The veneration of the goat in myth can be found in many cultures, especially those that were closely associated with pastoralism. The goat or goat was associated with such deities as Hera (in Greek mythology, the wife and sister of Zeus, the supreme Olympic goddess), Dionysus (in Greek mythology, the god of the fruitful forces of the earth, vegetation and winemaking), Aphrodite (in Greek mythology, the goddess of love and beauty), Agni (in Vedic and Hindu mythology, the god of fire, hearth, sacrificial fire), Varuna (in ancient Indian mythology, the god associated with cosmic waters, the guardian of truth and justice, one of the greatest gods of the Indian pantheon), Indra (in ancient Indian mythology, the god of thunder and lightning), Marduk (the central deity of the Babylonian pantheon, the main god of the city of Babylon), Tammuz (a number of peoples of Asia Minor have a deity with distinct features of the god of fertility), Ningirsu (in Sumerian mythology, the deity of the circle of gods of the city of Lagash) and others.
The personification of one or another deity by a goat was very common in the myths of antiquity. So, for example, Pan (in Greek mythology, the deity of herds, forests and fields), Greek sculptors and artists invariably depicted with the muzzle and legs of a goat. Satyrs (in Greek mythology, the demons of fertility, who, together with the Silens, make up the retinue of Dionysus) were depicted with pointed goat ears, and in other cases - with piercing horns and a tail. Sometimes these deities were simply called goats, and the actors who acted as these gods dressed in goat skins. In the same attire, ancient artists depicted Silenus (in Greek mythology, the demons of fertility, the embodiment of the elemental forces of nature). And with regard to the Faun, the Italian counterpart of the Greek Pans and Satyrs, it is known that he was half a goat, more precisely, a goat-legged and goat-horned man.
Twins of these goat-shaped spirits are also found in the myths of the peoples of Northern Europe. For example, to Russians their forest spirits - goblin (from the word forest) - appear in human form, but with goat horns, ears and legs.
In myths, the goat, as a rule, was associated with aggressiveness, and most often with sexual aggressiveness. Hence the veneration of him as a symbol of fertility, as well as his connection with the deities personifying these qualities - the Lithuanian Perkunas (the god of thunder, lightning, thunder), the Slavic Perun (the god of thunder and thunder), the Scandinavian Thor (the god of thunder, storm and fertility, the divine hero protecting gods and people from giants and terrible monsters), the Prussian Pushkaits (a deity associated with the earth), the Greek Pan (the deity of herds, forests and fields) and so on. Moreover, according to the myths of the chariot, some of the above gods were harnessed by goats.
The mythological connection of a goat or a goat with fertility was also reflected in one folk saying: "Where a goat walks, there it will give birth to live, where a goat with a foot, there a live shock."
Among the ancient Celts, the goat in myths was also considered a symbol of fertility. Therefore, the goat was often depicted next to the Roman Celtic god Mercury.
Naturally, being associated with fertility, the goat could not help but become a phallic symbol, which in turn entailed the personification of courage, masculinity, courage, dexterity (the ability of a goat to run fast, climb the highest peaks).
But it must be said that in some traditions, along with aspects of fertility, there is also the motif of the uselessness and unsuitability of a goat, sometimes a goat (cf. the expressions: “as from a goat neither wool nor milk”, “to milk a goat”). The goat was considered dubious, in a sense even "unclean", that is, not a sacred animal. But, nevertheless, the goat or goat was one of the most frequent sacrificial animals that were sacrificed to the gods in many traditions, from Greek to Slavic.
Dionysus, the god of vegetation and winemaking, took the form of a goat. One of his nicknames was "Kid". In Athens, there was a cult of Dionysus, "wearing the skin of a black goat." There was a legend that God owes this name to the fact that he once appeared in such a skin.
It is very common in Greek culture for a goat to be sacrificed to Dionysus. The legend says that in order to save the boy Dionysus from the wrath of Hera, Zeus turned him into a goat, and when the gods fled to Egypt from the wrath of Typhon, Dionysus turned into a goat. Therefore, tearing a live goat to pieces and eating its meat raw, the cult participants must have experienced the feeling that they were feeding on the flesh and blood of a god.
