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Chery (Great Australian Pods)Red Thread Great Australian Pods Podcast Directory: <a href="https://www.greataustralianpods.com/red-thread/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.greataustralianpods.com/red-thread/</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/GreatAusPods" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#GreatAusPods</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/AusPods" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#AusPods</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Podcast" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Podcast</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Podcasts" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Podcasts</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Podcasting" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Podcasting</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Podcasters" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Podcasters</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Australia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Australia</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Society" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Society</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Culture" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Culture</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Paranormal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Paranormal</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Cryptids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Cryptids</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Aliens" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Aliens</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/TrueCrime" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#TrueCrime</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Investigations" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Investigations</a>

Sharon of the Strange TimesBigfoot researcher Jeffrey Meldrum has died following a battle with brain cancer. <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/cryptids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#cryptids</a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Bigfoot" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Bigfoot</a>

Sharon of the Strange TimesNew <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/SpookyGeology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SpookyGeology</a> + <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/cryptids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#cryptids</a> Spooky seismic lakes – sag ponds and monsters – Sharon A. Hill<a href="https://sharonahill.com/spooky-seismic-lakes-sag-ponds-and-monsters/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://sharonahill.com/spooky-seismic-lakes-sag-ponds-and-monsters/</a>

Lauren McMenemyAnd yes: We WILL be back! One more Writing the Occult for 2025, and this time we're hunting for cryptids. Join us? Tickets already on sale; speaker announcements imminent: <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/writing-the-occult-cryptids-and-creatures-tickets-1258343672799" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.eventbrite.com/e/writing-the-occult-cryptids-and-creatures-tickets-1258343672799</a><a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/cryptozoology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#cryptozoology</a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/cryptids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#cryptids</a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/creatures" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#creatures</a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/creaturefeature" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#creaturefeature</a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/horror" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#horror</a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/scifi" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#scifi</a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/fantasy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#fantasy</a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/writing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#writing</a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/writers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#writers</a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/academicchatter" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#academicchatter</a>

