High School 2007

Mermaids - Andra - Third Hour

Mermaids, the goddesses of the sea, have been debated about for years. They are believed to be beautiful creatures with the upper body of a woman and a lower body resembling a long fish tail. These creatures inhabit the depths of the sea collecting lost treasures from shipwrecks luring passing sailors with their music. Mermaid’s intentions, good or bad, are unknown. Stories that they kidnap sailors, rape and murder them have circulated for centuries, however the opposite has also been said. They have been known to rescue sailors from death by drowning and returning them to safety while risking their own life. According to me, mermaids are something that was made up in an attempt to pass the time and the story has traveled through the years offering comfort to many as well as something to believe in. 

The existence of mermaids is supported with much credible evidence. When we are insecure with ourselves we often look for comfort in another object, for transgender children that object is merpeople. The fact that they live their life un-categorized by genitals fascinates many transgender children. Even if they do not exist mermaids appear real to us because we want them to exist so badly. There have been many supposed “sightings” of these creatures, usually claimed by sailors and fishermen. There is no way to positively say that mermaids do exist however they are believable. Carved into the sides of many ancient buildings in Europe are depictions of mermaids. In Notre Dame there are half fish, half human creatures carved into the stone in the pillars. In Italy there are mosaics showing women with fish tails guarding an underwater kingdom. The story of Atlantis is also an explanation of how these creatures could come about. As humans we were built to adapt to our surroundings. When a whole civilization sank into the ocean the men and women could have trained themselves to hold their breath for long amounts of time and their legs could have flattened from the pressure creating a fish like tail.

Doubt surrounds these creatures existence. The sightings by sailors have been discredited because of the circumstances under which they claimed these sightings. They had been out on the sea drinking salt water, unprotected from the elements and many suffered hallucinations. It has also been said that mermaids are a hoax made up by fishermen for money. People would pay to sit and listen of an encounter with such an exotic presence. It sounds ridiculous that something such as a mermaid could exist. A human who is able to breathe under water and withstand immense amounts of pressure while living under the water, there is no way that this could occur. One source that many mermaid believers depend on to defend their belief is Christopher Columbus. Christopher claimed that on his first voyage to America COUGH COUGH India, that he saw three mermaids. We all know how trustworthy he is. 

I believe that this paper has shown both sides to the spectrum, however the non-credible evidence strongly outweighs the credible. Excuse me for stomping on the beliefs of some but science is proof, and research shows that it is physically impossible for such a creature to exist. Don’t get me wrong there are many things that I believe in that I cannot see with my own eyes however, mermaids for as long as they have been supposedly been around, would have been exposed by now. I strongly believe that these are made up creatures whose saga has traveled through the years and that they are not, nor ever will exist. 

Resources

Figure 1: Shipwreck Angels http://northstargallery.com/mermaids/MermaidHistory2.htm Date Retrieved – April 7th, 2009

Pantheon.com http://www.pantheon.org/articles/m/mermaid.html Date Retrieved – April 7th, 2009

North Star Gallery http://northstargallery.com/mermaids/MermaidHistory2.htm Date Retrieved – April 7th, 2009

Endicott-Studio.com http://www.endicott-studio.com/jMA03Summer/theMermaid.html Date Retrieved – April 7th, 2009

Paradoxplace.com http://www.paradoxplace.com/Church_Stuff/Mermaids.htm Date Retrieved – April 7th, 2009

Jersey Devil - Brandon - Third Hour

The Jersey Devil, an evil creature that looks like a mix between a white horse and a stork, whose eerie shriek and haunting presence brands fear into the hearts of men, has been haunting the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey for centuries now. But is this creature truly lurking in abandoned barns and dense thickets, or is it nothing more than a hoax? The answer has been evading locals for years. But in essence, this creature probably has more than its feet planted in the grounds of legend.

The legend of the creature itself comes out of Leeds Point, the supposed birthplace of the beast. It is said that a Mrs. Leeds, a resident of Leeds Point, was hoping that if she ever got pregnant with another child, that it would turn out to be a devil. Well, she did get pregnant and she gave birth to a horrid looking child. For years she kept him hidden, but he eventually escaped on a stormy night through the homes chimney. It is also rumored that he was seen by Commodore Stephan Decatur, a brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, sighted the beast and shot it with a cannon, after which it casually flew away. Sightings have been recorded many times throughout the last couple centuries, mostly in groups every fifty years or so.

Many people, on the other hand, believe that the Jersey Devil is nothing more than a hoax, or the figments of some peoples’ wild imaginations. A very possible explanation may be the Sand hill Crane. This bird could have easily been mistaken for a monster, in that it is around four feet tall, has a wing span of eighty or so inches, has white plumage, and makes an awful call similar to that described by people who have sighted the Jersey Devil. Also in support of this theory, most of the sightings were in the dark hours of the day, so the crane’s identity could have been misconceived.

Many people do believe this creature sulks around southern New Jersey, and many do not. But what do I believe? I believe that there is no such thing as the Jersey Devil. I do believe however, that the scientific world has yet to discover many species, with the Jersey Devil possibly among them. But for now, I believe they are a hoax, a myth, a legend, and until evidence proves itself, I am firm in my beliefs. 

References

Jersey Devil. . Retrieved on 3 April 2009

The Jersey Devil. . Retrieved on 3 April 2009

The Jersey Devil. . Retrieved on 3 April 2009

The Jersey Devil (Fact or Fiction). . Retrieved On 3 April 2009

Bunyip - Chad - Third Hour

The Bunyip is a mythical creature that has been known to live around southern Australia. It is said to have a dog-like face, dark almost black fur, horse tail, flippers, and either tusks, or horns. They were given the name Bunyip which means “A devil” or “A malevolent spirit”. I believe that this could actually be a real creature/animal.

It was first sighted around New South Wales in the early 1800’s. Unusually large animal bones (much like a hippo) were found at Lake Bathurst, New South Wales by Hamilton Hume. Sightings of bunyips were in lakes, rivers, waterholes, and billabongs by early European settlers in Australia. In the late 1800’s many sightings of bunyips were in South Australia and were documented as being “12 to 14 feet long”.

Some people believe that they heard a booming or roaring noise coming from the swamp that it lives and that it has been eating women and children. It is also believed that it has the call of a bittern marsh bird. The bunyip will make this call if it is about to kill or after a kill to celebrate its kill. They are also sometimes referred to as “waterdogs”.

So I believe that this could be a real creature/animal because the information given about the bunyip is much like that of newly found animals today, so the bunyip could be the mixture of many different types of animals. What do you think??

References:

Title: The Bunyip, Retrieved Date: April 6, 2009, Web Address: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunyip

Title: Figure 1, Retrieved Date: April 6, 2009, Web Address: http://www.cryptozoology.com/cryptids/images/bunyip05.jpg

Title: The Bunyip, Retrieved Date: April 7, 2009, Web Address: http://www.helium.com/items/871945-the-bunyip-australias-unknown-creature

Title: The Bunyip, Retrieved Date April 7, 2009, Web Address: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/84809/bunyip#

Gnomes - Cody - Third Hour

Imagine a very small person with a long pointy cap on, running around your yard causing mischief and mayhem. These creatures are often referred as garden Gnomes. Their existence has been debated for many years. They may just be figment of ones imagination used to blame for things whose cause is unknown, or perhaps they exist in our everyday lives. My belief on the idea of the existence of Gnomes is preposterous.

