Lumberjack Folklore
-
Speedemon
The Speedemon is a creature from Lumberjack Folklore. It has the “scientific” name Rapidusdemonicus dorsonae. They have round bodies with five legs. They love chasing around small animals just for fun. They can often be heard in the evening spinning around as if in a cartwheel. They are thought to be incredibly hard to spot because of their rapid speed. Citations: Yarns of the Big Woods, Written and Illustrated by Art Childs
-
Snow Wasset/Snow Wassit
The Snow Wasset is a creature from Lumberjack Folklore. They live in Canada and spend winter in the great lakes region and hibernate in the summer. During hibernation their hair turns green and curly, and they grow small legs to make burrows in cranberry bogs. They emerge from hibernation after the first snowfall and move through the snow like a porpoise. They hunt in packs to catch and consume grouse, rabbits, and when in desperate situations, wolves. They are known to have voracious appetites and are thought to be four times more dangerous than a wolverine. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United…
-
Slide Rock Bolter
The Slide Rock Bolter is a creature from Lumberjack Folklore which are said to be found in Colorado. They live in mountains on inclines of at least 45 degrees. They have large heads, small eyes, mouths like a sculpin (a kind of fish) and tails with two tail flippers shaped like hooks. They anchor themself at the top of mountains and wait for people to pass underneath. When this happens, they drool down the mountain and slide down this saliva to consume their prey. After is slides down, it uses its momentum to slide up the next mountain and latch itself on to repeat the process. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia…
-
Sidehill Gouger
The Sidehill Gouger is a creature from Lumberjack Folklore. It has the “scientific name” Membriinequales declivitatis. Their legs are longer on one side of the body than they are on the other. This allows them to live on steep cliffs and spiral around them on ledges instead of climbing straight up, as they can only go in one direction. They are known to dig holes into the sides of these hills and feed on the rabbits that fall in. They are only though to come out on dark moonlit nights. If confronted from the front and clubbed, they will tumble down the hill and be unable to right themselves again.…
-
Shovel-Faced Oscar
The Shovel-Faced Oscar is a strange creature from Lumberjack Folklore. It has the “scientific name” Caputpala borgesia. They are creatures with four legs and a face shaped like a shovel that lives solely underwater. They use their shovel-like faces to dig out the burrows where bass then leave their eggs. Supposedly they are named after a man named Oscar Wicklem, who was one of the first people to encounter this creature. Citations: Yarns of the Big Woods, Written and Illustrated by Art Childs
-
Salvager Sucker
The Salvager Sucker is a strange fish from Lumberjack Folklore which is considered rare and endangered. They are found in the water of Discovery Bay in the Puget Sound. They measure two feet long with powerful fins, and a tail that moves up and down. They notably have a growth like a suction cup just below the mouth. They use these growths to produce a suction so strong it creates a seal that can only be broken with dynamite. With this seal, it makes strong movements through the water and can lift incredibly heavy objects out of the water. It’s believed they can be trained by tying a rope to…
-
Rattlerrabbit
The Rattlerrabbit is a creature from the Mimbre Valley of the American Southwest. It’s thought to have lived there 1000 years ago, and it’s now presumed to be extinct. It has the “scientific name” Lepus casteneta. It has the body of a rabbit all the way down to the waist and a big rattlesnake tail. It is very obscure and is only known through Native American pottery. Citations: Wyman, Walker Demarquis. Mythical Creatures of the U.S.A. and Canada. United States, University of Wisconsin-River Falls Press, 1978.=
-
Oomph
The Oomph is a weird creature that comes from Lumberjack Folklore. It goes by the “scientific” name Ranaincumbramentum alvinshwartzi. They are sneaky creatures that are difficult to catch, and eat eggs they find in bird nests. They are roughly the size of a dog, appear to be a hybrid of lizard and toad, with long claws, sharp spines along their backs, and large spots all over their body. They are named after the sound that it makes when finding bird nests, which sounds like ‘oomph oomph.’ Citations: Yarns of the Big Woods, Written and Illustrated by Art Childs
-
Sizzerbill
The Sizzerbill is a creature from Lumberjack folklore from Minnesota and Wisconsin. They have the scientific name Fortesrostrum coxi. They’re rare creatures becoming even rarer, and they’re thought to be half bird and half some other animal. They hang around reeds and marshy riverbanks, keeping themselves hidden from sight. When they see a fish struggling on a line they use their scissor-like beaks to cut the line and free the fish. Citations: Yarns of the Big Woods, Written and Illustrated by Art Childs
-
Log Gar
The Log Gar is a fish from Lumberjack Folklore. It has saw-like teeth. They can cut through anything in the water and cut off limbs immediately. They will go through anything to kill prey. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016. Rose, Carol. Giants Monsters and Dragons: An Encyclopedia Of Folklore Legend And Myth. United Kingdom, WW Norton, 2001.
