ailments such as arthritis or the common cold, one should wear only its skin. By eating the meat of the amphisbaena, one could attract many lovers of the opposite sex, and slaying one during the full moon could give power to one who is pure of heart and mind. Lumberjacks suffering from cold weather on the job could nail its carcass or skin to a tree to keep warm, while in the process allowing the tree to be felled more easily.
The Arabhar, literally "arab snake" is a type of snake thought to live near the Arabian Sea. The thing that makes this creature special is its alleged ability to fly. There’s a lot of debate about how the Arabhar actually takes flight. Some reports say it flies using bat-like, leathery wings. Others think it may use some sort of flap or specialized spine that allows it to glide through the air. There are also known snakes belonging to the genus Chrysopelea that "fly" through the air by jumping from branch to branch, so it is possible this snake has adapted that ability as well. It is more likely that many reported sightings of the Arabhar are simply these flying snakes.
Arre River Monster is gigantic, eel-like beast inhabiting the waters of the Arre River in Switzerland for centuries. The Arre River is a tributary of the Rhine that runs 183 miles and is the longest river that exists entirely within the borders of Switzerland. For centuries legends of large, serpentine creatures have been associated with this body of water. The most notorious local for these sightings is the Aar Gorge. The gorge is a deep, narrow chasm that carves through a limestone ridge near the town of Meiringen. It is bordered by sheer cliffs, nearly 170-feet feet high on either side, and until a walking path was constructed in 1889, the only way to cross the gorge was by challenging the treacherous rapids. This proved even more perilous than it initially seemed as folklore — hailing from as far back as the 1500s — had it that this narrow passage was populated with a plethora of these ostensibly carnivorous, eel monsters. According to accounts handed down from generation to generation, these creatures would strike down unwary travelers who tried to cross the passage. The Arre River was considered to be an especially dangerous place during the time of the year when Lake Lucerne flooded, presumably releasing more of the beasts into the river. On a literary note; the gorge is also the home of the Reichenbach Falls, which Sir Arthur Conan Doyle selected as the setting for Sherlock Holmes’ untimely demise at the hands of the infamous Professor Moriarty. There have been no recent reports of the animals in question.
Avagrah is a huge water serpent from Bengal. It preys on many creatures and would kill them by coiling around them and squeezing them to death, much like an anaconda. It was so large that even it could take down an elephant. They were said to resemble the shape of earthworms and inhabit the estuaries and the mouths of great rivers, and, according to the descriptions of these creatures in the commentary of the Amarakosha Abhidam, the Burmese version of this creature is called a Nyan.
In European bestiaries and legends, a basilisk is a legendary reptile reputed to be king of serpents and said to have the power to cause death with a single glance. According to the Naturalis Historia of Pliny the Elder, the basilisk of Cyrene is a small snake, "being not more than twelve fingers in length," that is so venomous, it leaves a wide trail of deadly venom in its wake, and its gaze is likewise lethal; its weakness is in the odor of the weasel, which, according to Pliny, was thrown into the basilisk's hole, recognizable because all the surrounding shrubs and grass had been scorched by its presence. It is possible that the legend of the basilisk and its association with the weasel in Europe was inspired by accounts of certain species of Asiatic snakes (such as the king cobra) and their natural predator, the mongoose. Basilisks are said to to be the result of an old cocks egg hatched by a toad/serpent. It was once a great source of fear, now almost forgotten. Basilisks are said to have a snakes tail and body with a cockerel's head, legs, wings and crest the skin is either black and yellow or khaki camouflage. The Basilisk is said to be able to kill with its gaze and wither vegetation. The only animal said to be able to be immune to a Basilisks gaze is a weasel, the only way to defeat one is to set it up against a weasel or for the basilisk to hear the sound of a rooster crow. The basilisk is called "king" because it is reputed to have on its head a mitre- or crown-shaped crest. Stories of the basilisk show that it is not completely distinguished from the cockatrice. The basilisk is alleged to be hatched by a cockerel from the egg of a serpent or toad (the reverse of the cockatrice, which was hatched from a cockerel's "egg" incubated by a serpent or toad). In Medieval Europe, the description of the creature began taking on features from cockerels. One of the earliest accounts of the basilisk comes from Pliny the Elder's Natural History, written in roughly 79 AD. He describes the catoblepas, a monstrous cow-like creature of which "all who behold its eyes, fall dead upon the spot," and then goes on to say, There is the same power also in the serpent called the basilisk. It is produced in the province of Cyrene, being not more than twelve fingers in length. It has a white spot on the head, strongly resembling a sort of a diadem. When it hisses, all the other serpents fly from it: and it does not advance its body, like the others, by a succession of folds, but moves along upright and erect upon the middle. It destroys all shrubs, not only by its contact, but those even that it has breathed upon; it burns up all the grass, too, and breaks the stones, so tremendous is its noxious influence. It was formerly a general belief that if a man on horseback killed one of these animals with a spear, the poison would run up the weapon and kill, not only the rider, but the horse, as well. To this dreadful monster the effluvium of the weasel is fatal, a thing that has been tried with success, for kings have often desired to see its body when killed; so true is it that it has pleased Nature that there should be nothing without its antidote. A putto kills a basilisk, symbolic of Swedish occupiers and Protestant heresy, on the Mariensäule, Munich, erected in 1638. Isidore of Seville defined the basilisk as the king of snakes, due to its killing glare and its poisonous breath. The Venerable Bede was the first to attest to the legend of the birth of a basilisk from an egg by an old cockerel, and then other authors added the condition of Sirius being ascendant. Alexander Neckam (died 1217) was the first to say that not the glare but the "air corruption" was the killing tool of the basilisk, a theory developed one century later by Pietro d'Abano. Theophilus Presbyter gives a long recipe in his book for creating a basilisk to convert copper into "Spanish gold" (De auro hyspanico). The compound was formed by combining powdered basilisk blood, powdered human blood, red copper, and a special kind of vinegar. Albertus Magnus in the De animalibus wrote about the killing gaze of the basilisk, but he denied other legends, such as the rooster hatching the egg. He gave as source of those legends Hermes Trismegistus, who is credited also as the creator of the story about the basilisk's ashes being able to convert silver into gold: the attribution is absolutely incorrect, but it shows how the legends of the basilisk were already linked to alchemy in the 13th century. Geoffrey Chaucer featured a basilicok (as he called it) in his Canterbury Tales. According to some legends, basilisks can be killed by hearing the crow of a rooster or gazing at itself through a mirror. The latter method of killing the beast is featured in the legend of the basilisk of Warsaw, killed by a man carrying a set of mirrors. Stories gradually added to the basilisk's deadly capabilities, such as describing it as a larger beast, capable of breathing fire and killing with the sound of its voice. Some writers even claimed it could kill not only by touch, but also by touching something that is touching the victim, like a sword held in the hand. Also, some stories claim its breath is highly toxic and will cause death, usually immediately. The basilisk is also the guardian creature and traditional symbol of the Swiss city Basel. The basilisk was, however, believed to be vulnerable to cockerels; therefore travelers in the Middle Ages allegedly sometimes carried cockerels with them as protection. Leonardo da Vinci included a basilisk in his Bestiary, saying it is so utterly cruel that when it cannot kill animals by its baleful gaze, it turns upon herbs and plants, and fixing its gaze on them withers them up. In his notebooks, he describes the basilisk, in an account clearly dependent directly or indirectly on Pliny's: This is found in the province of Cyrenaica and is not more than 12 fingers long. It has on its head a white spot after the fashion of a diadem. It scares all serpents with its whistling. It resembles a snake, but does not move by wriggling but from the center forwards to the right. It is said that one of these, being killed with a spear by one who was on horse-back, and its venom flowing on the spear, not only the man but the horse also died. It spoils the wheat and not only that which it touches, but where it breathes the grass dries and the stones are split. Some have speculated that reports of cobras may have given birth to the stories of the basilisk. Cobras can maintain an upright posture, and, as with many snakes in overlapping territories, are often killed by mongooses. The king cobra or hammerhead has a crown-like symbol on its head. Several species of spitting cobras can incapacitate from a distance by spitting venom, most often into the prey's eyes, and may well have been confused by similar appearance with the hamadryad. The Egyptian cobra lives in the desert and was used as a symbol of royalty.
Cassie is an enormous sea serpent found in Casco Bay, Maine. Cassie has been reported at lengths of 60-150 feet long. It swims at astonishingly fast speeds disappearing in seconds. It is as thick as a barrel and comes in a variety of colors including dark green, mottled brown, and is commonly reported as black with huge black spots. It has been sighted in the Casco Bay near Portland and Penobscot in Maine. It's name was coined by the cryptozoologist Loren Coleman. It proving to be a plesiosaur is unlikely considering it swims at fast speeds. Plesiosaur's flippers' structure is constructed in a way it would not swim at fast speeds. Cassie's neck has always been reported sticking straight up out of the water. Scientists have thought that plesiosaurs neck could only stick out horizontally. Cassie has not been sighted in decades so either this sea serpent has gone extinct or migrated elsewhere.
Changshe is a giant snake-like creature from the ancient bestiaries of China. According to the bestiary, it was 800 feet long and has bristles between its scales. It was believed to live in the Greater Unity Mountain in ancient China. Lots of legends depict giant snake like creatures. Its name literally translates into long snake.
Chessie is a large serpent-like animal that allegedly lives in the Chesapeake Bay. Over the years there have been many sightings of a serpent-like creature without any flippers or horns on its body. Most sightings describe it as a long, snake-like creature, from 25 feet (7.6 m) to 40 feet (12 m) long. It is said to swim using its body as a sine curve moving through the water. There are no limbs or crests, like most snakes.There was a cluster of sightings in 1977 and more in the mid-1980s. According to Matt Lake in Weird Maryland, two perch fishermen, Francis Klarrman and Edward J. Ward, in 1943 spotted something in the water near Baltimore. This thing was about 75 yards away, at right angles from our boat. At first it looked like something floating on the water. It was black and the part of it that was out of the water seemed about 12 feet long. It has a head about as big as a football and shaped somewhat like a horse’s head. It turned its head around several times—almost all the way around.” A photograph of an unknown sea creature taken by Trudy Guthrie in 1980 was later identified as a manatee from Florida. Manatees are unusual this far from Florida. A manatee nicknamed “Chessie” was rescued from the Chesapeake's chilly water in October 1994 and returned to Florida, but has revisited the Chesapeake several times since then. It was photographed in the Patapsco River in 2010 (unconfirmed) and near the shore of Calvert County on July 12, 2011. The more recent photograph was confirmed by U.S. Geological Survey biologists. Unlike the reports of a serpentine creature, manatees do not swim undulating from side to side. In 1982 Robert and Karen Frew supposedly videotaped Chessie near Kent Island Their video shows a brownish object moving side to side like an aquatic snake. The last notable sighting of the beast was in 1997, off the shore of Fort Smallwood State Park, very close to shore. The legend of "Chessie" is very similar to, and was likely inspired by, that of "Nessie", the Loch Ness Monster.
Con Rit is name given to Cryptid from Vietnam, it is a Great Sea Centipede live in the south east Vietnam sea, its body is made of segments of bony plates, it moves with fish-like fins to swim, initial research of the Con Rit was conducted by Dr. A. Krempf, director of the Oceanographic and Fisheries Service of Indo China, in the 1920’s. During his research Dr. Kremph interviewed an eyewitness who reportedly touched a beached Con Rit in 1833. The first carcass found by Tran Van Con in 1833, he claimed that that creature was 60 feet long and 3 feet wide. In 1899, the HMS Narcissus was traveling near Cape Falcon, Algeria, when several of the sailors aboard sighted what they called a sea monster. They estimated it to be roughly 135 feet in length and claimed that the creature possessed an immense number of fins, which they said propelled it through the water with enough speed to keep pace with the ship. They observed the creature for nearly 30 minutes before it sank below the surface and disappeared. In 1883, several Vietnamese men found a decapitated carcass that had washed ashore at Hong Gai, Vietnam. The head was gone, but the body was formed of segmented joints that rang like sheet metal when struck. According to the account, the carcass smelled so bad that it had to be towed away into the sea. The Con Rit sea serpent. Named so because it has similarities to centipedes. Cryptozoologists have suggested a number of possibilities for what the con rit could be, if it is a real animal. Some say it is a primitive whale that is a relative of the zeuglodons, provided with bony plates. It could also be some sort of giant crustacean or other segmented sea creature, the type of giant "something" that many ordinary scientists expect could be discovered in the deep sea someday. Invertebrates are some of the most frequently discovered animals these days, and if a giant invertebrate were discovered, scientists would expect it to be an oceanic creature, since the ocean is the only place where mainstream scientists think giant undiscovered animals might still lurk. In the Video Game The Secret Saturdays: Beasts of the 5th Sun, the Con Rit appeared as a long blue Anomalocaris with red eyes. The player must play as Con Rit to fight Munya and must beat Munya in Underwater Town Level which later created the Underwater Town destroyed. Con Rit is also one of the cryptids that Zak must protect (Adaro, Orange eyes, Burning man, Azazel, Wampus cat, Con rit, and Kikiyaon) but in the Nintendo version, it appeared as a collectible cryptid for Cryptopedia.
Cressie is a mysterious, eel-like creature which is reputed to lurk in the depths of Crescent Lake, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The creature was first reported in ancient Native American legends, in which it was referred to as "Woodum Haoot" (Pond Devil) or "Haoot Tuwedyee" (Swimming Demon). It was feared by the local residents of the lakeside, but reports of it by the settlers only began in the early 20th century. In the 1950s, two men saw what they thought was an upturned boat heading upwind, but upon approaching it, it flipped itself around again and dived below the lake. In the 80's a pilot crashed and drowned in Crescent Lake, and while two scuba divers attempted to retrieve his body, they were attacked by a school of uncommonly large eels, and were forced to retreat. Other sightings have included an incident in July, 1991, when a "Cressie" was seen swimming on the lake's surface, and in the summer of 2003, when a woman named Vivian Short saw the creature swimming again, she described the creature as serpentine like animal with a head like a fish. CBC News also reported that Ada Rowsell, the town's clerk, said Short's wasn't the only reported sighting of Cressie lately. "I've had several reports of sightings. People sighting some kind of a huge monster or sea serpent or some kind of a fish."