Gnomes are believed to be 15cm tall, but with its cap on it appears much taller. Their feet are somewhat pigeon toed which gives them extra speed and agility through the wood and grass. The males weigh 300 grams and the females weigh 250-275 grams. Most gnomes are 7 times stronger than a man, they also can run at speeds of 35mph, and have better sight then a hawk.

I believe that the idea of little people running around in gardens is absurd. I believe that if they did have little people they would have extreme health issues. It is physically impossible for someone of that stature to run do speeds of 35mph, it is even impossible for full grown humans to obtain running speeds of that nature. There is no video evidence that supports the idea that Gnomes even exist. If they do exist how would they have come about, and why have they not been exposed to the general public.

It is obvious that the non credible information out weighs the credible information, therefore proving my thesis that Gnomes do not exist. Although many people believe in Gnomes I think that we should work to discredit this insane idea.

References

Forest Gnome http://423smith.com/wp-content/gnomes.jpg Date Retrieved-April 8th, 2009

Monstrous.com http://faerie.monstrous.com/gnomes.htm Date Retrieved-April 6th, 2009

Gnomeland.co.uk http://www.gnomeland.co.uk/HISTORY.htm Date Retrieved-April 6th, 2009

the-artistic-garden.com http://www.the-artistic-garden.com/garden-gnome.html Date Retrieved-April 6th, 2009

Gargoyles - Dahlia - Thrid Hour

When I was a little girl my mom used to tell me that gargoyles brought good luck your way. We have gargoyles around the house to bring us good fortune. Do Gargoyles really bring you good luck? Do they hold special spiritual powers? Do they hold devilish evil powers or godly good spirited powers? Can they be real? Do you believe that they’re real? What makes Gargoyles cryptids? Gargoyles are considered to be cryptids because many people believe that they are real, as long as many people do not believe they’re real which makes gargoyles hidden animals. Gargoyles came from the French word “Gargouille” meaning throat or gulp and have existed since the early Greeks. They were originally designed as a water spout built to guide the water off of the roofs of buildings and cathedrals. Eventually Gargoyles became more ornamental than used as spouts. Most of them were made in the medieval Gothic period. There are a whole variety of cryptids which can possible be mixtures of different animals. In Harry Potter there was a man, horse mix, they were called centars. Gargoyles have their own mixture which is lion, goat, and a snake mix. These are called Chimeras. Architectural buildings no longer make Gargoyles on the edges of the buildings because of the danger. They were built so long ago that they started to erode and break apart sending pieces crashing to the ground, making it an unsafe for pedestrians walking under them. I believe that Gargoyles really bring good luck to you and ward off evil spirits.

Legend says that the originally gargoyles are based on a legendary dragon named La Gargouille. Does that sound familiar? Alright, so here is how the legend goes. There was once a beastly dragon named La Gargouille. He terrorized a small village by the river Seine (which is now part of France). People tried to live in peace with the beast by sacrificing criminals for him to eat. A strong, Christian Knight told the villagers that he would help them by killing the dragon if they all converted to Christianity. We all know how this ends. The villagers in vain agree. The Knight slays the dragon and burns him to the stake. But because the dragon breathed fire, and the heat was located in the neck and above, he would not burn. The original structure of the Gargoyles comes from the remains of the dragon that wouldn’t burn. People believe that because the dragon was so evil that all Gargoyles possessed evil, devilish powers. While people would look up at gargoyles and think curses upon them, others thought they were godly and scared off the evil. 

 

I couldn’t come upon reasons and facts why people do not believe in them. But my opinion is that out of a group of people there are always the people who need facts. Are there any recorded records dating back to 600 A.D. describing where they came from? Not quite, people need to see things to believe them. No body can really see the spiritual energy that flows through mysterious creatures.  How can someone see stone fighting evil? Not happening. If you’ve ever seen ghost busters you see how there are gargoyles and you‘ll see how people think the whole ghost business is a joke. People laughed and made fun of them, but they kept insisting. When ghosts started to haunt people more and more, and eyes guided upon mysterious transparencies people believed ghost busters. There really hasn’t been evidence that Gargoyles have actually done something other than sit on top of a cathedral or building and spit water out.

Why I believe Gargoyles are real is because of the Legend of “La Gargouille”. Religion had a big part that era. It was similar to when the Christians started stealing holidays from the pagans and telling them that they have to convert to Christianity or die. But that’s a whole other story. However, the only difference between that and the Knight is that he bribed. Everyone has their religious beliefs. Ever since I started this project I got more into gargoyles and knowing what they were all about, I believed them more. I feel protected when gargoyle statues are around. They are such fierce looking beasts that it’s as if evil is afraid of them. I believe in gargoyles because The Legend of “La Gargouille” proved it to me.

References:

Title: Gargoyles Date Retrieved: April 2, 2009 Web Address: http://www.mythicalrealm.com/creatures/gargoyle.html

Title: Gargoyles Date Retrieved: April 2, 2009 Web Address: http://www.newanimal.org/gargoyles.htm

Title: Gargoyles Date Retrieved: April 2, 2009 Web Address: http://northstargallery.com/gargoyles/aboutgargoyles.htm

Title: Gargoyles Date Retrieved: April 2, 2009 Web Address: http://www.newanimal.org/gargoyles.htm

Title: Figure 1, Gothic Gargoyle Date Retrieved: April 7, 2009 Web Address: http://s7d3.scene7.com/is/image/DesignToscano/CL3689?$detail$

Title: Gargoyles Date Retrieved: April 7, 2009 Web Address: http://www.ehow.com/about_4565291_gothic-gargoyles.html

Mongolian Death Worm - Grecia - Third Hour

Investigations turn up empty handed but there is still the fear and terror over the Mongolian Death Worm. The Mongolian Death Worm has a reputation for being incredibly venomous and deadly. It is also called the “intestine worm” because of its look even though it is not an internal parasite. The Mongolian Death Worm is a creature known for its killings but there is credible and non-credible information out there on its existence. My belief on this cryptid is that the Mongolian Death Worm is non-existent.  

Is the deathworm even a worm? Scientist say that the Mongolian Death Worm may not even be a worm because worms can not survive in such an environment as the Gobi Desert. They need moisture in order to continue living. Eyewitness accounts are numerous and frequent with the sightings of the deathworm. Cryptozoologists and scientists spent months in the Gobi Desert but there were no sightings of the worm.  Lead researcher, Richard Freeman, said, “Every eyewitness account and story we have heard describes exactly the same thing: a red-brown worm-like snake, approximately two feet long and two inches thick with no discernable head or back .”

Even though eyewitness accounts are numerous and frequent, there are several aspects of the Mongolian Death Worm that make it unbelievable. Stories from eyewitnesses say that this creature can kill its prey from several feet away. It is also believed to be like a rattlesnake in the way that they can kill a human by biting their footprint. It is said that if a rattlesnake bits the impression of your foot print left in the sand, it will kill you. Its only supernatural characteristic supposedly is that it can kill from a distance without spraying its venom. 

My belief on the Mongolian Death Worm is that it is non-existent. Not one has been found to prove its existence and put an end to the terror it causes. The non-believable information that I found helps me not to believe in it. Also the fact that it can not survive in such an environment as the Gobi Desert. Therefore, my belief in this cryptid has not changed. 