The motif of sacrificing a goat or a goat was reflected, for example, in the tale of Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka, the murder of a goat is depicted as a kind of sacrifice - “flammable fires are burning, boiling cauldrons are boiling, damask knives are sharpening, they want to slaughter a goat.”
The goat was an indispensable character in the carol and Shrovetide rites of the Slavs. On a holiday dedicated to the end of the harvest, the peasants, as a rule, left several uncompressed spikelets of rye on the field, tying them into a bundle, and placed a loaf next to them, while singing in chorus: “A goat is sitting on the boundary, marveling at a beard.”
In some places there was also a ban on eating goat meat.
Sometimes some mythological attributes of various deities, especially thunder deities, are associated with the goat. So, for example, the aegis (“goat skin”) (according to Homer, the aegis is a shield made by Hephaestus for Zeus) is an attribute of Zeus, Athena (in Greek mythology, the goddess of wisdom and just war), and sometimes Apollo. Later it was believed that the aegis is the skin of the goat Amalthea, stretched over a shield (some researchers see here a memory of the ancient custom to protect the left hand with a goat skin).
From the middle. 6th c. BC e. the aegis shield made of goatskin becomes a permanent attribute of Athena. Every year on the Acropolis, a goat was sacrificed to Athena, the skin of which, as an aegis, was placed on the statue of the goddess. And over time, the goat also becomes a symbol of the cloud that hid the lightning of Zeus.
The image of the goat is also associated with astronomical and temporal symbolism. So, for example, Capricorn as one of the signs of the Zodiac, in Chinese and some other animal calendars is associated with a goat.
In Minoan myths, the goat appears as the god of the waning year, in contrast to the ram as the god of the waxing year.
Often the goat also acts as the personification of the spirit of bread. So, for example, in the region of Vesoulya (Haute-Sauna department), while squeezing the rest of the ears, the inhabitants say: "We hold the cat by the tail." And when the ears are swaying in the wind, the inhabitants of many areas of Prussia say: “These are the goats chasing each other”, “The wind is driving the goats over the bread”, “These are the goats grazing in the bread”. In such cases, they expect an excellent harvest.
In other cases, they say: “The Oat Goat is sitting in the field of oats”, “The Rye Goat is sitting in the grain field”. Children are warned not to go into the field to collect cornflowers or bean pods, because there is a Rye, Wheat, Oat or Bean Goat lurking there that will drag and kill them.
In East Prussia, local peasants are in a hurry to tie up sheaves of oats, "so that they are not gored by the Bread Goat."
In some villages, there was a tradition to stick two horns into the last sheaf and give it the nickname "Horned Goat".
There is a belief that the spirit of bread, captured in the form of a goat or in another form, spends the whole winter on the estate or in the barn.
In alchemical mythology, the goat's head was an allegorical symbol of sulfur.
© Alexey Korneev
Legends and traditions of many peoples of the world are important topics for the study of folk art. They tell about the heroic history of peoples, contain a number of interesting facts around which there is a lot of controversy. Artists, sculptors and architects immortalize heroes in stone and on canvas, while writers, poets and playwrights play with stories in their works.
Mythical creatures, fabulous animals and monsters
Ancient man was in fear of the power of the forces of nature. These forces embodied various images of monsters and beasts, which were a product of the imagination of man.
As a rule, such creatures combined parts of the body of a person and an animal. Tails of fish and snakes, wings and beaks of birds, hooves, tails and horns of domestic animals emphasized the hideousness of monsters. Most of them were inhabitants of the seabed, marsh mud, dense forests. These habitats personified their dark essence.
But not all monsters are terrible, among them there are quite beautiful inhabitants of fantastic worlds. Mostly they are half-humans, but sometimes there are absolutely fantastic creatures among them, unlike either an animal or a person.
