Mothman is a cryptidor paranormal creaturemost often associated with Point Pleasant, West Virginia, a small town located along the banks of the Ohio River. THE myth of the Mothman has been part of American fokelore since the 1960s. [2][16][17], According to Georgian newspaper Svobodnaya Gruziya, Russian UFOlogists claim that Mothman sightings in Moscow foreshadowed the 1999 Russian apartment bombings.[18]. #Moth. What is the Mothman and where have there been sightings? The first time he encountered the creature was when he was about 12 years old. The idea that visitations from the Mothman predicted disaster led some believers to make ties to the Chernobyl disaster of 1986, the Mexican swine flu outbreak of 2009, and the 2011 nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan. The daughter ran into the bedroom in response to her mother's scream. According to Gallo, "people more likely to visit a paranormal-centric website like Strickler's might also be more inclined to believe in, and therefore witness the existence of, a 'Mothman'. From 2011 through 2018 Mothman was spotted in Chicago and near Lake Michigan multiple times (nearly 70) by numerous witnesses. After Mothman achieved mainstream influence. With our cryptid road map of the U.S.A., you can do just that. Unsure what it was, he sent the images to Phantoms and Monsters, hoping they or someone else might know what he captured in the photo. Only time will tell as patterns emerge whether this is urban legend, folklore, or something supernatural. [12] Distressed, the witnesses drove away at speed, and said that the creature flew after their car, making a screeching sound. The sober friend in the group saw the same thing as his inebriated friends that night. One woman first saw the creature as she was getting dressed. Terrified, the woman screamed and crouched down by the cars as the creature charged towards her. [ "Wild Story Produced in Wildlife Preserve" Newspaper, released November 1966 ]? Mothman was first sighted in 1966 by residents of Point Pleasant, and over one hundred sightings continued to be reported through 1968 in the town and surrounding areas. Sightings and events that occurred before the original Mothman reports in 1966. Two volunteer firemen who saw it said it was a "large bird with red eyes". 12 Recent Mothman Sightings (and What They Mean). Sightings and events that occurred before the original Mothman reports in 1966. This was linked to the Mothman, and the legend was cemented. THE myth of the Mothman has been part of American fokelore since the 1960s. They glanced up from their work as something huge soared over their heads. Shining a flashlight toward the direction of the noise, Partridge supposedly witnessed two red eyes resembling bicycle reflectors looking back at him. First sighted near point pleasant West Virginia in 1966 some say he is a harbinger of doom sent from another dimension, while others believe he is a mutated owl who had the misfortune of making its home in the now-famous " TNT . In 1975, author John Keel conflated the Mothman sightings and the bridge disaster while creating his book The Mothman Prophecies. Thirteen people were killed and nearly 150 injured, with many people claiming to have seen Mothman. Could Cuyahoga Valley National Park be home to a Bigfoot-like creature known as Grassman? So scary! they wrote. Forty-six people died, either by drowning or being crushed by the wreckage. His first sighting as a child was at night when the creature landed only a few feet from him. Another said: The Mothman found on Google Maps!. The Mothman wasn't wearing clothes. This page is useful for giving context to Mothman stories and keeping track of content on The Mothman Wiki. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, This image of the winged figure has sparked fears the Mothman may have returned to West Virginia, The mythological creature was featured in The Mothman Prophecies film starring Richard Gere and Laura Linney, photos have circulated in local media purporting to show the winged beast in Point Pleasant once again, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). He told UFO Clearinghouse that he felt like the creature had probed his mind and his very soul. 12 Recent Mothman Sightings (and What They Mean) | LoveToKnow The figure stands about as tall as a human - but that's where similarities end. The