recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Black Stickmen

## Overview and Evidence

**Black Stickmen** are one of the most unusual types of paranormal creatures to ever be reported. Sometimes closely associated with the similar shadow people, the stickmen are more of a modern phenomenon, the earliest sightings only going back a couple of decades after the dawn of the Internet.

Stickmen are usually described as just that; crude stick figures like the simple drawings of the same name. They are often said to be rather tall in addition to their expected lankiness, sometimes exceeding seven or so feet. True to their name, they are usually pitch black in color and have very simplistic forms, often described as having no visible facial features. Most alleged sightings are not incredibly clear, with the stickmen often appearing in the witness's peripheral vision for a brief moment. In terms of behavior, they are usually described as being skittish or otherwise cautious of humans.

Currently, there is no verifiable evidence of the existence of these entities. While a scant number of alleged photographs and videos exist online, nearly all of them are known to be fabrications. As such, knowledge of these entities is limited solely to eyewitness testimony. Those who do believe in their existence generally believe them to be some sort of interdimensional visitor. Skeptics generally believe that they are the result of an overactive imagination. This notion is potentially supported by the fact that most sightings take place in dark areas and in the corner of the witness's vision. The fact that alleged sightings only really began with the creation of the Internet suggests that alleged sightings have likely been influenced heavily by general cultural osmosis.

## Sources

1. ↑ https://spiritseekersblog.org/2012/03/27/the-black-stick-man-phenomenon/
Kongamato

## Overview and Evidence

The **Kongamato** is a flying reptilian cryptid commonly spoken about in the folklore of Central Africa, particularly that of the tribes living within the Congo rainforest. Often compared to prehistoric pterosaurs, particularly those in the genus *Pterodactylus*, the kongamato, whose name translates roughly to 'breaker of boats' or 'over-turner of boats', is one of the most well known African cryptozoological animals in recent years.

Eyewitnesses generally describe the kongamato as a large reptilian creature capable of powered flight. Often said to be covered in dark scaly skin, it is approximately the size of a large eagle and has the aggressive temperament to match. Their long pointed beaks are allegedly filled with numerous dagger-like teeth, allowing it to harass local fishermen, an activity it is said to be very fond of. It is said to be nocturnal.

The kongamato was brought into the western world's public consciousness in 1923 when Frank H. Melland published *In Witchbound Africa*, a book containing numerous folkloric stories told to him by African tribesmen. Members of the Kaonde tribe of Zambia regaled him with stories of large bat-like animals that would attack fishermen, as well as special charms they carry called 'muchi wa kongamato' to ward off the creatures. When Melland showed the tribesmen images of pterosaurs in various books, they all collectively confirmed that it was a very close approximation of the beast they had routinely encountered.

Many cryptozoologists often approach the promise of surviving pterosaurs with enthusiasm, but to date there is no conclusive evidence that such a hypothesis is true. The last known pterosaurs are thought to have been wiped out 65 million years ago in the KT extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period. While sightings of pterosaur-like animals do occasionally crop up all over the world, no substantial evidence such as carcasses or skin samples has ever been found. The other major hypothesis is that sightings are cases of mistaken identity. Possible culprits could be the African fish-eagle (*Haliaeetus vocifer*), the shoebill (*Balaeniceps rex*), or any of the several species of large fruit bats that inhabit Zambia.

## Popular Culture

### Video Games

* The Kongamato appears as a purchasable mount in the role-playing game *Final Fantasy XIV*.

## Sources

1. ↑ https://www.mythical-creatures-and-beasts.com/kongamato.html
2. ↑ https://face2faceafrica.com/article/kongamato-the-real-batmen-of-east-africa
3. ↑ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-doomed-pterosaurs-180968462/
4. ↑ https://ffxiv.consolegameswiki.com/wiki/Kongamato

## Gallery

### Image Gallery

An artist's interpretation (artist unknown)
Beast of Bodmin Moor

## Overview and Evidence

The **Beast of Bodmin Moor** is a cryptozoological feline belonging to a cryptid sub-group called 'alien big cats', large cats (generally belonging to the genus *Panthera*) that are sighted in areas to which they're not native. Popular in English folklore, the creature has reportedly been sighted in Bodmin Moor (hence its name), an 80-square-mile area of moorland in the northeastern region of Cornwall, England.

The Beast of Bodmin Moor is usually described by eyewitnesses as a large feline creature resembling a jaguar, leopard, or similar big cat. They were sometimes compared to Labrador retrievers or German shepherds in size, much smaller than typical big cats but still far larger than any species of cat native to western Europe. Most witnesses depicted the cats as being dark in color, usually black or dark brown, potentially suggesting melanistic individuals.

Evidence for the creatures mainly consists of eyewitness accounts, but footprints and alleged photographs aren't uncommon. The most interesting potential piece of evidence was a skull found in the River Fowey by a young boy on July 24, 1995. However, after being sent to the Natural History Museum in London and examined by zoologists there, it was concluded that the skull had simply been imported from Africa as part of a leopard skin rug. In addition, several clues, including cut marks denoting the removal of flesh with a knife, indicated that the skull had intentionally been placed in the river by unknown parties as part of a hoax.