Half-man, half-goat from antiquity
The largest number of such demihumans is typical for them. They were endowed with superpowers and attributed to them various deceit.
Pan - good forest god
Initially, the god Pan was one of the most ancient Greek gods. Lord of the forests, shepherds and protector of cattle breeders. Despite the fact that Pan was honored in Argos and Arcadia, where animal husbandry was actively developed, he was not included in the pantheon of the Olympic gods. Over time, he becomes just a patron of wildlife.
His father was the powerful Zeus, and his mother was the nymph Dryope, who fled when she saw her son of unusual appearance. Half-man-half-goat Pan was born with goat hooves and a beard, and they were surprised and laughed when they saw the son of Zeus on Olympus.
But the god Pan is kind. To the sound of his flute, herds graze peacefully and nymphs dance merrily. But there are a lot of rumors about him. Tired after round dances, it is better not to wake him up, because Pan is quick-tempered and can frighten a person or send him into a deep sleep. Greek shepherds and pastoralists honored Pan and coaxed him with gifts of wine and meat.
satires
A satyr is outwardly half-human, half-goat. An athletic creature with goat legs, hooves, tail and horns. In Greek mythology, he personifies the forest lord of fertility.
Who does the half-man, half-goat look like? Photos of paintings by famous artists depict satyrs surrounded by forests, playing the flute. They were considered the embodiment of male power. They get drunk, chase the forest nymphs and seduce them.
Half-man, half-goat is endowed with the strength of wild animals, and human morality and rules are alien to him. They could often be seen surrounded by Dionysus, and having fun.
In the legends of other peoples, there is also a half-man-half-goat. What is the name of the creature and what does it represent?
Ochokochi
In Georgian folk tales, there is a story about a hunter who met a humanoid creature at night in the forest. They call him Ochokochi. This is an evil deity, the worst enemy of hunters and gatherers.
Ochokochi is a huge evil monster covered with thick red hair. From his chest protrudes a sharp hump in the form of an ax, with which he cuts opponents. Ochokochi was immortal and no hunter could kill him. In some Georgian families, naughty children are still frightened by this character.
Krampus
This is a half-man-half-goat in Western European mythology. He is a Christmas hero and the antipode of Santa Claus, a frequent guest of the winter holidays, who punishes naughty children. This creature is often used to frighten children today.
Legends about Krampus are associated with the onset of cold weather and shortening of daylight hours. Most often, stories about these evil and insidious creatures can be heard in Germany, Austria and Hungary. The image of Krampus, despite the menacing and frightening appearance, is associated with the Christmas holidays.
In Western Europe, this deity even came up with a whole holiday - "Krampusin". This fun and kind action sets people in a good festive mood. People dressed in horned Krampus skins appear on the streets. They are hung with all sorts of loud attributes - bells and pieces of iron, make noise, play with children and adults.
Half-man-half-goat in mythology - is this the devil?
In the Christian religion, the image of a creature with the features of a goat is considered the personification of the devil and the most negative qualities are attributed to him. During the Middle Ages, the image of a satyr was transformed into the image of a devil. Ancient artists portrayed these creatures as musicians picking grapes and making wine.
The image of a half-man-half-goat has smoothly migrated to modern fairy tales and legends. And it is associated not only with evil and negativity, but also with fertility and fun.
Goatman, ghost Camaro and Judge Sneeze - what scares Americans from Florida to Michigan.
Halloween is a holiday of fun, absurdity and, of course, p-r-rah! And also the release of the second season of Stranger Things. Especially for the most fun weekend in the United States, we have prepared a selection of tales - urban horror stories that American Boy Scouts still tell each other around the campfire.
Riverdale Road, Colorado
Where did it come from: the origin is unknown, but given another conspiracy legend, according to which the state of Idaho does not exist at all, it can be assumed that this is another fiction of the government.
