MYTHICAL BEASTS- VII

American & Caribbean

61.       Thunderbird: the indigenous people of North America

tell of an enormous bird that causes the sound of thunder by beating its wings. Sheet lightning is said to be the bird blinking, whereas lightning bolts are made by glowing snakes  which  the  bird  carries  around  with  it.  The thunderbird is often portrayed as having two horns, and even teeth within its beak.

62.       Chupacabra:  first  sighted  in  Puerto  Rico,  but  with

encounters  now  stretching  across  the  whole  of  the
Americas, the Chupacabra - whose name literally means
‘goat sucker’ - attacks livestock, drinking their blood. An
incredibly modern mythical creature whose first attack
occurred in March 1995 (where eight sheep were discovered
dead, drained of blood and with puncture wounds in their
chests), the Chupacabra is believed to be the size of a small
bear, possessing a row of spines across its back and tail.

63.       Skunk Ape: essentially the Bigfoot of South-eastern USA,

the Skunk ape is also referred to as the Swamp Ape, Stink Ape or Myakka Ape. A foul-smelling hominid, this ape-like creature who walks on two legs has even been captured on camera (although some dispute the photos, saying they have been manipulated).

64.       Glawackus: the lumberjacks of early 20^th century North

America say this creature looked like a cross between a bear, a lion and a panther. Said to have attacked livestock in Connecticut and Massachusetts, the animal has never been caught despite a number of expeditions to find it.

65.     Nimerigar: according to the Shoshone people who inhabit

the Rocky Mountains in North America, a race of aggressive
people called the Nimerigar lived around the Wind River in
Wyoming; they were said to fire poisoned arrows at anyone
who approached, using tiny well-crafted bows. Although
dismissed as legend, in 1932 a mummy was found in a
cave nearby which was only fourteen inches tall in height.
Scientists put forward a theory that a physical deformity
could have manifested itself in the DNA of a community,
leading to the common occurrence of this ‘miniature’

appearance.

66.       Yacuruna: if you ever take a trip along the Amazon river,

make sure you look out for the Yacuruna. According to the
indigenous people of the region, these mythical water people
are described as being similar to humans in their form,
although their heads are backwards, they are hairier than
normal and they have deformed feet. Often accompanied
by a river serpent or riding on a crocodile, it is said they
roam the rainforest at night, using their ability to turn into
an attractive man to entice and capture their victims. The
Yacuruna live in upside-down cities in the Amazon river,
sleeping on hammocks made from feathers in palaces of
crystal with walls covered by pearls and fish scales.

67.       Boo Hag: in South Carolina and Georgia, people speak

in hushed tones of the Boo Hag - a creature much like a
vampire, although gaining sustenance from one’s breath
rather than one’s blood. As they have no skin of their own,
they will often steal it from their victim, wearing it for as
long as it will hold out. You may only be aware that you
have been visited by the Boo Hag if you wake up and feel
short of breath - or of course if you wake up and you are
missing your skin!

68.     Soucouyant: people of Dominica, Guadeloupe and Trinidad

tell of an old woman who lives at the edge of a village but
who sheds her skin at night, turning into a fireball to seek
victims. Entering their homes through keyholes or cracks
in the walls, she sucks people’s blood from them whilst they
sleep. As well as consuming the blood for nourishment,
she also trades for evil witchcraft powers with a demon
known as Bazil who lives in a silk cotton tree. It is possible
to catch one of these creatures by heaping rice at the village
crossroads; the Soucouyant will begin to gather it up grain-
by-grain at night - a task which takes so long that she can be
caught in the act the very next day.

69.       Squonk: in Pennsylvania at the turn of the 20^th century,

stories began to circulate of a beast with ill-fitting skin,
covered in warts and blemishes which spent most of its
time weeping due to its hideous appearance. This creature,
known as a Squonk, has an interesting defense mechanism

- it is able to dissolve completely into a pool of its own tears when threatened.

70.       Snallygaster: in the hills around Washington lives the

Snallygaster, a Dragon-like beast first spotted by German settlers in the early 18^th century. Half lizard, half bird, with a metallic beak full of razor-sharp teeth, this fearsome beast sucked the blood from its victims, and could only be kept at bay by seven pointed stars - which you can still see painted on dwellings in the area today.

The Chupacabra