While it is indeed hypothetically possible for big cats to be surviving in Cornwall, it is highly unlikely. The number of cats needed to maintain a consistent breeding population without succumbing to inbreeding would be upwards of 50 or more, and even this number would result in severe genetic bottlenecking. In addition, melanism generally only occurs in approximately 10% of a given population, a fact that goes against the consistent description of the creatures being black. Surely there would be more sightings of non-black cats than sightings of black ones. Skeptics have generally dismissed the sightings due to a lack of concrete evidence, and the scientific community continues to maintain that the sightings are misidentifications of housecats whose sizes have been misjudged due to distance.

## Sources

1. ↑ https://www.cornwalls.co.uk/myths-legends/beast\_of\_bodmin.htm
2. ↑ https://www.independent.co.uk/news/skull-find-was-a-beastly-hoax-1595262.html
3. ↑ https://www.panthera.org/blog/2019/10/22/wild-cats-101-black-cats-and-more-melanism#:~:text=It's%20believed%20that%20melanism%20in,Black%20Cats%20Still%20Have%20Spots%3F
4. ↑ https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/ROA-Times/issues/1995/rt9507/950720/07200053.htm

## Gallery

### Image Gallery

An alleged photo by Danny Morgan (almost certainly a hoax)
La Junta Elf

## Overview and Evidence

The **La Junta Elf** was a diminutive humanoid creature seemingly caught on a personal security camera on the night of June 5, 2019. Uploaded to Facebook the next day by La Junta, Colorado resident Vivian Gomez, the footage went viral and sparked a great deal of controversy over the identity of the individual on the film. The footage ostensibly shows an unknown creature walking down Gomez's driveway towards the street.

The creature appears to stand between three and four feet in height. Upright and bipedal in posture, the creature is thin and gangly and appears to have long floppy ears. It walks with a strange bow-legged gait, creating a great deal of noise as it flops down the driveway. As it nears the front of the car in the driveway, it begins to flap its arms as though doing the Chicken Dance.

When interviewed, Gomez repeatedly denied insinuations that the creature was her son Bobby, the most commonly suggested explanation for the creature. Those who have put forward this hypothesis have noted that the floppy 'ears' appear to simply be a pair of underpants on a child's head and suggested that Bobby either performed this act without his mother's knowledge or did it with her involvement as an intentional hoax. In interviews, Bobby himself has claimed that he was watching television with his mother Vivian when the footage was recorded and suggested his friend Montana as a culprit, but she denied any involvement.

## Sources

1. ↑ https://www.insideedition.com/mom-still-freaked-out-over-dobby-driveway-creature-captured-camera-53602
2. ↑ https://www.snopes.com/news/2019/06/11/dobby-alien-video/
3. ↑ https://www.unilad.co.uk/life/people-think-theyve-figured-out-what-the-hell-is-in-viral-creepy-dobby-video/
4. ↑ https://www.insideedition.com/is-the-search-for-dobby-creature-over-55886
Mokele-mbembe

## Overview and Evidence

The **Mokele-mbembe** is a cryptozoological creature resembling a sauropod dinosaur that allegedly dwells within the Congo River Basin in central Africa. First introduced to the world at large in the early 1900s, the creature, whose name roughly means "the one who stops the flow of rivers", is variably described as a flesh and blood animal or a spiritual being, but it is nevertheless an important figure in the mythology of local tribes.

The earliest reports came from European explorers and hunters trekking through the Congo who would often hear reports from native villagers about having seen an enormous creature. One such individual was German game hunter Carl Hagenbeck, who described hearing tales of a 'half elephant, half dragon' creature from two villagers. As public fascination with dinosaurs was great at the time, Hagenbeck speculated that the creature was a dinosaur that had somehow survived the KT extinction 65 million years ago.

Eyewitnesses of the creature usually describe it as a massive beast approaching the size of an elephant at least, covered in brownish-gray leathery skin instead of scales. Many depictions of it do indeed resemble a sauropod as it reportedly possesses a long flexible neck and four pillar-like legs with claws. Some reports have depicted it with a single tooth (sometimes described as more of a horn).

Non-testimony evidence for the creature is nearly nonexistent with the only real indications of its existence being eyewitness accounts from local natives. Even European explorers who reported seeing tracks allegedly left by the creature neglected to take casts of them, and modern day sightings rarely occur. Most cryptozoologists believe the beast to be a surviving sauropod, but the 20th century depiction of sauropod as mainly aquatic and bulky animals is outdated and no longer biologically accurate. Other potential explanations include misidentified crocodiles, pygmy hippos, and African forest elephants.

## Popular Culture

### Film

* The 1985 family fantasy film *Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend* depicts a family of *Brontosaurus* living in the Congo, explicitly said to be Mokele-mbembe.
* Titanus Mokele-mbembe is one of the Titans mentioned in the 2019 kaiju film *Godzilla: King of the Monsters*.

## Sources

1. ↑ https://archive.org/details/beastsmenbeingca00hage/page/96/mode/1up?view=theater
2. ↑ https://www.livescience.com/38871-mokele-mbembe.html
3. ↑ https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/misreading-the-mokele-mbembe-the-mokele-mbembe-part-1/

## Gallery

### Image Gallery

An artist's interpretation by David Miller in 1987
Black Mist of Casa Grande Mountain

## Overview and Evidence

The **Black Mist of Casa Grande Mountain** is an alleged phenomenon said by some to occur near the base of the Casa Grande Mountains, a 4-mile mountain range located near its namesake, the town of Casa Grande in Arizona. The origins of the legends are unclear, but they are known to have existed for several decades.