Goat Man, Maryland
Why is this creepy: The infamous Maryland Goat-Man is said to do everything you would expect from a demented half-human, half-animal: kill teenagers, eat dogs, scream like a goat, etc. But the most horrific aspect is how much the legend has been circulated. The USDA was even forced at some point to publicly deny the accidental creation of such a creature at its research center in Beltsville. Another story about the appearance of the goat-man tells of a goat breeder who, upon learning that a group of rowdy teenagers had killed his herd, went crazy and turned into a monster.
Where did it come from: Goatman was first written about by journalist Karen Hosler of the Prince George's County News in 1971. The material was devoted to the study of the urban folklore of Maryland and was accompanied by the story of one of the local families about how someone cut off the head of their puppy. Of course, the family - not without a hint from the journalist - blamed the goat-man for everything. A month later, The Washington Post published a long article dedicated to this legend. The goat-man instantly became known throughout the country. The legend about him remains one of the most popular in the United States. goat man regularly "meet", and notes about him, sometimes implausibly detailed, appear in the Maryland press even now.
Vampire Saint Germain, Louisiana
Why is this creepy: When it comes to scary things, Louisiana doesn't just rely on voodoo, ghosts, and Woody Harrelson's True Detective accent. Jacques Saint-Germain, like any self-respecting vampire, seduced young girls and drank their blood. According to one version, he was born at the beginning of the 18th century. On the other - lived since the time of Jesus. After his "death" in 1783, he appeared here and there throughout Europe until he moved to New Orleans in 1902. Rumor has it that he is still doing his bloody business in the French Quarter of the city, but now calls himself Jack.
Where did it come from: The Comte de Saint-Germain was a real person, an alchemist and a real high society snob who was friends with all the celebrities of his time. He communicated with Louis XV, Catherine the Great and Voltaire. The latter called him "an immortal man who knows everything." He was even suspected of a series of murders. Also, he never ate in public. In the 1970s, French showman Richard Chenfrey claimed that the immortal Saint-Germain was him. True, less than 10 years later, Chenfrey died of a drug overdose. Or not?
Dog boy, Arkansas
Why is this creepy: This character's name may sound silly. However, you will not be laughing if in the town of Quitman, Arkansas, you suddenly see in the window of the house 65 on Mulberry Street the silhouette of a 140-pound half-man-half-beast with luminous eyes. In this case, it's better to get out of there as soon as possible, because he has a habit of chasing people on the street, biting his legs like a dog.
Where did it come from: The real story behind this legend is much darker. Gerald Bettis, the only son of the Bettis family at 65 Mulberry Street, has always been a problem child. But not like in the movie "Problem Child". As a child, Bettis tortured animals (which is why he was nicknamed the dog boy). As he grew older, his sociopathy spilled over into his elderly parents. He didn't let them leave the house. Rumor has it that he killed his father. Bettis was eventually arrested for growing marijuana in his backyard. He died in prison from a drug overdose in 1988.
Hell Bridge, Michigan
Why is this creepy: The Michigan legends of Detroit's Red Dwarf or the Dog Warriors are no match for the story of Elias Friske, the demented old preacher who is said to have tormented children in the woods where Algoma now stands. He kept his victims bound and killed one by one. He drowned the remains in the Cedar Creek. When he was caught by the parents of those killed, he said that he was possessed by demons. This did not prevent his parents from hanging him. The Hell's Bridge is a narrow passage across a stream in the middle of forests. Those who dare to cross it at night can hear the cries of the victims of the mad preacher, and sometimes see his black figure with glowing eyes.
Where did it come from: There is no record of Elias Frisk in official state documents, although such a family is known to have lived here in early 1910. However, everyone who has been on the bridge agrees that there is something there - and it most often makes itself felt at night.
Three-Legged Lady of Nash Road, Mississippi
Why is this creepy: in general, if at night someone strange starts to run after your car, it's always annoying. Even worse, if at the same time you are knocked on the body of the car. But when a woman with three legs turns out to be the pursuer, and the extra one is a bloody stump sewn to the body - it's really scary. According to legend, it can be found on a section of Nash Road near the city of Columbus.
