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    Cryptids, Creatures & Critters: A Manual of Monsters & Mythos from Around the World
    Cryptids, Creatures & Critters: A Manual of Monsters & Mythos from Around the World
    Cryptids, Creatures & Critters: A Manual of Monsters & Mythos from Around the World
    Ebook274 pages1 hour

    Cryptids, Creatures & Critters: A Manual of Monsters & Mythos from Around the World

    By Rachel Quinney

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    About this ebook

    From Mothman to the Mongolian Death Worm, Shellycoat to Simurgh, Nessie to even Ningyo, this charming and creative collection of cryptids will fascinate readers for years to come.

    Cryptids, Creatures & Critters: A Manual of Monsters and Mythos from Around the World features 90 different creatures from around the world, each with their own researched description and full-color illustrations. The book is divided into three sections: cryptids, folklore, and mythology. It features popular cryptid favorites, such as Mothman and the Flatwoods Monster, and some lesser-known cryptids, such as the Enfield Horror and the Montauk Monster. For folklore, there are kelpies, selkies, cat sidhes, and grimalkins, along with the dobarchu and the vampiric pumpkin! In mythology, you'll find Medusa, sphinx, Pegasus, and the bukavac!

    The book is fun for newcomers to cryptozoology, folklore, and mythology but is also fun for those who are well read about the creatures in the book. While written by Rachel Quinney and mainly illustrated by her, there are twelve guest artists featured within the book, too.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAndrews McMeel Publishing
    Release dateJun 18, 2024
    ISBN9781524896454
    Cryptids, Creatures & Critters: A Manual of Monsters & Mythos from Around the World

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      Book preview

      Cryptids, Creatures & Critters - Rachel Quinney

      Cryptids, Creatures & Critters:

      A Manual of Monsters & Mythos from Around the World

      copyright © 2024 by Rachel Quinney. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of reprints in the context of reviews.

      Andrews McMeel Publishing

      a division of Andrews McMeel Universal

      1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106

      www.andrewsmcmeel.com

      ISBN: 978-1-5248-9702-4

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2023949762

      Featuring: Bavarii, Caiti Gray, Cory McGowan, Fungii Draws, Giulialibard,

      hallalaween, Hari Conner, JuniJwi, Lyndsey Green, Morrighan Corbel,

      Rachel Cush, and Tengurine

      Editor: Katie Gould

      Art Director: Holly Swayne

      Production Editor: Elizabeth A. Garcia

      Production Manager: Tamara Haus

      Attention: Schools and Businesses

      Andrews McMeel books are available at quantity discounts with bulk purchase for educational, business, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail the Andrews McMeel Publishing Special Sales Department: [email protected].

      Kickstarter Edition: In memory of Dillon, the best cat

      and cryptid I could ever ask for. A special thanks to all

      347 Kickstarter backers who helped bring this project to life

      and allowed me to self-publish.

      Andrews McMeel Publishing edition: In memory of Ollie,

      a gentle and sweet young cat.

