Dan
and Nat investigate unidentifiable winged creatures reported
around the world in their latest investigation. They travel
to Mexico, Point Pleasant in West Virginia and Pleasant Point
in Maine to uncover a composite of the science, mystery and
folklore behind those large winged creatures that are said
to inhabit our skies.
They travel back in time with the original 1960s witnesses
of Point Pleasant as they celebrate the Mothman Festival,
held in honour of the events that took place in the 1960s.
They travel to Mexico where “Birdman” attacks
and sightings are making headlines to chat with those that
have witnessed this creature first hand.
They also travel to the Passamoquoddy tribe in Pleasant Point
to hear the stories of the Thunderbeings – half human/half
bird paranormal creatures that have been part of their life
for generations and generations.
WHAT
IS MOTHMAN?
One of the most elusive cryptozoological animals in this world is
"Mothman" - perhaps because he was seen by so many people
in the Point Pleasant area in 1966 and 1967 and yet there is still
no explanation available as to what this entity is. During the time
of the sightings, Point Pleasant experienced UFO sightings, poltergeist
activity, cattle mutulations and missing animals.
People believed that a seven foot tall human bird with large white
wings was responsible for the strange events taking place in the
1960s. Others suggest that he was a distraction from it all.
The most captivating feature of “Mothman” were his two
large, hypnotic, glowing red eyes in the shoulder area and its shuffling
walk on human-like legs.
Mothman is not the only sighting of a winged creature that has been
reported. Mexico is home to a similar creature – often referred
to as Birdman. Sightings of Birdman are as recent as 2004 with an
attack on one young police officer – Leonardo Samaniego –
making the headlines.
LINKS
Please see the following links for more information -
WHAT
IS “HOMBRE PAJARO”? The Birdman/"Hombre Pajaro" of Mexico
In
the past few decades, many half-bird/half- man creatures have
been spotted in Mexico. The most publicised and shocking of
the reports is perhaps the attack on Leonardo Samaniego –
a young police officer from Guadalupe this year.
Watch Animal X to see an exclusive
in-depth interview
Briefly,
on Friday, January 16, 2004 Leonardo Samaniego had a terrifying
encounter with a flying 'humanoid' entity that was draped in
black. The flying humanoid was also independently videotaped
as it flew around in the sky over Monterrey. This humanoid/birdman
was a dark winged entity that flew down from a tree into the
windscreen of his car.
Many similar reports have been made by police officers from
surrounding precincts. It was July of 1994 within the cemetery
of the El Sabino ranch in Mexico that a strange winged creature
half human half bird was reported. It was seen by the ranch
owner himself as well as another local woman.
An expedition was mounted to investigate the winged creature
by the Fundacion Cosmos. Armed with radios, video cameras, still
cameras, binoculars and lights, they revisited the area where
the birdman was sighted. They found no tracks or evidence that
they could gather and eventually gave up. They did however record
the testimony of the ranch worker on video pending further investigations.
He described it as having thick grey plumage with the upper
half of the body towards the head being human and the other
half being like a bird. It also had two enormous wings on its
back.
Many Birdman sightings are still being investigated.
LINKS
Please see the following links for more information -
“ The thunder is the
sound of the wings of the men who fly above. The lightning
we see is the fire and smoke of their pipes.”
- Passamoquoddy Tribe
The Passamaquoddies
are a tribe that reside in Maine on the east coast of the
United States of America. They have deep rooted beliefs in
both the thunderbird and thunderbeings – creatures that
are half man – half bird.
Thunderbird/Being
Dance performed for the Natural Mystery Unit
Here
is an excerpt from their folklore explaining the story behind
their belief from the website Sacred
Texts.
“ Once an Indian was whirled up by the roaring wind:
he was taken up in a thunder-storm, and set down again in
the village of the Thunders. In after-times he described them
as very like human beings: they used bows and arrows (tah-bokque),
and had wings.
But these wings can be laid aside, and kept for use. And from
time to time their chief gives these Thunders orders to put
them on, and tells them where to go. He also tells them how
long they are to be gone, and warns them not to go too low,
for it is sure death for them to be caught in the crotch of
a tree.
The great chief of the Thunders, bearing of the stranger's
arrival, sent for him, and received him very kindly, and told
him that he would do well to become one of them. To which
the man being willing, the chief soon after called all his
people together to see the ceremony of thunderifying 2 the
Indian.
Then they bade him go into a square thing, or box, and while
in it he lost his senses and became a Thunder. Then they brought
him a pair of wings, and he put them on. So he flew about
like the rest of the Thunders; he became quite like them,
and followed all their ways. And he said that they always
flew towards the sou' n' snook, or, south, and that the roar
and crash of the thunder was the sound of their wings. Their
great amusement is to play at ball across the sky. 1 When
they return they carefully put away their wings for their
next flight. There is a big bird in the south, and this they
are always trying to kill, but never succeed in doing so.
They made long journeys, and always took him with them. So
it went on for a long time, but it came to pass that the Indian
began to tire of his strange friends. Then he told the chief
that he wished to see his family on earth, and the sagamore
listened to him and was very kind. Then he called all his
people together, and said that their brother from the other
world was very lonesome, and wished to return. They were all
very sorry indeed to lose him, but because they loved him
they let him have his own way, and decided to carry him back
again. So bidding him close his eyes till he should be on
earth, they carried him down. The Indians saw a great thunder-storm
drawing near; they heard such thunder as they never knew before,
and then something in the shape of a human being coming down
with lightning; then they ran to the spot where he sat, and
it was their long-lost brother, who had been gone seven years.
He had been in the Thunder-world. He told them how he had
been playing ball with the Thunder-boys: yes, how he had been
turned into a real Thunder himself. This is why the Indians
to this very day have a firm belief that the thunder and lightning
we hear and see are caused by (beings or spirits) (called)
in Indian Bed-day yek (or thunder), 1 because they see them,
and have, moreover, actually picked up the bed-dags k'chisousan,
or thunder-bullet. 2 It is of many different kinds of stone,
but always of the same shape. The last was picked up by Peter
Sabattis, 3 one of the Passamaquoddy tribe. He has it yet.
He found it in a crotch-root of a spruce-tree at Head Harbor,
on the island of Campobello. This stone is a sign of good-luck
to him who finds it.” p. 265
LINKS
Please see the following links for more information -
THE
EXPERTS SPEAK OUT
RICK MORAN
INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST
Rick Moran
is a journalist who spent more than 30 years of his life covering
breaking news for both newspapers and magazines as a reporter and
an editor. He completed a degree in Communications with a minor
in Comparative religious studies and became involved in the Unexplained
as part of his job in journalism.
It was by chance that he stumbled into the world of the unexplained
and eventually discovered Mothman.
Since then he has been published in FATE, UFO and FORTEAN TIMES
amongst many other publications. However his main job is still as
a journalist who covers the news and features for newspapers and
magazines.