Where did it come from: There are plenty of ghost stories in Mississippi - from Robert Johnson who sold his soul to the witch Yazu. The story of the Three-Legged Lady is interesting because it changes depending on the fears of the narrator. Someone says that the extra leg belongs to the murdered lover. According to another version, this is the ghost of a woman who was looking for her missing daughter, and found only her dismembered body. Still others believe that if you meet the Three-Legged Lady, you will have to overtake her on the nearest bridge. In any case, if you turn off the headlights on Nash Road at night, there is a risk of encountering a ghost in person.
Area 51, Nevada
Why is it (still) creepy: the story of Area 51 has been retold (sometimes in a humorous vein) so many times that it has become forgotten how disturbing the whole situation looked at the very beginning. However, the silence of the government, dead aliens and sinister experiments in the desert Nevada look more disturbing than the movie about it. There is a lot of speculation about what really happens at Area 51. They talk about time travel, and about genetic experiments, and alien autopsies. However, no one except the authorities knows the truth.
Where did it come from: first of all, it is worth remembering that Area 51 really exists. This is a well-equipped military base in southern Nevada. However, her purpose is unknown to anyone. Early in the Cold War, in the 1950s, President Eisenhower approved a plan to build the first aircraft based on stealth technology, the U-2. Laboratories and a test airfield were located precisely in the area, which later became known as Area-51. The experimental aircraft resembled a UFO. Local residents who saw him fly, of course, made theories about his extraterrestrial origin, which immediately hit the press. The scandal was further fueled by news of a "UFO crash" in Roswell. Since then, Area 51 has been the center of conspiracy theories around the US government.
Watermelon heads, Ohio
Why is this creepy: The name "Watermelon Heads" could be suitable for a dessert. However, the legend behind this name is much darker: it is about pale, sick children who were genetically experimented on. They are believed to have huge heads and sharp teeth, perfect for tearing up babies (and possibly you). Doesn't sound like dessert at all.
Where did it come from: Similar stories exist in Michigan and Connecticut, but the Ohio version is the darkest. According to this legend, the Watermelon Heads are the adopted children of a certain doctor who was testing new surgical and pharmaceutical remedies on them. It didn't turn out very well. Now the test subjects hunt in the woods of Kirkland, ready to flay any passer-by. According to other versions, at the sight of strangers, children just run away. Finally, some consider them to be ordinary ghosts. One thing is for sure: one super-low-budget horror film was shot based on this legend.
Tramp Sam, South Dakota
Why is this creepy: In December 2014, a wave of suicide attempts swept across the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota - a total of 103 cases occurred. The incident is associated with the legend of Tramp Sam. Teenagers who tried to commit suicide said that they were a tall and thin figure who called himself Sam and demanded to kill himself (remember anything?). A year earlier, five members of the Oglala Sioux had committed suicide. In 2015, the head of the tribe posted on Facebook a photo from the local forest with nooses already prepared on the trees. Thus, a plan of mass teenage suicide was uncovered.
Where did it come from: the figure of Tramp Sam refers back to the legends of the Boogeyman, which are still working - one has only to recall the Slenderman hysteria in 2008. The idea of the “shadow people” is also so old that it is difficult to find its origin. Nevertheless, Tramp Sam himself is a relatively new local legend of the Lakota and Dakota Indian tribes. Sam was first written about in 1980 by journalist Peter Matthiesen in his article The Spirit of a Crazy Horse. According to the material, Sam was first seen by the Sioux and Little Eagle Indians. Tramp is sometimes referred to as taku-he or "Bigfoot with a Straw Hat".
Rabbit Bridge, Virginia
Why is this creepy: this legend is fun to retell at night by the fire, but the real events behind it are truly frightening. In the 1970s, police repeatedly reported people being threatened by an axe-wielding man dressed as a rabbit. Some eyewitnesses said that he threw his ax at them. To this day, dead rabbits are often reported being found in the woods around Fairfax Bridge, also known as Rabbit Bridge. There is also a story about a man in white who was seen under the bridge.