driver didnt get a good enough look at the creature to notice whether or not it had wings. Newspaper, released November 19th 1966 ], [ Our Bird Has Law On Its Side" Newspaper, released November 19th 1966 ], [ "Mason Bird Monster Presumed Gone Now" Newspaper, released November 22nd 1966 ], [ "Oh, That 'Bird!' [9][10][11] Linda Scarberry described it as a "slender, muscular man" about seven feet tall with white wings, and said that she was unable to discern its face due to the hypnotic effect of its eyes. Mothman was first sighted in 1966 by residents of Point Pleasant, and over one hundred sightings continued to be reported through 1968 in the town and surrounding areas. When it spread out its wings, the birdman released a loud screech, then blasted into the air. 'Mothman' still a frighteningly big draw for tourists, Grave Creek Mound and Criel Mound, 250 - 150 BC, (Thunderbird) Native Americans, 1700's and 1800's, The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, opened 1864, (Crimean Crow) Five Russian Soilders, Crimean Battlefield, March 14th mid1850's, The West Virginia State Penitentiary, opened 1876, (Flying Machines) W.H. Goose? Just three days after the gravediggers initial report, in nearby Point Pleasant, West Virginia, two couples noticed a white-winged creature about six or seven feet tall standing in front of the car that they were all sitting in. There were over 100 reported Mothman sightings. This is a chronological listing of documented sightings and events with names, locations and dates. Creature Something.. These are unconfirmed and unofficial witness testimonies from the internet. Subject profile: In the late 1960s, people around Point Pleasant, West Virginia, began reporting sightings of a creature that would later be dubbed "Mothman." It would reportedly emerge, fly as . Allegedly, the creature appeared in his doorway in the middle of the night while he was in bed. Joe initially thought that he had encountered the boogieman as a child but decided it was more likely to have been the Mothman after noticing similarities between the creature he encountered and the creature described in The Mothman Prophecies. Top 5 mothman sightings caught on camera. Looking for a unique summer vacation? The Model T had weighed just 1,500 pounds a modest sum compared to the 1967 average for a car: 4,000 pounds. So, continue to publish these paranormal things, they aid my understanding of life. The men held to the fact that what lifted off beyond the trees was no bird, it was a humanoid.Thank you for watching!Thank you to CO.AG for the background music! And while you seldom have only one color in your aura, mo. Express. [20][10] Benjamin Radford points out that the only report of glowing "red eyes," was secondhand, that of Shirley Hensley quoting her father. The Case Of The Chicago Mothman : NPR The only possible explanation I can think of is that somebody caught the Mothman and chained him to this spot! The creature was said to have a wingspan of 12'-15' and standing height was 6'-7 . The Mothman is actually West Virginia folklore, dating back to news reports in 1966 of a creature which lurked in the Point Pleasant area. It had human arms, hands, and legs. Its worth noting that the Mothman legend bears a resemblance to several demon archetypes found among those who have experienced sleep paralysis, which may suggest that the visions are nothing more than the embodiment of typical human fears, pulled from the depths of the unconscious and grafted onto real-life animal sightings when people panic. Tim Bertelink / Wikimedia Commons (edited to add background). The Mothman Timeline | TheMothMan Wikia | Fandom Pleasant Car Occupants See 'Bird-Like Creature'" Newspaper, released November 17th 1966, "Owl? They didn't think anything about it since many people frequent the park that time of night. Sally is a paranormal researcher and clairvoyant who has also studied astrology, numerology and ancient divination arts. Richie Diesterheft/FlickrA sign remembering the Silver Bridge collapse of 1967. But more and more sightings were reported in the Point Pleasant area over the next year as the legend of the Mothman took shape. From its back sprout a pair of wings, flapping out either side of the being. This theory posits that when the national press ran with the Mothman story, people who lived in Point Pleasant began to panic. If