The mist is said to appear at any time of day or night, covering the roads surrounding the mountains with darkness. It is said to be very thick and lay close to the ground. Those who encounter the black mist are said to feel incredibly uneasy, although no specific individual accounts are known. The legends also often ascribe a 'sentience' of some sort to the mist, claiming that it 'chases' trespassers away.

There are several hypotheses regarding the origins of the mist, but determining its exact identity is difficult due to the 'friend of a friend' nature of the legends. Most sources tend to copy and reference each other, making the source of the legends difficult to ascertain. The most mundane suggestion involves the nearby Elsy Pearson shooting range and suggests that the mist is actually smoke emitted by weapons at the range. However, others have dismissed this idea due to the sheer amount of smoke that would need to be generated as well as the lack of gunshots heard when the mist is sighted. Other have suggested more supernatural possibilities, such as Native American spirits from the nearby Hohokam tribes. This hypothesis is, of course, unfalsifiable.

## Sources

1. ↑ http://www.weirdus.com/states/arizona/unexplained\_phenomena/black\_mist\_casa\_grande\_mtn/index.php
New Jersey Ghost Sniper

## Overview and Evidence

The **New Jersey Ghost Sniper** was an unseen assailant that terrorized the town of Camden, New Jersey for a brief period in late 1927. Seemingly a crazed gunman, the ghost sniper, so named due to never being seen and for leaving little to no ammunition casings behind, seemed to choose targets indiscriminately.

While the sniper itself was never actually seen, the evidence of its attacks was clear. Cars seemed to be a favorite target, particularly their windshields. Numerous cars over the duration of the attacks had their windshields riddled with holes, but no bullets could ever be found. According to witnesses, no sounds of gunshots were ever heard and many shootings took place in locations featuring no good vantage points from which to make the shot.

While there were no severe injuries from those inside the cars, a police officer named John Rodgers was reportedly shot twice in the back with what appeared to be small blue marbles, seemingly fired at a velocity that would be nearly impossible to reach. Despite this, car windshield bullet holes appeared to made with actual .22 caliber bullets though no casings were ever found. The fact that other nearby towns were also suffering from similar attacks implied that the culprit was either a group or that local delinquents had taken to being copycats.

The idea that the culprit was actually a group is supported by one eyewitness account from two local women named Redempta and Jean Napier. They reported seeing a man flee after their window was shattered; the man apparently fled around a corner and could be heard saying "It’s all right now, Louie." This is the only known incident in which an assailant was actually sighted, but whether or not it is linked to the other attacks is unknown. Some hypothesized that the attacker, whoever he or she was, was utilized advanced weaponry or attachments such as air cannons or high-tech silencers, but others have proposed the idea that the entity was indeed a spirit. Both ideas are technically unfalsifiable and as of now, no culprit has ever been arrested or charged.

## Sources

1. ↑ https://mysteriousuniverse.org/2016/07/the-mysterious-ghost-sniper-of-new-jersey/
2. ↑ http://www.dvrbs.com/camden/camdennj-theghostsniper.htm
Spring-Heeled Jack

## Overview and Evidence

**Spring-Heeled Jack** was a malevolent humanoid figure blamed for a rash of bizarre attacks that plagued a large portion of England throughout the 19th century. Beginning in 1837, Spring-Heeled Jack quickly became an infamous figure in local folklore and evolved into a bogeyman-like figure.

Spring-Heeled Jack was described by most eyewitnesses as a tall humanoid figure with a frightening appearance. Clad in a form-fitting silvery suit and swathed in a long black cape, the goblin-like entity reportedly displayed an aggressive yet playful attitude as though avidly enjoying the terror he allegedly caused. Jack was said to be a very gaunt individual who wore a black pointed helmet that obscured any hair he might have had, and his most distinguishing facial feature was his luminous red eyes. Numerous reports mention the presence of long metallic claws on his fingers and the ability to exhale blue flames from his mouth. However, Spring-Heeled Jack's most well-known power, and the source of his moniker, was his ability to leap incredible heights and distances.

The entity's modus operandi usually involved leaping out at passersby from the darkness and frightening them with its flaming breath and terrifying face before abruptly fleeing back into the night just as suddenly. Occasionally, Jack would reportedly ring the doorbells of unsuspecting townsfolk only to give them a scare when they opened the door. True to form, Jack would usually be leaping away by the time any authorities could be alerted.

Today, skeptics tend to regard the stories as mere urban legends. Soon after the sightings began, John Cowan, Lord Mayor of London, publicly addressed the sightings by blaming them on a group of pranksters. Other more modern skeptics have suggested that the entire phenomenon was nothing more than mass hysteria, perhaps inspired by and spiraled out of a more mundane mugging or two. A popular theory at the time blamed Henry de La Poer Beresford, 3rd Marquess of Waterford, for the attacks, primarily due to his reckless behavior and negative views of women. Paranormal enthusiasts, on the other hand, have suggested extraterrestrial, interdimensional, and mystical origins for the creature.

