The Honey Island Swamp Monster

Gabrielle Laine

Bosstick

ENGL 212

16 March 2023

##### Summary

The Honey Island Swamp Monster originated in St. Tammany Parish of Louisiana in the Honey Island Swamp. North of Lake Pontchartrain and on Old Pearl River is where the Honey Island Swamp is located, which remains protected under the government. The monster is said to be over seven feet tall, have grey hair, yellow eyes, and smell horrifically bad. It was first sighted by Harlan Ford in 1963. Ford became the reason that The Honey Island Swamp Monster was such a popular figure within the area due to his determination to spot the creature and show evidence of its existence. There are not many famous encounters, but the Swamp Monster does come from adaptations. Cajun and Native American folklore from the area claims that such a creature is the Letiche. Other adaptations of The Honey Island Swamp Monster are found throughout the area due to several different beliefs over the origin of the creature.

##### History

As stated within the summary, the Honey Island Swamp Monster was first sighted and documented by Harlan Ford in 1963.Ford was a retired air traffic controller that was bringing supplies to a hunting camp with his friend when they spotted the monster. They had originally viewed it from a distance and believed it to be a large animal feeding on another animal. The pair had apparently drawn their weapons, but once they done so the monster had gotten up on two legs, looked both in the eyes, and ran away. The Honey Island Swamp Monster was described by Ford to be extremely tall, have long, grey dingy hair, yellow eyes, and have a disgusting scent accompanying it. Ford continued on his hunt for evidence for a long 10 years, where he found a wild boar that was killed with odd footprints around it. The footprints were then casted by Ford and they were large, 3-toed webbed feet. Much of the continued search is done by Ford's granddaughter Dana Holyfield. When Harlan Ford died, she had found a roll of film which was labeled "Honey Island Swamp Monster". On this film, a large bipedal creature can be seen within the forest. Other than this, no major searches have been attempted to find evidence of the Honey Island Swamp Monster.

##### Legends

The most famous encounter with The Honey Island is Ford's own encounter, but there are some other encounters with the monster that have been brought up. In 1981 a report by Jerry Breaux, a reporter, recalled a conversation he had with a friend of his Hubert. While hunting the man had heard heavy sounds from behind him, and he witnessed an 8 foot tall, hairy figure go past him and went further into the woods. According to the report, the figure is described to have yellow eyes and be part-man, part-animal. Though this is not a reported event, there is local lore that states that a train crash occurred, which included a traveling circus. According to belief, chimpanzees escaped and became acclimated to the environment and the Honey Island Swamp Monster is the offspring of those chimps. Some say that those chimps bred with alligators to create the monster. I did not find many other encounters with the Honey Island Swamp Monster, but many locals like to talk about the monster and the possibility of it living in the area. Much of the Honey Island Swamp is protected and inaccessible to any who are curious to take a peek into the swamp for the creature.

##### Adaptions

The Honey Island Swamp Monster does not have any adaptions. As a cryptid that is only primarily known within a small area of Louisiana, it does not have the popularity to gain adaptions. I looked through many media platforms with the entry of The Honey Island Swamp Monster and the only things to pop up were small documentaries that explained what it is. I looked throughout local tellings of the Swamp Monster to see if any local had placed out an adaption that could be noteworthy, but many tend to follow the same script of the Honey Island Swamp Monster. I do feel that if The Honey Island Swamp Monster were to ever get an adaption it would be more like Bigfoot. The Swamp Monster seems very similar to the other cryptid, so I believe that if anyone were to express interest in adapting the Honey Island Swamp Monster it would just become a carbon copy of Bigfoot and lose its originality as its own cryptid.

##### Analysis

The way I would adapt the Honey Island Swamp Monster's story would be following the local belief that escaped chimpanzees mated with alligators to create the cryptid. I do think that this adaption would be less believable, but I do think that it would be very entertaining and thought-provoking for those who come across the media that this adaption would be in. If I saw an alligator, monkey thing walking around the swamp I would be both horrified and compelled. The fact that it was a traveling circus that the monkeys came from make the story even funnier. For a creature like this to just be walking around the swamp and occasionally killing animals feels very interesting. The idea that The Honey Island Swamp Monster is dangerous could probably be scrapped in my adaption. I believe that it could just be an odd little swamp-living cryptid that just stays away from humans and lives its life.

##### Works Cited

STATECHALLENGE: Louisiana: The Honey Island Swamp Monster! https://www.localguidesconnect.com/t5/General-Discussion/STATECHALLENGE-LOUISIANA-The-Honey-Island-Swamp-Monster/td-p/2645692.

Cole KinchenLouisiana State University alumnus (Geaux Tigers). “The Legend of the Honey Island Swamp Monster.” Pelican State of Mind, 3 May 2021, https://pelicanstateofmind.com/louisiana-love/legend-honey-island-swamp-monster/.

Holmes, Meghan. “The Honey Island Swamp Monster.” Country Roads Magazine, 1 Sept. 2021, https://countryroadsmagazine.com/outdoors/knowing-nature/the-honey-island-swamp-monster/.

“Honey Island Swamp Monster.” MSGCNHA, 13 Oct. 2020, https://msgulfcoastheritage.ms.gov/historic/sites/honey-island-swamp-monster/.

JONI HESS | Staff. “Is There Really a Honey Island Swamp Monster, Louisiana's Bigfoot? Curious Louisiana Answers.” NOLA.com, 10 July 2022, https://www.nola.com/curious\_louisiana/is-there-really-a-honey-island-swamp-monster-louisianas-bigfoot-curious-louisiana-answers/article\_c3ff7ad8-f7da-11ec-ad38-cb074e0fc868.html.