Sharon A. HillPop Cryptid Spectator 20Hi and welcome to the 20th, and last, edition of PCS. In nine months, this idea has run its course because, frankly, I can’t keep up. Everything is Pop Cryptid. I’ve certainly proven my point – the term “cryptid” now means “any weird and hidden creature”. In popular culture, it is rarely referred to in the context of a scientific effort to discover new species. I mean, when the President is referred to in this context, it’s game over. That’s not to say that I won’t be writing about such topics in the future. I’ll certainly post more and on <a href="http://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Modern Cryptozoology</a>. But this PCS project is tapped; I’m moving on. Before I do, there are a few more things to $ay. So here goes. In this final edition:<ul><li>Nessie, Jr. Another cute cryptid movie</li><li>Faking Bigfoot</li><li>Champ at the Museum</li><li>Mothman says, “You Matter”</li><li>Cryptids overexposed</li></ul>Nessie, Jr – Another cute cryptid movieThere’s a new movie on the way that will influence how small children think about lakes and the Loch Ness Monster. It’s called <a href="https://epsilonfilm.de/title/nessie-junior" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Nessie, Jr.</a> and it appears to be another cutified cryptid depiction in the same family-friendly vein as several other past movies – Harry and the Hendersons, Smallfoot, Abominable, Pete’s Dragon, The Water Horse, Baby: Secret of a Lost Legend, etc. It’s fine. I don’t have a problem with it. It’s just so… meh. But speaking of fiction…Faking BigfootI wrote a piece on the performance art dude who <a href="https://sharonahill.com/bigfoot-remains-a-moneymaking-hoax/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">displayed a fake Bigfoot at the NY state fair as real</a>. It really didn’t go over well with serious Bigfooters, who said this guy was “ruining” Bigfoot research. Nah, the ‘footers do that part on their own – with their awful TV shows, in-fighting, and efforts to gain attention for terrible evidence. Bigfoot hoaxes have been around since the very beginning. In fact, cryptid tales are chock-full of hoaxes to the point where you are hard-pressed to sift through the chaff to find any wheat. Yet, the hoaxes themselves are quite interesting and very much a pop cryptid phenomenon. It’s not about finding the creature, it’s mostly about hope of finding it in what we like to imagine is a world that still holds mystery. And, unfortunately, it is an awful lot about people thinking you found it and usually making bank from that. Check out <a href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/2025/08/18/loch-ness-uncovered-r-siegel/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">this short review </a>of a book on how the media created Nessie. By the way, I don’t know how much money this Bigfoot Remains joker pocketed from the gaff, but the gimmick has already been mostly forgotten. We’re so used to such hoaxers. Champ at the MuseumThe monster of Lake Champlain now has its own exhibit. Both Port Henry, NY and Burlington, VT have tributes to Champ as they vie for the official place of the creature. Now Burlington has another attraction besides the Champ memorial and the Lake Monsters team mascot. They have a dedicated spot in the museum. The shore-side <a href="https://www.echovermont.org/animals-exhibits/champ-americas-lake-monster/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Echo Leahy Center at Lake Champlain</a> is perfectly situated to promote the beast. The kiddie-themed gift shop was already full of toys depicting Champ as a cute cryptid. It’s logical they would capitalize even more as well as offering an opportunity to draw kids into learning about the lake’s natural history. I haven’t seen the exhibit because it just opened, and I was there last year. But the museum follows the template of Loch Ness, and other cryptid-themed real and pop-up “museums” that draw in those interested in the topic. And they sell merch.Do you sense a theme? I’m afraid that I’m pretty jaded on the pop cryptid theme as it relates to cashing in. But that’s the American way these days. Gosh, it’s all so predictable and boring…Mothman says, “You Matter”In more rather misappropriate uses of pop cryptids, Mothman is pictured on informational material regarding mental health <a href="https://www.wvva.com/2025/08/12/bluefield-police-depts-state-fair-wva-booth-distributes-resources-about-mental-health-more/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">distributed by a West Virginia police department</a>. This seems cool but using an imaginary creature that was also known as an omen of doom seems slightly clueless. While the project director says that distributing the material at the WV State Fair has let them connect to average people, the “friendly cryptids letting them connect with kids and create conversations”. Ok, sure. But, if people know the story about how Mothman was related to one of the most tragic events in WV history, the collapse of the Silver Bridge, they might struggle with the message “You matter”. Maybe I’m overthinking it…West Virginia leads all states in the in commodification of their town mascots, like Mothman, Sheepsquatch, Veggie Man, and the Flatwoods Monster. Cryptids overexposedI don’t know… it seems to me the mystery is all gone. Cryptids are everywhere. They aren’t hidden anymore. They are losing their mystique. As I’ve noted in other places, cryptids, being copyright-free, are easily adapted for use in consumer products and logos. As the pop cryptid model spreads, where cryptids are seen as fun emblems or symbols, you can bet you’ll see their use increasing. <a href="https://www.abqjournal.com/sports/article_1fccb551-4463-462e-94df-9a7245503404.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">New Mexico indoor football team reveals new name: New Mexico Chupacabras</a> For more on the crossover between cryptids and sports teams, see <a href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/2024/09/19/cryptids-and-north-american-sports-teams/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">here</a>.Here are more cryptid related stories from the past month from my main blog:<ul><li><a href="https://sharonahill.com/if-you-dont-believe-in-cryptids-why-are-you-here/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">If I don’t believe in cryptids, why am I here?</a> – I answer why “skeptics” (those who question claims of cryptids), are bothering with participating if they don’t think there is any truth to the claims.</li><li><a href="https://sharonahill.com/not-a-mystery-beast-just-a-dog/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Not a mystery beast, just a dog</a> – Two photos on social media reveal that people can’t call a dog “a dog”. </li><li><a href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-in-the-news-jackalope/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Pop cryptid in the News: Jackalope</a> – I updated a section from a past Pop Cryptid Spectator to address the recent news of Frankenbunnies.