Gensou Hyouhon Hakubutsukan is a Japanese museum exhibiting fake carcasses of different creatures. They are hoaxes, and thus are now non-cryptids.
The Hoop Snake is a fearsome critter in a story told by lumberjacks living around Wisconsin, Minnesota, and parts of Canada. It was reputedly a colorful snake that moved itself by biting the back of its tail with its jaws, transforming its entire body into a "wheel" for quicker movement. The creature is highly poisonous and leaves only a small chance for its victims to survive, the most popular way being to hide behind a tree to avoid the strike. It was first mentioned through a letter in 1784: "As other serpents crawl upon their bellies, so can this; but he has another method of moving peculiar to his own species, which he always adopts when he is in eager pursuit of his prey; he throws himself into a circle, running rapidly around, advancing like a hoop, with his tail arising and pointed forward in the circle, by which he is always in the ready position of striking. It is observed that they only make use of this method in attacking; for when they flee from their enemy they go upon their bellies, like other serpents. From the above circumstance, peculiar to themselves, they have also derived the appellation of hoop snakes." Its methods of getting its prey are similar to two other snake-like cryptids, the mythical fat snake tsuchinoko (attacks by rolling on its body sideways) from Japan, and the legendary ouroboros from Greece, suggesting a similarity.
The jaculus or iaculus, (pl. jaculi, meaning "thrown" in Latin) is a small mythical serpent or dragon. It can be shown with wings and sometimes has front legs. It is also sometimes known as the javelin snake. It was said that the jaculus hid in the trees and sprang out at its victims. The force of it launching itself at the victim led to the association with javelins. Pliny the Elder described it as follows: "The jaculus darts from the branches of trees; and it is not only to our feet that the serpent is formidable, for these fly through the air even, just as though they were hurled from an engine." Lucan also describes the attack of the jaculus in the Pharsalia. He explains that it is the wound caused by the jaculus hitting the victim that causes death. The jaculus does not kill with venom. Jaculus is also found in the Old Norse romance Yngvars saga viðfǫrla. Here it is actually said to be an extremely large dragon (dreki). In 1986, Domergue discovered a new snake: Ithycyphus perineti. The snake was very similar to the jaculus; it falls from a tree like a spear to stab animals. It has V-shaped markings that resemble a spear head. The snake is known as "fandrefiala snake".
Kingstie was a cryptozoological lake monster invented in 1934 as an echo of the 1904 Lake George Monster hoax. It was reported as "a strange creature with the head of a dragon and eyes of fire" in Lake Ontario near Kingston, Ontario, Canada. It is explained in the book Mysteries of Toronto as follows: "As a prank, they had fabricated a semblance of the creature using a barrel filled with empty bottles for buoyancy and fitting it with a dragon-like head, rope and anchor to keep it in one place, and twine attached to the rope that ran underwater to the shore of Cartwright Bay to permit them to bob its barrel body and head up and down". (As quoted by Joe Nickel, writing for the Skeptical Inquirer.)
Koseu or Kosho is one of the 63 creepy germs written in Harikikigaki, a book of medical knowledge written by an unknown resident in Osaka. Koseu is a strange snake-like animal that beholds a scruffy white beard and a hat that protects it from healing medicine. In addition, it can speak and likes to drink sake. Japan’s Kyushu National Museum holds a copy of the Harikikigaki — a 16th century medical text of unknown authorship which claimed that diseases were caused by tiny bugs that crawled into the body. The Harikikigaki advises using acupuncture and herbs to deal with the bugs. Until the late 19th century, Japanese people believed illness was spread by evil kami called yakubyogami. At first these gods were thought to take human form, but later, influenced by thinking in texts from China, some people came to think of them as little creatures as small enough to enter the body. The Harikikigaki, written in 1568, is mostly about acupuncture, however, this rare text includes 63 color depictions of the various mushi (germs) believed to cause diseases.
The Lagarfljot Worm or Iceland Worm Monster is a giant worm-like creature that lives in the Icelandic lake of Lagarfljot. It is described as being longer than a football field, 200 feet long. Sometimes, it is even reported as being as long as Lagarfljot lake itself! This worm has many humps as it swims through the murky water, often looking quite serpentine. It has also been reported coiled up or slithering up trees. It lives in the murky waters of Lagarfljot lake, Egilsstaoir, Iceland. Its first reported sighting was in 1345, and its most recent sighting was in 2012, which either means these creatures have an extremely long lifespan (700+ years), or there is a small population living in the lake. There is also a legend that it was a lindworm thrown into the lake.
The Lindworm also called Ormr or Dreki is a legless and wingless dragon from the British Heraldry, but in Norweigan Heraldry it is the same that a British wyvern. The most famous lindworm is Jörmungandr. In modern Scandinavian languages, the cognate lindworm refers to any serpent or monstrous snake, but in Norweigan heraldry, it's also a technical term for Sea Serpent, although it may also stand for lindworm in British heraldry. Generally, the word lindworm stood for the Latin word Draco (whence the Norse dreki), thus could refer to any Draconic creature, from a real life constrictor snake to a legendary dragon. In European mythology and folklore, creatures identified as a 'lindworm' may be winged or wingless, plus quadrupedal, bipedal or limbless. However late persistent tradition designates the lindworm as having no limbs, or just front claws (so that it must slither) in contrast to wyverns that have only hind-quarters (and possible claws on the end of its wings) and in contrast to dragons which have four limbs and may either be winged or wingless. Some say that the lindworm is another name for "Wyrm", a type of dragon that looks like a very large snake, consisting of no wings. This dragon exists in swamps and forests, according to the book, Dracopedia. The lindworm is also said to guard burial mounds and ancestral graves, according to The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures. Saxo Grammaticus begins his story of Ragnar Loðbrók, a semi-legendary king of Denmark and Sweden, by telling that a certain Þóra Borgarhjörtr receives a baby lindworm as a gift from her father Herrauðr, the Earl of Götaland. As the lindworm grows, it eventually takes Þóra hostage, demanding to be supplied with no less than one ox a day, until she is freed by a young man in fur-trousers named Ragnar, who thus obtains the by name of Loðbrók ("hairy britches") and becomes Þóra's husband. In many descriptions, the lindworm is wingless, with a poisonous bite, like a poisonous snake or Komodo dragon. The dragon Fáfnir from the Norse Völsunga saga appears in the German Nibelungenlied as a lindwurm that lived near Worms. Another German tale from the 13th century tells of a lindworm that lived near Klagenfurt. Flooding threatened travelers along the river, and the presence of a dragon was blamed. The story tells that a Duke offered a reward for anyone who could capture it; so some young men tied a bull to a chain, and when the lindworm swallowed the bull, it was hooked like a fish and killed. The head of a 1590 lindworm statue in Klagenfurt is modeled on the skull of a woolly rhinoceros found in a nearby quarry in 1335. It has been cited as the earliest reconstruction of an extinct animal. The shed skin of a lindworm was believed to greatly increase a person's knowledge about nature and medicine. A "dragon" with the head of a "salamander" features in the legend of the Lambton Worm, a serpent caught in the River Wear and dropped in a well, which after 3–4 years terrorized the countryside of Durham while the nobleman who caught it was at the Crusades. Upon return, he received spiked armor and instructions to kill the serpent, but thereafter to kill the next living thing he saw. His father arranged that after the lindworm was killed, a hound dog would be released and the son would kill that; but instead of releasing the dog the father ran to his son, and so incurred a malediction by the son's refusal of patricide. Bram Stoker used this legend in his short story Lair of the White Worm. The sighting of a "whiteworm" once was thought to be an exceptional sign of good luck. The knucker or the Tatzelwurm is a wingless biped, and often identified as a lindworm. In legends, lindworms are often very large and eat cattle and bodies, sometimes invading churchyards and eating the dead from cemeteries. In the 19th-century tale of "Prince Lindworm" (also "King Lindworm"), from Scandinavian folklore, a "half-man half-snake" lindworm is born, as one of twins, to a queen, who, in an effort to overcome her childless situation, has followed the advice of an old crone, who tells her to eat two onions. She did not peel the first onion, causing the first twin to be a lindworm. The second twin is perfect in every way. When he grows up and sets off to find a bride, the lindworm insists that a bride be found for him before his younger brother can marry. Because none of the chosen maidens are pleased by him, he eats each until a shepherd's daughter who spoke to the same crone is brought to marry him, wearing every dress she owns. The lindworm tells her to take off her dress, but she insists he shed a skin for each dress she removes. Eventually his human form is revealed beneath the last skin. Some versions of the story omit the lindworm's twin, and the gender of the soothsayer varies. A similar tale occurs in C.S. Lewis' novel The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The belief in the reality of a lindworm, a giant limbless serpent, persisted well into the 19th century in some parts. The Swedish folklorist Gunnar Olof Hyltén-Cavallius collected in the mid 19th century stories of legendary creatures in Sweden. He met several people in Småland, Sweden that said they had encountered giant snakes, sometimes equipped with a long mane. He gathered around 50 eyewitness reports, and in 1884 he set up a big reward for a captured specimen, dead or alive. Hyltén-Cavallius was ridiculed by Swedish scholars, and since nobody ever managed to claim the reward, it resulted in a cryptozoological defeat. Rumors about lindworms as actual animals in Småland rapidly died out.
Lizzie is a cryptid from Loch Lochy, Scotland. It is said to closely resemble the famous Loch Ness Monster. Lizzie was first sighted in 1929 by two game wardens near Spean Bridge, a full four years before the first internationally acclaimed Nessie encounter. The two game wardens believed at first that they where looking at nothing more than debris from a large fallen tree. When one of the two men took a closer look through his telescope they soon realized that they where looking at much more than a fallen tree but a large unidentified beast. The men continued to watch the creature swim for about a mile before it submerged back into the depths of the loch. In 1993, monks of Fort Augustus Abbey began to chronicle known sightings, as many reports of sightings came. In 1960, while staying in a caravan near Glen Fintaig, Eric Robinson, his family, and nine other witnesses, spotted what looked to be a standing wave in the center of the loch. Much to every one's amazement, Mr. Robinson claimed that the wave was actually a moving creature. Viewing the animal through his binoculars Robinson estimated that the animal was between 30 and 40-feet in length, with a dark spine and a paler underbelly. Robinson and the other witnesses claimed the creature began to roll in the water exposing a huge flipper before disappearing into the loch. In 1975, Mrs. Margaret Sargent of Fort William was passing the loch with her husband and family near the Corriegour Hotel when they saw an unusual wake on the flat calm loch. A long black shape could be seen moving through the water. As she took a photo, the object disappeared below the water and the subsequent picture showed only the wake. In 1996 while fishing for pike in the loch, Alastair Stevenson encountered a creature approximately 18-feet in length and roughly the shape of an overturned rowboat. The creature reportedly took Stevenson’s bait and began to pull the vessel. Stevenson was quoted as saying, "I knew immediately it wasn't a pike with that ferocity. I had to stop the line but when I did the power started dragging the boat behind it. All the time I'm thinking it was like a scene from Jaws. Fortunately my line and rod snapped and that was the end of that. I have no idea what it was, but it was a lot bigger than a pike." Cryptozoologist Cameron Turner, had a massive contact with an object near Spean Bridge, where their first reported sighting took place. The contact was estimated as being between 18 and 20-feet in length, and was moving at a depth of 160-feet below the surface. Approximately two minutes later, after the boat sharply turned starboard in order to pursue the contact, a second contact was made, this time at a depth of 200 feet. As the boat approached the center of the Loch, above an abysmal trench which is reportedly over 300-feet deep, the objects disappeared. Cameron returned to the Loch in September 1977, he hired a boat from the family of Alastair Stevenson, the same man who had the 1996 encounter with the creature. Nearest the north end of the loch, close to Letterfinlay, the same place they had made contact with an unknown object during the previous expedition, the team had another strong contact, this time approximately 270 feet down in the loch. During the 3 minutes the team managed to follow the contact they were able to get clear pictures of the sonar screen and shortly after returned to the same area and found nothing. The only other strange readings they obtained during this trip was sonar hits of over 2000 feet deep, which appeared to be holes in the bottom of the Loch, something never reported before, and later confirmed by the manager of the boat rental firm who had also gotten strange readings in the past, showing deep holes in the bottom of the Loch. If this is true it makes Loch Lochy by far the deepest inland lake in Europe.
Lotan is vicious, gargantuan seven headed serpent date back to well over 1,000 years BC. Known collectively to the Semitic Canaanites, the Sumerians, the Mesopotamians and the rest of the ancient Syro-Palestinian world as the “The coiling serpent,” “the fleeing serpent” or “the powerful with the seven heads,” the Lotan is considered by many researchers to be a precursor to the most famous of all sea serpents: Leviathan. That having been said, there are some scholars who believe that the reference made to the Lotan’s “seven heads” may also be associated with the Greek myth of the Hydra. It has been also suggested, that tales of this animal might well stem from early eyewitness accounts from ancient mariners who had had the misfortune of encountering the notorious Giant Squid while traveling the Mediterranean trade routes. According to legend, the Canaanite God Baal slew this colossal seven-headed serpent in a battle of epic proportions. Most modern scholars agree that after the Israelites conquered the region known as Palestine in approximately 1000 BC., they incorporated the legend of the Lotan into their own culture, dubbing the beast Leviathan.