Resources

In Search of the Mongolian Death Worm http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi93qCqcZrS8TyIF_vRJC2juTVphymUQvF8dzI1KeX8HkjyhBrJ1aiLNtoue9gBW_dHvVZe2j8r1t4h7lXbpkM_o_ABhHmpJybtcmJ23DMFkxrAXQPZzDYMXVfzicmXX4jsYR8kUD8U5tVX/s320/mongolian_death_worm_2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.nature-spot.com/2009/02/in-search-of-mongolian-death-worm.html&usg=__Z9qX4LGiFwLX7V7sXLP2tjzLBPk=&h=246&w=320&sz=27&hl=en&start=32&um=1&tbnid=uWv2-c5nsEgwvM:&tbnh=91&tbnw=118&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmongolian%2Bdeath%2Bworm%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive%26sa%3DN%26start%3D20%26um%3D1&safe=on . Retrieved on: April 7, 2009

The Mongolian Death Worm www.virturesciencecom/mongolian-death-worm.html/ . Retrieved on: April 3rd, 2009

The Cryptid Zoo: Mongolian Death Worm (or Olgoi-Khorkhoi) http://www.newanimal.org/deathworm.html . Retrieved on: April 3rd, 2009

Unexplained Mysteries :: The Mongolian Death Worm http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/column.php?id=98249 . Retrieved on: April 6th, 2009

Freeman, Richard, “In Search of the Mongolian Death Worm” ttp://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi93qCqcZrS8TyIF_vRJC2juTVphymUQvF8dzI1KeX8HkjyhBrJ1aiLNtoue9gBW_dHvVZe2j8r1t4h7lXbpkM_o_ABhHmpJybtcmJ23DMFkxrAXQPZzDYMXVfzicmXX4jsYR8kUD8U5tVX/s320/mongolian_death_worm_2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.nature-spot.com/2009/02/in-search-of-mongolian-death-worm.html&usg=__Z9qX4LGiFwLX7V7sXLP2tjzLBPk=&h=246&w=320&sz=27&hl=en&start=33&um=1&tbnid=uWv2-c5nsEgwvM:&tbnh=91&tbnw=118&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmongolian%2Bdeath%2Bworm%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive%26sa%3DN%26start%3D20%26um%3D1&safe=on . Retrieved on: April 8, 2009

Werewolf - James - Third Hour

Werewolves are human like wolves. They go from human to beast. They first start growing hair from every part of the body then grows the snout and claws. They go through the transformation under the Full Moon. It is called lycanthropy. They do not know if these are real or fake. Their have been sightings all around the world. Some scientist say they are wolves who evolved to walk on their hind legs and walk like a human. I do believe there are out their but very few of them left.

Werewolves have been spotted all around the world. In Colongne and Bedburg in 1591 was the first sighting of the werewolf. The village people cornered the wolf and started stabbing him. The wolf didn’t fight back or protect itself but stood up and turned out to be Peter Stubbe. Also in the medieval days the peasants was the source of the werewolf delusions. Ergot was an infection to food grains that is closely related to LSD which is a hallucinogenic psychiatric drug that makes you loose self-control and extreme terror and blurring of feelings between individuals and environment. About 135 people were treated and six of them died of poisoning. And this is where the thought of werewolves came from.

Back to Peter Stubbe his downfall was when he was 12 he started practicing sorcery. He supposedly made a pact to the devil. He’d take guise as a wolf and perform deeds that are more brutal. He would attack the throat and suck the warm blood. Well mistake their, werewolves don’t suck blood they eat the flesh of their kill. Some say that they fully turn to a wolf which in my belief they don’t turn into an exact wolf they walk like humans. They have extended jaws bigger bodies but look similar to it. People say they are just projections of demons or that the devil is playing tricks with people to make them believe that they are a wolf.

As I said before I do believe that there are werewolves out there. I think it is logical that they do exist because in modern day animals do change to the environment and expectably with supposedly the government experiments. But then again some stories of the werewolves have some fraud into it. Peter Stubbe’ story was fake due to the sorcery and making a pact to the devil. If werewolves do exist they’d live in forest at night unless feeding and in the city or town in the morning.

Resources

Werewolves (Lycans) Retrieve Date: Apr 7th, 2009 http://www.newanimal.org/werewolf_helsing.jpg

Werewolves (Lycans) Retrieve Date: Apr 7th, 2009 http://www.newanimal.org/werewolves.htm

Werewolves (Lycans) Retrieve Date: Apr 7th, 2009 http://members.tripod.com/alam25/first.htm

Werewolves (Lycans) Retrieve Data: Apr 8th, 2009 http://www.mythicalrealm.com/legends/werewolf.html

Werewolves (Lycans) Retrieve Data: Apr 8th, 2009 http://www.crystalinks.com/werewolves.html

Kraken - Janay - Third Hour

Have you ever wondered where the author of “Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End” came up with the giant octopus called the Kraken? The Kraken is a very large octopus with 65ft. arm span that could strangle every part of your body. There is said to be many types of giant octopus living among us, but are they real? Of course they are. My belief on the giant octopus is that it is existent.

Off the coast of Florida, it is said that if you go deep sea diving, you may encounter the giant octopus called the lusca. It is said to be alive in the underwater caves commonly known as blue holes. Lusca is said to grow between 75 ft. to 200 ft. long. Near Oregon there are giant octopus called cephalopods. There are about 250 types of octopus  cephalopods. The giant pacific octopus spend there time in small caves and cracks underwater. The life span for them is 3 to 5 years.  The most convincing reason for believing that there is a giant octopus is that some very large carcasses found washed up on beaches. The one octopus that every one seems familiar with is the Kraken. There reports a sea monster with tentacles lumped together. They where most likely referring to the colossal octopus. Those were believed to be the ones that threaten ships.

The information that I have gathered is quite convincing Yet there are still doubts. Scientist have been trying to see these creatures but the majority of them are hidden in the deepest cracks in the ocean. So deep that your lungs will collapse with that much water pressure.

In my point of view I think the giant octopus is real because it has been spotted by sailors from all over the world and not just one place. Even though they are hard to find does not mean they are not there. I think people don’t want to believe in this creature because it is so frightening. but people have to realize that this is among us.

References

The Cryptid Zoo: Giant Octopus http://www.newanimal.org/octopus.htm date retrieved April 7 ,2009

Giant Octopus. jpg(JPEG image,350x600)-scaled(93%) http://www.larsgrantwest.com/PAGES/large%20samples/Giant-octopus.jpg date retrieved April 7, 2009

Oregon State Education http://saegiant.oregonstate.edu/sgpubs/onlinepubs/g02007.pdf/ date retrieved April 6, 2009

The Kraken: Is this mythical creature real? http://childrencomefirst.com/kraken.shtml date retrieved April 7, 2009

Quagga - Jennifer - Third Hour

The quagga is a cross species between a zebra and a donkey. It is known to have the head of a zebra and a butt of a donkey with pure white legs. This species does not have evidence of still being alive. Although there is some evidence that thy once were living. I believe that the once known quagga still exists and the genetic connections are still able to be brought back out by the right breeding. 

