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Woodwose: Was This Ancient Wildman Really Bigfoot?
By Dorraine Fisher
Wildman tales go back as far as the human story. But they seemed to explode onto the scene during the Middle Ages, making their appearances in artwork, wood carvings on furniture, and in architecture details of a creature known as the Woodwose or Wuduwasa in Anglo-Saxon Culture.  Why is this?

There is a lot of evidence to suggest that some kind of large, hairy creatures lived in the forests of Europe during those times and that they were acknowledged enough by people that they were deemed real enough in society to depict them everywhere. All this suggests that the woodwose was a creature that was widely known at that time and also widely accepted. But what were they?

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We were all taught in school that depictions and tales of magic and fantastical beings in ancient artwork and writings are just myths; amazing works of fiction and products of active imaginations of our ancestors. Since these have seemed to be too ridiculous to take seriously, we’ve dismissed them and largely ignored them as any serious parts of our history.  But what if that’s a huge mistake and what if we’re missing the point entirely? The biggest flaw in the human brain is this: If we think we know something already, we won’t look at any new ideas about it. It’s the biggest flaw because it can bring progress to a screeching halt. Did scientists first looking at ancient texts and art just decide that the stories were just too unbelievable that they simply HAD to be fictional stories? Dragons, giants, reptilians,  animal-human hybrids, star-beings? Those things don’t exist today, so surely they didn’t exist then. Surely they’re just the products of stories made up to help the ancients explain things they didn’t understand? Or are they?

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The Chinese version of bigfoot, the yeren.

Why is it that big hairy monsters in the woods seem to be ingrained in our collective human psyche?
In the field of cryptozoology, one of our main frames of reference to the existence of an unknown animal is to decide how many accounts of this creature there are, and how far back in history these accounts span. And after years of study and research about bigfoot, we know that the legend of bigfoot or sasquatch can be traced back to a European cousin known as the woodwose. And if we keep checking historical record and inscriptions on some very old historic architecture and drawings, we can take it back even further.

It seems there are many faces of this creature. And as more reports come in, we realize that out our hairy friend in the forest is probably very diverse in it’s appearance. And this varies a lot by local region and area of the world. Some accounts tell of something almost human in appearance, while others seem more ape-like...and there are a thousand other variations thereof.

But the woodwose, wild man, bigfoot, or sasquatch has lived, at the very least, in human consciousness for a very long time. In nearly every corner of the world there are historical accounts and descriptions that lead us to believe that there were many thoughts and conversations about these creatures that took place long before modern sightings. And there is something to be said for human consciousness. People who gave these accounts historically had nothing to gain by telling others these stories, but they did it anyway. Why? Was it more acceptable in those cultures? Why were these creatures added to so much art and architecture if there wasn’t something really significant about them? Were the artists just copying other things they’d seen before, or has the woodwose always been with us...no matter where we go in the world? We were always handed stories about “monsters” in the woods. What if the monsters weren’t always necessarily “monsters” per se, but what if they were real and the stories were based on something that had been seen by enough individuals to warrant some significance.

And although there aren’t so many written records of them from the past, complete with all the details we look for now, evidence of them is everywhere and on everything:

Choir stall misericord from St. Mary of Charity Church, Faversham, Kent, England.

Green man, Medieval Celtic

Hairy man riding a unicorn, said to be from an Eastern European Ancient Tarot Deck.

The Fight In The Forest, by Hans Burgkmair, believed to possibly be a depiction of the the German poem Sigenot about Dietrich Von Bern.

19th Century depiction of Grendel of the great tale, Beowulf. Grendel may have been a woodwose or bigfoot type of creature.

Old photo believed to be of the Chinese wildman or yeren.

Athoua, the “evil spirit” that haunted the sleep of the Caribbean natives around 1590.

The Lesovic is a woodland spirit of Slavic mythology that is said to protect the animals and the forest.

And various English carvings and drawings:






***********DF


This Post By TCC Team Member Dorraine Fisher. Dorraine is a Professional Writer, photographer, a nature, wildlife and Bigfoot enthusiast who has written for many magazines. Dorraine conducts research, special interviews and more for The Crypto Crew. Get Dorraine's book The Book Of Blackthorne!