      CONTENTS

      Introduction

      CRYPTIDS

      Bigfoot

      Cactus Cat

      Canvey Island Monster

      Chupacabra

      Crawfordsville Monster

      Dover Demon

      Enfield Horror

      Flathead Lake Monster

      Flatwoods Monster

      Fresno Nightcrawlers

      Gerota

      Globster

      Goatman

      Hodag

      Hoop Snake

      Hopkinsville Goblins

      Jackalope

      Jersey Devil

      Loch Ness Monster

      Lusca

      Mongolian Death Worm

      Montauk Monster

      Mothman

      Ningen

      Owlman

      Rod

      Roswell Grays

      Skvader

      Snallygaster

      Squonk

      Tizzie-whizie

      Wolpertinger

      FOLKLORE

      Aswang

      Bean Nighe

      Boo Hag

      Bunyip

      BuschgroBmutter

      Cat Sídhe

      Cù Sìth

      Dobhar-chú

      Grimalkin

      Hawaiian Night Marchers

      Herne the Hunter

      Kelpie

      Mapinguari

      Sea Monk/Bishop Fish

      Selkie

      Shellycoat

      Shug Monkey

      Tailypo

      Tatzelwurm

      Vampire Pumpkin/Watermelon

      Will-o-the-wisp

      Wulver

      Ya-te-veo and Carnivorous Flora

      MYTHOLOGY

      Abada

      Al-miraj

      Ao Ao

      Bake-kujira

      Bifang

      Bukavac

      Cuélebre

      Gashadokuro

      Grootslang

      Hafgufa, Kraken, andLyngbakr

      Harpy

      Leshy

      Leviathan

      Medusa

      Mermaids

      Minotaur

      Pegasus

      Psoglav

      Qilin

      Rompo

      Rusalka

      Simurgh

      Sirin

      Sphinx

      Umibzu

      Unicorn

      Vodyanoy

      Waniguchi

      Zheng

      APPENDIXES

      Notes

      Contributor Biographies

      References

      INTRODUCTION

      It is important to acknowledge that there are clear divisions among cryptids, creatures from folklore, mythological creatures, and creatures within existing religions and cultures.

      Cryptid

      The term cryptid became popular in the 1990s and is defined as a creature whose existence or survival is disputed or unsubstantiated.¹ Cryptids are similar to urban legends, stories passed along by word of mouth based on unsubstantiated rumor without religious or mythological origins, stemming from folklore and oral myths.

      Cryptids do not include creatures such as wendigos or skinwalkers, as they derive from Native American beliefs and have been absorbed into the cryptid community due to a lack of education or willing acceptance to misrepresent their origins. Similarly, some cryptids that have not been lifted from Indigenous beliefs have absorbed racist sentiments into their narrative or physical features due to the fetishization of non-white cultures. One example of this is Mothman, as some sources claim that the area where he was sighted had been cursed by a Native American chief.² There has been a deliberate effort in this book to dismiss or call out stories that echo imperialist narratives or deliberately cherry-pick ideas from Indigenous cultures to make them seem more mysterious.

      Folklore

      Folklore and mythology share many similarities. Both are narratives traditionally passed down orally. Folklore tends to be more localized and often focuses on normal individuals overcoming supernatural and otherworldly elements or issuing a warning, moral, or cautionary tale that reflects the culture around them. Folklore rarely deals with the affairs of gods, grand concepts, or issues such as life or death and does not address or present a complex belief system. Creatures of folklore are frequently assumed to be creatures of fantasy and fable and seldom fall under the scrutiny of the scientific community (for example, the repeated investigations into whether the Loch Ness Monster truly exists).

      Mythology

      Mythology and its creatures come from ancient civilizations and have cultural and at times religious significance, usually reflecting conditions or narratives of the era. Mythology deals with similar concepts as folklore but also engages with grander themes, such as creation of mankind, gods, the rules of nature, life, death, and what lies beyond.

      Stories within mythology have been changed and corrupted by colonialism. There are multiple monsters whose role has changed to be seen as demonic or evil due to Christian influence, and this book will highlight when external sources have influenced the creature’s narrative.

      That said, mythology is not solely concerned with the crumbling pantheons of ancient Greece or rotting Viking boats. Some sociologists consider the construction of mythology to be a live and ongoing process, as the stories that we tell each other are used to make sense of the world. For example, the gashadokuro emerged in the 1950s, yet they are considered to be part of Japanese mythology and an urban legend. Perhaps in a century, the Loch Ness Monster will be reassigned from cryptozoology to mythology.