Credible evidence shows that the quagga species existed but are now extinct. They were around in 1840’s but the extinction only took thirty years. The only known quagga photographed was at Regent's Park Zoo mare in London. The pictures were taken by Fredrick Yark and Frank Haes in 1870’s. The quagga is part of the animalia kingdom. Its phylum is chordate, and its class is mammalia. The family of the quagga is equidae. The quagga even has different names in other places such as Dutch where they are called Kaapse Quagga, French where they are called Zèbre Couagga, Swedish where they are called Kvagga, and Spanish where they are called Cuagga. With that giving you credible evidence that not only did it exist but, it was well known throughout other places also. 

Some people do not believe that the quagga has ever existed. This is because they were so rare with barely any pictures to prove they existed. It is said that they only lived for thirty years and then they were extinct. This could be because they never really existed. They could have been just an off bred of zebras. That didn’t fully generate its traits. If there was some evidence today of the genetics in that of a quagga still existed then maybe others would believe in this quagga tale. As of now though there is no great credible evidence that the quagga was just a mentally challenged zebra that didn’t fully grow. 

In conclusion this specific cryptid known as the quagga is extinct. That is, if it ever did exist. The quagga was a mix of a donkey and a zebra, with pure white legs. It has no special traits other then being unique. There were two known quaggas’ listed on the internet. And only one known quagga that was photographed. I do in fact believe that the quagga once did exist and if we breed the right zebras we will once again have quaggas.

Resources

[http://www.petermaas.nl/extinct/speciesinfo/quagga.htm] Figure 1—retrieved: April 06, 2009

[http://www.messybeast.com/extinct/quagga.htm] The quagga—retrieved: April 06, 2009

[http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/mammal/mesaxonia/quagga.html] An audio introduction to the quagga—retrieved: April 07, 2009

[http://www.quaggaproject.org/] The quagga project in south Africa—retrieved: April 07, 2009

Tatzelwurm - Jessica - Third Hour

Tatzelwurm’s are classified as cryptid’s, because no one really knows whether they exist or not. The Tatzelwurm, German for claw worm, was reported in the Alps of Austria and Switzerland for hundreds of years.  The Tatzelwurm is known by many regional names such as “The Stollenwurm”, which means tunnel worm, “The Bergstutzen” which means mountain stump, and “The Springwurm” which means jumping worm.  I actually do believe there were once Tatzelwurm’s on this planet because after all, out of every myth and legend, there is always some fact.  Descriptions of the creature vary some what but all seem to describe a stumpy lizard like creature between 2 to 6 feet long.  

The Tatzelwurm is a dragon-like beast reported to have been in many places, such as the Alps of Switzerland, Austria, Bavaria, and France where it is known as many different names. It has smooth hairless skin, delicate scales, and can grow up to six feet long. All Tatzelwurm’s have two front legs and the hind legs are either missing or vestigial.  The head of a Tatzelwurm is the most distinctive part of the body. It has big eyes and looks like a cat.  There is little evidential proof that the Tatzelwurm is real, but what there is, is quite believable. Reported sightings of this creature have become so rare, Crypto zoologist’s think that if in fact the Tatzelwurm does exist, it may be extinct today.  The first sighting of a Tatzelwurm was in the seventeen hundreds, by a farmer who claimed it attacked his livestock (particularly a hog). The farmer was so frightened by the attack, he suffered a heart attack the same day and died, Reports has ranged through out Switzerland since then till present day. If you’ll notice, the image above illustrates this happening.

There are many more resources stating that the Tatzelwurm is in fact a hoax. Most speculations on what it might have been all center around lizards, salamanders, snakes, and otters.  Some salamanders often had vastly shriveled legs, therefore, that might also be how the Tatzelwurm was believed to have no back legs. Some think that the Tatzelwurm was just a large salamander with little or no back legs that once inhabited the European Alps. Perhaps it was considered a mythical cryptid because it was usually hidden under water and had seldom encounters with people. Many believe that it was probably more comfortable in water, but with having front legs, could still get by on land.  Similar creatures also described as looking like the Tatzelwurm have also been told to be in thousand year old Scandanavian folklore. 

As I stated earlier, I in fact do believe that the Tatzelwurm once did exist on this planet.  After researching, viewing pictures, and reading many people’s blog’s, I have concluded it is real. There are many recorded attacks, such as the one above in paragraph two. The over- all fact in why I believe it is real is actually a personal quote. It is “After all, out of every myth and legend, there is always some fact that starts it.”

References:

Title: Tatzelwurm, Fact or Fiction? [Image 1; Date retrieved: April 6 2009] Web Address: http://www.fortunecity.com/roswell/siren/552/tatzelwurm.jpg

Title: Tatzelwurm, Fact or Fiction? [Image 2; Date retrieved: April 6 2009] Web Address: http://www.monstropedia.org/index.php?title=Tatzelwurm

Title: Tatzelwurm, Fact or Fiction? [Reference site 1; Date retrieved: April 6 2009] Web Address: http://www.unknownexplorers.com/tatzelwurm.php

Title: Tatzelwurm, Fact or Fiction? [Reference site 2; Date retrieved: April 6 2009] Web Address: http://www.monstropedia.org/index.php?title=Tatzelwurm

Title: Tatzelwurm, Fact or Fiction? [Reference site 3; Date retrieved: April 6 2009] Web Address: http://www.newanimal.org/tatzel.htm

Pixies - Larissa - Third Hour

Pixies are mischievous mythical creatures of folklore. Believed to have originated from Ireland. Their features are usually described as having pointed ears, they are often wearing a green outfit and a pointed hat, and their eyes are also described as being pointed upwards at the temple ends. I believe that these little creatures are actually real.

People think that they are just little people or fallen angels and there are two theories too support these accusations. Some people believe that the pixies may have been a race of people who weren’t good enough for heaven and weren’t bad enough for hell, and would have to remain on earth forever because of this. The second theory is that they were druids who refused to accept Christianity and were condemned to grow smaller and smaller until they did.

Pixies are very playful creatures and they love to play tricks on people. They like to steal peoples things and throw it at them, they would steal horses but give them back before dawn, with tangled manes to show they had been their. Sometimes pixies would also lead travelers in the wrong direction.

To the people in Ireland pixies aren’t always good. So they believe that if you feel the fine magic on you then you should turn your jacket inside out to confuse them so you can escape. They can also be repelled with iron, fire, oatmeal, urine, the bible, and other holy symbols. The most powerful one is iron because it actually burns their skin and can kill them if it gets into their blood.

I can’t find any facts or proof that pixies don’t exist, but the number one reason why people don’t believe in them is because they can’t see them.

In conclusion my feelings towards them being real are very strong this is because of the evidence I found while researching, but the main one was the stories from different people and what they would do to respect them. Now the question is do you believe in them?

References

Title: Pixies, Retrieved Date April 6, 2009, Web address: www.monstropedia.org

Title: Figure one, Retrieved Date April 6, 2009, Web address: www.faerieworlds.com 

Title: Pixies, Retrieved Date April 8, 2009, Web address: www.answers.yahoo.com

Dey Loy Ape - Malia - Third Hour

Have you ever wondered where the idea of ‘King Kong’ and ‘Planet of the Apes’ came from? There are many movies that were made up for these man-like monkeys, but who came up with them? Or better yet has anyone ever really discovered one of these mysterious creatures? There is said to be two sightings, yet only one came back with evidence. Some believe in the de Loy Apes; while others, like myself, do not think the ape even exists.

