The “Mothman” is a legend that arose in the late sixties in West Virginia. Around the state, many citizens reported sightings of a strange grey colored man lurking amongst the rubble of an old army site used for storing explosives. One of the first families to see this strange man were the Wamsleys, who first coined the term “mothman”. They described it as “6 feet tall, with a wingspan of some six to eight feet“ (Meyers, Rau & Macklin 168) “and had a pinched face that didn‘t seem to have any other features except for huge red eyes” (Meyers, Rau & Macklin 168). After seeing the creature in the army field, it reportedly followed the Wamsleys to their home and crawled up to their porch and was gone by morning. Over the next few years, similar sightings were reported throughout West Virginia.
The legend of the “mothman” quickly disintegrated after the mid seventies after it disappeared from the public eye, and people began to question the validity of the witnesses. Scientist came up with few ideas as to what it may have been: a human mutation, or a prehistoric bird or perhaps something not yet discovered. However, none of these theories could have been proven because the creature left no remains of any sort. So what’s the big fuss? Why is it that people feel the need to publicize something that could not have possibly be real? Some groups believe in nothing more than hard evidence, and others don’t underestimate the validity of a true witness. This story is not unlike stories of the infamous Bigfoot, yetis, Nessie, and aliens. These are all legends that have existed throughout the years most likely out of people’s sheer curiosity. Most are fascinated by the lore of strange things like the “mothman”; that there are things out there beyond our understanding. Truth or fiction, the “mothman” does, in fact, exist in our imaginative minds. We as humans often let our imaginations get away with us, making reality boring, and allowing the sick pleasure of our fearful fantasies.
Little Giant Book of "True" Ghost Stories. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 1998.
Myers, Rau, Macklin, The Little Giant Book of "True" Ghost Stories. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 1998.
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