The Lou Carcolh is a mythical beast from French folklore. It was described as being both a serpent and a mollusk at the same time, taking characteristics from both. Its massive and long body carried an enormous shell upon its back, much like a snail's shell, that was believed to live in underground caverns in southwest France. Its gaping mouth was surrounded by several long, hairy, and slime covered tentacles that could extend for miles. These appendages stretched out from the cave it inhabited for a long distance and laid upon the ground among its own viscous slime. They would ensnare and drag back to its anybody anything within reach. It would then swallow the victim whole with its gigantic mouth. The Carcolh is a nickname given to the city of Hastingues, in the French department of Landes, due to its situation on a rounded-shape hill. There is also a phrase in Hastingues “The Carcolh will catch you!” meaning the men will catch the women.
Manipogo is the name given to the lake monster reported to live in Lake Manitoba, Manitoba, Canada. Sightings of this serpent-like lake monster have been going on since roughly 1908. The creature was dubbed Manipogo in 1957, the name echoing British Columbia's Ogopogo. The monster is thought to be anywhere from 12 feet to 50 feet long in length. It is described as being "A long muddy-brown body with humps that show above the water, and a sheep-like head." (Storm, 38) A group of seventeen witnesses, all reportedly strangers to one another, claimed to have spotted three Manipogos swimming together. (Storm, 40) 1948: Reported that some sort of creature rose six feet out of the lake and gave a "prehistoric type of dinosaur cry." 1957: Visitors saw a "giant serpent like creature in the lake." 1962: Two fishermen, Richard Vincent and John Konefell, saw a large creature like a serpent or giant snake 70 yards away from their boat. (Storm, 38)
The Mongolian Death Worm's native name, Olgoi-Khorkhoi, means "intestine worm", due to its red blood-like color, and size, which is the size of an intestine. It has been described by many to be from five to two feet long, have the ability to spit out a corrosive yellow saliva and to generate blasts of electricity. However this latter power is thought of as being folkloric by the nomads of the Gobi. Western culture has come to call this monster the "Mongolian Death Worm." Mongolian nomads believe the giant worm covers its prey with an acidic substance that turns everything a corroded yellow color. Legend says that as the creature begins to attack it raises half its body out of the sand and starts to inflate until it explodes, releasing the lethal poison all over the unfortunate victim. The poison is so venomous that the prey dies instantly. Livestock and humans are supposed to be its main prey. Because Mongolia had been under Soviet control until 1990, very little was known about the Death Worm in the West. In recent years, investigators have been able to look for evidence of the creature’s existence. Ivan Mackerle, one of the leading Loch Ness Monster detectives, studied the region and interviewed many Mongolian people about the worm. Due to the sheer volume of sightings and strange deaths, he came to the conclusion that the Death Worm was more than just legend. Nobody is entirely sure what the worm actually is. Experts are certain it is not a real worm because the Gobi Desert is too hot an area for annelids to survive. Some have suggested it might be a skunk, but they have little legs and scaly skin whereas witness accounts specify the worm is limb-less and smooth bodied. The most probable explanation is that the deathworm is a new species of amphisbaenia or worm-lizard, a group of burrowing reptiles. Although the native Mongolian people are convinced of the Death Worm’s nature, it will take more years of research to satisfy the rest of the world’s scientific community. In 2005 an expedition from the Centre for Fortean Zoology crossed a thousand miles of the Gobi on the track of the deathworm. They concluded it was probably a large, unknown type of worm lizard and that the powers attributed to it were apocryphal. The main antagonists in the film 'Tremors' were based upon this Cryptid. The creature was also shown on Beast Hunter, Lost Tapes And Freak Encounters.
In 2002 a school of large serpentine creatures terrorized scores of Philippine fishermen and their families, and Tilapia nearly pushed their once quiet village to the brink of starvation. One of the more interesting aquatic phenomenons to hit the world stage hails from the Zambales region of the Philippine island of Luzon, where as many as five large creatures have been reported swimming in the Tikis River, near the former mining village of Buhawen. Dubbed by the local Aeta tribesmen as “Pinatubo Monsters,” these animals have sent ripples of terror throughout the fishing villages located in Tikis river basin. Described as huge, black, serpentine creatures — much like Florida’s Muck Monster — the Aetas claim that these animals are unlike any eel, fish or snake that they are familiar with. The first accounts of these animals date back to November 5, 2002, when an Aleta boy apparently mistook one of the animals for a floating log, only to become consumed with terror when the beast moved. The second major encounter occurred on January 12, 2003, when a cadre of eyewitnesses claimed to have seen a seven-foot long, three-foot wide, black animal undulating silently down the river. Although there are no accounts of malicious river monsters in any Aeta lore — unlike the voracious, brain sucking Mamlambo or prehistoric Mahamba, which are said to inhabit African rivers – the tribal leaders have taken drastic actions in order to avoid any civilian casualties. In the small village of Labuan, children are no longer allowed to bathe or play in the river and men and women have ceased fishing altogether, forcing the members of their community to subsist on a diet whose sole source of protein consists of captured frogs. In an article written in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on January 14, of the same year, village councilmen Joel Serrano and Alfredo Banos, implored the Philippine government to send assistance in the form of “biasang tau” (scientists) in order to help illuminate this mystery. The call of the councilmen was answered by the Bureau of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources (BFAR) regional director, Remedios Ongtangco. Ongtangco chose 43 year-old Nelson Bien — who had already rescued the residents of Luzon’s Nueva Ecija province from an extraordinary 12-foot long eel — for the job. Bien, who served as the chief of the fisheries resources management division of the BFAR in Central Luzon, arrived in Labuan less than a week later. Upon his arrival, the community’s tribal leaders immediately escorted the scientist to the Tikis River. After a cursory glance through a pair of binoculars, through which, according to most reports, he saw nothing, Bien wasted no time in concluding that — based solely upon the Aetas’ accounts — the phenomenon in question was most likely not a group of large Aquatic Enigmas, as had been described, but a school of the relatively common fish known as tilapia, who had probably congregated in groups of 500 or more. The accounts all seem to end on this note, giving skeptics yet another excuse to practice their patented condescending smirk, but only a blithering fool would assume that an entire community — who have for generations lived on the banks of the Tikis and whose primary sources of nourishment came from the River — would confuse a school of relatively small (not to mention well known) pan fish for a quintet of 7-foot long, 3-feet wide, inky black, serpentine creatures. Some researchers have suggested that the creatures may be a mutation spawned by the massive mercury levels said to be in the river. Whatever the origin of these beasts actually turns out to be, the fact remains that the Aeta villagers continue to fear the serpentine monsters of the Tikis River.
Muckie is the name given to the reported mysterious creature said to inhabit the Lakes of Killarney in Ireland. Unlike other stories of lake creatures, Muckie has no folklore origin, and has only recently entered local legend. In 2003, scientists conducted a series of sonar scans to determine local fish populations. However, a large solid object in the water was recorded, which has led to the theory that the lake is inhabited by some form of lake monster, similar to the famed "Nessie" of Loch Ness. It has been suggested that witnesses might have seen seals, which when traveling in pairs will dive and rise opposite to each other, giving the impression of being a single larger animal. The name Muckie comes from a portmanteau of Muckross (one of the three Killarney lakes) and the ie suffix to mimic the Loch Ness Nessie. Tourism interests have tried to encourage the legend without any success. In October 2004, a Japanese TV crew spent a week in the region, looking for Muckie.
The Namibian flying snake is an odd gargantuan serpent that is possibly derived from African legends of dragons. It is described as being yellow, brown with light spots, or black. It is reported as being 9-25 feet long and can supposedly camouflage into it's surroundings. It has many other strange features such as a bio luminescent crest, horns, a neck that can inflate and deflate easily possibly by gulping down air, and leathery bat-like wings that it doesn't glide with but is capable of sustained flight. It has a wingspan of 30 feet. It is said to make a loud and frightening roaring sound. It is also said to smell like tar, and to get into the air, it hurls itself down hills. It is apparently covered in scales. It is found in the Karas Region of Namibia. This serpent was said to have been seen in 1942 by Michael Esterhuise. He was tending to his flock of sheep on a farm 60 kilometers west of the town of Keetmanshoop, when he saw a massive snake hurl itself down a hill. He said he encountered it 2 other times. The legend of this strange creature possibly derived from the legends of African dragons or the Kongamato. It could also be an exaggeration of a new species of flying snake.
Old Greeny is cryptid from Cayuga Lake, This river is the longest of western New York’s glacial Finger Lakes and the second largest in surface area. This lake is located roughly 350 feet above sea level and has a maximum depth of 435 feet. Legends of a large serpent like creature dwelling in this glacial lake can be traced back to the 1800’s and according to a January 5, 1897 Ithaca Journal article. The Ithaca Journal reported that their staff has been living in daily anticipation of Old Greeny’s appearance, and have actually rejected assignments which would take them near the water’s edge for fear of the beast. A story within that edition of The Journal retold the tale of an Ithacan who was driving along the lake’s eastern shore with a friend when he saw what he knew must be the large, long sea serpent, although a tramp, who had also seen the creature, later told a Journal reporter that he believed it to be a sea serpent inhabiting Cayuga Lake, or, as the paper dubbed the beast, Old Greeny. For several years isolated reports of this single monstrous creature continued to be reported through the area, it wasn't until 1929, that The Journal reported the existence of two mysterious so called sea monsters now living in Cayuga Lake. These creatures were described as being about 12 to 15 feet in length and the paper suggested that the beasts where actually members of the Seneca Lake sea serpent family that may have found their way into the local waters through a subterranean channel which they believed to exist between the two lakes. Recent scientific study however has disproved the existence of such an underground connection. In 1974, a teenager by the name of Steven Griffin was allegedly attacked by Old Greeny while swimming in the waters of Cayuga Lake. He described his assailant as having an over all eel like appearance but its jaws were so powerful and snapped down with such tremendous force that the impact broke the boys arm. One of the last known documented encounters with Old Greeny occurred in 1979 while Jack Marshall, owner of J.T. Marshall Professional Diving Service, was boating with some friends on Cayuga Lake. While cruising the lake Marshall saw what he believed at the time to be a large fallen tree directly in the path of his boat. He shouted back to the driver of the boat to cut the engines and stop before the boat collided with it. As the vessel slowly drifted to a stop a few feet from the log the group realized that it wasn't a log at all, but a 30 to 35 foot long living creature which slowly slipped below the surface before their eyes. One theory as to the identity of Old Green is that it is nothing more than the misidentification of lake sturgeon, though not common in these waters the prehistoric looking fish has been reportedly caught in Cayuga Lake before. Another theory suggests that a rare species of giant fresh water eels may dwell in Cayuga Lake. Then there are those who have seen the beast who, although not sure exactly what the beast may be, are sure that it is not a fish or an eel, but something a little more terrifying.
The Peuchen (also known as Piuchen, Pihuchen, Pihuychen, Pihuichen, Piguchen or Piwuchen) is a creature from the Mapuche mythology and Chilote mythology pertaining to southern Chile, a much feared shapeshifting creature which could instantly change into animal form. It has often been described as gigantic flying snake which produced strange whistling sounds, while its gaze could paralyze an intended victim and permit it to suck its blood. It has often been reported as the cause of sucking the blood from sheep. The creature can be eliminated by a machi (Mapuche Medicine Woman). In Chile, this word "Peuchen" also designates to the Common Vampire Bat (Desmodus rotundus); so some cryptozoologists believe that "Common Vampire Bat" is the origin of the legend, however other cryptozoologists believe that the "Peuchen" could be related with the Chupacabra or be the same Cryptid.
Sharlie (Slimy Slim, The Twilight Dragon of Payette Lake) is the name given to a reptile-like sea serpent much like the Loch Ness Monster that is believed by some to live in the deep alpine waters of Payette Lake near McCall, Idaho. The first reference to the sea serpent may be the belief of Native Americans, predating western settlement of the area, that an evil spirit dwelled in the lake. The first documented sighting by western settlers occurred in 1920 when workers cutting ties at the upper end of the lake thought they saw a log in the lake. The “log” began to move. In August 1944 the serpent was reportedly seen by several groups of people who described it as 30 to 35 feet in length, with a dinosaur-type head and pronounced jaws, humps like a camel, and a shell-like skin. In September 1946 the serpent was reportedly sighted by a group of twenty people. Dr. G.A. Taylor of Nampa, Idaho explained that “it appeared to be between 30 and 40 feet long and seemed to keep diving into the water. It left a wake about like a small motor boat would make. In 1954 A. Boone McCallum, Editor of The Star News held a contest to name the serpent of Payette Lake. The winning name, “Sharlie”, was submitted by Le Isle Hennefer Tury of Springfield, Virginia. In her letter to Mr. McCallum she said, “Why don’t you call the thing Sharlie? You know – ‘Vas you der, Sharlie?” This was a reference to the popular catch phrase often spoken by Jack Pearl during his old time radio show. Sharlie was reportedly sighted dozens of times between 1956 and the last documented sighting in 2002.
Sisiutl is a mythological creature from various tribes in the Pacific Northwest coast. It is described as a serpentine creature with horns, a massive and sharp dorsal fin, front flippers, sharp teeth, a long tail, and large eyes. It has been sighted in the Queen Charlotte Strait and Strait of Georgia in British Columbia. Its diet has not yet been classified, but many believe it is carnivorous.
Srayuda is a mythological creature from Jepara, Central Java. Srayuda was believed to be real by Jepara people only through folklore, but many of them have also seen some sightings of the creature. It was described to have a long snake-like body, with the face of a human, with the face sometime colored red, green, or black. According to local people Srayuda is often sighted in a river. According to myth, Srayuda has sometimes been an omen of a river flood.