In the early 1900s, a man named François de Loy set out to explore South America. On one of his expeditions, while he and his men were taking a much needed break; two, five foot tall, human/spider monkey-like creatures walked out of the forest. Both, man and creature were frightened of the other. De Loy’s men grabbed their guns and shot at the male, killing the female. The male ran and vanished back into the forest. De Loy and his men propped her on a box and steadied her head with a stick. They proceeded to take a photo, thus the only true evidence of this creature. When they returned to France, de Loy claimed that the ape had human-like features and 32 teeth, instead of the normal 36. While several zoologists have studied this photo after de Loy’s discovery, all have concluded that it is has so many significant details, that it could not have been faked. The crate that is in the photo is 18-20 inches high, which proves that that ape was indeed five foot.

On the contrary; some zoologists believe that François de Loy ‘discovered’ this unbelievable creature as proof that most major races come from ape anscestry. There was no conclusive evidence of this ape ever being alive; before or after the de Loy sightings. The skull, jaw, and hide were removed and preserved after the photo was taken, all being abandoned on the troublesome trip back. There is no clear evidence of this creature ever being alive. Even if there were a little more evidence found, one fact would remain the same no matter how anyone tries to prove otherwise: there are NO apes in South America. It goes against scientific evolution theories, ALL great apes are found in Asia and Africa.

References

The Cryptid Zoo: Giant Monkey. April 7, 2009. http://www.newanimal.org/gmonkey.htm  

De Loy’s Ape- Ten Car Train. April 7, 2009. http://www.tencartrain.com/?p=629#comment6059

Dr. François de Loy and de Loy’s Ape. (Figure 1) April 7, 2009. http://www.bigfootencounters.com/hominids/drfrancois.htm

Ameranthropoides Loysi. April 7, 2009. http://www.ufodigest.com/news/1107/anthropoides-loysi.html 

Pheonix - Samantha - Third Hour

For decades humanity has been looking for the key to immortality, the Phoenix however has that knowledge. Cryptozoology is summarized as the study of hidden creatures. These creatures may or may not exist. As for this flaming cryptid, the Phoenix, I believe that it is impossible for it to exist based on the combined research of credible and non-credible research.

What makes is possible for the Phoenix to exist? Sightings of the Phoenix have been reported saying that it resembles a large eagle or a heron (See figure one). It is large in size and has a wide wingspan. The Phoenix nests just as other birds do, high in the mountains where it is less likely to be spotted. As well as normal bird nesting the Phoenix hunts like an eagle would. The Phoenix swoops down to catch it’s rabbit-sized prey. The Phoenix behaves like a normal bird would, supporting its existence.

The earlier mentioned immortality is not yet a discovered ability on Earth therefore the Phoenix’s life cycle—immortality is very much impossible. From Arabian stories to Greek stories they all believe the same life cycle for this incredible bird. In all stories of the Phoenix, after 500 years the bird sets extra twigs in its nest and bursts into flames leaving an insulated egg which holds the next generation Phoenix. 500 years and being reborn is highly unlikely. Only one Phoenix is said to be alive at a time, which leaves a microscopic chance that this bird is possible to exist and be seen.

Although the Phoenix nests and hunts like a typical bird, there is only one Phoenix ever alive at a time, if this bird is real, what is the likelihood that it has been spotted? It is probable that the Phoenix exists. We have not yet found immortality so, until we do find it I think that the Phoenix is nothing but maybe an eagle or heron that was seen wrong. In my opinion, it is impossible for this mysterious flaming bird to exist.

Resources

Mythical Pheonix Bird  Retrieve Date: April 7, 2009 (figure 1)

Rise of The Phoenix  Retrieve Date: April 3, 2009

Was the Phoenix Even Real? Retrieve Date:  April 3, 2009

Science fantasy: Phoenix a real bird  Retrieve Date: April 3, 2009 

Griffin - Susan - Third Hour

Over the centuries the griffin has taken many shapes and many roles. The griffin has the head, wings, and claws of an eagle with the body of a lion to indicate that one must combine intelligence and strength. It has the speed, flight and penetrating vision as an eagle with the strength, courage and majesty of a lion. No one is sure whether or not this creature is truly real but I, for one, do not believe it is even physically possible for lion and eagle to be combined unless genetic engineering has taken effect.

The only plausible evidence that these creatures did in fact exist are the stories told and the art presented. People believed griffins came from Northern Russia, Ethiopia, and India. They were said to be the guardians of hoards of gold high in the mountains and defending it against all who wanted some of it. Some say the griffin was good, some say it was bad. In later Greek art the griffin was depicted as a fierce beast and no longer a protector. The ones who said the griffin was good (church people) saw it as "a symbol of the earthly and divine natures of Christ".

The implausible is that there is no physical way that a lion and eagle could be combined unless today’s technology and science found a way to do so. There are no traces of any evidence that these winged lions ever really existed except for within our minds. 

I do not believe that a Griffin could have or ever will be a real creature. It just doesn’t make any sense how a lion and eagle can be combined unless, like I have stated before, genetic engineering gave way. 

Reference:

Griffins - The Eagle and the Lion http://www.crystalinks.com/griffins.html Retrieve Date: April 3 2009

Griffins http://monsters.monstrous.com/griffins.htm Retrieve Date: April 3 2009

Griffin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffin Retrieve Date: April 3 2009

Griffin http://absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Griffin Retrieve Date: April 7 2009

Werewolf - Amber - Fourth Hour

The loup garou, also known as werewolves, have been the subject of controversy for centuries.  Often one will find accounts of an attack on a medieval village where the surviving people claim to have been assailed by wolf-men” or a Native American story of valiant warriors with the ability to transform themselves into great wolves.  Even today from the field of psychology to the craft of movie making werewolves have been howling their way from fiction to possible actuality.  The term loup garou can also be described as a classification for mythical shape shifters and depending on the culture or folktale they may or may not include wolfs.  Loup garou is from the old French term leu garoul; leu meaning wolf (from the Latin lupus) and garoul, werewolf (of Germanic origin).  It is my hope that through the presentation of information collected here that I will be able to illustrate my belief in the loup garou.

The typical Hollywood werewolf can be described as a man, possessed by a curse, who, by the light of the full moon, must transform to that of a deformed wolf like creature. Other cultures have described such beings to be men who are merely shape shifters, and have the ability to become a wolf as they so desire. While still others believe werewolves to be humans who, by some act of sin or neglect of religious duties, are cursed by spirit witches or God to serve some malevolent entity (the devil, the witch or spirit that cursed them).  One such legend, according to Armenian belief, states that there are women who as the result of deadly sins they had committed, are cursed to spend seven years as a wolf creature.  It is said that by night a spirit will visit the woman and present to her the skin of a wolf, ordering her to wear it, as soon as she does, the woman is taken over by the most monstrous cravings.  Following her transformation she will devour her children one by one, and then the children of family members and so forth based on the degree of blood relations.  Until, at last the children of complete strangers are to fall prey to her blood lust.  These cursed women will only hunt at night and when morning draws near she will remove the wolf’s skin.