## Alleged Sightings

### Third-Person Accounts

* Jane Alsop

In February of 1838, one Jane Alsop answered her front door after hearing frantic pounding and the screams of a man claiming that he had captured Spring-Heeled Jack. Upon opening the door, Alsop was shocked to see Jack himself standing at the door. He reportedly breathed blue flames in her face and physically assaulted her with his claws. She fled back inside and was only saved when Alsop's sister came to her rescue and forced Jack to retreat.

## Sources

1. ↑ https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Spring-Heeled-Jack/
2. ↑ https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/meet-springheeled-jack-the-leaping-devil-that-terrorized-victorian-england

## Gallery

### Image Gallery

An artist's interpretation (artist unknown)
Alyoshenka

## Overview and Evidence

**Alyoshenka**, also known as the **Kyshtym Dwarf**, was a bizarre infant found in the Russian village of Kaolinovy in Chelyabinsk Oblast. First found in the woods and subsequently raised by an elderly Russian woman named Tamara Prosvirina, Alyoshenka (a name derived from the Russian male name Alexey) quickly became Kaolinovy's claim to fame and sparked worldwide discussion and controversy.

Photos of Alyoshenka's body show a greyish fetus-like creature measuring just under ten inches in length. The head was oddly helmet-like and possessed numerous ridges that met at the pointed top of the skull. Its face was dominated by large eyes and a tiny mouth, and its cheeks were covered with small divets or 'dimples'. The body was extremely thin and malnourished. First thought to be a toy being doted on by the schizophrenic Prosvirina, Alyoshenka was discovered to be a living entity after Prosvirina was sent to a hospital to be treated for her schizophrenia. Prosvirina reportedly screamed at the hospital staff that Alyoshenka would die without her, and the fetus did indeed pass on several hours later. Three years later, Prosvirina would be killed in a car accident after escaping from the hospital.

After the media reported on the story, people all over the world began speculating on what Alyoshenka was. Ufologists often suggested that the fetus was extraterrestrial in origin. The body is currently lost and the identity of its new owner varies on the source. Sources variably say that the body was given to local ufologists or even shadowy government operatives. It is often reported that local police officer Vladimir Bendlin was given the body and decided to take it to Dr. Irina Yermolaeva. She told Bendlin that the body wasn't artificial and was likely a premature female human fetus potentially affected by the fallout of the 1957 Kyshtym power plant disaster.

## Sources

1. ↑ https://www.rbth.com/lifestyle/328148-alyoshenka-kyshtym-dwarf
2. ↑ https://www.metimeforthemind.com/aleshenka-alien-baby-or-victim-kyshtym-disaster.html
Montauk Monster

## Overview and Evidence

The **Montauk Monster** was a mammalian carcass discovered washed up on Ditch Plains Beach, a beach located two miles east of the district of Montauk, New York, on July 12, 2008. The story, first published in *The Independent* on July 23 of the same year, told of 26-year-old Jenna Hewitt and three of her friends who allegedly came across a small crowd of beachgoers standing around the body.

The creature was described as being the size of an average housecat. It appears to be at least mostly hairless and a grayish brown in color with cream-colored legs and underbelly. The creature is quadrupedal and possesses five toes on each foot. Strangely, the creature's snout is reminiscent of a parrot's beak despite possessing teeth.

Conspiracy theorists have speculated that the creature was a mutant of some kind or a genetic experiment, perhaps due to the nearby Plum Island Animal Disease Center. Some have also claimed that strange men in suits arrived soon after the sighting to confiscate the body, but these reports have never been corroborated. Zoologists have suggested a variety of possible answers, such as a dog or raccoon whose form was distorted by damage and decay. The idea that the creature is a raccoon is generally the most commonly agreed upon. Other potential candidates have included sea turtles (dismissed due to the clawed feet and teeth), rodents (dismissed to the lack of pronounced incisors), and sheep (dismissed to the presence of sharp canine teeth).

## Sources

1. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20120820094122/http://www.indyeastend.com/PicPaperBody.lasso?-token.issue=2008-07-23&-token.page=10&-token.size=large
2. ↑ https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/the-montauk-monster/
3. ↑ https://www.hamptons.com/article.php?articleID=4474#.YODUEuhKiM8
Ningen

## Overview and Evidence

The **Ningen** is a large bizarre cryptozoological creature that reportedly inhabits the deep, frigid waters surrounding the continent of Antarctica. Said to be common in folklore spread by Japanese fishermen hunting in the area, the ningen, whose name roughly means 'human' in Japanese, has gone from one of the most obscure cryptids to one of the more popular among paranormal enthusiasts, similar to the rise in popularity of the nightcrawlers. The earliest known mentions of the ningen online originate with the now-defunct Japanese online forum site 2Channel, which claims that Japanese research vessels in the area have witnessed the creatures on several occasions.

According to these 'eyewitnesses', the ningen are enormous cetacean-like creatures with numerous human-like anatomical features. While their bodies are nearly identical to large white whales, their heads are said to be uncannily human-like or occasionally frog-like with large black eyes and enormous slit-like mouths. Often compared to gigantic mermaids, their front flippers are instead replaced by large human-like arms. Some ningen reports allegedly describe them as semiaquatic creatures that possess human-like legs in addition to their arms. They are sometimes said to be nocturnal and the size of the creature varies from 40 to 90 feet.