The Stronsay Beast was a large carcass that washed ashore on the island of Stronsay (at the time spelled Stronsa), in the Orkney Islands, Scotland after a storm on 25 September 1808. The carcass measured 55 feet in length, but as part of the tail was apparently missing, the animal was longer than that. The Description of it is as follows: "Its flesh was described as being like 'coarse, ill-colored beef, entirely covered with fat and tallow and without the least resemblance or affinity to fish'. The skin, which was grey colored and had an elastic texture was said to be about two inches thick in parts." The Natural History Society (Wernerian Society) of Edinburgh could not identify the carcass and decided it was a new species, probably a sea serpent. Later the anatomist Sir Everard Home in London dismissed the measurement, declaring it must have been around 36 feet, and deemed it to be a decayed basking shark (basking sharks can take on a 'pseudo plesiosaur" appearance during decomposition). In 1849 the Scottish professor John Goodsir in Edinburgh came to the same conclusion. The largest reliably recorded basking shark was 40 feet in length, so at 55 feet in length, the Beast of Stronsay still constitutes something of a cryptozoological enigma. The Stronsay beast was 55 feet long, as measured by three witnesses (one was a carpenter and the other two were farmers). It was 4 feet wide and had a circumference of approximately 10 feet. It had three pairs of 'paws' or 'wings'. It had skin that was smooth when stroked head to tail and rough when stroked tail to head. Its fins were edged with bristles and it had a 'mane' of bristles all down its back. The bristles glowed in the dark when wet. Its stomach contents were red. Yvonne Simpson, a geneticist from Orkney, has researched the evidence and suggests that the Stronsay Beast may indeed have been an unusually large basking shark, or possibly an unknown species of shark closely related to the basking shark. The drawings of the Stronsay Beast's decayed carcass are similar in shape and size to the popular image of the Loch Ness Monster. The third pair of appendages could be a male shark's claspers, but male sharks are generally smaller than the female of the same species. There is also the possibility that the creature may have been an oarfish which has shown similar disparities.
Tatzelwurm also called Alps Dragon is a cryptid reported in several areas in Europe, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, and many other places in the European Alps for hundred of years. It has several regional names including Stollenwurm, Springwurm, Arassas, Praatzelwurm and Bergstutzen. Reports of this creature vary in description, some sighting claim the Tatzelwurm to be lizard-like while others more bizarrely claim the features of a cat. The common description of this creature is lizard/snake-like creature with stubby appearance, two front legs without hind legs, and completely covered with scales, in some cases featured cat face and poisonous fume. The earliest documented encounter with a Tatzelwurm took place in 1779 when two of these creatures appeared in front of a man named Hans Fuchs. Badly frightened by his encounter Hans suffered a fatal heart attack, however before he died was able to tell his family of his encounter, he described the creature as 5 – 7 feet in length with a snake-like body, clawed front legs and a large feline-like head with sharp teeth. In 1828, a peasant supposedly found the corpse of a Tatzelwurm which by the time he had managed to bring it home crows had apparently eaten half of the creature. Even so, the Tatzelwurm built up quite a following of believers and was even considered fact in the nineteenth century. It’s now believed that even if this creature did actually exist that because sightings are so rare now it may be completely extinct. Two other illustrations of the Tatzelwurm are known to exist; the first of which appeared in a Bavarian hunting manual called New Pocket Guild of the Year 1836 for Nature, Forest and Hunting Enthusiasts. This manual contains what Bernard Heuvelmans describes as a curious picture of a sort of scaly cigar, with formidable teeth and wretched little stumps of feet. The second of these illustrations appeared in the Swiss almanac Alpenrosen published in 1841, and took the form of a drawling which shows a long scaly creature with two tiny front legs. In late 1954, a Swiss photographer by the name of Balkin claimed to have photographed a Tatzelwurm. The level of interest produced by the photograph’s publication led the Berliner Illustrierte, a weekly illustrated magazine in Germany, to sponsor an expedition in search of the Tatzelwurm, however the results of this winter expedition were disappointing and interest in the creature all but disappeared. Today the majority of cryptozoologists view the photograph taken by Balkin as almost certainly a hoax. Another piece of evidence now considered to be a hoax was the discovery of a Tatzelwurm skeleton, said to have been mysteriously donated to the Geneva Institute of Science sometime in the 1900’s. The skeleton, only known by a single photograph, appears to be that of a long snake like creature with two clawed arms and a larger than normal head. It is not certain who donated the skeleton or if it was ever donated to anyone at all. The majority of researchers believe the photograph, and the story behind it, to be a hoax. There are many other tales of the legend of the Tatzelwurm. The first tale is that of a young girl who was working on a Swiss farm. While chopping down bean poles she accidentally disturbed the burrow of a Tatzelwurm and was attacked. The Tatzelwurm in this account was described as being of a gray coloration and about the size of a common domesticated cat with a fleshy hairless body and possessing only two front legs. According to the story the Tatzelwurm glared at the girl and she ran away describing big bright eyes to intense to meet.Another story tells that of a man and his son out gathering herbs in the mountains when the man suddenly heard his son scream and seemed to be paralyzed in fear staring at a rock. The man sprinted to his son only to see a ‘gruesome monster’ under the rock near his son which hissed like a snake and had the face of a cat with big bright eyes. The man managed to stab the Tatzelwurm with a sharped stick easily fleshing the flesh. According to the story the ‘green blood’ of the creature sprayed out and burnt the mans leg making his journey home long and painful due to his limp. In July 1883 or 1884, Kaspar Arnold saw a Tatzelwurm on the Spielberg, near Hochfilzen, Tirol, Austria. He watched it from a mountain restaurant for twenty minutes and was certain it only had two legs A two-legged Tatzelwurm leaped 9 feet in the air toward two witnesses near Rauris, Salzburg, Austria, in the summer of 1921. It was gray, about 2–3 feet long, and had a head like a cat. In 1924 the five-foot-long skeleton allegedly was found by two men, who said it resembled a lizard’s. In 1934, a Swiss photographer named Balkin claimed to have photographed a Tatzelwurm near Meiringen, Switzerland, but his photo was probably a faked image of a ceramic fish.In the summer of 1969, a local man reported a 30-inch-long animal with two hind legs near Lengstein, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy. It seemed to be inflating its neck. In 1990, two naturalists found the skeleton of a lizard like animal in the Alps near Domodossola, Italy. Giuseppe Costale saw a gray, crested reptile moving in a zigzag fashion on Pizzo Cronia in the same area on two occasions, in October 1991 and September 1992. In the 1960′s a photograph emerged which was supposedly taken of the mysterious creature. This was given to a Geneva newspaper from a source unknown. Most researchers and cryptozoologists who have seen the photo are in agreement that it is probably a hoax – most likely by a mayor of a Bavarian town attempting to attract tourists. In 1970, reports of an alleged Tatzelwurm were published in the Swiss newspaper La Tribune de Geneve by Georges Hardy. In 2000 a strange skeleton was forwarded to a local college. Some scientists said at the time is the first physical proof of the Alpine Tatzelwurm. Along with the skeleton came a sizable donation as well. The original owner of the skeleton remains a mystery. The law firm of Gunterhaus Ltd. in Germany handled the donation and refuses to divulge the name of the contributor or why the Geneva Institute was selected to be the recipient. 2009, many reports were made in the Tresivio area of Italy, near the Swiss border. Authorities chalked up most of these reports to "missing monitor lizards" that had escaped their masters. Some of the sightings were even said to be of "raptor" dinosaurs! Only the oldest residents of Tresivio called the mysterious creatures by the name they always knew them as..."basilisco" or basilisk. That was the Italian name for Tatzelwurm. But Tatzelwurm sightings have continued to the present day, and German cryptozoological researcher Ulrich Magin has published several articles in Fortean Times and his own magazine Bilk documenting them. The question still remains what is or was the Tatzelwurm, it is widely believed that the Tatzelwurm is actually some kind of rare salamander with characteristics resembling a Gila Monster, most notably the preferred habitat of underground burrows in mountainous areas. This could also explain the reports of poisonous fumes as the Gila Monster is extremely venomous and one of the world’s only venomous lizards, though it is not native to the region. The description of the Tatzelwurm even fits that of a Gila Monster even if it is somewhat of a loose fit. Another theory is that this creature could be some kind of giant skunk, although skunks are also not native to the Alps. The Tatzelwurm is said to have normal hibernation periods; sleeping during the winter in crevices on mountainsides (this is the reason for the name “Stollenwurm”) or they will even sometimes sleep in hay in a hay loft. In the following two centuries, many reports were received about a strange monster lurking in the Alps and attacking the livestock of farmers in remote villages.
Wadjet (Wadjyt, Wadjit, Uto, Uatchet, Edjo, Buto) was one of the oldest Egyptian goddesses. Her worship was already established by the Predynastic Period, but did change somewhat as time progressed. She began as the local goddess of Per-Wadjet (Buto) but soon became a patron goddess of Lower Egypt. By the end of the Predynastic Period she was considered to be the personification of Lower Egypt rather than a distinct goddess and almost always appeared with her sister Nekhbet (who represented Upper Egypt). The two combined represented the country as a whole and were represented in the pharaoh´s "nebty" name (also known as "the two ladies") which indicated that the king ruled over both parts of Egypt. The earliest recovered example of the nebty name is from the reign of Anedjib of the First Dynasty. In the Pyramid Texts it is suggested that she created thrived in the first papyrus plant and papyrus swamp. Her link to the papyrus is strengthened by the fact that her name was written using the glyph of a papyrus plant and the same plant was the heraldic plant of Lower Egypt. According to another myth Wadjet was the daughter of Atum (or later Ra) who was sent her as his "eye" to find Tefnut and Shu when they were lost in the waters of Nun. He was so happy when they returned that he cried and created the first human beings from his tears. To reward his daughter, he placed her upon his head in the form of a cobra so that she would always be close to him and could act as his protector. She was one of the goddesses given the title "Eye of Ra" (connecting her to Bast, Hathor, Sekhment and Tefnut amongst others). In fact the symbol of the "Eye of Ra" was often called "the Wedjat". In this form she was sent out to avenge her father and almost caused the destruction of mankind. Humanity was saved when she was tricked with some beer which had been dyed red with pomegranate juice to resemble blood. There is also a suggestion that she was very closely linked to the principle of Ma´at (justice or balance). Before being crowned as king, Geb attacked and raped his mother Tefnut. When he went to take his place as pharaoh and put the Royal Ureas on his own forehead, the snake reared up and attacked the god and his followers. All of Geb´s retinue died and the god himself was badly injured. Clearly, his actions were against Ma´at and Wadjet was not prepared to allow him to go unpunished. Wadjet is often described as an aggressive deity while while her sister Nekhbet was thought of as a more matronly protector. However, she also had her gentler side. Wadjet was believed to have helped Isis nurse the young Horus and to help mother and baby hide from Set in the marshes of the delta. She was also considered to offer protection to all women during childbirth. She (and her sister) also protected the adult Horus from the followers of Set. Horus pursued them in the form of a winged sun disc and Nekhbet and Wadjet flanked him in the form of crowned snakes. This protection was also extended towards the pharaoh who wore the "Royal Ureas" (serpent) on his (or her) forehead. From the Eighteenth Dynasty the queens also added one or two snakes to their headdresses representing Wadjet and her sister. Wadjet was associated with the fifth hour of the fifth day of the month and with "iput-hmt" (Epipi), the harvest month of the Egyptian calendar. Festivals were held in her honor on the 10th day of "rh-wr" (Mekhir) which was also called "the day of going forth of the Goddess", the 7th day of "khnty-khty" (Payni) and the 8th day of "Wpt-rnpt" (Mesori). These latter two dates coincide roughly with the winter and spring solstices. She was worshiped at the Temple of Wadjet, known as "Pe-Dep". This temple was already long established by the Old Kingdom and is referred to in the Pyramid Texts. In this temple, Wadjet was linked with Horus. Wadjet was thought to be the wife of Hapi in Lower Egypt and was linked to Set in his role as a representative of Lower Egypt. She was sometimes described as the wife of Ptah and the mother of Nefertiti, probably because she occasionally took the form of a lion like Sekhmet. Her sacred animal was the cobra, and she was often depicted as either a rearing cobra, a winged cobra, or a woman with the head of a cobra.She was also depicted as a woman wearing the red crown of Lower Egypt. She often appears with her sister Nekhbet who was in as a snake or woman. By the Late Period she was also associated with the ichneumon (a mongoose-like creature). This animal was known for its skill in killing snakes and was also sacred to Horus.The Egyptians placed mummified ichneumon and shrew (small mice) inside statuettes of Wadjet which were interred with the dead. The two animals represented day (ichneumon) and night (shrew). She was also worshiped as a vulture Goddess. In her form of the "eye of Ra" she was depicted as a lion-headed woman wearing a solar disc and the Uraeus (cobra).
The Allier River Monster is a three-headed, aquatic monster from Allier River, the river that runs through the French countryside and is the reputed home of a horrifying beast. The only known report of this creature ranged from 1933 to 1934. Although the evidence in this case is admittedly scarce, one cannot ignore the plethora of legends hailing from all over Europe concerning all manner of cryptids, like Nessie, Kraken and more lake monsters. That having been said, there is no mention of whether the beast was mammalian, reptilian or amphibious in origin. Still, as intriguing as this case is, it would seem in the final analysis that the eyewitnesses may have unwittingly described not a single three-headed beast, but a trio of – perhaps equally outrageous – creatures.