Many modern researchers have attempted to explain werewolf phenomena as the result of many recognized medical conditions.  Dr Lee Illis composed a paper in 1963 entitled On Porphyria and the Aetiology of Werewolves, in which he argues that historical accounts of werewolf attacks could have been referring to victims of congenital porphyria, stating how the symptoms of photosensitivity, reddish teeth and psychosis could have been grounds for accusing a sufferer of being a werewolf.  People suffering from Downs Syndrome have been suggested by some scholars to have been possible starting points for werewolf myths. Others have suggested rabies as the origin of werewolf beliefs, claiming remarkable similarities between the symptoms of the disease and some of the legends. It is also said that the idea that being bitten by a werewolf could result in the victim turning into one, which suggested the idea of a transmittable disease like rabies. A recent theory has been provided to explain werewolf incident in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries. Ergot, which can cause forms of food borne illness, is a fungus that grows in place of rye grains in wet growing seasons after very cold winters. Ergot poisoning usually affects whole towns or at least poor sections of towns and results in hallucinations, mass hysteria and paranoia, as well as convulsions and sometimes death. (LSD can be derived from ergot.) Ergot poisoning has been proposed as both a cause of an individual believing that he or she is a werewolf and of a whole town believing that they had seen a werewolf.

It seems clear that whether the loup garou are in the form depicted by popular movies such as “American werewolf in Paris” and “the wolf-man” or in that of a mad man’s psychosis, it is not so impractical to say these creatures exist.  All over the world dating back to the beginning of recorded history tales and ravings of men that are wolves have established themselves to be truths. It is said that if the mind believes it, the body will to. So whether werewolves are supernatural or a disease of the mind it is my belief they exist in this world.  It’s up to each person to decide for themselves: which do you fear the most, the prowlers of the night, or the power of your own mind?

Resources

“History of the werewolf” date retrieved: March 6, 2009 http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Werewolf__History_of_the_werewolf/id/5260151

“Loup garou in Paris” date retrieved: March 6, 2009 http://werewolves.monstrous.com/werewolf_france.htm

“The werewolf” date retrieved: March 6, 2009 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werewolf

“American werewolf tales” date retrieved: March 6, 2009 http://www.americanfolklore.net/folktales/quebec3.html

Centaur - Brittany - Fourth Hour

A centaur is a creature with the head, torso, and arms of a man and body and legs of a horse. It connects at the spine, having all of the bones a horse would have from the neck down. It still has all of the bones a man has from the waste up. I believe centaurs were not real.

Half-man half-horse offspring were produced from Centaurus mating with mares from Magnesia, located in southern Thessaly. Centaurs are in many rock paintings that are over thirty two thousand years old. They went extinct because they were shot with arrows dipped in Hydra-blood, because of there actions. Centaurs were alcoholic and had bad tempers. They would get drunk and try to rape the women; therefore they were nothing but a hassle.

When men were away in battle, animals were used for food and sex. This is how a centaur came into existence. Humans were having animal babies, and animals were having human babies.

I believe centaurs were not real, because there are no skeletons of a full centaur. They have found “parts” of a centaur, but bones could easily be mixed together with no proof that they were at one point conjoined. A centaur has the torso and organs of a man for the upper half of there body, so they would have to eat something other then grass. I also do not under stand how the digestive system would work. Having two stomachs, I do not know how they would use the bathroom.

References

http://www.cc.gatech.edu/aimosaic/students/centaur/Images/mythb-tiny.gif title: Mythological Anatomy, Charles A. Stigliano Date Retrieved: April 8, 2009
http://monsters.monstrous.com/centaurs.htm title: Centaurs. Date Retrieved: April 8, 2009
http://english.pravda.ru/science/19/94/377/16284_centaur.html title: /science Date Retrieved: April 8, 2009
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_do_centaurs_eat title: What do centaurs eat? Date Retrieved: April 8, 2009

La Llorona - Daya - Fourth Hour

La llorona was a beautiful woman. She had long black hair and an amazing smile. She was so beautiful that every guy wished to be with her. Her name was Maria. She married the most handsome man Mr. Cortes. One day her husband told her he was going to leave her and get remarried but still wanted to see there children. Maria was so hurt and upset that she thought of killing her children so she wouldn’t have anything to remember Mr. Cortes. Maria then killed them and herself. As I was getting older my family kept telling me the story over and over. I was terrified and till this day I still believe she’s real. In the middle of the night I would hear a woman crying. I feared if it was her so I never had the nerve to go outside.

As years have passed her story becomes more popular in the Hispanic culture. The story has also been changed around to make it scarier. People from all over the world have sworn that they’ve seen her and some have said they’ve even heard her. Stories have said that a little girl heard a cry so she went outside to figure out where it was coming from. The little girl hasn’t been seen ever since. When people see la llorona, she has a white dress on. In which she wore before drowning her children and herself.

Many people have thought of this as just a scared story to tell the young ones. As people change the story it’s more likely that more people think it’s just a tale. Parents of many children find this story very helpful to tell there children. So all children would get off streets late at night and so that they’d have a buddy everywhere they go. People say that many people who say they’ve seen or heard the cry are just imagining things.

La llorona (the weeping woman) is a story told by old ones over a hundred years to young children. Story has it that Maria (la llorona) Cortes drowned her children because her husband loved them more than her. Mr. Cortes was going to remarry and leave Maria. So one day she took her children to the side of the lake and drowned them one by one. Then after she realized what she did she killed herself so now late at night she cries for her children.

References

Date retrieved-4/3 Basic story (http://www,monstropedia.org/index.php?title=Llorona)
Date retrieved-4/3 The Legend (http://www.lallorona.com/1legend.html)
Date retrieved-4/6 http://www..literacynet.org.org/lp/hperspectives/llorona.html
Date retrieved-4/6 Ask http://www.ask.com/bar?q=why+do+people+say+la+llorona+is+bad%3F&page=1&qsrc=2106&ab=2&u=http%34%2F%2Fthecry.typepad.com%2Fthecry%2F2006%2P11%2Fla_llorona_visi.html
Date retrieved- 4/7 (Figure 1) http://lanzadeldestino.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/la-llorona-km-31.jpg

Thylacine - Devonte - Fourth Hour

The Thylacine is the only species of marsupial family to have been existed within historical time. It is referred to as Tasmanian tiger or Tasmanian wolf. It’s an example of convergent evolution which is a process by which distantly related species independently acquire similar characteristics while evolving in separate ecosystems. The Thylacine resembles a placental wolf. Skull structure superficially parallel to a canid. I do believe in this cryptid.

The thylacine was last survivor of diverse family of carnivorous marsupials. It was the victim of one mans most atrocious acts of destruction in Australia. Out of misunderstanding and fear it was thought to be a threat to the economy in the 19th and 20th century thousands of thylacines were destroyed by man. By the time the action was seen the thylacine had been persecuted and nearly extinct.

The Australian continent is home to over one million species of animals many are endangered. While we know of many extinct animals there is one example that reminds us that life is fragile and that extinct means forever, I’ am talking about the thylacine a marsupial carnivore that was wiped out of existence in the 1930s.

I believe thylacines existed because before the 1930s they roamed around Australia. There were thousands of them before people started thinking they were doing harm to the animals and the people, so they decided to hunt and kill them.

Reference List

Figure1 http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=thylacine&safe=on&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi&gbv=1Date retrieved- 4/08/09
http://www.naturalworlds.org/thylacine/ Date retrieved- 4/07/09

Champ - Doug - Fourth Hour

Almost everyone one the face of the planet knows about the lake monster aka “Nessie” of Loch Ness. However unless you live in Burlington, Vermont you most likely have not heard of Champ. In this article I will go over the creditable and uncreditable of this legend.

