Cryptids can be found all over; just about every state, county, and even town has some urban legend of something inhuman that lurks just beyond the eye of the beholder, whether it be something huge that almost everyone knows about, like the Tale of Mothman from West Virginia, or even the Mongolian Death Worm from the Gobi Desert. These tales range from all shapes and sizes, from manta rays found flying in the sky to giant men with huge feet. Either way, each one is unique and rather interesting when you look at it.
Jakodee MarchBanks, a freshman at Pahrump Valley High School, knew a thing or two about cryptids and claimed his favorite cryptid was a Yeti. “My favorite cryptid is the Yeti; it reminds me of a giant snowman, and it looks like it would be amazing to hug. I found out about them after I was bored and started to look through different cryptids. I think the reason why the Yeti is my favorite is because it can eat entire bears.” When asked if he thought any were real and other cryptids, he said, “If any were real, it has to be Bigfoot; there’s just so much evidence to prove he’s real! As for other cryptids, I find each one amazing, and I love watching and listening to documentaries about them. However, I do think I did run into one before because I remember seeing this abnormally large figure once that couldn’t possibly be human.”
The Yeti can be found in the Himalayan Mountains in Asia, with several other reported sightings in similar areas, standing around eight feet tall and mostly described as having brown, grey, or white fur and sharp teeth.
Mrs. Whitney Hoffman, a biology teacher at PVHS, grew up surrounded by a family with a strong belief in cryptids. When asked about them, she said, “My favorite cryptid is the Jackalope. I remember growing up, and my grandma had a jackalope mounted on her wall, which is how I found out about them. I feel like they are also native to where we live; it’s kind of like a middle-of-the-desert type cryptid. The idea of a rabbit running around with antlers is awesome. When it comes to other cryptids, I think one I don’t really care for is Mothman, but every cryptid has a home in someone’s beliefs. One thing I think is real, and I don’t mean to show my roots here or anything, is Bigfoot, because I had an aunt who told me she had seen him and would tell me all these stories about it. I do remember this one time, though, where I was driving down this highway, and I saw this figure around seven feet tall that looked like someone in a ghillie suit, and while I don’t want to say it was for sure a cryptid, it definitely was strange.
The jackalope is a jackrabbit with the antlers of a deer, found around Western North America. They come from many legends from various tribes and olden folklore, and many people have said to have seen them.
Tansyn Long-Yanez, a freshman at PVHS, had shown much interest and knowledge in cryptids, clearly knowing her facts and trivia when it comes to the matter, because when she was asked, she said, “Mothman is actually my favorite cryptid because I find the legend that he was spotted right before the collapse of a major bridge that killed around 45 people in West Virginia very interesting. The sighting also shares the same date as my dad’s birthday, which is cool. The first sighting of Mothman was by five grave diggers in West Virginia, the last report being in 1967. I think a cryptid I don’t care for is the myling because when I was younger, they scared the life out of me after I watched a video on them at age eight or nine. But they’re basically the spirits of children who had been murdered or mistreated in their lifetime, the legend having come from Scandinavian folklore. I don’t really think cryptids are real, but I’m skeptical and honestly frightened by them, so I sit on a 50/50 line, and honestly, I hope I never encounter one.”
Mothman is a cryptid originating from West Virginia, a humanoid figure with many traits of a moth, large wings, fuzz, and large antennae, along with large glowing red eyes that pierce through the night.
Cryptids are everywhere; each state has many legends and myths that feed into the fascination with them, and when you look at it, any of them could be real if you think about it hard enough. If you ever find yourself with nothing to do, or you’re just looking for something new to do, maybe go to YouTube and pop on a video about them; it could be well worth your while and get you a new interest to look into.