The Amphisbaena, Amphisbaenae, Amphisbaina and various other name, is a mythological, ant-eating serpent with a head at each end live in the desert. According to Greek mythology, the amphisbaena was spawned from the blood that dripped from the Gorgon Medusa's head as Perseus flew over the Libyan Desert with it in his hand. Cato's army then encountered it along with other serpents on the march. Amphisbaenae fed off of the corpses left behind. The amphisbaena has been referred to by the poets, such as Nicander, John Milton, Alexander Pope, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and A. E. Housman, and the amphisbaena as a mythological and legendary creature has been referenced by Lucan, Pliny the Elder, Isidore of Seville, and Thomas Browne, the last of whom debunked its existence. This early description of the amphisbaena depicts a venomous, dual-headed snakelike creature. However, Medieval and later drawings often show it with two or more scaled feet, particularly chicken feet, and feathered wings. Some even depict it as a horned, dragon-like creature with a serpent-headed tail and small, round ears, while others have both "necks" of equal size so that it cannot be determined which is the rear head. Many descriptions of the amphisbaena say its eyes glow like candles or lightning, but the poet Nicander seems to contradict this by describing it as "always dull of eye". He also says: "From either end protrudes a blunt chin; each is far from each other." Nicander's account seems to be referring to what is indeed called the Amphisbaenia. In ancient times, the supposedly dangerous amphisbaena had many uses in the art of folk medicine and other such remedies. It is said that expecting women wearing a live amphisbaena around their necks would have safe pregnancies; however, if one's goal is to cure ailments such as arthritis or the common cold, one should wear only its skin. By eating the meat of the amphisbaena, one could attract many lovers of the opposite sex, and slaying one during the full moon could give power to one who is pure of heart and mind. Lumberjacks suffering from cold weather on the job could nail its carcass or skin to a tree to keep warm, while in the process allowing the tree to be felled more easily.
The Arabhar, literally "arab snake" is a type of snake thought to live near the Arabian Sea. The thing that makes this creature special is its alleged ability to fly. There’s a lot of debate about how the Arabhar actually takes flight. Some reports say it flies using bat-like, leathery wings. Others think it may use some sort of flap or specialized spine that allows it to glide through the air. There are also known snakes belonging to the genus Chrysopelea that "fly" through the air by jumping from branch to branch, so it is possible this snake has adapted that ability as well. It is more likely that many reported sightings of the Arabhar are simply these flying snakes.
Arre River Monster is gigantic, eel-like beast inhabiting the waters of the Arre River in Switzerland for centuries. The Arre River is a tributary of the Rhine that runs 183 miles and is the longest river that exists entirely within the borders of Switzerland. For centuries legends of large, serpentine creatures have been associated with this body of water. The most notorious local for these sightings is the Aar Gorge. The gorge is a deep, narrow chasm that carves through a limestone ridge near the town of Meiringen. It is bordered by sheer cliffs, nearly 170-feet feet high on either side, and until a walking path was constructed in 1889, the only way to cross the gorge was by challenging the treacherous rapids. This proved even more perilous than it initially seemed as folklore — hailing from as far back as the 1500s — had it that this narrow passage was populated with a plethora of these ostensibly carnivorous, eel monsters. According to accounts handed down from generation to generation, these creatures would strike down unwary travelers who tried to cross the passage. The Arre River was considered to be an especially dangerous place during the time of the year when Lake Lucerne flooded, presumably releasing more of the beasts into the river. On a literary note; the gorge is also the home of the Reichenbach Falls, which Sir Arthur Conan Doyle selected as the setting for Sherlock Holmes’ untimely demise at the hands of the infamous Professor Moriarty. There have been no recent reports of the animals in question.
Avagrah is a huge water serpent from Bengal. It preys on many creatures and would kill them by coiling around them and squeezing them to death, much like an anaconda. It was so large that even it could take down an elephant. They were said to resemble the shape of earthworms and inhabit the estuaries and the mouths of great rivers, and, according to the descriptions of these creatures in the commentary of the Amarakosha Abhidam, the Burmese version of this creature is called a Nyan.
In European bestiaries and legends, a basilisk is a legendary reptile reputed to be king of serpents and said to have the power to cause death with a single glance. According to the Naturalis Historia of Pliny the Elder, the basilisk of Cyrene is a small snake, "being not more than twelve fingers in length," that is so venomous, it leaves a wide trail of deadly venom in its wake, and its gaze is likewise lethal; its weakness is in the odor of the weasel, which, according to Pliny, was thrown into the basilisk's hole, recognizable because all the surrounding shrubs and grass had been scorched by its presence. It is possible that the legend of the basilisk and its association with the weasel in Europe was inspired by accounts of certain species of Asiatic snakes (such as the king cobra) and their natural predator, the mongoose. Basilisks are said to to be the result of an old cocks egg hatched by a toad/serpent. It was once a great source of fear, now almost forgotten. Basilisks are said to have a snakes tail and body with a cockerel's head, legs, wings and crest the skin is either black and yellow or khaki camouflage. The Basilisk is said to be able to kill with its gaze and wither vegetation. The only animal said to be able to be immune to a Basilisks gaze is a weasel, the only way to defeat one is to set it up against a weasel or for the basilisk to hear the sound of a rooster crow. The basilisk is called "king" because it is reputed to have on its head a mitre- or crown-shaped crest. Stories of the basilisk show that it is not completely distinguished from the cockatrice. The basilisk is alleged to be hatched by a cockerel from the egg of a serpent or toad (the reverse of the cockatrice, which was hatched from a cockerel's "egg" incubated by a serpent or toad). In Medieval Europe, the description of the creature began taking on features from cockerels. One of the earliest accounts of the basilisk comes from Pliny the Elder's Natural History, written in roughly 79 AD. He describes the catoblepas, a monstrous cow-like creature of which "all who behold its eyes, fall dead upon the spot," and then goes on to say, There is the same power also in the serpent called the basilisk. It is produced in the province of Cyrene, being not more than twelve fingers in length. It has a white spot on the head, strongly resembling a sort of a diadem. When it hisses, all the other serpents fly from it: and it does not advance its body, like the others, by a succession of folds, but moves along upright and erect upon the middle. It destroys all shrubs, not only by its contact, but those even that it has breathed upon; it burns up all the grass, too, and breaks the stones, so tremendous is its noxious influence. It was formerly a general belief that if a man on horseback killed one of these animals with a spear, the poison would run up the weapon and kill, not only the rider, but the horse, as well. To this dreadful monster the effluvium of the weasel is fatal, a thing that has been tried with success, for kings have often desired to see its body when killed; so true is it that it has pleased Nature that there should be nothing without its antidote. A putto kills a basilisk, symbolic of Swedish occupiers and Protestant heresy, on the Mariensäule, Munich, erected in 1638. Isidore of Seville defined the basilisk as the king of snakes, due to its killing glare and its poisonous breath. The Venerable Bede was the first to attest to the legend of the birth of a basilisk from an egg by an old cockerel, and then other authors added the condition of Sirius being ascendant. Alexander Neckam (died 1217) was the first to say that not the glare but the "air corruption" was the killing tool of the basilisk, a theory developed one century later by Pietro d'Abano. Theophilus Presbyter gives a long recipe in his book for creating a basilisk to convert copper into "Spanish gold" (De auro hyspanico). The compound was formed by combining powdered basilisk blood, powdered human blood, red copper, and a special kind of vinegar. Albertus Magnus in the De animalibus wrote about the killing gaze of the basilisk, but he denied other legends, such as the rooster hatching the egg. He gave as source of those legends Hermes Trismegistus, who is credited also as the creator of the story about the basilisk's ashes being able to convert silver into gold: the attribution is absolutely incorrect, but it shows how the legends of the basilisk were already linked to alchemy in the 13th century. Geoffrey Chaucer featured a basilicok (as he called it) in his Canterbury Tales. According to some legends, basilisks can be killed by hearing the crow of a rooster or gazing at itself through a mirror. The latter method of killing the beast is featured in the legend of the basilisk of Warsaw, killed by a man carrying a set of mirrors. Stories gradually added to the basilisk's deadly capabilities, such as describing it as a larger beast, capable of breathing fire and killing with the sound of its voice. Some writers even claimed it could kill not only by touch, but also by touching something that is touching the victim, like a sword held in the hand. Also, some stories claim its breath is highly toxic and will cause death, usually immediately. The basilisk is also the guardian creature and traditional symbol of the Swiss city Basel. The basilisk was, however, believed to be vulnerable to cockerels; therefore travelers in the Middle Ages allegedly sometimes carried cockerels with them as protection. Leonardo da Vinci included a basilisk in his Bestiary, saying it is so utterly cruel that when it cannot kill animals by its baleful gaze, it turns upon herbs and plants, and fixing its gaze on them withers them up. In his notebooks, he describes the basilisk, in an account clearly dependent directly or indirectly on Pliny's: This is found in the province of Cyrenaica and is not more than 12 fingers long. It has on its head a white spot after the fashion of a diadem. It scares all serpents with its whistling. It resembles a snake, but does not move by wriggling but from the center forwards to the right. It is said that one of these, being killed with a spear by one who was on horse-back, and its venom flowing on the spear, not only the man but the horse also died. It spoils the wheat and not only that which it touches, but where it breathes the grass dries and the stones are split. Some have speculated that reports of cobras may have given birth to the stories of the basilisk. Cobras can maintain an upright posture, and, as with many snakes in overlapping territories, are often killed by mongooses. The king cobra or hammerhead has a crown-like symbol on its head. Several species of spitting cobras can incapacitate from a distance by spitting venom, most often into the prey's eyes, and may well have been confused by similar appearance with the hamadryad. The Egyptian cobra lives in the desert and was used as a symbol of royalty.
Cassie is an enormous sea serpent found in Casco Bay, Maine. Cassie has been reported at lengths of 60-150 feet long. It swims at astonishingly fast speeds disappearing in seconds. It is as thick as a barrel and comes in a variety of colors including dark green, mottled brown, and is commonly reported as black with huge black spots. It has been sighted in the Casco Bay near Portland and Penobscot in Maine. It's name was coined by the cryptozoologist Loren Coleman. It proving to be a plesiosaur is unlikely considering it swims at fast speeds. Plesiosaur's flippers' structure is constructed in a way it would not swim at fast speeds. Cassie's neck has always been reported sticking straight up out of the water. Scientists have thought that plesiosaurs neck could only stick out horizontally. Cassie has not been sighted in decades so either this sea serpent has gone extinct or migrated elsewhere.
Changshe is a giant snake-like creature from the ancient bestiaries of China. According to the bestiary, it was 800 feet long and has bristles between its scales. It was believed to live in the Greater Unity Mountain in ancient China. Lots of legends depict giant snake like creatures. Its name literally translates into long snake.
Chessie is a large serpent-like animal that allegedly lives in the Chesapeake Bay. Over the years there have been many sightings of a serpent-like creature without any flippers or horns on its body. Most sightings describe it as a long, snake-like creature, from 25 feet (7.6 m) to 40 feet (12 m) long. It is said to swim using its body as a sine curve moving through the water. There are no limbs or crests, like most snakes.There was a cluster of sightings in 1977 and more in the mid-1980s. According to Matt Lake in Weird Maryland, two perch fishermen, Francis Klarrman and Edward J. Ward, in 1943 spotted something in the water near Baltimore. This thing was about 75 yards away, at right angles from our boat. At first it looked like something floating on the water. It was black and the part of it that was out of the water seemed about 12 feet long. It has a head about as big as a football and shaped somewhat like a horse’s head. It turned its head around several times—almost all the way around.” A photograph of an unknown sea creature taken by Trudy Guthrie in 1980 was later identified as a manatee from Florida. Manatees are unusual this far from Florida. A manatee nicknamed “Chessie” was rescued from the Chesapeake's chilly water in October 1994 and returned to Florida, but has revisited the Chesapeake several times since then. It was photographed in the Patapsco River in 2010 (unconfirmed) and near the shore of Calvert County on July 12, 2011. The more recent photograph was confirmed by U.S. Geological Survey biologists. Unlike the reports of a serpentine creature, manatees do not swim undulating from side to side. In 1982 Robert and Karen Frew supposedly videotaped Chessie near Kent Island Their video shows a brownish object moving side to side like an aquatic snake. The last notable sighting of the beast was in 1997, off the shore of Fort Smallwood State Park, very close to shore. The legend of "Chessie" is very similar to, and was likely inspired by, that of "Nessie", the Loch Ness Monster.
Con Rit is name given to Cryptid from Vietnam, it is a Great Sea Centipede live in the south east Vietnam sea, its body is made of segments of bony plates, it moves with fish-like fins to swim, initial research of the Con Rit was conducted by Dr. A. Krempf, director of the Oceanographic and Fisheries Service of Indo China, in the 1920’s. During his research Dr. Kremph interviewed an eyewitness who reportedly touched a beached Con Rit in 1833. The first carcass found by Tran Van Con in 1833, he claimed that that creature was 60 feet long and 3 feet wide. In 1899, the HMS Narcissus was traveling near Cape Falcon, Algeria, when several of the sailors aboard sighted what they called a sea monster. They estimated it to be roughly 135 feet in length and claimed that the creature possessed an immense number of fins, which they said propelled it through the water with enough speed to keep pace with the ship. They observed the creature for nearly 30 minutes before it sank below the surface and disappeared. In 1883, several Vietnamese men found a decapitated carcass that had washed ashore at Hong Gai, Vietnam. The head was gone, but the body was formed of segmented joints that rang like sheet metal when struck. According to the account, the carcass smelled so bad that it had to be towed away into the sea. The Con Rit sea serpent. Named so because it has similarities to centipedes. Cryptozoologists have suggested a number of possibilities for what the con rit could be, if it is a real animal. Some say it is a primitive whale that is a relative of the zeuglodons, provided with bony plates. It could also be some sort of giant crustacean or other segmented sea creature, the type of giant "something" that many ordinary scientists expect could be discovered in the deep sea someday. Invertebrates are some of the most frequently discovered animals these days, and if a giant invertebrate were discovered, scientists would expect it to be an oceanic creature, since the ocean is the only place where mainstream scientists think giant undiscovered animals might still lurk. In the Video Game The Secret Saturdays: Beasts of the 5th Sun, the Con Rit appeared as a long blue Anomalocaris with red eyes. The player must play as Con Rit to fight Munya and must beat Munya in Underwater Town Level which later created the Underwater Town destroyed. Con Rit is also one of the cryptids that Zak must protect (Adaro, Orange eyes, Burning man, Azazel, Wampus cat, Con rit, and Kikiyaon) but in the Nintendo version, it appeared as a collectible cryptid for Cryptopedia.