Google Maps kept track of cryptids (mental note: new website idea), a search on "Mothman" would go first to Point Pleasant, At rush hour on August 1, 2007, a bridge on Interstate 35 in Minneapolis, Minnesota gave way at its center. marada/FlickrA statue of the infamous Mothman in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. I believe most of the universe - I rather call Zeroverse since zero represents everything and nothing both - consists of things beyond our scientific knowledge and some knowledge they refuse to reveal. It hovered over the 12-year-old for a minute, then laughed in a deep, echoing male voice before disappearing. The creature allegedly stopped about ten feet away from the car, and the witness and his friends could see the outline of the creature. "Couples See Man-Sized BirdCreatureSomething", "Monster Bird With Red Eyes May Be Crane", "Munitions Risk Closes Part of Wildlife Area Again", "Mothman' still a frighteningly big draw for tourists", "Man photographs creature that resembles legendary, "Is the Mothman of West Virginia an Owl? Soon it became apparently connected to supernatural events after sightings, and was linked to the collapse of a bridge which killed 46 people. This anonymous observer kept their experience to themselvesfor fear of being ridiculed for their claimsuntil a month or two later when they heard that several local kids had a similar sighting in the woods outside of town. It was around 11 pm when the woman was leaving her shift and walking to the parking lot on September 24, 2020. By now, they were only a few feet from the figure. And on that cold December day, that was exactly what happened. The story was then written about in a 1975 book by John Keel called The Mothman Prophecies. He pulled off the highway and took some hasty photos of the creature moving about and captured the now iconic image of it in flight. Mothman TNT Area, Point Pleasant | Roadtrippers When the Mothman saw them, it took flight. [ "Four More Claim Seeing Big Red-Eyed Bird" Newspaper, released November 1966 ]? Its eyes glowed red. It was some kind of weird, vaguely humanoid shapebut it definitely wasnt human. "[3][20], Folklorist Jan Harold Brunvand notes that Mothman has been widely covered in the popular press, some claiming sightings connected with UFOs, and others claiming that a military storage site was Mothman's "home". Many visitors and employees of the Sandusky Mall in Sandusky, Ohio report encounters with a mysterious ghost known only as the Lady in Red. Instead, it is a prankster in costume, who according to some Reddit users is dubbed Mothman. Newspaper, released November 18th 1966, "Red Eyed 'Winged Monster' Sighted in W. Virginia" Newspaper, released November 18th 1966, "Wild Story Produced in Wildlife Preserve" Newspaper, released November 1966, "Night Rider In Sky Afraid of Lights" Newspaper, released November 1966, 'Red-Eyed Creature' Reported in W. Va. Eyewitnesses Roger Scarberry and Steve Mallett told the local paper, The Point Pleasant Register, that the beast had bright red eyes about six inches apart, a wingspan of 10 feet, and the apparent urge to avoid the bright headlights of the car. Local news reporter Katy Andersen tweeted the images asking followers: MOTHMAN?! Newspaper, released November 19th 1966, "Four More Claim Seeing Big Red-Eyed Bird" Newspaper, released November 1966, "That Mothman: Would You Believe A Sandhill Crane?" [28][29][30] The festival is held on the third weekend of every September, hosting guest speakers, vendor exhibits, pancake-eating contests, and hayride tours of locally notable areas.[16]. "[25], Some pseudoscience adherents (such as ufologists, paranormal authors, and cryptozoologists) claim that Mothman was an alien, a supernatural manifestation, or a previously unknown species of animal. This placed a strain on the bridge, which had been built in a time when cars were lighter. [1] The national press soon picked up the reports and helped spread the story across the United States. The creature was described as a humanoid with bat wings or a massive batlike flying creature. The first recorded Mothman sighting took place on November 12, 1966, near West Virginia. Footage of the wreckage of the Silver Bridge and interviews with witnesses and survivors. Geographies of Mothman - ArcGIS StoryMaps Reports by local residents point to yes! It has been suggested that these bunkers have leaked toxic materials into the neighboring wildlife preserve, possibly affecting nearby animals. He was shocked at the brashness of the human creature as it sat perched no more than 15' away from the passing shuttle, yet wasn't scared of being seen. Newspaper, released November 18th 1966 ], [ "Red Eyed 'Winged Monster' Sighted in W. Virginia" Newspaper, released November 18th 1966 ]. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. asking if they saw the Mothman - he's just counting the number of people that voluntarily came forward to report a sighting." According to Gallo, "people more likely to visit a paranormal . Here are some sightings of Mothman after it had been sighted by people around the world. In 2002, a movie based on Keels book rekindled interest in the Mothman. Newspaper, released November 19th 1966 ]. After the collapse, George Noory received multiple calls on his radio program Coast to Coast AM from people who said they had a Mothman sighting. [24], According to University of Chicago psychologist David A. Gallo, 55 sightings of Mothman in Chicago during 2017 published on the website of self-described Fortean researcher Lon Strickler are "a selective sample". When the humanoid bird flew into this small town, 8 Types of Ghost Sightings (and What They Mean), Have you ever seen a ghost? Coal Barge near Silver Bridge collapse, Point Pleasant, WV (Ohio River). Gallo explains that "he's not sampling random people and asking if they saw the Mothman he's just counting the number of people that voluntarily came forward to report a sighting." He assured the paper, If I had seen it while by myself, I wouldnt have said anything, but there were four of us who saw it.. [ 'Red-Eyed Creature' Reported in W. Va. The town also has a Mothman Museum and statue of the creature in the town square. View our online Press Pack. Not sure what, but not human.. The pair watched the humanoid creature for a minute, then it spread its wings and flew away. Prank: Or Take Your Choice" Newspaper, released November 17th 1966 ], [ "Mason Countians Hunt 'Moth Man'" Newspaper, released November 17th 1966 ], [ "City Getting 'The Bird,' Want It Or Not" Newspaper, released November 17th 1966 ], [ "Monster No Joke For Those Who Saw It" Newspaper, released November 18th 1966 ], [ "Couples Say They Saw 6-Ft. 100-mph Bird'" Newspaper, released November 18th 1966 ], [ "Mason County has 'Flying' Mystery" Newspaper, released November 18th 1966 ], [ "Monster Returns To Mason" Newspaper, released November 1966 ], [ "'Flying Man' Seen Here, Man Claims" Newspaper, released November 18th 1966 ], [ "Eight People Say They Saw 'Creature'" Newspaper, released November 18th 1966 ], [ "'Birdman' Could Be FHS Balloon" Newspaper, released November 18th 1966 ], [ "Could the 'Moth Man' Be Balloon?" The group organizing the event chose the Mothman to be the center of the festival due to its uniqueness, and as a way to celebrate its local legacy in the town. That September 30, 2011 is one none of these young adults will ever forget. The creature was black, and it had facial features like a human, only its overall face was very demonic looking. When the roommate's phone rang, she ran to her room to answer it and saw the two glowing eyes staring at her through her bedroom window. The eyewitness described it as being half man and half bird. The book was later adapted into a 2002 film, starring Richard Gere. Contractor Newell Partridge told Johnson that when he aimed a flashlight at a creature in a nearby field, its eyes glowed "like bicycle reflectors". No matter what you think about God or aliens or talking trees you really a foolish person to think we are the smartest an most evolved species on this rock. It is said that Mothman usually appears just before tragedy strikes as a portent of impending doom. Flying humanoids are very commonplace in the northern region of Mexico. They appear to be eyes. When they lock gazes with the creature, these people report they are temporarily paralyzed as though in a trance. The MothMan found on Google Maps! In West Virginia folklore, the Mothman is a humanoid creature reportedly seen in the Point Pleasant area from November15, 1966, to December15, 1967. Is Mothman really a paranormal creature who terrorizes residents of West Virginia and its surrounding areas? [ "Reporter's night went by without