This week’s brain trip comes from the mind of my odd friend Percival Popadakoulis, who is obsessed with mythical creatures. We all know about the Loch Ness monster and Bigfoot, and if you spoke with Percy, you might learn new facts about even those commonly-known creatures or you might not. The great thing about him, though, is that he doesn’t stop at lesser-known facts about commonly-known creatures. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of the weirdest mythical creatures. I say “mythical” because I have to admit I’m a skeptic. I usually love to hear about sightings, though I don’t believe every story. The stories Percy tells are completely off the farm. At times these stories are creepy, and at other times they are totally frightening. With that warning, you can decide to either read on or not. You decide.
One of the creepiest, weirdest stories told are of the Ahool. This is a flying creature with a massive wingspan. It has been sighted by multiple people over the years, but most of all—heard—by multiple people over the years. Its name comes from the sound it makes. Descriptions range from a winged gorilla to a giant bat.
Another one, which I don’t find so weird, is the story of the Menehune. These creatures seem more possible than most. They are supposedly a race of tiny people who lived exclusively in Hawaii. Their size is reportedly no more than 3 feet tall. Giants have been recorded throughout history, so why not tiny people? These particular people, unlike the warrior Goliath of history, were hard workers. The Menehune would work overnight and build things which the Hawaiian people found when they woke up in the morning. This is part of their legend because the Hawaiian people would say the work was magical. Kind of like the elves who help Santa? Hmmm.
As far as frightening mythical creatures go, I feel like the scariest one is the Hidebehind. It is said to stalk lone travelers in the forest by lurking through the trees and sneaking up on their prey. Incredibly thin and tall, this predator can hide behind trees, making it difficult to see or photograph. It has been blamed for loggers who’ve disappeared in the Great Lake area of the U.S. for many years. Also, according to the legend, the Hidebehind can be thwarted by the smell of alcohol. Descriptions of the Hidebehind are incomplete, but to me, that only makes it more creepy.
The Slide-Rock Bolter is perhaps the strangest thing out of anyone’s imagination. It has been reported to cause rockslides. The creature has been described as a large whale-like thing with hooks for hands. It slides down the rockslide to grab its victim and climb back up the steep mountain with its hooks.
Xenosthesia.com 