As of now, there are no real reputable photographs, videos, or even eyewitness accounts. The original 2Channel thread is no longer available to view and the few alleged videos that have surfaced online have been proven to be hoaxes. Given the incredibly recent origin of the first reports on 2Channel, it is incredibly possible, perhaps even likely, that the creature is simply an urban legend. However, if the reports were indeed being honestly reported, it is also possible that a known animal was responsible for the sightings. Antarctica is home to numerous whale species either year-round or temporarily, including the largest animal to ever exist, the blue whale. Other possible culprits could be the humpback whale, southern right whale, and fin whale. The white color could simply be caused by albinism.

## Popular Culture

### Video Games

* The 2022 video games *Pokémon Scarlet* and *Pokémon Violet* introduced a new Ice-type Pokémon named Cetitan, a large white whale-like Pokémon that stands on two legs and has vaguely hand-like flippers. Cetitan was likely partially inspired by the ningen.

## Sources

1. ↑ http://pinktentacle.com/2010/01/ningen-humanoid-sea-creatures-of-the-antarctic/
2. ↑ https://pinebarrensinstitute.com/cryptids/2018/8/18/cryptid-profile-ningen
3. ↑ https://www.worldwildlife.org/magazine/issues/fall-2019/articles/the-whales-of-antarctica

## Gallery

### Image Gallery

An alleged photograph of the creature (almost certainly fake)
Skunk Ape

## Overview and Evidence

The **Skunk Ape** is one of the most well known cryptozoological hominids said to be native to the United States, second only to the sasquatch. Said to dwell in the dense swamps and wetlands of Florida and other nearby southeastern states instead of the Pacific Northwest, the creature, named for its horrific stench, has become a secondary icon of North American cryptozoology.

Similar to its northwestern cousin, the skunk ape is ostensibly a humanoid animal resembling a hybrid of a human and non-human apes such as gorillas and chimpanzees. Its large bulky frame is said to stand between five and seven feet in height. Color descriptions vary from brown to black to ruddy and its large head possesses large shining eyes. The moniker of 'skunk ape', as stated previously, originates with the horrendous odor it reportedly emits. The creature is allegedly common in Seminole folklore under the name 'Esti Capcaki', but the first documented accounts of the creature come from the early 1800s.

Evidence for the skunk ape is scarce. While there are plenty of eyewitness accounts of the animal, physical evidence is comparatively lacking. In July 2000, Florida resident and self-proclaimed skunk ape expert Dave Shealy captured a video depicting a creature, ostensibly the foul-smelling beast, shambling across a swamp before abruptly sprinting into a nearby grove of trees. Many skeptics believe the figure in the video to be a man in a gorilla suit, but the video has yet to be conclusively debunked and Shealy maintains that it is truthful. Much like with other similar hominids, a large portion of the evidence for the creature's existence consists of casts of alleged footprints.

The current scientific consensus is that the skunk ape, like most cryptids, is a combination of mistaken identity and deliberate hoaxes. The most likely culprit for the former would be the American black bear, particularly the Florida black bear subspecies. As noted by skeptic and author Joe Nickell, this species possesses the majority of attributes often given to the skunk ape, such as a waddling gait when on its hind legs, dark coloration, a tendency to rummage through garbage, and often a foul smell.

## Sources

1. ↑ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/trail-floridas-bigfoot-skunk-ape-180949981/
2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmRBUSK\_Dsg
3. ↑ https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/bear/
4. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20140725203439/http://www.csicop.org/sb/show/tracking\_floridas\_skunk\_ape

## Gallery

### Image Gallery

An alleged photograph of the beast (image source unknown)
Annabelle the Doll

## Overview and History

**Annabelle** is a Raggedy Ann doll that currently resides at The Warrens' Occult Museum in Monroe, Connecticut. The focus of a long series of studies by paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, the later owners of the aforementioned museum, the doll has gone down in popular culture as one of the most reportedly haunted dolls in existence.

According to the story provided by the Warrens, the doll was gifted to a young college student named Donna (last name unknown) by her anonymous mother in 1970. Within several days of receiving the doll, Donna and her roommate Angie reported noticing strange phenomena coming from the doll, mostly in the form of anomalous movement. While the changes in position were slight and subtle at first, the doll would allegedly begin appearing in strange poses in different rooms around the house. The phenomena later transitioned into crudely written notes found on scraps of parchment paper, usually messages with the phrases "Help Us" and "Help Lou".

Donna and Angie reportedly contacted a medium, who told them that the doll was possessed by the spirit of a young girl named Annabelle Higgins who was ostensibly murdered in a nearby field and who appeared to be benign. However, the doll's antics took a darker turn one night when the girls' friend Lou stayed with them for the night and had a frightening encounter with the doll. Said encounter involved waking one night, seemingly jolted from a nightmare. Finding himself in a state of sleep paralysis, he reported seeing Annabelle glide down the length of his bed and begin strangling him until he passed out. The next morning, while packing for a road trip, the trio were startled by a strange sound in Donna's room as though the apartment had been broken into. While searching the room, Lou was seemingly violently attacked by an unseen assailant, receiving numerous claw mark-like wounds that healed within two days.