Cressie is a mysterious, eel-like creature which is reputed to lurk in the depths of Crescent Lake, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The creature was first reported in ancient Native American legends, in which it was referred to as "Woodum Haoot" (Pond Devil) or "Haoot Tuwedyee" (Swimming Demon). It was feared by the local residents of the lakeside, but reports of it by the settlers only began in the early 20th century. In the 1950s, two men saw what they thought was an upturned boat heading upwind, but upon approaching it, it flipped itself around again and dived below the lake. In the 80's a pilot crashed and drowned in Crescent Lake, and while two scuba divers attempted to retrieve his body, they were attacked by a school of uncommonly large eels, and were forced to retreat. Other sightings have included an incident in July, 1991, when a "Cressie" was seen swimming on the lake's surface, and in the summer of 2003, when a woman named Vivian Short saw the creature swimming again, she described the creature as serpentine like animal with a head like a fish. CBC News also reported that Ada Rowsell, the town's clerk, said Short's wasn't the only reported sighting of Cressie lately. "I've had several reports of sightings. People sighting some kind of a huge monster or sea serpent or some kind of a fish."
Gensou Hyouhon Hakubutsukan is a Japanese museum exhibiting fake carcasses of different creatures. They are hoaxes, and thus are now non-cryptids.
The Hoop Snake is a fearsome critter in a story told by lumberjacks living around Wisconsin, Minnesota, and parts of Canada. It was reputedly a colorful snake that moved itself by biting the back of its tail with its jaws, transforming its entire body into a "wheel" for quicker movement. The creature is highly poisonous and leaves only a small chance for its victims to survive, the most popular way being to hide behind a tree to avoid the strike. It was first mentioned through a letter in 1784: "As other serpents crawl upon their bellies, so can this; but he has another method of moving peculiar to his own species, which he always adopts when he is in eager pursuit of his prey; he throws himself into a circle, running rapidly around, advancing like a hoop, with his tail arising and pointed forward in the circle, by which he is always in the ready position of striking. It is observed that they only make use of this method in attacking; for when they flee from their enemy they go upon their bellies, like other serpents. From the above circumstance, peculiar to themselves, they have also derived the appellation of hoop snakes." Its methods of getting its prey are similar to two other snake-like cryptids, the mythical fat snake tsuchinoko (attacks by rolling on its body sideways) from Japan, and the legendary ouroboros from Greece, suggesting a similarity.
The jaculus or iaculus, (pl. jaculi, meaning "thrown" in Latin) is a small mythical serpent or dragon. It can be shown with wings and sometimes has front legs. It is also sometimes known as the javelin snake. It was said that the jaculus hid in the trees and sprang out at its victims. The force of it launching itself at the victim led to the association with javelins. Pliny the Elder described it as follows: "The jaculus darts from the branches of trees; and it is not only to our feet that the serpent is formidable, for these fly through the air even, just as though they were hurled from an engine." Lucan also describes the attack of the jaculus in the Pharsalia. He explains that it is the wound caused by the jaculus hitting the victim that causes death. The jaculus does not kill with venom. Jaculus is also found in the Old Norse romance Yngvars saga viðfǫrla. Here it is actually said to be an extremely large dragon (dreki). In 1986, Domergue discovered a new snake: Ithycyphus perineti. The snake was very similar to the jaculus; it falls from a tree like a spear to stab animals. It has V-shaped markings that resemble a spear head. The snake is known as "fandrefiala snake".
Kingstie was a cryptozoological lake monster invented in 1934 as an echo of the 1904 Lake George Monster hoax. It was reported as "a strange creature with the head of a dragon and eyes of fire" in Lake Ontario near Kingston, Ontario, Canada. It is explained in the book Mysteries of Toronto as follows: "As a prank, they had fabricated a semblance of the creature using a barrel filled with empty bottles for buoyancy and fitting it with a dragon-like head, rope and anchor to keep it in one place, and twine attached to the rope that ran underwater to the shore of Cartwright Bay to permit them to bob its barrel body and head up and down". (As quoted by Joe Nickel, writing for the Skeptical Inquirer.)
Koseu or Kosho is one of the 63 creepy germs written in Harikikigaki, a book of medical knowledge written by an unknown resident in Osaka. Koseu is a strange snake-like animal that beholds a scruffy white beard and a hat that protects it from healing medicine. In addition, it can speak and likes to drink sake. Japan’s Kyushu National Museum holds a copy of the Harikikigaki — a 16th century medical text of unknown authorship which claimed that diseases were caused by tiny bugs that crawled into the body. The Harikikigaki advises using acupuncture and herbs to deal with the bugs. Until the late 19th century, Japanese people believed illness was spread by evil kami called yakubyogami. At first these gods were thought to take human form, but later, influenced by thinking in texts from China, some people came to think of them as little creatures as small enough to enter the body. The Harikikigaki, written in 1568, is mostly about acupuncture, however, this rare text includes 63 color depictions of the various mushi (germs) believed to cause diseases.
The Lagarfljot Worm or Iceland Worm Monster is a giant worm-like creature that lives in the Icelandic lake of Lagarfljot. It is described as being longer than a football field, 200 feet long. Sometimes, it is even reported as being as long as Lagarfljot lake itself! This worm has many humps as it swims through the murky water, often looking quite serpentine. It has also been reported coiled up or slithering up trees. It lives in the murky waters of Lagarfljot lake, Egilsstaoir, Iceland. Its first reported sighting was in 1345, and its most recent sighting was in 2012, which either means these creatures have an extremely long lifespan (700+ years), or there is a small population living in the lake. There is also a legend that it was a lindworm thrown into the lake.
The Lindworm also called Ormr or Dreki is a legless and wingless dragon from the British Heraldry, but in Norweigan Heraldry it is the same that a British wyvern. The most famous lindworm is Jörmungandr. In modern Scandinavian languages, the cognate lindworm refers to any serpent or monstrous snake, but in Norweigan heraldry, it's also a technical term for Sea Serpent, although it may also stand for lindworm in British heraldry. Generally, the word lindworm stood for the Latin word Draco (whence the Norse dreki), thus could refer to any Draconic creature, from a real life constrictor snake to a legendary dragon. In European mythology and folklore, creatures identified as a 'lindworm' may be winged or wingless, plus quadrupedal, bipedal or limbless. However late persistent tradition designates the lindworm as having no limbs, or just front claws (so that it must slither) in contrast to wyverns that have only hind-quarters (and possible claws on the end of its wings) and in contrast to dragons which have four limbs and may either be winged or wingless. Some say that the lindworm is another name for "Wyrm", a type of dragon that looks like a very large snake, consisting of no wings. This dragon exists in swamps and forests, according to the book, Dracopedia. The lindworm is also said to guard burial mounds and ancestral graves, according to The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures. Saxo Grammaticus begins his story of Ragnar Loðbrók, a semi-legendary king of Denmark and Sweden, by telling that a certain Þóra Borgarhjörtr receives a baby lindworm as a gift from her father Herrauðr, the Earl of Götaland. As the lindworm grows, it eventually takes Þóra hostage, demanding to be supplied with no less than one ox a day, until she is freed by a young man in fur-trousers named Ragnar, who thus obtains the by name of Loðbrók ("hairy britches") and becomes Þóra's husband. In many descriptions, the lindworm is wingless, with a poisonous bite, like a poisonous snake or Komodo dragon. The dragon Fáfnir from the Norse Völsunga saga appears in the German Nibelungenlied as a lindwurm that lived near Worms. Another German tale from the 13th century tells of a lindworm that lived near Klagenfurt. Flooding threatened travelers along the river, and the presence of a dragon was blamed. The story tells that a Duke offered a reward for anyone who could capture it; so some young men tied a bull to a chain, and when the lindworm swallowed the bull, it was hooked like a fish and killed. The head of a 1590 lindworm statue in Klagenfurt is modeled on the skull of a woolly rhinoceros found in a nearby quarry in 1335. It has been cited as the earliest reconstruction of an extinct animal. The shed skin of a lindworm was believed to greatly increase a person's knowledge about nature and medicine. A "dragon" with the head of a "salamander" features in the legend of the Lambton Worm, a serpent caught in the River Wear and dropped in a well, which after 3–4 years terrorized the countryside of Durham while the nobleman who caught it was at the Crusades. Upon return, he received spiked armor and instructions to kill the serpent, but thereafter to kill the next living thing he saw. His father arranged that after the lindworm was killed, a hound dog would be released and the son would kill that; but instead of releasing the dog the father ran to his son, and so incurred a malediction by the son's refusal of patricide. Bram Stoker used this legend in his short story Lair of the White Worm. The sighting of a "whiteworm" once was thought to be an exceptional sign of good luck. The knucker or the Tatzelwurm is a wingless biped, and often identified as a lindworm. In legends, lindworms are often very large and eat cattle and bodies, sometimes invading churchyards and eating the dead from cemeteries. In the 19th-century tale of "Prince Lindworm" (also "King Lindworm"), from Scandinavian folklore, a "half-man half-snake" lindworm is born, as one of twins, to a queen, who, in an effort to overcome her childless situation, has followed the advice of an old crone, who tells her to eat two onions. She did not peel the first onion, causing the first twin to be a lindworm. The second twin is perfect in every way. When he grows up and sets off to find a bride, the lindworm insists that a bride be found for him before his younger brother can marry. Because none of the chosen maidens are pleased by him, he eats each until a shepherd's daughter who spoke to the same crone is brought to marry him, wearing every dress she owns. The lindworm tells her to take off her dress, but she insists he shed a skin for each dress she removes. Eventually his human form is revealed beneath the last skin. Some versions of the story omit the lindworm's twin, and the gender of the soothsayer varies. A similar tale occurs in C.S. Lewis' novel The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The belief in the reality of a lindworm, a giant limbless serpent, persisted well into the 19th century in some parts. The Swedish folklorist Gunnar Olof Hyltén-Cavallius collected in the mid 19th century stories of legendary creatures in Sweden. He met several people in Småland, Sweden that said they had encountered giant snakes, sometimes equipped with a long mane. He gathered around 50 eyewitness reports, and in 1884 he set up a big reward for a captured specimen, dead or alive. Hyltén-Cavallius was ridiculed by Swedish scholars, and since nobody ever managed to claim the reward, it resulted in a cryptozoological defeat. Rumors about lindworms as actual animals in Småland rapidly died out.
Lizzie is a cryptid from Loch Lochy, Scotland. It is said to closely resemble the famous Loch Ness Monster. Lizzie was first sighted in 1929 by two game wardens near Spean Bridge, a full four years before the first internationally acclaimed Nessie encounter. The two game wardens believed at first that they where looking at nothing more than debris from a large fallen tree. When one of the two men took a closer look through his telescope they soon realized that they where looking at much more than a fallen tree but a large unidentified beast. The men continued to watch the creature swim for about a mile before it submerged back into the depths of the loch. In 1993, monks of Fort Augustus Abbey began to chronicle known sightings, as many reports of sightings came. In 1960, while staying in a caravan near Glen Fintaig, Eric Robinson, his family, and nine other witnesses, spotted what looked to be a standing wave in the center of the loch. Much to every one's amazement, Mr. Robinson claimed that the wave was actually a moving creature. Viewing the animal through his binoculars Robinson estimated that the animal was between 30 and 40-feet in length, with a dark spine and a paler underbelly. Robinson and the other witnesses claimed the creature began to roll in the water exposing a huge flipper before disappearing into the loch. In 1975, Mrs. Margaret Sargent of Fort William was passing the loch with her husband and family near the Corriegour Hotel when they saw an unusual wake on the flat calm loch. A long black shape could be seen moving through the water. As she took a photo, the object disappeared below the water and the subsequent picture showed only the wake. In 1996 while fishing for pike in the loch, Alastair Stevenson encountered a creature approximately 18-feet in length and roughly the shape of an overturned rowboat. The creature reportedly took Stevenson’s bait and began to pull the vessel. Stevenson was quoted as saying, "I knew immediately it wasn't a pike with that ferocity. I had to stop the line but when I did the power started dragging the boat behind it. All the time I'm thinking it was like a scene from Jaws. Fortunately my line and rod snapped and that was the end of that. I have no idea what it was, but it was a lot bigger than a pike." Cryptozoologist Cameron Turner, had a massive contact with an object near Spean Bridge, where their first reported sighting took place. The contact was estimated as being between 18 and 20-feet in length, and was moving at a depth of 160-feet below the surface. Approximately two minutes later, after the boat sharply turned starboard in order to pursue the contact, a second contact was made, this time at a depth of 200 feet. As the boat approached the center of the Loch, above an abysmal trench which is reportedly over 300-feet deep, the objects disappeared. Cameron returned to the Loch in September 1977, he hired a boat from the family of Alastair Stevenson, the same man who had the 1996 encounter with the creature. Nearest the north end of the loch, close to Letterfinlay, the same place they had made contact with an unknown object during the previous expedition, the team had another strong contact, this time approximately 270 feet down in the loch. During the 3 minutes the team managed to follow the contact they were able to get clear pictures of the sonar screen and shortly after returned to the same area and found nothing. The only other strange readings they obtained during this trip was sonar hits of over 2000 feet deep, which appeared to be holes in the bottom of the Loch, something never reported before, and later confirmed by the manager of the boat rental firm who had also gotten strange readings in the past, showing deep holes in the bottom of the Loch. If this is true it makes Loch Lochy by far the deepest inland lake in Europe.
