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Fearsome critters was a collective term coined in early American lumberjack folklore for a variety of strange or frightening imaginary beasts that inhabited the timberwoods of North America and Canada. Lumberjacks in Oregon, c. ...
Most of the "fearsome critters" were invented as explanations for the difficulties and dangers that were a part of the desolate environment of the 19th-century lumberjack community. Some were, of course, invented as sheer entertainment in exaggerated "tall tales" and were used for teasing newcomers and gullible cityfolk. The creatures ranged from humorous animals, birds, reptiles, and insects to bizarre hybrids of terrifying description. Frequently the creature's name indicates some aspect of its behavior, such as the Come-At-A-Body or the Hide Behind; in other instances the name is derived from an older word such as the Fibbertigibbet (a witches familiar's name) or Harpy-Hag (a classical monster). Fearsome critter stories have been collected by history, folklore and backwoods enthusiasts. A tall tale is a story that claims to explain the reason for some natural phenomenon, or sometimes illustrates how skilled/intelligent/powerful the subject of the tale was. ...
List of fearsome critters
Felines Canines There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...
The splintercat (FELYNX ARBORDIFFISUS) is a fictional animal in the United States. ...
This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ...
The Whangdoodle is a fanciful creature, described by singer and actress Julie Andrews Edwards in her childrens novel The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles. ...
Fish An illustration of an axehandle hound. ...
Jorge Luis Borges (August 24, 1899 – June 14, 1986), was an Argentine writer who is considered one of the foremost literary figures of the 20th century. ...
Jorge Luis Borges wrote and edited the Book of Imaginary Beings in 1969, expanding his original 1957 Spanish edition El Libro de los Seres Imaginarios. ...
- Goofang - the Goofang swims backwards to keep the water from irritating its highly sensitive eyes
Snakes Humanoids The hoop snake is a legendary creature of the United States. ...
- Hidebehind - it would seize unwary lumberjacks and devour them, it was said to be so fast that it could hide behind the nearest tree before a man turned around. May be related to the wendigo.
- Leprechaun - North American variety of the Irish creature has since gone extinct in its native land.
Various critters A hidebehind is a folkloric creature that a human may spot in the corner of their eye, but disappears upon further inspection. ...
In order to meet Wikipedias quality standards, this articles trivia section requires cleanup. ...
The Argopelter is a monster of the Fearsome Critters variety, coined by the lumberjack community of the United States. ...
The hodag is a fictional animal of Wisconsin in the United States. ...
The jackalope — also called an antelabbit, horny bunny, aunt benny, or stagbunny — in folklore is said to be a cross between a jackrabbit and an antelope (hence the name), goat, or deer, and is usually portrayed as a rabbit with antlers. ...
The Marquette Monster is a legendary or mythical monster, similar to the hodag, that supposedly lives in and around Marquette, Michigan, USA. It is apparently to be distinguished from (Father) Marquettes Monster, the Piasa. ...
Sidehill Gougers are creatures said to inhabit the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia and the southwestern sandhills of Saskatchewan. ...
A shmoo is a fictional cartoon creature, created and first drawn by the cartoonist Al Capp in his newspaper comic strip Lil Abner. ...
The Squonk is a legendary creature reputed to live in the Hemlock forests of northern Pennsylvania. ...
References - Cox, William T. with Latin Classifications by George B. Sudworth. Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods. (Washington, D.C.: Judd & Detweiler Inc., 1910
- Boatright, Mody C. Tall Tales from Texas Cow Camps. (Dallas: The Southwest Press, 1934)
- Botkin, B.A. (Ed.) A Treasury of American Folklore. (New York: Crown Publishers, 1955)
- Davidson, Levette Jay & Forrester Blake (eds.). Rocky Mountain Tales. (Tulsa: University of Oklahoma Press, 1947)
- Leach, Maria (ed.) Funk & Wagnall's Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and Legend. (New York: Harper & Row, 1972)
- MacDougall, Curtis D. Hoaxes. (New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1958)
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