## Interpretations

Ed and Lorraine Warren believed that the doll was the vessel of a malevolent and inhuman spirit. While a great deal of phenomena was attributed to Annabelle, no such activities have ever been conclusively dominated. Donna's story was mostly made public second-hand by the Warrens rather than by Donna herself, a fact that calls a great deal of the details of the story into question. Most skeptics tend to regard the legend as a fraud due to the lack of concrete evidence.

## Popular Culture

### Film

* A character based on the legend is a recurring antagonist in the horror film series *The Conjuring* and was the focus of three such films in 2014, 2017, and 2019. This version is a porcelain doll rather than a Raggedy Ann doll due to rights issues with the creators of Raggedy Ann.

## References

1. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20160522230945/http://www.warrens.net/annabelle.html
Hollinwell Incident

## Overview and History

The **Hollinwell Incident** was an instance of mass hysteria that occurred on July 13, 1980 at the Hollinwell Showground in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, a small town in Nottinghamshire, England. As part of an annual local event, an organization called the Forest League of Juvenile Jazz Bands held a marching band and brass competition to raise money for charity. Approximately 500 children forming 11 different marching bands attended.

At approximately 10:30 that morning, an hour and a half after the competition began, the performing children suddenly began to collapse to the ground en masse seemingly for no reason. In addition to the sudden collapses, most of the children began suffering from vomiting, dizziness, and irritation of the eyes and throat. Hundreds of people, including numerous spectators, were afflicted with the unknown illness, with nearly all of them being transferred to local hospitals.

## Interpretations

Numerous potential causes were suggested in the aftermath of the incident. Food poisoning, unclean drinking water, and pesticides used in nearby fields were all proposed, but all of these were more or less debunked as the years went on. The most popular hypothesis, and the one most commonly accepted today, is that this event was merely a case of mass hysteria. The children, many of which were driven to the event from neighboring counties, were known to have been exhausted and nervous prior to their performances and it's entirely possible that their nerves simply got the better of them. As of yet, no official explanation has ever been determined.

## Sources

1. ↑ https://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/eastmidlands/series4/holinwell\_incident.shtml
Danbury Frog People

## Overview and Evidence

The **Danbury Frog People** are a family of people who allegedly live in the Connecticut town of Danbury, although some reports place them in Bethel. Named so for their frog-like appearance, the frog people are sometimes regarded as an urban legend, similar to the similar faceless people of Monroe (link above).

According to those who claim to have sighted them, the frog people are a family of shut-ins who have very frog-like features. Their eyes are said to be very far apart and are often described as large and bulging. They have thin lips and wide mouths directly below their small noses that consist purely of thin nostrils. Their heads are abnormally large, although this may simply be due to their malnourished frames.

Unlike the faceless people of Monroe, there is a bit more evidence pointing towards the existence of this family. There are numerous online accounts of interactions held with them, and there are several plausible suggestions for the origins of their abnormalities. While the obvious notion of inbreeding is popular, there is little evidence of this. One of the more plausible hypotheses involves Crouzon syndrome, a rare genetic disorder whose symptoms include large round heads, bulging wideset eyes, and thin lips.

## Sources

1. ↑ https://www.google.com/books/edition/Weird\_New\_England/5PkXpHv7HKcC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=danbury+frog+people&pg=PA66&printsec=frontcover
2. ↑ https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/crouzon-syndrome/
Disappearance of Kenny Veach

## Overview and History

The **Disappearance of Kenny Veach** was an incident that occurred on November 10, 2014, in which 47-year-old Las Vegas resident Kenny Veach, known also by his YouTube handle 'snakebitmcgee', disappeared while hiking in the Mojave Desert in Nevada. Prior to his disappearance, Veach had made himself known online after posting a comment on a YouTube video titled "Son of an Area 51 Technician" in which he claimed to have found a strange cave shaped like a capital 'M' while hiking near the Nellis Air Force base that caused his body to vibrate and gave him a feeling a dread. Kenny is believed to have disappeared while searching for the cave.

After posting his comment on the video (which is no longer visible), Kenny was encouraged by the various responses he got to attempt to locate the cave again and record it on video. He did so and filmed it, but he was unable to find the cave again. Months later, he ventured out in search of the cave a third time and never returned. After he failed to come home, his girlfriend filed a missing persons report and a search party was sent out. His cellphone was found abandoned near the entrance to an old mineshaft, but Kenny's body was never recovered.

## Interpretations

There are several hypotheses for what happened to Kenny Veach. One of the most common is that he simply got lost and/or suffered an unfortunate accident in the canyons he was hiking in. Several of his videos made it clear that he prefers to hike with minimal supplies, including no GPS and barely any sustenance, so the idea that he died in the canyon is not unlikely. Hiking and spelunking are dangerous hobbies and one wrong move can spell disaster.

Another possibility is that Kenny intentionally committed suicide. The fact that he seemingly abandoned his phone would seem to support this as it would prevent him from being tracked. Shortly before his disappearance, he had quit his job to sell inventions, an endeavor that hadn't been very successful. His girlfriend reported that he did suffer from depression and when asked if he would ever kill himself, he said that if he did, they would never find him.