      Initially, I wanted to embark on this text through the perspective of an adventurer or scholar who documented the discoveries of these creatures while crossing the globe. The idea swiftly died; the echoes of colonization and imperialism left a sour taste. Instead, this book is more of a series of snapshots, a diving board, a collection of articulate notes for you to pick up the essentials of the creatures while leaving space for you to begin your own research. Ultimately, this book will never rival the narratives told by the people whose cultures originated these tales. As a white woman, it is not my role or right to tell people who live closer to these stories that my word is the truth. In fact, I encourage you to take my writings with a grain of salt. I have done all I can to be as accurate and true to the sources as possible, but no matter how much I research, I will always have more to learn.

      How to Read

      The book is divided into three sections: Cryptids, Folklore, and Mythology. Within each section, the creatures are labeled alphabetically, allowing you to flip through this book in any order. Many creatures who are arguably very similar or fall under a single category, such as the wolpertinger and the jackalope, are separated. The only exceptions to this are mermaids and plants within folklore. Mermaids have been collected together due to the similarities across narratives, and the plants from folklore due to the limited information available.

      Before each description, a creature’s region of origin is stated, followed by a classification and content warning.

      Classification describes the physical form of the creature.

      A monster is anything considered non-humanoid, with more animal or bestial features than humanoid.

      A spirit applies to creatures who may have ethereal or ghostly qualities. Spirits include creatures such as ghouls, nymphs, and yokai from Japanese folklore.

      Humanoids are beings who are more humanoid than bestial. This includes mermaids, as it is the human qualities that differentiate them from aquatic beasts.

      Shapeshifters are creatures who primarily shift between multiple forms. Some creatures will be both humanoid and shapeshifters or both spirits and shapeshifters. They are rarely a singular category.

      Finally, aliens are beings believed to come from beyond the stars and who do not have origins here on Earth.

      Sometimes these are further broken down into yokai or fae. Yokai is a collective term for spirits, specters, demons, and monsters from Japanese folklore. Fae describes creatures from the fairy (or faerie) realm in European folklore.

      Some creatures have narratives that involve topics that may be distressing for some readers and, as such, will have content warnings before their descriptions.

      A by a creature’s name signifies that the creature is a singular entity, rather than a species.

      Some creatures share interesting overlaps with other monsters or beings that are not in this book. In some descriptions, you will see a note number next to a name. For example:

      Interestingly, during the 1800s, mythologists believed Busch­großmutter to be a goddess, rivaling the power and abilities of Frau Holle⁵ and Perchta⁶.

      You can then find a further explanation into these two characters in the Notes section in the back of the book.

      While most of the artwork for this book has been drawn by the author, several guest artists have contributed to add a variety of styles and different interpretations of the creatures. On occasion, these guest artists have added their own thoughts and opinions on the creatures that they have drawn, and these appear at the end of the description of the creature. For example:

      La says: Cat sídhe is a creature that in many ways sums up cats exactly . . .

      All the guest artists have been credited at the back of the book (see page 176), where you can find links to their online platforms and enjoy more of their artwork.

      CRYPTIDS

      Bigfoot

      Location: United States and Canada

      Category: Humanoid

      Named in 1958 after his large feet, said to be 16 inches (41 centimeters) long, Bigfoot is one of the most popular and well-known cryptids across the globe and is described as an ape man between 7 and 10 feet (2 and 3 meters) tall with long, powerful arms, covered from head to toe in thick hair.

      Sightings of Bigfoot predate the 1840s, with several Indigenous tribes having their own stories and names for the creature. Across the different regions and tribes, his behavior and diet differs, as well as the idea of him being a singular creature or a species.

      The Salish people of the First Nations named him (singular) Sásq’ets, which was anglicized to Sasquatch and is now widely considered as an alternative name for Bigfoot (unfortunately, this leads people to ignore the Indigenous history and lore). Depending on the tribe, this giant humanoid has been depicted as a mere gentle creature who coexists with humanity, spiritual guide and teacher, messenger between humanity and animals, or connection to the spiritual world.

      In the 1970s, the FBI studied a supposed sample of Bigfoot hair and reported that it

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