Lotan is vicious, gargantuan seven headed serpent date back to well over 1,000 years BC. Known collectively to the Semitic Canaanites, the Sumerians, the Mesopotamians and the rest of the ancient Syro-Palestinian world as the “The coiling serpent,” “the fleeing serpent” or “the powerful with the seven heads,” the Lotan is considered by many researchers to be a precursor to the most famous of all sea serpents: Leviathan. That having been said, there are some scholars who believe that the reference made to the Lotan’s “seven heads” may also be associated with the Greek myth of the Hydra. It has been also suggested, that tales of this animal might well stem from early eyewitness accounts from ancient mariners who had had the misfortune of encountering the notorious Giant Squid while traveling the Mediterranean trade routes. According to legend, the Canaanite God Baal slew this colossal seven-headed serpent in a battle of epic proportions. Most modern scholars agree that after the Israelites conquered the region known as Palestine in approximately 1000 BC., they incorporated the legend of the Lotan into their own culture, dubbing the beast Leviathan.
The Lou Carcolh is a mythical beast from French folklore. It was described as being both a serpent and a mollusk at the same time, taking characteristics from both. Its massive and long body carried an enormous shell upon its back, much like a snail's shell, that was believed to live in underground caverns in southwest France. Its gaping mouth was surrounded by several long, hairy, and slime covered tentacles that could extend for miles. These appendages stretched out from the cave it inhabited for a long distance and laid upon the ground among its own viscous slime. They would ensnare and drag back to its anybody anything within reach. It would then swallow the victim whole with its gigantic mouth. The Carcolh is a nickname given to the city of Hastingues, in the French department of Landes, due to its situation on a rounded-shape hill. There is also a phrase in Hastingues “The Carcolh will catch you!” meaning the men will catch the women.
Manipogo is the name given to the lake monster reported to live in Lake Manitoba, Manitoba, Canada. Sightings of this serpent-like lake monster have been going on since roughly 1908. The creature was dubbed Manipogo in 1957, the name echoing British Columbia's Ogopogo. The monster is thought to be anywhere from 12 feet to 50 feet long in length. It is described as being "A long muddy-brown body with humps that show above the water, and a sheep-like head." (Storm, 38) A group of seventeen witnesses, all reportedly strangers to one another, claimed to have spotted three Manipogos swimming together. (Storm, 40) 1948: Reported that some sort of creature rose six feet out of the lake and gave a "prehistoric type of dinosaur cry." 1957: Visitors saw a "giant serpent like creature in the lake." 1962: Two fishermen, Richard Vincent and John Konefell, saw a large creature like a serpent or giant snake 70 yards away from their boat. (Storm, 38)
The Mongolian Death Worm's native name, Olgoi-Khorkhoi, means "intestine worm", due to its red blood-like color, and size, which is the size of an intestine. It has been described by many to be from five to two feet long, have the ability to spit out a corrosive yellow saliva and to generate blasts of electricity. However this latter power is thought of as being folkloric by the nomads of the Gobi. Western culture has come to call this monster the "Mongolian Death Worm." Mongolian nomads believe the giant worm covers its prey with an acidic substance that turns everything a corroded yellow color. Legend says that as the creature begins to attack it raises half its body out of the sand and starts to inflate until it explodes, releasing the lethal poison all over the unfortunate victim. The poison is so venomous that the prey dies instantly. Livestock and humans are supposed to be its main prey. Because Mongolia had been under Soviet control until 1990, very little was known about the Death Worm in the West. In recent years, investigators have been able to look for evidence of the creature’s existence. Ivan Mackerle, one of the leading Loch Ness Monster detectives, studied the region and interviewed many Mongolian people about the worm. Due to the sheer volume of sightings and strange deaths, he came to the conclusion that the Death Worm was more than just legend. Nobody is entirely sure what the worm actually is. Experts are certain it is not a real worm because the Gobi Desert is too hot an area for annelids to survive. Some have suggested it might be a skunk, but they have little legs and scaly skin whereas witness accounts specify the worm is limb-less and smooth bodied. The most probable explanation is that the deathworm is a new species of amphisbaenia or worm-lizard, a group of burrowing reptiles. Although the native Mongolian people are convinced of the Death Worm’s nature, it will take more years of research to satisfy the rest of the world’s scientific community. In 2005 an expedition from the Centre for Fortean Zoology crossed a thousand miles of the Gobi on the track of the deathworm. They concluded it was probably a large, unknown type of worm lizard and that the powers attributed to it were apocryphal. The main antagonists in the film 'Tremors' were based upon this Cryptid. The creature was also shown on Beast Hunter, Lost Tapes And Freak Encounters.
In 2002 a school of large serpentine creatures terrorized scores of Philippine fishermen and their families, and Tilapia nearly pushed their once quiet village to the brink of starvation. One of the more interesting aquatic phenomenons to hit the world stage hails from the Zambales region of the Philippine island of Luzon, where as many as five large creatures have been reported swimming in the Tikis River, near the former mining village of Buhawen. Dubbed by the local Aeta tribesmen as “Pinatubo Monsters,” these animals have sent ripples of terror throughout the fishing villages located in Tikis river basin. Described as huge, black, serpentine creatures — much like Florida’s Muck Monster — the Aetas claim that these animals are unlike any eel, fish or snake that they are familiar with. The first accounts of these animals date back to November 5, 2002, when an Aleta boy apparently mistook one of the animals for a floating log, only to become consumed with terror when the beast moved. The second major encounter occurred on January 12, 2003, when a cadre of eyewitnesses claimed to have seen a seven-foot long, three-foot wide, black animal undulating silently down the river. Although there are no accounts of malicious river monsters in any Aeta lore — unlike the voracious, brain sucking Mamlambo or prehistoric Mahamba, which are said to inhabit African rivers – the tribal leaders have taken drastic actions in order to avoid any civilian casualties. In the small village of Labuan, children are no longer allowed to bathe or play in the river and men and women have ceased fishing altogether, forcing the members of their community to subsist on a diet whose sole source of protein consists of captured frogs. In an article written in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on January 14, of the same year, village councilmen Joel Serrano and Alfredo Banos, implored the Philippine government to send assistance in the form of “biasang tau” (scientists) in order to help illuminate this mystery. The call of the councilmen was answered by the Bureau of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources (BFAR) regional director, Remedios Ongtangco. Ongtangco chose 43 year-old Nelson Bien — who had already rescued the residents of Luzon’s Nueva Ecija province from an extraordinary 12-foot long eel — for the job. Bien, who served as the chief of the fisheries resources management division of the BFAR in Central Luzon, arrived in Labuan less than a week later. Upon his arrival, the community’s tribal leaders immediately escorted the scientist to the Tikis River. After a cursory glance through a pair of binoculars, through which, according to most reports, he saw nothing, Bien wasted no time in concluding that — based solely upon the Aetas’ accounts — the phenomenon in question was most likely not a group of large Aquatic Enigmas, as had been described, but a school of the relatively common fish known as tilapia, who had probably congregated in groups of 500 or more. The accounts all seem to end on this note, giving skeptics yet another excuse to practice their patented condescending smirk, but only a blithering fool would assume that an entire community — who have for generations lived on the banks of the Tikis and whose primary sources of nourishment came from the River — would confuse a school of relatively small (not to mention well known) pan fish for a quintet of 7-foot long, 3-feet wide, inky black, serpentine creatures. Some researchers have suggested that the creatures may be a mutation spawned by the massive mercury levels said to be in the river. Whatever the origin of these beasts actually turns out to be, the fact remains that the Aeta villagers continue to fear the serpentine monsters of the Tikis River.
Muckie is the name given to the reported mysterious creature said to inhabit the Lakes of Killarney in Ireland. Unlike other stories of lake creatures, Muckie has no folklore origin, and has only recently entered local legend. In 2003, scientists conducted a series of sonar scans to determine local fish populations. However, a large solid object in the water was recorded, which has led to the theory that the lake is inhabited by some form of lake monster, similar to the famed "Nessie" of Loch Ness. It has been suggested that witnesses might have seen seals, which when traveling in pairs will dive and rise opposite to each other, giving the impression of being a single larger animal. The name Muckie comes from a portmanteau of Muckross (one of the three Killarney lakes) and the ie suffix to mimic the Loch Ness Nessie. Tourism interests have tried to encourage the legend without any success. In October 2004, a Japanese TV crew spent a week in the region, looking for Muckie.
The Namibian flying snake is an odd gargantuan serpent that is possibly derived from African legends of dragons. It is described as being yellow, brown with light spots, or black. It is reported as being 9-25 feet long and can supposedly camouflage into it's surroundings. It has many other strange features such as a bio luminescent crest, horns, a neck that can inflate and deflate easily possibly by gulping down air, and leathery bat-like wings that it doesn't glide with but is capable of sustained flight. It has a wingspan of 30 feet. It is said to make a loud and frightening roaring sound. It is also said to smell like tar, and to get into the air, it hurls itself down hills. It is apparently covered in scales. It is found in the Karas Region of Namibia. This serpent was said to have been seen in 1942 by Michael Esterhuise. He was tending to his flock of sheep on a farm 60 kilometers west of the town of Keetmanshoop, when he saw a massive snake hurl itself down a hill. He said he encountered it 2 other times. The legend of this strange creature possibly derived from the legends of African dragons or the Kongamato. It could also be an exaggeration of a new species of flying snake.
Old Greeny is cryptid from Cayuga Lake, This river is the longest of western New York’s glacial Finger Lakes and the second largest in surface area. This lake is located roughly 350 feet above sea level and has a maximum depth of 435 feet. Legends of a large serpent like creature dwelling in this glacial lake can be traced back to the 1800’s and according to a January 5, 1897 Ithaca Journal article. The Ithaca Journal reported that their staff has been living in daily anticipation of Old Greeny’s appearance, and have actually rejected assignments which would take them near the water’s edge for fear of the beast. A story within that edition of The Journal retold the tale of an Ithacan who was driving along the lake’s eastern shore with a friend when he saw what he knew must be the large, long sea serpent, although a tramp, who had also seen the creature, later told a Journal reporter that he believed it to be a sea serpent inhabiting Cayuga Lake, or, as the paper dubbed the beast, Old Greeny. For several years isolated reports of this single monstrous creature continued to be reported through the area, it wasn't until 1929, that The Journal reported the existence of two mysterious so called sea monsters now living in Cayuga Lake. These creatures were described as being about 12 to 15 feet in length and the paper suggested that the beasts where actually members of the Seneca Lake sea serpent family that may have found their way into the local waters through a subterranean channel which they believed to exist between the two lakes. Recent scientific study however has disproved the existence of such an underground connection. In 1974, a teenager by the name of Steven Griffin was allegedly attacked by Old Greeny while swimming in the waters of Cayuga Lake. He described his assailant as having an over all eel like appearance but its jaws were so powerful and snapped down with such tremendous force that the impact broke the boys arm. One of the last known documented encounters with Old Greeny occurred in 1979 while Jack Marshall, owner of J.T. Marshall Professional Diving Service, was boating with some friends on Cayuga Lake. While cruising the lake Marshall saw what he believed at the time to be a large fallen tree directly in the path of his boat. He shouted back to the driver of the boat to cut the engines and stop before the boat collided with it. As the vessel slowly drifted to a stop a few feet from the log the group realized that it wasn't a log at all, but a 30 to 35 foot long living creature which slowly slipped below the surface before their eyes. One theory as to the identity of Old Green is that it is nothing more than the misidentification of lake sturgeon, though not common in these waters the prehistoric looking fish has been reportedly caught in Cayuga Lake before. Another theory suggests that a rare species of giant fresh water eels may dwell in Cayuga Lake. Then there are those who have seen the beast who, although not sure exactly what the beast may be, are sure that it is not a fish or an eel, but something a little more terrifying.
The Peuchen (also known as Piuchen, Pihuchen, Pihuychen, Pihuichen, Piguchen or Piwuchen) is a creature from the Mapuche mythology and Chilote mythology pertaining to southern Chile, a much feared shapeshifting creature which could instantly change into animal form. It has often been described as gigantic flying snake which produced strange whistling sounds, while its gaze could paralyze an intended victim and permit it to suck its blood. It has often been reported as the cause of sucking the blood from sheep. The creature can be eliminated by a machi (Mapuche Medicine Woman). In Chile, this word "Peuchen" also designates to the Common Vampire Bat (Desmodus rotundus); so some cryptozoologists believe that "Common Vampire Bat" is the origin of the legend, however other cryptozoologists believe that the "Peuchen" could be related with the Chupacabra or be the same Cryptid.
Sharlie (Slimy Slim, The Twilight Dragon of Payette Lake) is the name given to a reptile-like sea serpent much like the Loch Ness Monster that is believed by some to live in the deep alpine waters of Payette Lake near McCall, Idaho. The first reference to the sea serpent may be the belief of Native Americans, predating western settlement of the area, that an evil spirit dwelled in the lake. The first documented sighting by western settlers occurred in 1920 when workers cutting ties at the upper end of the lake thought they saw a log in the lake. The “log” began to move. In August 1944 the serpent was reportedly seen by several groups of people who described it as 30 to 35 feet in length, with a dinosaur-type head and pronounced jaws, humps like a camel, and a shell-like skin. In September 1946 the serpent was reportedly sighted by a group of twenty people. Dr. G.A. Taylor of Nampa, Idaho explained that “it appeared to be between 30 and 40 feet long and seemed to keep diving into the water. It left a wake about like a small motor boat would make. In 1954 A. Boone McCallum, Editor of The Star News held a contest to name the serpent of Payette Lake. The winning name, “Sharlie”, was submitted by Le Isle Hennefer Tury of Springfield, Virginia. In her letter to Mr. McCallum she said, “Why don’t you call the thing Sharlie? You know – ‘Vas you der, Sharlie?” This was a reference to the popular catch phrase often spoken by Jack Pearl during his old time radio show. Sharlie was reportedly sighted dozens of times between 1956 and the last documented sighting in 2002.