Those with a more conspiratorial mindset have suggested that Kenny was actually murdered by the government. Proponents of this hypothesis believe that the M cave Kenny discovered was an entrance to some sort of top secret government facility due to its close proximity to Nellis Air Force Base and Area 51. They believe that the vibrating sensation Kenny felt while near the cave was a defense mechanism to keep civilians from entering.

As of today, Kenny's body has never been found.

## Sources

1. ↑ https://www.missingpersonsofamerica.com/2020/04/07/kenny-veach-disappears-after-discovering-strange-m-cave-near-area-51/
2. ↑ https://viralnova.com/m-cave/
3. ↑ https://news3lv.com/archive/cell-phone-of-missing-hiker-found-near-abandoned-mine-shaft
4. ↑ https://nevadamagazine.com/issue/september-october-2019/11423/
Manhattan Monster

## Overview and Evidence

The **Manhattan Monster**, not to be confused with the Montauk Monster found nearby four years prior in 2008, was an animal carcass found along the shores of the East River, specifically underneath the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan, New York City. The body was discovered by one Denise Ginley on either July 21 or 22, 2012.

Ginley described the body as measuring approximately two feet or so in length, including the tail. The creature appears tan in color in the photos, but this is certainly due to the sandy environment in which it was found. Clearer shots of the skin reveal a coloration ranging from red to bluish-gray. It was extremely bloated and didn't smell as most carcasses do, possibly suggesting a recent death. However, the face does show a great amount of either decay or deliberate removal of flesh, revealing the skull which is missing a good chunk of the upper jaw.

Some have hypothesized that the body was that of a pig due to its bloated appearance, but the carcass's feet clearly show five fingers rather than the four-toed hoof of a pig. Ginley herself suggested that the creature was "a monstrously huge rat" due to said fingers and toes. Cornell University naturalist professor Paul Curtis concluded that the creature was most likely a dog that had drowned in the river, resulting in the bloating and lack of hair.

## Sources

1. ↑ https://www.flickr.com/photos/59340756@N05/7630141232/in/photostream
2. ↑ https://www.businessinsider.com/east-river-monster-picture-2012-7#the-manhattan-monster-is-reminiscent-of-the-hairless-animal-carcass-found-on-long-island-beach-in-2008-called-the-montauk-monster-7
3. ↑ https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2012/07/new-east-river-monster-is-not-a-pig.html
4. ↑ https://gothamist.com/news/animal-expert-tells-us-east-river-monster-was-a-dog
Zanetti Train Incident

## Overview and History

The **Zanetti Train Incident** was a purported railway incident that allegedly occurred on July 14, 1911, in which a train departing from Rome disappeared under anomalous circumstances. According to the account, an Italian railway company called Zanetti was holding a press event for a new, highly advanced model of train, the specific details of which are unknown. The train was to hold 106 people, 100 passengers and six crew members.

The story claims that, while beginning to enter an unspecified railway tunnel in Lombardy, Italy, a thick white fog enveloped the entire locomotive. One of the train's cars was greatly damaged and two anonymous passengers lept from the car to safety. After entering the tunnel, the train reportedly vanished entirely.

Decades after the train's disappearance, in the 1940s, a Mexican psychiatrist named José Saxino allegedly stated that 104 Italian people arrived in Mexico City, claiming that they had arrived there via a train that departed from Rome. Another decade later, a Ukrainian signalman named Pyotr Ustimenko near Zavalichi, Ukraine claimed to have seen a phantom train pass by, a train that appeared to have been from a past era.

## Interpretations

Many Fortean enthusiasts who accept the tale as true have suggested that the train and its passengers and crew experienced some sort of interdimensional travel and/or time travel. However, no actual evidence exists to support the story.

For example, there is no known Italian railway company with the name Zanetti and most online sources found when searching for the name are specifically about the incident. Another issue with the story is the inconsistent details. The part of the story referring to Mexico City is often set in vastly different time periods depending on the source, including as far back as 1845 rather than the 1940s.

The most likely conclusion is that the story is simply a hoax or urban legend.

## Sources

1. ↑ https://roybainton.com/2017/08/29/28/
2. ↑ https://www.readersoak.com/post/zanetti-the-ghost-train-story
Diyarbakir Djinn

## Overview and Evidence

The **Diyarbakir Djinn** was a strange object, ostensibly a supernatural figure of some sort, that was seemingly caught on security camera footage in the Kayapınar Diclekent district of Diyarbakir, Turkey, on February 12, 2016. The footage first surfaced five days after it was allegedly filmed on February 17 when it was uploaded to YouTube by the now-defunct channel 'Taşo Öz', who claimed that other nearby cameras captured the entity from different angles. Such a claim has yet to be verified.

The object or entity is difficult to make out due to the poor definition quality of the footage. It appears to be an upright entity of indeterminable size with no visible arms or legs. Its coloration is difficult to discern, but it appears to be grayish-blue, possibly with a metallic sheen. The entity begins the video by floating about in the background high above the ground before making its way back and forth down the street before eventually floating away.

The original upload garnered over 100,000 views while it was up and dozens of comments giving suggestions for what the object could be. More skeptical viewers suggested that it was some kind of remote control drone or partially deflated balloon. Others suggested that it was actually a supernatural being of some sort with most blaming either an extraterrestrial or a jinn/djinn (also known as a 'genie'), a spiritual entity in Arabian mythology. The lack of discernable wings or legs would certainly rule out the possibility of it being a bird, a common suspect for flying entities.