In July 1609, Samuel de Champlain, the lake’s founder, sighted an odd strange fish like creature out on the lake. Naming the creature “Champ”, He described the creature later on as a, “20 foot serpent thick as a barrel with a head like a horse”. After the encounter, sightings of Champ began to pop-up all over Lake Champlain. New eyewitness accounts have painted a better picture of Champ, a cross between a plesiosaur, a type of swimming dinosaur, and a serpent. As the legend about Champ grew, so did the amount of sightings. In one account in 1871, passengers of the steamship The Curlew reported seeing a head, with a long neck that created large waves; the waves were so large that it started to rock the ship, and throw water on the deck. One more sighting in 1977, this time the encounter yields a photo. Tourist Sandra Mansi was having a picnic with some friends on the shore, when suddenly seeing Champ rise out of the water. Quickly grabbing her camera, snapped probably the best photo of champ today, and showed local authorities. After being studied very closely the picture, (figure 1), was proven not to have been tampered in any way.

Myself I used to live in Burlington, Vermont, and while I have never seen Champ himself, (scientists think it is in fact a male); I believe that he does exist. With no physical evidence some people believe that he doesn’t exist, but scientists believe that he could. Lake Champlain is over 100 miles long and 12 miles wide. Like Loch Ness some parts of the lake are over 400ft deep, and are abundant with fish in parts. Scientists have used sonar to find him, (just like Nessie), found no large monster, however the found disturbances deep under the surface, similar to submarines. While there are no subs in the lake scientists cannot find out what these disturbances are.

Whether Champ exists or not Burlington, Vermont, and Lake Champlain has become a major tourist attraction. As for Champ, like Nessie we most likely will never know whether or not he exists, whether he exists or not the Vermont State Government has put Champ on their endangered species list. As for you believe what ever you want to believe, about Champ, real or not his legend that will live on forever.

Resources

“July 1609, Samuel de Champlain, the lake’s founder, sighted an odd strange fish like creature out on the lake” References: http://www.unknown-creatures.com/champ.html date received April 8, 2009
Sandra Mansi’s Photograph Figure 1: http://paranormal.about.com/od/othercreatures/ig/Gallery-of-Monsters/Champ-- date received April 8, 2009
www.cryptomundo.com date received April 8, 2009
http://www.grantham.k12.nh.us/specialists/skiresortwebquest.html date received April 8, 2009

Chupacabra - Elizabeth B. - Fourth Hour

Everyone has a routine they do everyday. Get up, work, eat, and sleep. The next day you wake up and start all over again. What happens, though, when you wake up one day and find your animals killed and drained of their blood? Something did this and to fond out what is a big mystery. Many people say that El Chupacabra is culprit to these killings. Having this credible information helps people to believe what this “animal” really is around.

El Chupacabra is a small goat-like animal that is only about which is only about a meter tall. They are from South America, Mexico, Southern U.S., and Puerto Rico. Sightings supposedly started around 1993. The first sighting happened in Puerto Rico when news papers in El Nuevo Dia started reported killings of animals. These reporting are said that the animals were found killed, holes in their necks and their blood drained. At first many people thought that these were just the acts of some satanic cult, but were quickly changed when these killings started happening all around the island. Ever since there has been more and more talks of how this animal has become on this earth. Some people think that this animal came on the earth by aliens. That the aliens brought it down and simply forgot it, others think that it is some sort of vampire. Many just think that this thing just does not exist.

If this animal exists and has taken the lives of so many animals, why has it not been seen? Many people have claimed to have taken pictures of it but they are always blurred or far off into the distance. A picture recently was brought up of a Chupacabra that was small and kangaroo like dog animal. Never before seen, people thought that this was the Chupacabra that has been terrorizing their farms. There has not been many sightings since this animal was found. So where is this animal today and why is not running around to be seen?

I do not believe that this Chupacabra is around. If it were, where is it to be seen today? This animal should be around to see and hear, and where has it gone since the last sighting? Hopefully this information has helped somewhat on your idea of El Chupacabra.

References

“History of the Chupacabra” retrieved April 7, 2009 http://members.tripod.com/~zakmj/chuphist.html
“Chupacabra History” April 7, 2009 http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Chupacabra_-_History/id/4924956
“Chupacabra” April 8, 2009 http://skepdic.com/chupa.html
“Chupacabras” April 8, 2009 http://www.crystalinks.com/chupacabras.html

Beast of Bodmin Moor - Elizabeth S. - Fourth Hour

Imagine that you are a farmer in a small village near Bodmin Moor. One day you are out rounding up your sheep when you hear a rustling behind you. You find this odd because all of your sheep are in front of you. Out of curiosity, you turn around and see a giant black cat staring longingly at you and your sheep. It has a hungry and evil look in its eyes. Terrified, you scream and run leaving your poor defenseless sheep to fend for themselves. You get back into the village and tell everyone what you saw, and you find out it is the terrifying Beast of Bodmin Moore. The next morning, you and the villagers return to the moor where you find your sheep slaughtered in a river of blood. This was the village’s first encounter with The Beast of Bodmin Moor and it won’t be the last.

The Beats of Bodmin Moor is a large black cat that is approximately three and a half feet long with a tail that is about 18-24 inches long, and resembles a black panther. It is also said to not just make the normal of a cat, but also the sound of a screaming woman. The beast has been sighted about sixty times in the Cornwall area since 1983, and in the early nineties, farmers reported the large cat to the national press. Many people think that The Beast of Bodmin Moor isn’t real and neither do I.

The Beast of Bodmin Moor was thought to be just a myth even though there were pictures and videos of the beast. That was until one day, a fourteen year old boy found a skull with really big fangs. The giant fangs made the boy think that it was the skull of the beast, so the skull was taken to the Natural History Museum to see what it truly belonged to. There, they found out that the skull belonged to a leopard, which is native to Asia. Not England. But that’s not all; there were also cockroach eggs, which more than likely originated from somewhere tropical, along with knife marks on the back of the skull. This means that the animal that the skull actually belonged to, was turned into a rug and the whole thing was a hoax. But, there are other reasons why it is so hard to believe in the Beast of Bodmin Moor. In 1995, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food held an official investigation, where they could find “no verifiable evidence” of large cats in the area.

While there is no proof that the Beast of Bodmin Moor actually exists, people still continue to see it and are convinced that it actually exists. For years farmers have been blaming the slaughter of their livestock on the beast, there are even pictures and videos.

I don’t believe in the Beast of Bodmin Moor for a couple of reasons. First, there is no proof that there is actually a giant cat living on the moors. Yes, farmers are waking up in the morning and finding their livestock dead, but that could be the work of a number of other animals. Second, it could just be an escaped cat from the zoo, not a supernatural being that terrorizes the countryside with its blood-thirsty ways. The Beast of Bodmin Moor is most likely a myth and shouldn’t be taken seriously.