Where did it come from: according to legend, in 1904 a group of prisoners were transported by bus from the mental hospital of Clifton, Virginia, to the nearest prison. On the way, the bus overturned, many prisoners died, but some managed to escape. The next day, the police began searching for the fugitives, and caught all but one. In the course of further searches, the police began to find gnawed carcasses of rabbits in the forests near Fairfax Bridge, but they were unable to catch the one who ate them. A year later, on Halloween night, a group of teenagers went under the bridge to spend time away from their parents. The next morning they were found hanging from the bridge piers. Since then, it has been believed that anyone who finds themselves under the bridge that night will face inevitable death.
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Prince George's is a county in the US state of Maryland, representing five hundred square miles of green fields and suburbs.
Less than a million people live here, enjoying natural reserves, historical reenactments, blues festivals and sandy coastlines. In short, the place is truly bucolic. However, for many residents of the United States, Prince Georges is not associated with the serenity of rural expanses, but with a bloodthirsty monster that supposedly lives here, terrifying everyone. His name is Goat Man.
Where did this strange creature come from?
There are several versions of the origin of this creature. According to one of them, it was once an ordinary goat breeder whose wife was seriously ill. The man worked tirelessly, earning money for medicines and operations for his beloved.
One day, the teenagers decided to cruelly "play a prank" on the unfortunate husband and poisoned all his goats. The family lost their only source of income, and the woman died. After that, the farmer went crazy with grief, turned into a monster and fled into the forest, starting to kill everyone who meets him on the way.
Another version is connected with the local agricultural scientific center, where forbidden experiments were allegedly carried out on animals. It is said that one of the employees accidentally dropped blood into the test tube and injected his own genetic material into the goat. After some time, she gave birth to an ugly half-man, half-goat. The researchers decided to leave the creepy creature alive and study it. When the aggressive creature grew up, he managed to kill several scientists and escape from the center.
There are residents of Prince George who are sure that the monster was born in the wild without human intervention. Despite the fact that such mutations look like pure fantasy, some of the mistakes of nature, as you know, can be truly surreal and seemingly simply unbelievable.
Monster Popularity
Despite the fact that the Goatman is incomparably inferior in popularity to the Loch Ness monster or Bigfoot, his fame has long gone beyond the usual urban tale. Many Americans fully believe in the existence of the cryptid, however, they see no reason for pride, because, unlike the peaceful Sasquatch and Nessie, the Goat Man is known exclusively for his atrocities.
In 2011, the American horror film "Death Detour" was born, the plot of which was inspired by the legend of this mythical creature.
Real kills
Folklorist Barry Pearson of the University of Maryland has been researching the Goatman for almost thirty years. According to the expert, it all started in the fifties, centuries passed, when mysterious murders began to occur in Prince George. In 1958, a German Shepherd was found dead here - the dog was torn to shreds, but its meat was not eaten.
In the spring of 1961, two students were found dead in Bowie, Maryland. The girl and the boy went into the forest at night to be alone. Early in the morning, a local hunter found a car with broken windows and many deep scratches on the body. The lifeless teenagers were in the back seat - the bodies of both were disfigured beyond recognition. The killer, as you might guess, was never found.
Less than a month after this terrible incident, as two other teenagers in the dark, went by car into the same forest. When young people began to indulge in love pleasures, they noticed a goat's head with huge horns in the bushes. At first, the lovers thought that cattle had wandered in from one of the nearby farms. Suddenly, the "goat" stood up on its hind legs and stared straight at the car, then began to slowly approach the car. Frightened to death, students "gave gas" and miraculously escaped. It is noteworthy that their story was documented by the police as evidence in the case of teenagers who had much less luck in this forest the day before.
After that, the legend of the Goat Man began to spread throughout Maryland, and then to other states of America at lightning speed. The brutal murders committed periodically in Prince Georges are attributed by many to the bloodthirsty cryptid.