</li><li><a href="https://sharonahill.com/spooky-seismic-lakes-loch-ness-and-its-monster/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Spooky seismic lakes – Loch Ness and its monster</a> – In a crossover of spooky geology and cryptids, I dive into the idea that some people love: that Nessie is related to seismic activity. </li></ul>The pop cryptid trend would not be icky if it wasn’t for the blatant overexposure and twisting of the concepts so that the original ideas behind them are now totally lost. In a way, this is what the Bigfooters hated about the NY State fake Bigfoot. It was disconnected from their vision and version of what a cryptid is. It mocked their view. Such things disregard the impact of the rich folklore and history by appealing to the casual fan and consumer who just know the stories from comics, games, mass distribution movies and Reddit groups. I can’t help but feel these depictions for the mass market are shallow and pathetic. Many people agree. I’m not sure it’s all that different from depicting other animals in anthropomorphic, cute, or exaggerated ways. This has also always been the way of things. It just took a longer time for beloved cryptids to become familiar enough to use in this way. Another Bigfoot action figure, this one more pointy and menacing than usual Bigfoots. <a href="https://bleedingcool.com/collectibles/step-into-the-darkness-with-the-crypts-new-the-skookum-figure/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">The Skookum. </a> I’ve learned a lot in the few years that I’ve been examining cryptids in this new frame. I think it’s been highly useful, even if many cryptozoology-minded viewers thought it was dumb or reacted indignantly to what seemed like a cheapening of their belief system. I apologize if you felt aggrieved but, let’s face it, it’s NOT reasonable to view traditional cryptozoology as a useful field of study. You are not going to have success finding new species that correspond to Bigfoot, Nessie, Yeti, etc. However, you have a good chance of success in marketing these creatures’ images and talking about them in cultural terms. A current wrap-up of trendsSome of the other trends I’ve seen lately:<ul><li>The <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/cryptidtok/" target="_blank">#CryptidTok</a> trend is far quieter than it was 2 years ago. It’s still a lot of AI and people performing knowledge (which isn’t knowledge, but stuff they got from other bad videos). I’m not sure how influential this is except for low-value content creators. Maybe people are tired of hearing the same wikipedia-derived info over and over again. </li><li>Weird Appalachia – This genre continues to grow as we see with the prevalence of West Virginia/Pennsylvania/Ohio/Kentucky cryptid content and the marketing of their location-specific monsters. The popular idea now is that the land is haunted and the eldritch creatures or spirits take the form of not-deer, dogmen, shapeshifters and such that are called “cryptids”. It’s a fun and useful idea.</li><li>Town festivals feature speakers who spread new stories as “lore” making it sound more credible than it is. But they aren’t asking any actual folklore or cultural experts, just popular content creators, personalities or artists. This is disappointing and a missed opportunity – I hope it changes. </li><li>The continued gap between original cryptozoology concepts and the current state of things. There is very little solid work being done that produces credible knowledge worthy to be published. Instead, self-styled cryptozoology is still self-published books, YouTube, websites, and facebook posts. This is low value stuff that gets a short bump in interest but does not last. </li><li>Increased use in all forms of merchandising and commercial representation. This means more fiction, movies, promotion, branding, etc. using cryptids. </li><li>Growing popularity of “fearsome creatures” (fictional beings made up as old lumberjack tales such as the squonk, slide-rock bolter, hodag, snallygaster, etc. or indigenous/native stories such as the wendigo, skinwalker, La Llorona, etc.), “creepypasta” creatures (invented monsters from digital storytelling such as Slenderman and the rake), and AI generated monsters. These manufactured beings have nothing in common with traditional cryptozoology but are becoming the best known “cryptids”.</li><li>Overhyping of bad evidence. The “sightings” are just as bad as ever. They are either nothing, obvious hoaxes, or AI generated. There is nothing worth paying attention to here. Yet, people click because it’s fun and they really want to believe. </li></ul>All those trends say something important about cryptids. I’ve gotten the message – fun cryptid are great but serious interest in the complex folklore, the socio-economic and cultural effects, and the overall phenomena of cryptid encounters is unimportant to the masses. They want the scary, cute, funny, neatly packaged and easily digested popular fluff. But there are still several followers of “scientific” cryptozoology that only want a serious zoological (or supernatural) take on this subject and get angry with a lesser, “fluffier” treatment. My view is the same as before – there is no value in an effort to search for mystery creatures as new species. It has not been successful and it CAN’T be, considering the modern times in which we exist. New species discovered by zoologists aren’t cryptids, even if they have the occasional help of citizen scientists. The contrived methodology of Heuvelman’s cryptozoology isn’t relevant. However, I’m all for expanding the field into relevant areas of anthropology, cultural studies – folklore, art, media, socio-economic, etc., psychology, wildlife biology, data science, etc. that will provide endless opportunities to research and analyze interest in cryptids. This was my position when I first envisioned the pop cryptid model and it applies just as much as ever. It’s likely to happen on its own.For more, content and a fuller explanation of <a href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-goes-the-cryptid/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Pop goes the Cryptid</a>, visit the subpage. This has been the <a href="https://sharonahill.com/category/pop-cryptid-spectator/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator</a>. My work here is done. Thanks for indulging me. Keep sending links and messages.Now back to my regular blog. Peace out, Bigfoots <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/bigfoot/" target="_blank">#Bigfoot</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/cryptids/" target="_blank">#cryptids</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/cryptidtok/" target="_blank">#cryptidtok</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/cryptozoology/" target="_blank">#Cryptozoology</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/mothman/" target="_blank">#Mothman</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/nessie/" target="_blank">#Nessie</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/pop-cryptid/" target="_blank">#popCryptid</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/pop-cryptid-spectator/" target="_blank">#PopCryptidSpectator</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/pop-cryptids/" target="_blank">#popCryptids</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/pop-culture/" target="_blank">#popCulture</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/weird-appalachia/" target="_blank">#WeirdAppalachia</a><a href="https://sharonahill.com/?p=10328" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://sharonahill.com/?p=10328</a>

WulfricIn TTRPG news, I will be adapting one of my adventures, Terror in the Berkshires, to be run using Gildor Games' Elemental system. It was started as a Call of Cthulhu case and then converted to system agnostic for publication in a Zine Quest project with <a href="https://dice.camp/@mortaine" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@mortaine</a> and others. Summary: When a group of travelers breakdown along the Mohawk Trail on their way to North Adams, MA, they find themselves facing a series of events and creatures from local folklore. From the famous Hairpin Turn to the Hoosac Tunnel—nicknamed The Bloody Pit during it's construction—the players can follow the clues to unravel the truth about what is happening in this scenic landscape.Necronomizine: <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/328314/the-necronomizine?affiliate_id=482559" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/328314/the-necronomizine?affiliate_id=482559</a>Adventure: <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/326943/terror-in-the-berkshires?affiliate_id=482559" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/326943/terror-in-the-berkshires?affiliate_id=482559</a><a href="https://beige.party/tags/TTRPG" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#TTRPG</a> <a href="https://beige.party/tags/GameNight" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#GameNight</a> <a href="https://beige.party/tags/SelfPromotion" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SelfPromotion</a> <a href="https://beige.party/tags/Appalachia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Appalachia</a> <a href="https://beige.party/tags/Cryptids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Cryptids</a> <a href="https://beige.party/tags/CallOfCthulhu" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#CallOfCthulhu</a> <a href="https://beige.party/tags/Paranormal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Paranormal</a>

Hannes PapernoiseCreatures from my upcoming, short comic Terra Umida.<a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/Illustration" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Illustration</a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/Drawing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Drawing</a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/TraditionalMedia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#TraditionalMedia</a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/ink" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ink</a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/InkDrawing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#InkDrawing</a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/comics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#comics</a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/comic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#comic</a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/fumetti" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#fumetti</a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/fumetto" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#fumetto</a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/FumettoItaliano" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#FumettoItaliano</a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/GraphicNovel" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#GraphicNovel</a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/Creatures" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Creatures</a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/CryptoZoology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#CryptoZoology</a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/CryptoFauna" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#CryptoFauna</a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/Cryptid" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Cryptid</a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/Cryptids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Cryptids</a>

Sharon of the Strange TimesIf you don’t believe in <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/cryptids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#cryptids</a> why are you here? – Sharon A. Hill<a href="https://sharonahill.com/if-you-dont-believe-in-cryptids-why-are-you-here/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://sharonahill.com/if-you-dont-believe-in-cryptids-why-are-you-here/</a>

PixelAquariumAnother week, another weird little fish video <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/peertube" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#peertube</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/nature" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#nature</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/cryptids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#cryptids</a> <a href="https://lone.earth/w/u5FfQ3ZkBbWvKgkTak9qXi" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://lone.earth/w/u5FfQ3ZkBbWvKgkTak9qXi</a>

Sharon A. HillIf I don’t believe in cryptids, why am I here?Cryptids have always been one of my primary subject of interest. You will hear the same from many others, including scholars and skeptical writers – we loved these stories, and the <a href="https://sharonahill.com/my-three-favorite-vintage-books-on-monsters-and-the-paranormal/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">idea of monsters</a>, since we were kids. The fascination may never go away, even if we come to the realization that they are just stories, not evidence of undiscovered creatures. Objective interest can expand outside the confines of belief.For my birthday, I got a new edition to add to my terrarium – a sea serpent/lake creature. She joins my Zen Bigfoot (which you can see in the background). Enjoyment without the sticky issue of beliefOn several occasions in cryptid forums, people have asked why “skeptics” (those who question claims of cryptids), are bothering with participating if they don’t think there is any truth to the claims. Those posing the question can’t seem to grasp the idea that you can enjoy something without a wholehearted investment of belief. For me, I’d say my investment is even greater because I used to believe in cryptids being real, like many <a href="https://sharonahill.com/bigfoot-facts-for-kids/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">kids did</a>. Then I delved much deeper and learned how these legends formed, evolved, and how important they are regardless if there is any zoological validity to the tales at all. The mystery of any particular cryptids will not be illuminated by assuming there is a new creature to be discovered that fits the popular description. That is both simplistic and extreme. It is also the worst explanation for cryptid, second only to some <a href="https://sharonahill.com/supernatural-creep/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">supernatural cause.</a> Yet, it remains a popular take – maybe because it’s fun to be a seeker; the romantic mystery of it all fulfills a need. It’s obvious to critical researchers that most popular cryptids are not new animals that have avoided being scientifically identified. We simply ARE NOT finding new animals that were previously considered legendary cryptids. (Please do not trot out all the pre-1950s examples. It’s the 21st century now.) It is unreasonable to state that we have missed finding the iconic Yeti, Bigfoot, Nessie, or sea serpent. The evidence, from all fields of science, is not there. However, the overall scenario of cryptids is <a href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-goes-the-cryptid-explained/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">far more interesting</a>. There are many and various factors that can result in people saying they had a cryptid experience – environmental conditions, priming, inexperience with local wildlife, etc. are just some. We can never know all the possible explanations that could be applied, but jumping to the conclusion that it is an unknown animal (that no one has ever solidly established as existing, let alone what they look like), is a far stretch. Beyond beliefWe are so exposed to the idea and possibility of a mystery creature that it seems plausible they are out there. Yeah, even though we know <a href="https://sharonahill.com/bigfoot-remains-a-moneymaking-hoax/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">this Bigfoot body is fake</a>, the fake is “based on” what witnesses said they saw. In our minds, the fiction and facts get conflated. The stories sound like good evidence. We want to think people are being sincere and accurate. There “must be something to it.” Though usually harmless, that’s still not a good bet to make.I’m interested in the broader picture. What mix of factors formed these <a href="https://www.danielloxton.com/2025/03/24/cryptozoologification/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">foundational tales</a>? How <a href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/2020/07/01/loch-ness-monster-eating-a-sheep-the-popular-depiction-of-the-spicer-sighting-has-issues/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">did they evolve</a>, and what influential events turned the narrative or shaped it? How does society <a href="https://sharonahill.com/location-and-imagination-equals-cryptid/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">interpret or use the stories and images</a>? What might people be observing or misinterpreting when they have these experiences? What does it mean to them? How is the cryptid used in culture, media, and by the people in the locations where they are reported?My unpopular opinion is that looking for the cryptid is pointless. You may have an experience, but you aren’t going to find a cryptid. Looking at the greater phenomenon of the cryptid, however, is an endlessly fascinating journey. That’s why us nonbelievers are still enjoying the subject, which is as popular as ever. I’m not trying to kill the cryptids. Rather, I’m happy to see them live on and thrive in their place. Correction: I changed the title because some people were reading it as directed to ‘them’ – as in “why are you here?”. That was not my intent. <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/cryptid/" target="_blank">#cryptid</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/cryptids/" target="_blank">#cryptids</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/cryptozoology/" target="_blank">#Cryptozoology</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/evidence/" target="_blank">#evidence</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/skeptic/" target="_blank">#skeptic</a><a href="https://sharonahill.com/?p=10287" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://sharonahill.com/?p=10287</a>

ShadowPlayWhen Summer Meant <a href="https://nerdculture.de/tags/SeaSerpents" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SeaSerpents</a>For the Victorians and Edwardians, the late British summer was a time of sun, sand – and sea serpents.Karl Bell | Published in History Today Volume 75 Issue 9 September 2025<a href="https://www.historytoday.com/archive/history-matters/when-summer-meant-sea-serpents?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.historytoday.com/archive/history-matters/when-summer-meant-sea-serpents?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us</a> <a href="https://nerdculture.de/tags/Cryptozoology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Cryptozoology</a> <a href="https://nerdculture.de/tags/Cryptids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Cryptids</a> <a href="https://nerdculture.de/tags/SeaMonsters" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SeaMonsters</a>

Sharon A. HillNot a mystery beast, just a dogWhy have so many people seemingly lost all critical faculties when seeing animals? I’ve seen two examples this week of people capturing imagery of dogs and then creating absurdly dramatic context to indicate that they aren’t dogs. What’s going on here? I get it if it’s an unusual animal. But these are just regular dogs that have been turned into mysterious monsters in the minds of the viewer.The Black Dog on the side of the roadThe first example is a video of a family driving down a road at night and encountering an older black dog (with a graying muzzle) along the grass. The accompanying video reveals their excitement and confusion about what they are seeing: The animal was seen “in the area known as Las Palmillas, between Xochitlán Todos Santos and Tlacotepec”. While the image is a bit blurry, the video itself is clear enough to show this not the “robust” and “enigmatic animal” that was reported by the news. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiOu1x--y2c" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiOu1x–y2c</a>Have these people never seen a dog? I think a few things are going on here. First, it’s night and maybe the camera on the phone is enhancing the light so that, to us looking at the video, it’s obvious. But to the witnesses at the time, maybe they were freaked out because they couldn’t see enough. Still, the video should never have gotten news coverage. With clickbait as lucrative as it is these days, even ridiculous videos get attention even just so an audience can complain about them. Secondly, the headline of the news story gives us a clue about why people might be on edge: <a href="https://www.pacozea.com/misterioso-animal-sorprende-en-puebla-tras-muertes-inexplicables-de-ganado/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Mysterious animal surprises in Puebla after unexplained cattle deaths</a>. This sighting adds to a series of unexplained cattle deaths in the region, where the animals showed signs of violence, which has alarmed the local community.So, people are concerned about recent mysterious livestock deaths. Feral dogs are suspect. With countless historical examples to draw from, we know that people look for a culprit when they are afraid. It’s not clear if the family knew about the story. Or if the original story was sensationalized.Finally, even if the witnesses knew this was a dog, they still may have posted it on socials to try to tell a story for attention. Social media is the real reason why we see so many more silly shares like this. Even when the cause is obvious, if imagination is applied, people see a bipedal animal. Or the black color breaks up the typical outline we would expect to form a dog. The dog’s sad face breaks my heart, as does the crazy speculation about it.The dog in the woodsThe next example showed up in my Pop Cryptid Facebook feed from the Rocky Mountain Sasquatch Organization, a very active page that will post marginal content in order to keep the followers constantly engaged. In this case, they posted a pic of a dog and asked if people had thoughts….They certainly did. They thought it was a dog. Yeah, some said it was a wolf. But there is no location indicated so it’s baseless to jump to that conclusion. There is no sense in making any judgment on what’s in a photo with no context.Maybe it’s “mysterious” because it looks like it doesn’t have a head (an artifact from the camera, perhaps). People also assumed it was very large, but you can’t tell that from the image. Some are going to gravitate to these kinds of images to support their supernatural beliefs in werewolves or dogmen. Clearly, this is not viable evidence of that. Social silosIt’s disturbing that online audiences get so comfortable existing in their belief silos that everything becomes evidence for that thing they deeply believe in. The rest of us, who aren’t in that frame of mind, just don’t see what they do. This is why you need to 1. get out of those silos, 2. be the voice of reason when necessary.It would be really great if reason prevailed, and if this kind of goofiness wasn’t so popular. Unfortunately, we aren’t getting out of these strange times anytime soon. The streams of weird content (framed as weird, even when it’s not) encourages further social slides into irrational ideas about the world and more of the same content. It seems like we aren’t going to be taking a rational turn any time soon. We’re on edge, and extreme things really are happening. The online environment provides a means to dispute the claim, but more often, it provides a platform for more bunkum, and worse. <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/cryptids/" target="_blank">#cryptids</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/dog-in-mexico/" target="_blank">#DogInMexico</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/dogs/" target="_blank">#dogs</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/mysterious-creature/" target="_blank">#mysteriousCreature</a><a href="https://sharonahill.com/?p=10271" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://sharonahill.com/?p=10271</a>

Hannes PapernoiseMore experiments with acrylic paint. This time I used a mix of the usual markers and liquitex acrylic ink. The drawing is pretty small, so details are a bit coarse, but I quite like how it turned out anyway.<a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/Illustration" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Illustration</a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/Drawing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Drawing</a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/SketchBook" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SketchBook</a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/TraditionalMedia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#TraditionalMedia</a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/AcrylicMarker" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#AcrylicMarker</a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/Acrylic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Acrylic</a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/ink" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ink</a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/InkDrawing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#InkDrawing</a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/Creatures" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Creatures</a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/CryptoZoology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#CryptoZoology</a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/CryptoFauna" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#CryptoFauna</a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/Cryptid" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Cryptid</a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/Cryptids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Cryptids</a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/Folklore" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Folklore</a>

Sharon A. HillPop cryptid in the News: JackalopeAn outbreak of Shope papillomavirus in Colorado is in the news for the past few weeks. The virus that causes warty growths in cottontail rabbits can be spread by ticks and usually aren’t fatal to the animal unless it interferes with their eyes or mouth. Rabbits with severe cases of this condition overlaps with ideas about the infamous horned rabbit, the Jackalope. I’ve seen several displays of news or comments on this story that confirm that people really do not know anything about the disease or the history of the American Jackalope legend. They are confused about what is happening with these rabbits and calling them “Jackalopes”. Some of the kids are amazed. Jackalopes are REAL! And several media outlets are not capable of making real nature stories not look like clickbait by calling the infected animals <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/rabbits-horns-colorado-are-called-frankenstein-bunnies-rcna224941" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">“Frankenbunnies” and “demon rabbits”</a> because nothing matters today unless it has a stupidly exaggerated name. Tabloid trash says we’re being “invaded” or “overrun”. Nonsense. I did find videos and references to “Frankenstein” rabbits from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgm61LJEwqE" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">at least 12 years ago</a>, even from <a href="https://www.si.edu/stories/worlds-scariest-rabbit" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">the Smithsonian Magazine</a>, so it’s not a new thing, but that doesn’t make it less silly. This should be a learning moment. I think, for the most part, it is, if the audience would just listen instead of being so overdramatic. Screen cap from a <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/mankatos-unusual-rabbit-video-attracts-attention/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">2013 video of an infected rabbit from Minnesota</a> I pulled out and revamped my content on jackalopes that I wrote in <a href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-3/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 3</a> to revisit this topic. Pop Cryptid: JackalopeA major theme of the <a href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-goes-the-cryptid/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Pop Goes the Cryptid </a>model is the never-ending dispute about calling something a “cryptid”. Today’s complicated example: the Jackalope – a creature that is well-associated with being a “cryptid” online but that almost everyone who knows some history of cryptozoology will insist is not a cryptid because it’s a mythical creature, a hoax. With the public now seeing rabbits with horny growths and “tentacles” (you weirdo writers need to stop with the Call of Cthulhu), a realization is happening in the cryptid forums and social media that maybe there was something to the idea of a Jackalope as a real animal. But, it’s not simple or direct. Things that evolve in culture never are. My reference is On the Trail of the Jackalope (2022) by Michael Branch, a comprehensive book that mostly treats the creature as a cultural creation but also briefly explores the idea of its cryptidness. Animals suffering from the virus were seen by most hunters as suffering from some disease. It’s not hard to figure out. The dark, grotesque growths don’t resemble antlers. The Jackalope, proper, is an antlered jackrabbit or cottontail. So, to equate the two situations is an error. The true home of the American Jackalope is <a href="https://www.livewyldmag.com/live-wyld/the-legend-of-the-jackalope" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Douglas, Wyoming where the first taxidermied example was made</a>. The legend goes that it was created sometime between 1932 and 1940 by Douglas Herrick. This is from Branch’s book:“One day young Doug and Ralph Herrick went out roaming the green hills hunting for small game to supplement the family supper. Having bagged a jackrabbit, the brothers returned home and tossed the hare’s body onto the floor of their shop in preparation to skin it. Because they had recently butchered a small deer in the shop, a modest pair of antlers already rested on the floor. By a sheer coincidence that would change the boys’ lives forever, the dead rabbit happened to slide up against the deer’s horns so as to make it appear the jackrabbit sported the rack.” The resulting mount was exhibited at the Hotel LaBonte in the town which was ground zero for the legend and the commercialization of the creature. Creation of Jackalope mounts has become a cottage industry and is now well known worldwide as a symbol of the American West. “[T]he horned rabbit is unalloyed Americana—a genuine artifact of this country’s folk culture—the mythical beast has also made its way across the oceans and around the world.”According to the locals, says Branch, about half the visitors to Douglas leave believing the animals are real. Do they believe, or are they just having fun believing? Hard to judge. The same might be said about most cryptids as people like to imagine that tall tales are true because it makes life seem magical. This remains a strong theme in the Jackalope biography. Jackalope from the video game Red Dead Redemption The horned rabbitCottontail rabbits with horn-like protuberances over various parts of their bodies, particularly their heads, were found to be <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shope_papilloma_virus" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">infected with a type of papillomavirus</a>. There can be little doubt that such stricken rabbits would be viewed as mysterious, then and now. Branch notes that the prevalence of the horned rabbit across cultures suggests that they were at least somewhat based on these natural anomalies. But the precursors to the American Jackalope are numerous. The specific Jackalope may be a Wyoming invention, but it was not the first depiction of the horned rabbit. In the early days of natural history, the “horned rabbit” was assumed to be a real, genuine, unique animal because witnesses said so. Early naturalists such as Conrad Gessner, Joris Hoefnagel (16th century) and others <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lepus_cornutus" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">depicted the horned hare as a real animal</a>. Later, other natural historians weren’t so sure, but this uncertainty about its existence and speculation on the cause of horned hares undoubtedly sounds like the modern idea of a “cryptid”. There is a good bet that the horned hare was at least somewhat based on the diseased animals. There is also the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolpertinger" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">wolpertinger</a>, an even more badass bunny with not only antlers, but fangs and wings. Or, it was a more bizarre mashup of various birds, squirrels, and foxes. Again, it’s unclear if the virus-related growths helped spread this story. But if so, it was for inspiration only, because Wolpertingers are absurd in appearance. Depictions of wolpertingers originated in Bavaria where taxidermied hoaxes were popular in the 1800s with tourists. Therefore, it’s reasonable to say that the Wolpertinger was a valid ancestor of the Jackalope. Wolpertinger edited from Young Hare, a painting of a hare by Albrecht Dürer Is the Jackalope a cryptid?The world was a different place centuries (or even decades) ago. Ideas and language change. We know more about what’s in the world and what isn’t. If we go by the general cryptid definition of “an animal/entity that is believed to be real but not recognized by zoology” then the <a href="https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Jackalope" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Jackalope</a> can claim the title of an official cryptid. There have been stories of people claiming to see real jackalopes (as in antlered hares) or infected cottontails. There’s a good chance these have been conflated. Ample evidence shows that most people are entirely ignorant of wildlife in their own backyard, let alone the zoological catalog of known animals. As with everything else in the modern world, we get our information from popular culture, not too much directly from qualified scientific experts. So, it not surprising that an average person would 1.) not know about Shope papilloma infected rabbits and how they look, and 2.) that there is not such animal as an antlered rabbit. For the latter, we have to understand that basic schooling doesn’t teach zoology, and many kids know nothing about nature. (A high percentage of the population does not understand basic geography or scientific explanations about the earth.) So, it is not surprising to me that some people might think jackalopes are plausible. Their appearance in popular culture might suggest to people who didn’t know any better that they are real. This latest hype about “frankenbunnies” also muddies the waters because people are getting poorly sourced “WTF is that!”-type coverage, instead of factual information. Branch quotes Loren Coleman who runs the International Cryptozoology Museum regarding his inclusion of the Jackalope in the museum: “I would read visitors’ online comments… and they would say things like ‘I didn’t know that the jackalope really existed.’ ” Coleman continues by explaining he reorganized the exhibit to depict the Jackalope along with other hoaxes. To me, there is a lot to unpack in that anecdote. Do we really know which cryptid is a manufactured hoax, which are imaginary creatures that people wish to be real, which are mistaken IDs influenced by lore and campfire tales, and which are real animals? The line is very blurry and all the information isn’t available to most people.The fact is, <a href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-goes-the-cryptid/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Pop Cryptids</a> are what’s happening. Any weird animal that is legendary, mythical, or just plain-old manufactured on a whim are being called “cryptids”. And there is nothing any “cryptozoologist” can do to change it, no matter how much they indignantly rant about it. A Jackalope design for pins and tees on <a href="https://www.teepublic.com/pin/51502454-jackalope-support-your-local-cryptid" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">TeePublic.</a> People are viewing cryptids through various lenses (zoological, artistic, historical, cultural, etc.) If people wish to believe horned rabbits (jackalopes, wolpertingers, or other variations) are real animals hopping around in an alternative reality, that’s OK by me, as long as they aren’t declaring that in biology class. It’s important to recognize that horned rabbits have a history that can be legitimately viewed with a zoological lens. However, the history is fraught with flips, twists, and turns. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0y-RAXsEQ8" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0y-RAXsEQ8</a><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/cryptids/" target="_blank">#cryptids</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/frankenbunnies/" target="_blank">#Frankenbunnies</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/jackalope/" target="_blank">#Jackalope</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/pop-cryptids/" target="_blank">#popCryptids</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/rabbits/" target="_blank">#rabbits</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/shope-papilloma-virus/" target="_blank">#ShopePapillomaVirus</a><a href="https://sharonahill.com/?p=10189" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://sharonahill.com/?p=10189</a>

Sharon A. HillSpooky seismic lakes – Loch Ness and its monsterLoch Ness is known for a monster and for its location in the Great Glen, the most obvious tectonic feature of Scotland. Fault lines are associated with several spooky themes. For this entry into the <a href="https://sharonahill.com/spookygeology/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Spooky Geology</a> canon, I’m going to touch on some of the popular, paranatural ideas about fault-associated lakes. In this part 1 of 2, I’m tackling the oft-repeated relation between seismic activity on the Great Glen Fault and the Nessie legend.There are some water bodies that exist above (and because of) an existing fault underneath, which conjures some spooky folklore. While all water bodies may be considered liminal areas between worlds, or passageways for the dead, those over faults are extra spooky because of the exaggerated ideas people have about what tectonic faults look like and how they behave. So let’s begin by touching on these fault-y ideas.Faults and spookinessFault zones, in general, are already associated with three major spooky ideas:<ul><li>Lights – Earthquake lights are probably a real thing, but not in the way most people think of them. If they exist in one or more forms, they occur very rarely. We do not understand the mechanism and there is not a large body of convincing, reliable evidence. I’ve done extensive piecing together of what does exist in <a href="https://sharonahill.com/earthquake-lights/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">this post</a>. They are spooky and still mysterious.</li></ul><ul><li>Tectonic Strain Theory –  This is the idea by research scientist Michael Persinger who proposed that ghosts, poltergeists, UFO sightings, and general strangeness may be the result of localized and transient geophysical forces associated with seismic areas under tectonic stress. This theory is not credible, yet it persists as a “sciencey” idea, popular with paranormalists because Persinger was a scientist and they can cite his research, which appears credible. The details are too much to go into here so I’ll save it for another post someday.</li></ul><ul><li>Breath of the gods – Faults in Greece and Turkey have characteristics that result in transmission of hydrocarbons to the surface. A few of these places were known to be ancient locations of temples or ritual spots which were undoubtedly constructed due to the geological activity that occurred there. Examples include the <a href="https://sharonahill.com/the-oracle-of-delphi-inspired-by-the-death-gas-from-a-giant-snake-or-the-breath-of-a-god/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Oracle at Delphi</a> and the Hieropolis’ Plutonium. Only a few faults have this exciting characteristic.</li></ul>Geomythology of Loch NessIt is such joy when two of my favorite subjects overlap. Here is my opportunity to talk about spooky geology + cryptozoology! I feel I am uniquely qualified for this. For this discussion, we reenter the familiar sphere of geomythology and head to Scotland. An extreme version of Nessie, circa 1933, a plesiosaur type that came ashore to steal sheep. <a href="https://tetzoo.com/blog/2024/11/4/loch-ness-monster-point-and-counterpoint" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">According to TetZoo</a>, this depiction, made into desktop wallpaper and sensationalizing the Spicer sighting, is by Gino D’Achille.Geomythology is the study of legendary stories that appear to modern observers to be an attempt by a pre-modern culture to explain a natural geological event. The cultural story can have a kernel of truth that suggests people of that time and place recognized a geological cause in a creative sense. Geomyths are subjective in their translation and application. In other words, interpreting facts and making assumptions are a necessary part of making geomythological connections. Therefore, the process is tricky and fraught with pitfalls, particularly for those with an over-eager propensity for correlation.Luigi Piccardi, a geoscientist who researches and writes academically about geomythology, proposed in 2001 that sightings of the Loch Ness monster may be related to seismic activity. On its face, this was a sciencey idea that seemed plausible. Piccardi suggested that waves, bubbles, and noises created by the fault activity could be mistaken for unseen monsters in the water. He also connected the cultural idea of faults as sacred places, and lakes as having supernatural creatures, to the lore of Loch Ness.The Great Glen FaultLoch Ness is part of a chain of lakes along the Great Glen of Scotland. The glen is a trough that cuts an obvious track through the country from SW to NE from Fort William to Inverness. It is a surface expression of the underlying Great Glen fault (GGF) and subsequent glacial action. The fault is very old, over 400 million years old, representing a suture of two land masses into what we now call Great Britain. The GGF is a strike-slip fault, but because it is so old, the movement of the fault over these eras is not clear. Note that England does not appear in this graphic but is connected at the southern boundary. Piccardi’s explanation, first proposed at a 2001 geological conference in Edinburgh, then followed by a paper in 2014 (see references below), was popular with the news media. He framed it as “a simple natural explanation” for sightings of the Loch Ness Monster. However, it fell flat with many who knew about the seismicity of this area and about the long and colorful history of Nessie sightings. Significant quakes on the GGF are not that common. However, the consensus from geologists is that the GGF is likely still seismically active. Between 1768 and 1901 several earthquakes were felt around Inverness, including one of the largest recorded in Scotland at M=5.1 in 1816.  But because there was no precise measuring equipment in place, it’s unclear where the epicenters were or if they were the result of movement on the GGF or on other faults outside the glen. Nothing much happened after 1901 until October 4, 2013 when an earthquake with a magnitude of 2.4 occurred close to the village of Drumnadrochit, near Loch Ness. Reports described <a href="https://www.earthquakes.bgs.ac.uk/publications/bulletins/Eqbull2013.pdf" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">“a loud rumble” or “explosion”</a>. Piccardi cited the large quakes around Inverness from 1816 (M=5.1 and M=4.7), and in 1890 (M=4.5 with several aftershocks around M=3) as evidence of the Nessie-tectonic connection. He also referred to a quake in Inverness in 1934, close to the time when the Loch Ness Monster legend was really taking off. (That quake was later relocated off the GGF.) He pointed out that the Inverness Courier reported on that quake in the same issue as a monster sighting. It’s unclear if it occurred at the same time as the quake. This is the closest we get to a correlation and it is not that impressive. Saint Columba and the MonsterFor his primary evidence, Piccardi referred to the account of Saint Columba banishing a “monster” in the Ness River in the 6th century (which wasn’t written until more than a century later). A translation says the monster appeared with an awful roar. Piccardi supposes that this noise could be the sound of an earthquake. The other bits cited from this account as evidence of monster=earthquake are even weaker – a door opening by itself and the saint’s loud voice (I could not see any reason to mention the latter one). We will never know if the monster tale was coincident with an actual earthquake, or if Columba’s monster story had any truth to it at all. While cryptozoologists love to roll back in time to say that the Columba story is evidence of a monster of long ago, scholars consider the story of the Saint rebuking the monster as a typical story of Christianity conquering the pagan sentiment of the lands. Indeed, Columba met with the King of the Picts, the native people of the area in the Middle Ages. It’s highly probable he was there, but the monster story was far more likely to have been propaganda than evidence of an unknown creature.A vaguely described, man-eating river monster is just not similar to the modern accounts of Nessie, no matter how much cryptozoologists would like it to be. The Columba story is not evidence for a 6th century encounter with the creature. This mural in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery depicts the Picts being converted to Christianity by Saint Columba. Seismic activity as a source of Nessie sightingsIt is certainly possible that even tiny seismic events can create upwelling, turbidity, or waves that people may interpret as a monster surfacing. However, this could reasonably account for only a handful of sightings in Loch Ness. The Highlands area now has a multitude of seismic sensors in place to catch quakes below M=1. The most obvious evidence for this claim – a time correlation between Nessie sightings and seismic activity – has not materialized. Instead, we can be quite certain that most of the Nessie “sightings” can be attributed to a long list of mundane potential causes – boat wakes or wind waves, mistaken animal identification such as birds, fish, or deer (and the waves they create), or floating logs or vegetation. 2013 “Nessie sighting” by David Elder Piccardi kept giving media interviews about his tectonic Nessie geomyth even though robust evidence was lacking. I recall hearing about it in 2001 and thinking it was a weak idea then. It never got better. Piccardi wasn’t well versed in cryptid tales and how they evolve; they aren’t that simple, especially to dismiss. The seismic Nessie story got publicity, though. History of geology writer (for Scientific American and then Forbes), <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidbressan/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">David Bressan</a>, also didn’t put any stock into the idea either. In 2013, <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/history-of-geology/the-earth-shattering-loch-ness-monster-that-wasnt/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bressan wrote</a> that Piccardi was aiming to get more attention paid to geomythology as a field but knew little about Nessie/cryptids. I totally agree.ConclusionWhat is the verdict on Nessie and seismic activity? A resoundingly negative. Piccardi attempted to show that there was 1.) a basis for the seismic activity at Loch Ness, 2.) that historic earthquakes could have been source of, or at least enhanced, the monster legend, and 3.) that seismic activity might account for monster sightings today. While 1 may be true to an extent, I reject 2 and 3. The GGF is not active enough now, nor in the past, to have had a substantive influence on the Nessie legend. Piccardi attempted to line up a few known quakes with locations of monster sightings but they didn’t correlate in time, which is critical to make a solid connection. Using the Saint Columba story is really reaching in several ways. First, the monster=earthquake connection is flimsy. And, the story itself is fictionalized. Even though it’s beloved by cryptozoologists, the ancient description of the creature, even though vague, is substantially different from modern reports. Instead, the actions by Columba represents a morality tale of Christianity triumphing over “evil” Pagan belief. It is not credible evidence of a long-existing mystery animal in the loch. Finally, there is no basis to state that a rumbling sound, a main feature of small earthquakes, is associated with the monster in the lake from its entry into popular culture in the 1930s to the present. Anomalous waves are the most common association with the monster. These are regularly generated by several other mundane sources in the loch, but not notably via earthquakes. A reasonable correlation between seismic events and Nessie is absent.The geomythological idea of seismic activity as an explantion for Nessie is sunk. It’s a fun idea, though, that keeps getting repeated even by people who should know better. Of all the many causes for the development of the Nessie legend and it’s sustaining popularity, we cannot fault the fault. ReferencesAllen, M. (2019). The long and moving story of the Great Glen Fault. Mercian Geologist. 19(4), pp. 216-223.Galloway, D.D. (2014). Bulletin of British Earthquakes 2013. British Geological Survey Internal Report, OR/14/062. Musson, R. M. W. (2007). British Earthquakes. Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association, 118(4), pp. 305-337.Piccardi, L. (2014). Post-glacial activity and earthquakes of the Great Glen Fault (Scotland). Mem. Descr. Carta Geol. d’It. XCVI, pp. 431-446.Piccardi, L. (2001). Seismotectonic Origins of the Monster of Loch Ness (abstract). Earth System Processes – Global Meeting (June 24-28, 2001).<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/cryptids/" target="_blank">#cryptids</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/earthquakes/" target="_blank">#earthquakes</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/geomythology/" target="_blank">#geomythology</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/great-glen-fault/" target="_blank">#GreatGlenFault</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/loch-ness/" target="_blank">#LochNess</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/loch-ness-monster/" target="_blank">#LochNessMonster</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/nessie/" target="_blank">#Nessie</a><a href="https://sharonahill.com/?p=10134" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://sharonahill.com/?p=10134</a>

Mark A. RaynerAn average vacation in the 70s.<a href="https://mas.to/tags/humor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#humor</a> <a href="https://mas.to/tags/humour" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#humour</a> <a href="https://mas.to/tags/nostalgia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#nostalgia</a> <a href="https://mas.to/tags/cryptids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#cryptids</a> <a href="https://mas.to/tags/YesItsPhotoshopped" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#YesItsPhotoshopped</a>

Keeper of the orbNEW but OLD in the shop zine!! "cryptozoology for dumbasses" - 2015 zine organized by Iris Jay (irisjay.net) about... cryptids!!i got to do the jersey devil art!!!<a href="https://ko-fi.com/s/73f2c17b10" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://ko-fi.com/s/73f2c17b10</a> <a href="https://donphan.social/tags/cryptid" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#cryptid</a> <a href="https://donphan.social/tags/zine" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#zine</a> <a href="https://donphan.social/tags/cryptozoology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#cryptozoology</a> <a href="https://donphan.social/tags/cryptids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#cryptids</a>

HypnogoriaOne from the vaults! This week it's <a href="https://ohai.social/tags/books" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#books</a> on creepy <a href="https://ohai.social/tags/cryptids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#cryptids</a> and weird creatures . starting with the classic Alien Animals (HarperCollins 1985) by Janet and Colin Bord

LordWoolamalooMonsters of California: Blink 182's Tom DeLonge directs & co-writes this flick of UFOs, cryptids and more. Flawed, sure, but also pretty fun in a popcorn flick kind of way (with a bit of a Goonies influence). My review is on <a href="https://mastodon.social/@PhilEdwards" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@PhilEdwards</a> 's Live For Films - <a href="https://www.liveforfilm.com/2025/07/07/review-monsters-of-california-a-good-saturday-night-popcorn-flick/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.liveforfilm.com/2025/07/07/review-monsters-of-california-a-good-saturday-night-popcorn-flick/</a><a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/film" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#film</a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/films" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#films</a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/cryptids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#cryptids</a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/UFO" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#UFO</a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/MonstersOfCalifornia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MonstersOfCalifornia</a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/movie" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#movie</a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/2020sFilm" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#2020sFilm</a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/TomDeLonge" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#TomDeLonge</a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/LiveForFilms" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#LiveForFilms</a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Reviews" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Reviews</a>

Amber LoveUNLOCKED: Oliver & Gus have a good idea of what could have attacked such a large Jersey Devil-Deer! <a href="https://www.catdetectivecases.com/year9-casefile07/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.catdetectivecases.com/year9-casefile07/</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/cats?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#cats</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/writers?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#writers</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/authors?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#authors</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/cryptids?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#cryptids</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/CatSky?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#CatSky</a>

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