The Unofficial Guide to Cool Ghouls

I am a  big fan of anything creepy and weird. My favorite movies are generally scary or involve some supernatural elements that are not 100% real. My sister and I would record and binge-watch the show “Lost Tapes” that came on Animal Planet and get scared about the Moth Man, Giant Squids, or real-life zombies. There are so many interesting shows that try and claim to capture proof of these creatures. As long as it isn’t affecting my basic belief system or harm anyone, I am prepared to whole-heartedly believe anything they give me because I am the target audience. 

 

I want to share some of the myths and legends that I most believe in/scare me because it gives me an excuse to go down my favorite rabbit hole. Even though some of these may already be well-known and old, there has to be a reason they are still popular today. Passing the stories down for generations can’t be the only thing keeping stuff like this alive. There is either really good proof or an excess of crazy folk. . . but probably some of both. 

 

One of my biggest fears and biggest interests is Bigfoot. Bigfoot is arguably the most notorious monster found predominantly in North America (although there are similar stories around the world.) There are many other names for this creature such as sasquatch, yeti, abominable snowman, Grassman, etc. There aren’t many claims that Bigfoots (Bigfeet?) have intentionally attacked or harmed people who have reported sightings of the cryptid (watch this anti-climatic “Bigfoot Attack”). Most sightings have been from people who say they have seen Bigfoot cross the street or were looking at them from a distance when they were hiking in the woods. Since there is a lack of violence surrounding this creature, it is weird that it is so widely known and acknowledged. I guess it is just creepy to think that there are creatures that we haven’t seen, but consistently get proof of. It sort of belittles how smart we are as a race because shouldn’t we be able to be smarter than a huge, evolved ape? Regardless of if Bigfoot is nice or not, I have a true fear of running into this creature. Every time I am outside and hear strange noises, I automatically think, “it’s a Squatch.”

Louisiana is most commonly known for New Orleans, voodoo, and night-life so it is only fair that there are a few tall tales based in this state. One of the most infamous creatures is the Rougarou. The Rougarou is mostly talked about in the southern part of Louisiana, and it is most commonly and consistently portrayed as a creature that has the body of a man with the head of a wolf. However, the story behind the Rougarou is harder to determine. He is most often sighted in wooded areas, sugar cane fields, and/or the swamplands. Like most folktales and urban legends, the Rougarou is said to simply be a cautionary tale and a way to get children to obey their parents, but most of these people don’t genuinely believe. One idea is that the creature is a man who was cursed by a voodoo queen, similar to a werewolf, for 101 days and he has to try to find someone to pass the curse onto within that time or he will remain a beast forever. Another belief is that the Rougarou either hunts down Catholics who don’t follow the rules of Lent, or the people who don’t follow the customs will become the monster. No matter what one may believe about the creature, there are basic rules that people should follow to avoid this Cajun cryptid.

 

To avoid encounter:                         If you encounter a Rougarou and kill it:

                        Don’t sing after dark                        Make sure you don’t get scratched

             Don’t go into the woods                  Don’t tell anyone about it for a year and a day

                        Don’t leave food outside                  . . . don’t kill it  

 

Although there is not one definite story about the Rougarou, the fear that it invokes in people of all ages is real. To this day, there are still people who call the police to report sightings of the creature and who warn their children about this mythical threat. 

One of the most dangerous and fatal legends out of these three will have to be Slender-Man. This myth is also the one you have most likely seen on mainstream media since there is a videogame dedicated to this creature and there is a bizarre court case about children stabbing another child as a sacrifice to the Slenderman. The stories of Slender-Man became popular in 2009 when a Creepypasta surfaced about the creature. The man-like being is described to be really tall with long, unproportionate limbs and (maybe) six to eight tentacle-like limbs that come from his back. He also is said to have a blank or blurred fact without any features. The Creepypasta story claims that there have been accounts of Slenderman from as far back as 9000 B.C. as if he has always been around to kidnap children. There have been many claims and sightings of this predator hiding in the woods or the background of pictures. People have been more apt to believe in these stories–especially little kids. Amid all of the stories, movies, and sightings, the most disturbing things relevant to Slenderman is in 2014, two 12-year-old girls were convinced Slenderman was real, so they stabbed one of their friends to act as a sacrifice to him for their safety. 

 

Although there is nothing to gain from believing in these creatures, I still will argue with anyone about their existence. It follows the same principle as telling children there is a Santa Claus and Easter Bunny to come and leave them presents (which is honestly scarier than these creatures; at least they don’t routinely come inside your home). It brings a little bit of extra joy and magic into my otherwise mundane life, and I don’t think it would be self-loving to get rid of that. 

 

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