## Sources

1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D815i80OJ0
2. ↑ http://www.the13thfloor.tv/2016/02/26/does-this-security-footage-reveal-a-mini-monster-on-the-move/
3. ↑ https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/weird-news/video-levitating-ghoul-alien-turkey-17063612
Nene

* New
* Old
* Older

Pico's School

**Nene** is the antagonist of **Week 1**. Her tracks include **Smooth**, **Gossip**, and **Teen Suicide**.

## Appearance

Nene has slanted white eyes and short, black hair with a pink headband. She wears a pink overall skirt with a lighter pink long sleeve shirt underneath, light pink socks and pink shoes with heart decorations on the sides. She wears a noose around her neck, pink lipstick and magenta nail polish.
Shirtwood Forest

## Overview

**Shirtwood Forest**, as it is known by local residents, is a small section of swampy woodland located on Finchley Drive in the township of Brick Township, New Jersey, a township through which Route 70 runs. Though not world famous, this small patch of swamp has become a local curiosity for the citizens of Brick for its surreal nature and ambiguous origins.

Named after Sherwood Forest, a location associated with the European legends of Robin Hood, Shirtwood Forest is simply a small patch of the treeline, just a few yards off of Finchley Drive, that is absolutely littered with white T-shirts. While the shirts have obviously been placed there by humans, the identities of said individuals are unknown.

Most of the shirts are nailed to or otherwise suspended from the various trees protruding from the swamp water. Some residents claim that the number of shirts varies over time as though those responsible are routinely adding and subtracting shirts. Others have claimed to hear the shirts make strange noises when hit with rocks, often described as sounding like the shirts are sprayed with large amounts of starch. Many residents have reported feelings of unease or paranoia when observing the shirts.

## Sources

1. ↑ https://www.nysun.com/on-the-town/just-how-weird-is-new-jersey/7831/
2. ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=dXtBIvwPN84C&pg=PA196&lpg=PA196&dq=shirtwood+forest&source=bl&ots=nd7Y5pRP8h&sig=ACfU3U17Y9bO\_WdM2IzfSMZwos34xxVpyg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj-xt3yz8DwAhUNXM0KHfWWBzwQ6AEwAnoECAIQAw#v=onepage&q=shirtwood%20forest&f=false
New England Faceless People

## Overview and Evidence

The **New England Faceless People** are a group of individuals who, along with their elderly caretaker, are said to inhabit a dilapitated farmhouse on an unspecified backwoods road in the rural community of Monroe, Connecitcut. Although individual accounts of the faceless people are incredibly rare, they have nonetheless become a very popular urban legend in the annals of Connecticut folklore.

According to the story, the faceless people are a group of deformed humans who, through one reason or another, lack any discernible facial features. To be more specific, their eyes are vestigial like those of many blind cave fish, covered by a layer of skin that makes them useless. Their noses are merely a small bump with no nostrils, and their only real facial features are their small lipless mouths. Due to lacking a sense of sight, they maneuver around their ramshackle home by touch and by sound, which they detect through small holes where their ears should be. The faceless people live with their aforementioned elderly caretaker, who reportedly chases away snooping kids with a kerosene lantern in hand.

Numerous rumors have spread throughout the town, and by extension the Internet as a whole, about the origins of the faceless people. Some believe that their deformities are due to excessive inbreeding while other have gone so far as to accuse them of being stranded extraterrestrial entities. It is also entirely possible that the legend is purely that, a tall tale spread by local youths as part of a rite of passage. No actual photographs of the faceless people exist nor does video footage.

## Sources

1. ↑ https://www.google.com/books/edition/Weird\_New\_England/5PkXpHv7HKcC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=new+england+faceless+people&pg=PA65&printsec=frontcover
El Kookooee Figure

## Overview and Evidence

The **El Kookooee Figure** was a photographic anomaly that was brought to the attention of the mass public in late October of 2014. The image was captured on camera just days prior by Albuquerque firefighters Josh Ellis and Steve Vaughn while they were working at the 2014 El Kookooee Festival, a festival dedicated to the Mexican folkloric being El Cucuy.

The exact appearance of the figure is difficult to make out due to the low quality of the photograph. It appears to be greenish yellow in color and appears to be extremely large, towering over the crowd of people shown below it. The figure looks as though it is draped in one or more robes or similar cloth coverings. Ellis and Vaughn claimed to have not seen the entity hovering in the air neither before nor during the picture-taking process.

When the photo went viral, several potential explanations surfaced. One of the most common was that the figure was indeed El Cucuy, a Mexican bogeyman character that has existed in Spanish and Latino folklore since at least the 17th century. In an interview with KRQE News 13, Wendy Jay, a member with the Southwest Ghost Hunters Association, concluded that the entity was merely an artifact caused by the illumination of the fire being refracted by the camera lens.

## Sources

1. ↑ https://mysteriousuniverse.org/2014/10/ghost-appears-at-el-kookooee-burning-bogeyman-festival/
2. ↑ http://weekinweird.com/2014/10/31/smokey-spook-astonishes-albuquerque/