If you ever find yourself in this area, the people of Prince George, knowing that you are not a local, will certainly tell you to stay away from the forests at night. Otherwise, trouble will not be avoided ...
Prince George's County is located in the U.S. state of Maryland. Less than a million people live in it, so it is considered compact and cozy. But, despite the picturesque and other advantages of the district, many residents of Maryland refuse to move there to live, as they associate it with a bloodthirsty killer, who is called the goat man.
Strange creature from fairy tales
There are legends in Maryland about a monster that supposedly is something in common between a man (male) and a goat. According to one version, in the past this killer was a goat herd, whose beloved wife became very ill. In order to save her from illness, the goatherd had to work hard, as the money that he received periodically was not enough for medicine.
One day, local teenagers decided to cruelly “joke”: they made their way into the pen to the shepherd and poisoned all his livestock. Thus, the family lost their only income, without which the shepherd could not treat his wife. She soon died, and the enraged man promised to take revenge on the offenders. Rumor has it that after the death of his wife, the farmer literally went berserk and fled into the forest. There, he somehow contacted the evil spirits, which turned him into a demon, giving him an unusual appearance. Everyone who met on the way, the goat-herd brutally killed.
The other version looks more realistic. Maryland has a chem. research. Rumor has it that in the past terrible experiments were carried out in it: they tried to cross people with various animals. The goat-man is the result of such experiments. Soon, the activities of scientists were covered up, after which the experimental subjects became useless. Angry at the people, they began to take revenge.
Some residents of the state believe that the human animal was born by accident, without the intervention of scientists. In our time, indeed, sometimes children are born with terrible congenital pathologies. But often these children do not live long. Perhaps this child, born partly as a goat, somehow managed to survive.
Previously unknown, now popular
Marylanders have been talking about the Goat Man for decades. This monster is only gaining popularity in the world. Of course, he is still far from Bigfoot and Nessie, but soon he will catch up with his competitors. Nowadays, not only ordinary thrill-seekers (mostly tourists), but also ufologists are interested in the man-goat of their Maryland.
By the way, you can compare the monster described above with a mythical creature - a faun. These creatures have always been distinguished by benevolence and did not specifically try to harm people. If the monster from Maryland really is one of them, then why did he become so bloodthirsty? He has more than one murder on his account, and all his atrocities have remained unsolved.
The goat man's crimes
Paranormal researcher and at the same time folklorist B. Pearson (who is also an employee of the "University of Maryland") has been studying the local monster for 30 years. He believes that the mythical killer committed the first atrocity in the 50s of the last century. In 1958, a dead shepherd dog was found in the state, torn to pieces almost to shreds. The most interesting thing is that her insides and meat were not touched. If a predator known to science attacked her, he would not refuse food.
Spring 1961: in the small town of Bowie (northeast Maryland), the bodies of two young people who turned out to be local students were found. The young man and his girlfriend went by car into the forest at night and did not return. The hunter came across their bodies in the early morning while checking his traps. The car of a young couple was covered with long scratches, sometimes there were dents on its body, the windshield was broken. The bodies of the teenagers were torn to pieces and mutilated beyond recognition. The killer has not been found to this day.
Six months after this incident, two more teenagers encountered the monster, who also decided to go to the same forest to have some fun. In the midst of carnal pleasures, they noticed that a goat's head was looking at them outside the car window. At first, the animal did not arouse suspicion, as it seemed to the teenagers an ordinary goat, but soon, when it got up on two legs, the young couple realized what they were facing. The frightened lovers decided to start the car and press the gas with all their might, thanks to which they managed to escape. The next morning they went to the police, gave evidence, wrote a statement, which, oddly enough, was officially issued and accepted.
In the future, there were several more murders and rumors of a bloodthirsty faun quickly spread throughout Maryland. In modern times, such incidents (murders) did not occur, but the mysterious monster continues to frighten the locals. When an inquisitive tourist comes to Maryland, the people of the state will certainly warn him of the danger.