Resources

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/136546.stm date accessed: April 3, 2009 (Beast of Bodmin Moor)
http://www.paranormality.com/beast_of_bodmin.shtml date accessed: April 3, 2009 ( Beast of Bodmin Moor)
www.associatedcontent.com/article/750069/the_beast_of_bodmin_moor.html?cat=58 date accessed; April 3, 2009 (The Beats of Bodmin Moor)
www.anglefire.com/pa3/mw/topics/mar2000.html date accessed: April 3, 2009 ( Beast of Bodmin Moor)
www.cornwall-calling.co.uk/gazetter-cornwallbodmin-moor-beast.htm date accessed: April 3, 2009 (Beast of Bodmin Moor)
www.bodminmoor.co.uk/legends.html (figure 1 and information) date accessed: April 3, 2009 ( Bodmin Moor Myths and Legends)
http://www.cornwalltour.co.uk/beast_of_bodmin_moor.htm date accessed: April 3, 2009 (Beast of Bodmin Moor)

Werewolf - Eric - Fourth Hour

In this dark unsafe world there are lots of things that go bump in the night. One of those things that makes a big bump, is the Lycan. Many people compare lycans with werewolves, but the biggest difference is that werewolves transform under the full moon, while the lycans transform at will. Also, the two species originated in different parts of Europe. I believe that lycans aren’t real and are just another myth that is kept alive with uncertain “sightings” in the media and the people who think they are lycans themselves.

The origins of the lycans date back to ancient Greek mythology. It is said that a legendary Arcadian king named Lycaon tried serving Zeus human flesh. Zeus was very angry at this and turned him into a wolf as punishment. There are many ways to be turned into a lycan, such as wearing certain magical items such as belts or fur suits, a curse, being bit by a lycan, viewing your reflection in a broken mirror, or swimming across a certain lake in Arcadia. There are also many pieces of history that reference the existence of lycans, such cave-drawings depicting leopard men hunting. There traces of werewolf beliefs written down in the Odyssey. The Arcadian Damarchus who won the boxing medal at the Olympics in 400 BC was said to be a lycan. In 600 AD there were reports of heretical monks being attacked by wolves. In 1334 it was said that a women gave birth to a wolf child. In the 1400’s wolf creatures were mentioned during a witchcraft trials at Basel. Many movies have been made involving lycans/werewolves such as Jekyll & Hyde, Werewolf of London, Wolf Man, house of Frankenstein, An American Werewolf in London, I was a Teenage Werewolf, Teen Wolf, and Underworld. There is also a clinical condition called lycanthropy that involves a delusional belief that you are or have transformed into an animal. The people with this condition than spread the idea that they are lycans and that lycans are real, then do things lycans would do as part of it, essentially keeping the lycan myth alive.

A lot of this evidence is still very unreliable though. Almost everything mentioned in Greek mythology is considered to be false in today’s world, the lycans should be no different. The cave drawings depicting leopard men hunting isn’t very credible because cave men used to wear the skin of the animals they killed. The Odyssey was a work of fiction, so the lycans were probably fictional too. The biggest piece of credible evidence to their false existence is that no one has truly seen lycans out in the open admitting and physically showing they are lycans, just people saying they’re lycans on internet forums. If lycan sightings were somewhat common 1,000 years ago than the sightings should be a lot more frequent today with the population being so high. There should be at least one lycan that spun out of control and created enough havoc to get serious media attention. The people that are diagnosed with lycanthropy are probably the ones who go out and attack people because they truly believe they need meat, which attracts some media attention, keeping the idea alive.

Lycans are an ancient myth, and I believe they’re kept alive by uncertain “sightings” that attract media attention and the people who believe they are lycans themselves. The credible evidence supporting their existence can be disproved by the evidence against their existence. The idea of lycans will always create interesting stories, but always stories of fiction.

References

“Where Do Lycans Come From”, April 6, 2009. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Where_do_lycans_come_from
“Truths of Darkeness”, April 7, 2009. http://jak-shodows.tripod.com/id3.html
“What Makes A Lycan A Lycan”, April 7, 2009. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_makes_a_lycan_a_lycan
“Clinical Lycanthropy”. April 7, 2009. http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Clinical_lycanthropy/id/1983852
Figure 1: “Lycan”, April 6, 2009. http://media.photobucket.com/image/lycan/be_fit/Lycan005.jpg

Wolpertinger - Grey - Fourth Hour

The cryptid known as the Wolpertinger is said to reside in Germany. This cryptid is known to resemble the American cryptid called the jackaloupe. Their predominant features are its horns (or antlers) that it shares with its American cousin. The wolpertinger is said to have bird wings (it is not known if they function), duck feet, and large fangs. It may look similar to the cotton tail rabbit. I do not believe in this cryptid.

There is not much credible evidence for the wolpertinger. A virus (papillomavirus) that causes bone like warts to grow on the head of the cottontail rabbit is probably responsible for the jackaloupe and contributed to the wolpertinger. The cottontail rabbit does not live in Germany but the virus can infect other species of rabbits that may live in Germany. The wolpertinger has been repeatedly sited in Germany for centuries.

The evidence against has been the usual evidence against cryptids. There is no consensus on appearance. The wings and duck feet are left out in some reported sightings but the fangs and horns are usually in the description. There has never been a scientific specimen of the wolpertinger. The Wolpertinger does not seem to have a possible ecological niche. Rabbits have evolved alongside species of birds but macroevolution does not seem to be a factor in how a rabbit could have wings or duck feet.

The wolpertinger, I believe, does not exist. All the evidence for the wolpertinger is refuted because of the evidence against the wolpertinger. My main reason for disbelief is that there has never been a scientific specimen. In the centuries of sightings in Germany there has never been a specimen with the necessary characteristics. The wolpertinger is an exaggerated legend that originated with rabbits that were exposed to the papillomavirus.

Resources

Wolpertinger, 4/3/09, http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/animals/comments/4289/
Cryptomundo, 4/3/09, http://www.cryptomundo.com/cryptozoo-news/cameron-7/ Figure 1
Cottontail rabbit papillomavirus, 4/4/09, http://www.ebi.ac.uk/2can/genomes/viruses/Cottontail_rabbit_papillomavirus.html
Cottontail rabbit, 4/4/09, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/cottontail-rabbit.html
Jackalope.html, 4/8/09, http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~hollidac/jackalope.html

Griffin - Isben - Fourth Hour

The Griffin is a creature with the head, wings and, feet of an eagle, and the body of a lion. Said to have been originated from India or Ethiopia but some think it came from Russia. Griffins were very popular back in the fifteenth century and in ancient Egypt. People thought Griffins guarded treasures or other things of much value. They supposedly lived in nests in high peaks. I personally do not believe Griffins do or have ever existed.

Simply because it is very hard to believe that there was ever a creature that is half eagle and part lion. Though I don’t believe griffins ever existed, they do have a lot of symbolic meaning.

Some reasons people believe in Griffins is because of the stories that were told. For example in a book about Alexander the great when it talks about a griffin attacking a stag in a mosaic. Religion was a major influence on why people believed in griffins.

Some reasons people do not believe in Griffins is because they have never seen one and because the creature sounds way too mythical to be real. If griffins did exist we probably would have spotted one by now or at least have a picture.

People would use statues of Griffins and place them on towers to intimidate enemies or on comers. In some cathedrals in France and Italy there are stories of Alexander the great capturing a pair of Griffins and starving them for a few days. He then took them to his throne and teased them with chunks of meat over their head. The story later says that Alexander tries flying up to heaven to look at god but an angel stops him and he returns back to earth.

Resources

Figure 1, 04/07/09 dragora.wetpaint.com/page/Griffins
http://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast151.htm
http://monsters.monstrous.com/griffins.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffin