FOLKLORE & URBAN LEGENDS: SKIN-WALKER

Illustrated by Jefferson Muncy

Throughout folklore there are countless stories of strange creatures blurring the line between humanity and the natural world. Most of these include stories of witches who have acquired the powers to transform into certain animals.

La Lechuza, also known as the Owl Witch, is known for her ability to change into a large owl to kidnap small children at night. However the most popular kind of transformation is the werewolf, a curse turning people into a wolf under the light of a full moon.

These stories may reflect our view of different animals throughout history. We created a feeling of understanding the world by applying certain characteristics and spiritual attributes to different species; some are signs of prosperity although others are omens of death. While some species symbolize a specific prophecy, the Navajo culture has legends of shape-shifters who can change into any animal they desire. Not bound by a single animal or spiritual characteristic.

The name “skin-walker” comes from the term “yee naaldlooshii”, which roughly translates to “with it, he goes on all fours.”

The Navajo and Apache cultures have multiple ways they can follow their spiritual path in order to connect to the spirit world. These practices and rituals are believed to combat sickness and bring prosperity to the tribe.However there a path that brings only death and misfortune to others, known as the Witchery Way. The ones who follow this path are obsessed with the desire for power and eternal life.

The Witchery Way is a taboo subject in Navajo culture, not to be discussed with outsiders.  As a result the skin-walker legend is still obscured, we know very little about the creature’s origin.

The ritual to become a skin-walker involves a variety of ceremonial dances, ending with the participant killing a member of his or her own family. Afterwards, they are granted the power to cast powerful curses, and the ability to change into any animal they desire. Nevertheless, no matter what form a skin-walker takes, its natural abilities extend beyond the animal realm; it can also mimic the sounds of family members or crying children in order to lure unsuspecting victims away from the tribe.

They also possess ungodly stamina, as rumors say they can run up to two hundred miles without stopping, making them almost impossible to catch. The skin-walker continues to be one of the most elusive legends in American folklore.

We all fear the unknown.  It’s easy to pass over the skin-walker legend, because there are almost no reported sightings or shared personal encounters. Nevertheless, to many people this legend is very real.

After learning what kinds of powers people can acquire through following the Witchery Way, we can only wonder about other North American stories of humans changing into animals. Such as sightings of giant birds with human faces, and large wolves seen walking on two feet. These kinds of stories are still unfolding today.

After all, who are we to say what exists and what doesn’t? Native American tribes have been here longer than any of us. They have seen what blessings the land can give, and the dark secrets it hides.

Message me on Facebook or Instagram to let me know of any other Myths or Urban Legends you want to see!

You can follow my process creating the illustrations on Instagram: @JeffersonMuncy

Looking for more folklore? Check out the legend of the Wendigo !

FOLKLORE & URBAN LEGENDS: MANANANGGAL

The Philippines are home to some of the most beautiful islands on the planet. Consisting of over 7000 small islands with dense forests.

Though beautiful, locals believe these forests are home to sinister creatures called Aswang. Reports include a variety of different characteristics, similar to those of vampires, werewolves, witches, and ghouls.

The legend of the Aswang is a large part of Philippine culture. Surveys suggest over 80% of locals believe in some form of the creature. This may result from the integration of Christian values into Philippine life. These promote close family values. When there are 3 or more generations living in a single household, stories are naturally going to be passed down.

 Nevertheless, while these values keep families together, their development in the Philippines may have resulted in the emergence of a new kind of Aswang.

The new creature is known as the Manananggal, or “the one who separates itself”.

They are always portrayed as women; some accounts have described them as seductive and beautiful, although others describe them as repulsive.

After the sunset, the Manananggal sprouts large wings on its back. It then separates itself at the waist, leaving the lower half of the body standing in the forest as it flies off in search of victims.

It perches on top of a hut, and slide its extremely long tongue through the straw roof, and into the room where the victim is sleeping. While it sucks the blood of adults as they sleep, its favorite meal is the blood of an unborn fetus. This explained any miscarriages in the community.

There are a few ways to defeat a Manananggal. Its weaknesses are similar to vampires.

It hates the holy cross, garlic, salt, and sunlight. If someone can find its lower half, and stuff salt and garlic into it. The top half will be unable to reattach itself and die the following morning.

These stories didn’t develop until the islands were converted to Christianity. When the Spaniards came into the country, they began to demonize the local way of life. They began telling the public, the local Shamans and healers were practicing the dark arts.

Some speculate during this time of conversion, the Spaniards created the legend of the Manananggal, as an attempt to draw the local people out of the forests and into the cities. Making them easier to control.

Why the Manananggal showed up during this time period is up for debate. Though there are still eyewitness accounts to this day. Stories are told to small children so they will not wander off after dark.

These stories have become part of the identity in the Philippines. Representation of the Manananggal is now used in parades and political protests.

So is the Manananggal a real creature, or just a form of public control?

Message me on Facebook or Instagram to let me know of any other Myths or Urban Legends you want to see!

You can follow my process creating the illustrations on Instagram: @JeffersonMuncy

The final Images are also available as prints in my online store: JeffersonMuncyArt

Check out the legend of the Pope Lick Monster

For more information on the Aswang, check out the documentary The Aswang Phenomenon, directed by Jordan Clark.

FOLKLORE & URBAN LEGENDS: WENDIGO

Cannibalism has always been taboo; the act of eating another person feels like a betrayal of human nature. Those who engage in the act are viewed as monstrous, someone who has lost their humanity.

A dark spirit inhabits in the woods of northern Minnesota, and southern Canada. This area is known as the North Woods, covering 26 million acres in total.

 The legend of the Wendigo goes back hundreds of years, and is said to originate with the Algonquian Tribe of North America. Nevertheless, other tribes have reported a similar spirit in the forest.

The creature is approximately 15ft tall, with hands resembling large claws. It’s incredibly malnourished in appearance, with muscles and bones easily visible through its tightly stretched skin. Roaming through the forest, it brings the smell of death.

Traditional stories about the Wendigo take place during winter.  An especially difficult time of year in the far north, due to a lack of plentiful hunting and farming. Many tribes went hungry, and dying of starvation was common.

When someone’s on the brink of death, all other concerns fall away. Starvation causes depression, anxiety, and aggression. This weakness from starvation is what the Wendigo preys on.

It possesses a human host, causing immense hunger and uncontrollable urges to eat human flesh. As the person feeds, they begin to transform into the creature. The more it eats, the larger its stomach grows, leaving the creature in a constant state of hunger.

Other interpretations say after a person engages in cannibalism, they will invite Wendigo spirit into them. Only then, will they transform into the creature described in Native American folklore.

Looking at the story with a modern day perspective, we can guess these stories were to prepare the tribe for the hardships of winter. Condoning cannibalism, even if there is no other hope for food. It also serves to caution children about greed, and gluttony. To take only what they need.

Nevertheless, every myth has some truth to it.

The legend is debated in the scientific community. A condition known as Wendigo Psychosis remains a mystery to researchers. Symptoms include having a sudden craving to eat human flesh; with intense anxiety about becoming a cannibal, leaving them terrified about their own cravings.

 There have been multiple incidents where families were found dead after being isolated in the woods during winter. In these reports, one of the family members suffered from Wendigo Psychosis. Resulting in them killing the rest of the family, and beginning to eat the bodies.

Does the combination of starvation and isolation lead to a condition where people begin craving human flesh? This may explain the legends passed down for hundreds of years.

 The North Woods keep many secrets. Since Wendigo Psychosis occurs in isolated areas, it’s impossible to document every case. There may be others out there who suffer from this condition. Walking through the forests looking for food, bringing with them the smell of death. 

Let me know of any Myths or Urban Legends you want to see!

You can follow my process creating the illustrations on Instagram: @JeffersonMuncy

The final Images will soon be available as prints in my online store: JeffersonMuncyArt

FOLKLORE & URBAN LEGENDS: UMIBOZU

Japan has always had a strong connection with the sea. With the size of its fishing market, many of its resources come from the surrounding water.  When something plays such a big role in society, stories naturally develop.

In Japanese culture, most folklore and urban legends involve spirits known as the Yokai. These spirits take the form of various creatures, or other natural phenomenon. Though usually developed in smaller regions, taking on characteristics of these areas.

One of the most feared Yokai is seen throughout the sea surrounding the country.  Many sailors warn about the legend of the Umibōzu.

The spirits name translates to “sea monk”, because its silhouette resembles a Buddhist monk. Described as a bald, humanoid figure, with no other feature besides a black surface and glowing white eyes. Some legends say they are the spirits of drowned monks, but others describe the creature as a completely unknown force.

The creature has only been seen from the shoulders up, nobody has ever seen what it looks like bellow the water. But there have been stories about large black tentacles erupting from the ocean when the Umibōzu is present.