Sisiutl is a mythological creature from various tribes in the Pacific Northwest coast. It is described as a serpentine creature with horns, a massive and sharp dorsal fin, front flippers, sharp teeth, a long tail, and large eyes. It has been sighted in the Queen Charlotte Strait and Strait of Georgia in British Columbia. Its diet has not yet been classified, but many believe it is carnivorous.
Srayuda is a mythological creature from Jepara, Central Java. Srayuda was believed to be real by Jepara people only through folklore, but many of them have also seen some sightings of the creature. It was described to have a long snake-like body, with the face of a human, with the face sometime colored red, green, or black. According to local people Srayuda is often sighted in a river. According to myth, Srayuda has sometimes been an omen of a river flood.
The Stronsay Beast was a large carcass that washed ashore on the island of Stronsay (at the time spelled Stronsa), in the Orkney Islands, Scotland after a storm on 25 September 1808. The carcass measured 55 feet in length, but as part of the tail was apparently missing, the animal was longer than that. The Description of it is as follows: "Its flesh was described as being like 'coarse, ill-colored beef, entirely covered with fat and tallow and without the least resemblance or affinity to fish'. The skin, which was grey colored and had an elastic texture was said to be about two inches thick in parts." The Natural History Society (Wernerian Society) of Edinburgh could not identify the carcass and decided it was a new species, probably a sea serpent. Later the anatomist Sir Everard Home in London dismissed the measurement, declaring it must have been around 36 feet, and deemed it to be a decayed basking shark (basking sharks can take on a 'pseudo plesiosaur" appearance during decomposition). In 1849 the Scottish professor John Goodsir in Edinburgh came to the same conclusion. The largest reliably recorded basking shark was 40 feet in length, so at 55 feet in length, the Beast of Stronsay still constitutes something of a cryptozoological enigma. The Stronsay beast was 55 feet long, as measured by three witnesses (one was a carpenter and the other two were farmers). It was 4 feet wide and had a circumference of approximately 10 feet. It had three pairs of 'paws' or 'wings'. It had skin that was smooth when stroked head to tail and rough when stroked tail to head. Its fins were edged with bristles and it had a 'mane' of bristles all down its back. The bristles glowed in the dark when wet. Its stomach contents were red. Yvonne Simpson, a geneticist from Orkney, has researched the evidence and suggests that the Stronsay Beast may indeed have been an unusually large basking shark, or possibly an unknown species of shark closely related to the basking shark. The drawings of the Stronsay Beast's decayed carcass are similar in shape and size to the popular image of the Loch Ness Monster. The third pair of appendages could be a male shark's claspers, but male sharks are generally smaller than the female of the same species. There is also the possibility that the creature may have been an oarfish which has shown similar disparities.
Tatzelwurm also called Alps Dragon is a cryptid reported in several areas in Europe, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, and many other places in the European Alps for hundred of years. It has several regional names including Stollenwurm, Springwurm, Arassas, Praatzelwurm and Bergstutzen. Reports of this creature vary in description, some sighting claim the Tatzelwurm to be lizard-like while others more bizarrely claim the features of a cat. The common description of this creature is lizard/snake-like creature with stubby appearance, two front legs without hind legs, and completely covered with scales, in some cases featured cat face and poisonous fume. The earliest documented encounter with a Tatzelwurm took place in 1779 when two of these creatures appeared in front of a man named Hans Fuchs. Badly frightened by his encounter Hans suffered a fatal heart attack, however before he died was able to tell his family of his encounter, he described the creature as 5 – 7 feet in length with a snake-like body, clawed front legs and a large feline-like head with sharp teeth. In 1828, a peasant supposedly found the corpse of a Tatzelwurm which by the time he had managed to bring it home crows had apparently eaten half of the creature. Even so, the Tatzelwurm built up quite a following of believers and was even considered fact in the nineteenth century. It’s now believed that even if this creature did actually exist that because sightings are so rare now it may be completely extinct. Two other illustrations of the Tatzelwurm are known to exist; the first of which appeared in a Bavarian hunting manual called New Pocket Guild of the Year 1836 for Nature, Forest and Hunting Enthusiasts. This manual contains what Bernard Heuvelmans describes as a curious picture of a sort of scaly cigar, with formidable teeth and wretched little stumps of feet. The second of these illustrations appeared in the Swiss almanac Alpenrosen published in 1841, and took the form of a drawling which shows a long scaly creature with two tiny front legs. In late 1954, a Swiss photographer by the name of Balkin claimed to have photographed a Tatzelwurm. The level of interest produced by the photograph’s publication led the Berliner Illustrierte, a weekly illustrated magazine in Germany, to sponsor an expedition in search of the Tatzelwurm, however the results of this winter expedition were disappointing and interest in the creature all but disappeared. Today the majority of cryptozoologists view the photograph taken by Balkin as almost certainly a hoax. Another piece of evidence now considered to be a hoax was the discovery of a Tatzelwurm skeleton, said to have been mysteriously donated to the Geneva Institute of Science sometime in the 1900’s. The skeleton, only known by a single photograph, appears to be that of a long snake like creature with two clawed arms and a larger than normal head. It is not certain who donated the skeleton or if it was ever donated to anyone at all. The majority of researchers believe the photograph, and the story behind it, to be a hoax. There are many other tales of the legend of the Tatzelwurm. The first tale is that of a young girl who was working on a Swiss farm. While chopping down bean poles she accidentally disturbed the burrow of a Tatzelwurm and was attacked. The Tatzelwurm in this account was described as being of a gray coloration and about the size of a common domesticated cat with a fleshy hairless body and possessing only two front legs. According to the story the Tatzelwurm glared at the girl and she ran away describing big bright eyes to intense to meet.Another story tells that of a man and his son out gathering herbs in the mountains when the man suddenly heard his son scream and seemed to be paralyzed in fear staring at a rock. The man sprinted to his son only to see a ‘gruesome monster’ under the rock near his son which hissed like a snake and had the face of a cat with big bright eyes. The man managed to stab the Tatzelwurm with a sharped stick easily fleshing the flesh. According to the story the ‘green blood’ of the creature sprayed out and burnt the mans leg making his journey home long and painful due to his limp. In July 1883 or 1884, Kaspar Arnold saw a Tatzelwurm on the Spielberg, near Hochfilzen, Tirol, Austria. He watched it from a mountain restaurant for twenty minutes and was certain it only had two legs A two-legged Tatzelwurm leaped 9 feet in the air toward two witnesses near Rauris, Salzburg, Austria, in the summer of 1921. It was gray, about 2–3 feet long, and had a head like a cat. In 1924 the five-foot-long skeleton allegedly was found by two men, who said it resembled a lizard’s. In 1934, a Swiss photographer named Balkin claimed to have photographed a Tatzelwurm near Meiringen, Switzerland, but his photo was probably a faked image of a ceramic fish.In the summer of 1969, a local man reported a 30-inch-long animal with two hind legs near Lengstein, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy. It seemed to be inflating its neck. In 1990, two naturalists found the skeleton of a lizard like animal in the Alps near Domodossola, Italy. Giuseppe Costale saw a gray, crested reptile moving in a zigzag fashion on Pizzo Cronia in the same area on two occasions, in October 1991 and September 1992. In the 1960′s a photograph emerged which was supposedly taken of the mysterious creature. This was given to a Geneva newspaper from a source unknown. Most researchers and cryptozoologists who have seen the photo are in agreement that it is probably a hoax – most likely by a mayor of a Bavarian town attempting to attract tourists. In 1970, reports of an alleged Tatzelwurm were published in the Swiss newspaper La Tribune de Geneve by Georges Hardy. In 2000 a strange skeleton was forwarded to a local college. Some scientists said at the time is the first physical proof of the Alpine Tatzelwurm. Along with the skeleton came a sizable donation as well. The original owner of the skeleton remains a mystery. The law firm of Gunterhaus Ltd. in Germany handled the donation and refuses to divulge the name of the contributor or why the Geneva Institute was selected to be the recipient. 2009, many reports were made in the Tresivio area of Italy, near the Swiss border. Authorities chalked up most of these reports to "missing monitor lizards" that had escaped their masters. Some of the sightings were even said to be of "raptor" dinosaurs! Only the oldest residents of Tresivio called the mysterious creatures by the name they always knew them as..."basilisco" or basilisk. That was the Italian name for Tatzelwurm. But Tatzelwurm sightings have continued to the present day, and German cryptozoological researcher Ulrich Magin has published several articles in Fortean Times and his own magazine Bilk documenting them. The question still remains what is or was the Tatzelwurm, it is widely believed that the Tatzelwurm is actually some kind of rare salamander with characteristics resembling a Gila Monster, most notably the preferred habitat of underground burrows in mountainous areas. This could also explain the reports of poisonous fumes as the Gila Monster is extremely venomous and one of the world’s only venomous lizards, though it is not native to the region. The description of the Tatzelwurm even fits that of a Gila Monster even if it is somewhat of a loose fit. Another theory is that this creature could be some kind of giant skunk, although skunks are also not native to the Alps. The Tatzelwurm is said to have normal hibernation periods; sleeping during the winter in crevices on mountainsides (this is the reason for the name “Stollenwurm”) or they will even sometimes sleep in hay in a hay loft. In the following two centuries, many reports were received about a strange monster lurking in the Alps and attacking the livestock of farmers in remote villages.
Wadjet (Wadjyt, Wadjit, Uto, Uatchet, Edjo, Buto) was one of the oldest Egyptian goddesses. Her worship was already established by the Predynastic Period, but did change somewhat as time progressed. She began as the local goddess of Per-Wadjet (Buto) but soon became a patron goddess of Lower Egypt. By the end of the Predynastic Period she was considered to be the personification of Lower Egypt rather than a distinct goddess and almost always appeared with her sister Nekhbet (who represented Upper Egypt). The two combined represented the country as a whole and were represented in the pharaoh´s "nebty" name (also known as "the two ladies") which indicated that the king ruled over both parts of Egypt. The earliest recovered example of the nebty name is from the reign of Anedjib of the First Dynasty. In the Pyramid Texts it is suggested that she created thrived in the first papyrus plant and papyrus swamp. Her link to the papyrus is strengthened by the fact that her name was written using the glyph of a papyrus plant and the same plant was the heraldic plant of Lower Egypt. According to another myth Wadjet was the daughter of Atum (or later Ra) who was sent her as his "eye" to find Tefnut and Shu when they were lost in the waters of Nun. He was so happy when they returned that he cried and created the first human beings from his tears. To reward his daughter, he placed her upon his head in the form of a cobra so that she would always be close to him and could act as his protector. She was one of the goddesses given the title "Eye of Ra" (connecting her to Bast, Hathor, Sekhment and Tefnut amongst others). In fact the symbol of the "Eye of Ra" was often called "the Wedjat". In this form she was sent out to avenge her father and almost caused the destruction of mankind. Humanity was saved when she was tricked with some beer which had been dyed red with pomegranate juice to resemble blood. There is also a suggestion that she was very closely linked to the principle of Ma´at (justice or balance). Before being crowned as king, Geb attacked and raped his mother Tefnut. When he went to take his place as pharaoh and put the Royal Ureas on his own forehead, the snake reared up and attacked the god and his followers. All of Geb´s retinue died and the god himself was badly injured. Clearly, his actions were against Ma´at and Wadjet was not prepared to allow him to go unpunished. Wadjet is often described as an aggressive deity while while her sister Nekhbet was thought of as a more matronly protector. However, she also had her gentler side. Wadjet was believed to have helped Isis nurse the young Horus and to help mother and baby hide from Set in the marshes of the delta. She was also considered to offer protection to all women during childbirth. She (and her sister) also protected the adult Horus from the followers of Set. Horus pursued them in the form of a winged sun disc and Nekhbet and Wadjet flanked him in the form of crowned snakes. This protection was also extended towards the pharaoh who wore the "Royal Ureas" (serpent) on his (or her) forehead. From the Eighteenth Dynasty the queens also added one or two snakes to their headdresses representing Wadjet and her sister. Wadjet was associated with the fifth hour of the fifth day of the month and with "iput-hmt" (Epipi), the harvest month of the Egyptian calendar. Festivals were held in her honor on the 10th day of "rh-wr" (Mekhir) which was also called "the day of going forth of the Goddess", the 7th day of "khnty-khty" (Payni) and the 8th day of "Wpt-rnpt" (Mesori). These latter two dates coincide roughly with the winter and spring solstices. She was worshiped at the Temple of Wadjet, known as "Pe-Dep". This temple was already long established by the Old Kingdom and is referred to in the Pyramid Texts. In this temple, Wadjet was linked with Horus. Wadjet was thought to be the wife of Hapi in Lower Egypt and was linked to Set in his role as a representative of Lower Egypt. She was sometimes described as the wife of Ptah and the mother of Nefertiti, probably because she occasionally took the form of a lion like Sekhmet. Her sacred animal was the cobra, and she was often depicted as either a rearing cobra, a winged cobra, or a woman with the head of a cobra.She was also depicted as a woman wearing the red crown of Lower Egypt. She often appears with her sister Nekhbet who was in as a snake or woman. By the Late Period she was also associated with the ichneumon (a mongoose-like creature). This animal was known for its skill in killing snakes and was also sacred to Horus.The Egyptians placed mummified ichneumon and shrew (small mice) inside statuettes of Wadjet which were interred with the dead. The two animals represented day (ichneumon) and night (shrew). She was also worshiped as a vulture Goddess. In her form of the "eye of Ra" she was depicted as a lion-headed woman wearing a solar disc and the Uraeus (cobra).