Mothman sighting" Newspaper, released January 1st 2002 ], [ Mothman and other curious encounters by Loren Coleman, book released January 1st 2002 ], [ The Mothman Prophecies Movie, released January 25th 2002 ], [ The Mothman Prophecies by John Keel is reprinted, 2002 ], [ The "Search For The Mothman" Documentary, released January 2002 ], [ "Memories of Mothman" Newspaper, released February 14th 2002 ], [ "Return of The Mothman" Newspaper, released February 2002 ], [ Mothman on Unsolved Mysteries TV show, aired July 29th 2002 ], [ 1st Annual Mothman Festival, November 16th 2002 ], [ 2nd Annual Mothman Festival, September 13th 2003 ], [ 3rd Annual Mothman Festival, September 18th and 19th 2004 ], [ MothmanBehind The Red Eyes by Jeff Wamsley, book released on April 1st 2005 ], [ The "Blackbird of Chernobyl" story emerges online, 2005 (earliest known) ], [ The "Freiburg Shrieker" story emerges online, 2005 (earliest known) ], [ 4th Annual Mothman Festival, September 16th and 17th 2005 ], [ 5th Annual Mothman Festival, September 16th and 17th 2006 ], [ 'John Keel On Mothman' September 2007 FATE Article ], [ 6th Annual Mothman Festival, September 15th and 16th 2007 ], [ "'Mothman' still a frighteningly big draw for tourists" Newspaper, released January 19th 2008 ], [ Return to Point Pleasant Comic Book, released September 1st 2008 ], [ 7th Annual Mothman Festival, September 20th and 21st 2008 ], [ 8th Annual Mothman Festival, September 19th and 20th 2009 ], [ MonsterQuest's Mothman Episode, aired February 10th 2010 ], [ Mothman 2010 Syfy Movie, April 24th 2010 ], [ 9th Annual Mothman Festival, September 18th and 19th 2010 ], [ The "Eyes of The Mothman" Documentary, released February 22nd 2011 ], [10th Annual Mothman Festival, September 17th and 18th 2011], [ Lost Grooves Comic Book, released 2012 ], [ Monsters of West Virginia by Rosemary Ellen Guiley, book released 2012 ], [ 11th Annual Mothman Festival, September 15th and 16th 2012 ], [ Mothman Toons Comic Book, released 2013 ], [ The Tale of The Mason County Mothman by George Dudding, book released February 12th 2013 ], [ The Flatwoods Monster by George Dudding, book released March 30th 2013 ], [ 12th Annual Mothman Festival, September 21st and 22nd 2013 ], [ Dale Morton's Mothman Costume, started February 2014 and finished May 2014 ], [ Fish Fisher - The Mothman of Point Pleasant, released May 5th 2014 ], [ Navy Poster Museum, opened September 2014 ], [ 13th Annual Mothman Festival, September 20th and 21st 2014 ], [ Art of Point Pleasant Comic Book, released 2015 ], [ The Silver Bridge Tragedy by George Dudding, book released March 24th 2015 ], [ Iron Spell - The Night of the Mothman, released August 24th, 2015 ], [ 14th Annual Mothman Festival, September 19th and 20th 2015 ], [ The Mothman Wiki, started February 10th 2016 ], [ Brian Zeller - Mothman, What You Gonna' Do Now?, video released on June 18th 2016 ], [ The Mothman Wiki has over 100 articles, July 18th 2016 ], [ Filming begins for The Mothman of Point Pleasant Documentary, September 15th 2016 ], [ 15th Annual Mothman Festival, September 17th and 18th 2016 ], [ Brian Zeller - Silver Bridge Has Fallen Down, video released on September 27th 2016 ], [ 50th Anniversary of the November 15th 1966 Mothman Sighting ], [ Filming wraps on The Mothman of Point Pleasant, February 2017, [ Pre-release screening of The Mothman of Point Pleasant Documentary at The Lowe Hotel, May 27th 2017 ], [ The Mothman of Point Pleasant Documentary by Small Town Monsters, released June 2nd 2017 ], [ The Mothman of Point Pleasant Documentary Screening at The WV State Theater, September 15th 2017 ], [ 16th Annual Mothman Festival, September 16th and 17th 2017 ], [ The Mothman Wiki has over 200 articles, November 9th 2017 ], [ Mothman: Evil Incarnate by Loren Coleman, book released December 6th 2017 ], [ 50th Anniversary of the Silver Bridge Collapse, December 15th 2017 ], [ The Flatwoods Monster: A Legacy of Fear by Small Town Monsters, released April 6th 2018 ], [ Flatwoods Monster: A Legacy of Fear film screening at The Elk Theater in Braxton County WV, April 7th 2018 ], [ 17th Annual Mothman Festival, September 15th and 16th 2018 ], [ Terror In The Skies documentary is released by Small Town Monsters on June 7th 2019 ], [ 18th Annual Mothman Festival, September 21st and 22nd 2019 ], I cannot find the date of these sightings and events.