The spirit is known to capsize ships, flood boats, or just split them in half.  Most encounters end in death, so reports from witnesses are rare.

Stories of the Umibōzu make most sailors and fisherman anxious even if the water looks calm. While the Umibōzu usually attacks ships during heavy storms it has been know to sink ships even on calm days. When it rises from the ocean, a storm will begin brewing around its presence, the waves we begin to crash violently, sinking most ships.

There is only one possible way to escape the Umibōzu.

On occasion, when the spirit rises from the ocean, it will gesture for a barrel. If given one, it will begin to scoop water from the ocean and poor it onto the ship, slowly sinking it. However if you give it a barrel with a fake bottom, it will become frustrated as it can’t fill the boat, and retreat to the sea.

Like all folklore, to the people who experience the Yokai, they are very real. We may be able to explain some of these stories with modern science, such as rouge waves. Though these stories were ways for people in the past to make sense of the unknown.

These stories can also help people cope with tragedy. People blame the Umibōzu for the Toya Maru accident; a large commercial ferry was capsized during a storm, killing 275 people. This was part of a larger typhoon in 1954, which clammed the lives of over 3000 people.

These kinds of stories extend well outside of Japan. The Funayūre of China is eerily similar in description. Depicted as a large humanoid spirit rising from the water to sink the ships of sailors.

The ocean is still a mystery; we explored just a fraction of what’s out there. So the ocean has always contained an element of the unknown, and what makes the Umibōzu so terrifying is it will always represent the unknown element of the sea.

Let me know of any Myths or Urban Legends you want to see!

You can follow my process creating the illustrations on Instagram: @JeffersonMuncy

The final Images will soon be available as prints in my online store: JeffersonMuncyArt

Folklore & Urban Legends: The Pope Lick Monster

The strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown. We try to find answers, as explaining something allows us a feeling in control. Sometimes tragedy can be so random and horrendous; our only explanation is something completely unnatural.

There have been stories of a goat-like creature haunting the forests of Kentucky, and its surrounding states. Though most take place in this area, stories of the creature extend to Maryland and Texas.

The creature is described as having the legs of a goat, torso of a man, and an elongated face with large horns on its head.

This kind of creature is common in folklore; such as the god Pan from Greek mythology, and the Christmas demon Krampus. These stories stretch back for hundreds of years.

In Old Bowie, Maryland; the legend of the Goatman started gaining attention in 1971 when a farmer found his dog decapitated on the side of the road after it went missing the day before. It was a horrible scene; the farmer didn’t know what to make of it.

In the nights prior to the incident people had reported seeing a “goat-human hybrid” moving through the forests of Fletchertown Road, where the dog was found.

These stories were often told in the surrounding areas of Kentucky. So in 1937 when a young boy jumped off the Trestle Bridge overlooking Pope Lick Creek; the locals demanded an explanation. Theories surrounding the Goatman creature were quick to name him as the cause.

At this point the legend of the Goatman permanently cemented itself in Kentucky lore, under the name of the “Pope Lick Monster”.

Some tell stories about a satanic farmer, who sacrificed his goats in order to be granted demonic powers. Others speculate a science experiment gone wrong. There was once a scientist who combined the DNA of his assistant with the DNA of a goat, resulting in a monstrous creature.

It is said the creature has the ability to hypnotize humans, luring them onto the bridge, to be hit by an oncoming train. Others say just the sight of the creature drives can drive you mad, driving people to jump off the bridge.

The legend of the monster became popular among locals and tourists, eventually the bridge became widely known at “Goatman’s Bridge”.

What’s fascinating about the Pope Lick Monster is there have never been any official sightings, and no filed police reports. But the legend itself has claimed the lives of dozens of thrill-seekers venturing onto the bridge to experience seeing the Pope Lick Monster.

Nevertheless some people don’t realize the bridge is still in use.

These mistakes lead to explorers getting crushed by a passing train, or loosing their balance and falling off the bridge.

Sometimes our fear of the unknown will lead us to create drastic stories in order to explain away certain events. What the legend of the Pope Lick Monster should tell us is sometimes stories can be more dangerous than reality.

Message me on Facebook or Instagram to let me know of any other Myths or Urban Legends you want to see!

You can follow my process on Instagram: @JeffersonMuncy

The final Images will also be available as prints in my online JeffersonMuncyArt

P.S. Seriously, if you are in the area near the Trestle Bridge in Louisville, KY -DO NOT CLIMB IT. The tracks are still operational; if you do want to visit the site, appreciate it from a safe distance.