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The mythic creature Leshy, also sometimes call the Wood Demon, is based on Slavic Mythology.
Leshy, sometime called wild man, is said to be a woodland spirit and a protector of animals and the forest.

Leshy is often described as a tall creature that can shape shift. He is said to have a beard made out of living grass and vines. In some description, the Leshy has a tail, horns and hoofed feet. Some say he carries a wooden club and is the lord of the forest.

The over all appearance of the Leshy is that of a man, but with a more pointy head and a few other oddities. It is said that the Leshy likes to play tricks on people in the forest and confuse travelers.  The legend says that you may hear the Leshy laughing, singing or whistling while you are in the woods. But be careful, if angered the Leshy can become very dangerous.

There are many other descriptions and behaviors for the Leshy, even one where he has blue skin. The Leshy is always male and in some tellings he has a wife and children.

From all the different descriptions and the wide range of behavior, it appears the Leshy is kind of a free flowing legend. A legend that can adapt and change when needed to fit the scenario.

In my brief research of the Leshy, it seems to also have some of the same characteristic and roots as the United Kingdom's Woodwose.

Some tie and connect the Leshy to  Bigfoot which I guess seems fitting, as Bigfoot is often called the wild man of the forest. 


Thanks
~Tom~




This post by Thomas Marcum, Thomas is the founder/leader of the cryptozoology and paranormal research organization known as The Crypto Crew. Over 20 years experience with research and investigation of unexplained activity, working with video and websites. A trained wild land firefighter and a published photographer, and poet.




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Sherwood Forest in the United Kingdom

As you may know the possibility of  Bigfoot being in the United Kingdom has gained a lot more attention over the last year. The UK does have some large forest area and there are a great number of reported sightings of Bigfoot. It is well worthy of research.

Today, I want to share with you a recent submitted research report from British Bigfoot Researchers Adam and Paul Bird. This post will include a video and their description of what was heard. Adam and Paul, along with a few others, have been doing some fantastic work and are really helping bring attention to the British Bigfoot phenomenon.

- Start Report -

Name: Adam and Paul Bird
Email Address: britishbigfootresearch@yahoo.co.uk
State: UK
County: Nottinghamshire
Date of Sighting: March 1, 2015
Time of Day: Early afternoon
Nearest Town: Nottingham
Length of Sighting: no sighting, audio only
How many Witnesses: Two
Any Photos/Videos: Yes -



Describe sighting in detail:

Hi Thomas. These are video highlights of mine and Paul Bird's day visit to Sherwood Forest, where we conducted a British Bigfoot investigation on March 1st 2015. We captured a few strange vocalizations during our time there. They sounded like high-pitched screeches, almost like a Hyena's laugh.
We are not claiming they come from a Woodwose, just that they are unexplained. We can't think of any known animal that this could be.
We welcome your opinion Thomas. Thanks.
If anyone would like to share their sightings of the UK Bigfoot, please feel free to Email us at britishbigfootresearch@yahoo.co.uk

- End Report -
 
First, let me say thanks to Adam and Paul for sharing their research with me and everyone. Now, as for the odd sounds recorded in the video. It is really hard to say for sure just what it is, but it could be a bird. I'm not for sure what all kinds of birds are in the UK but I know some birds make weird sounds. In any case it is an interesting catch and I for one appreciate the efforts of Adam and Paul.

Over the last few months I have worked with Adam and Paul Bird and Debbie Hatswell on sharing and documenting Bigfoot sightings and research in the United Kingdom. I applaud their efforts at shining a light on a Bigfoot mystery that expands the globe.  I wish the continued success and look forward to sharing their research efforts.

Thanks
~Tom~

This post by Thomas Marcum, Thomas is the founder/leader of the cryptozoology and paranormal research organization known as The Crypto Crew. Over 20 years experience with research and investigation of unexplained activity, working with video and websites. A trained wild land firefighter and a published photographer, and poet.





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