| Grouping | Legendary creature |
|---|---|
| Sub grouping | Fearsome critter |
| Folklore | American folklore |
| Other name(s) | Hide-Behind High-Behind Nighbehind |
| Country | United States |
| Habitat | Forests and woodlands |
The Hidebehind, alternately spelled Hide-Behind, is a legendary creature from North American folklore that is said to inhabit the forests and woodlands of the United States, preying on loggers and those who find themselves wandering deep into the woods. The name Hidebehind is a portmanteau of Hide and Behind, a basic description of the creature's predominant characteristic.
Etymology and origins edit
Hidebehind takes its name from the portmanteau of the words Hide and Behind, a basic description of the creature's predominant characteristic.
The Hidebehind originates from the oral tradition termed "Fearsome Critters", which began its start in North American logging camps during the turn of the twentieth century.[1] While these oral traditions were said to have been circulating in the mid-to-late 1800s, the first literary mention of the Hidebehind dates back to 1928, with the publication of the book The Hodag and Other Tales of the Logging Camps,[2] written by Luke Sylvester "Lakeshore" Kearney.[3] According to Kearney, Hidebehinds are vicious predators of forests and woodlands, so named "because of its habit of hiding behind trees".[2]: 54 Kearney's description of the Hidebehind (referred to in his account as a "Hide-Behind") and its behavior would remain the most reoccurring description in subsequent publications by authors and folklorists.[4]
Folk beliefs edit
"No one knew what it looked like" - Cohen
Appearance edit
Physical descriptions of the Hidebehind have changed over the years, with oral traditions commenting on witnesses or potential victims' inability to see it because of the Hidebehind's unique ability to remain hidden from view.
The 1928 documentation of a Hidebehind by Kearney described them as bipedal, standing five feet, ten inches tall. The body was slender in build, which Kearney notes, aided them in their ability to disappear behind tree trunks with relative ease. Details of the creature's face were, according to Kearney, obscured behind long, thick hair that completely covered its entire body. The forearms are described as short and muscular, with long, sharp claws that were said to slice through heavy garments with ease. [2]: 54–55
Bear-like description-find allusions tithe "Bear-Behind"
Alternate Descriptions
Behavior edit
Hunting method
Aversion to Alcohol
Tall tales edit
Paul Bunyan and the Hidebehind edit
Popular culture edit
- https://www.nightmarishconjurings.com/2019/01/30/panic-fest-short-film-review-the-hidebehind-2018/
- https://shingangu.com/2013/10/27/man-e-news-the-hidebehind-kaiju-figure-from-karz-works/
- https://www.ign.com/articles/2018/08/07/before-slenderman-urban-legends-that-inspired-the-tall-guy
- https://movieweb.com/smile-parker-finn-short-films-hidebehind-laura-doesnt-sleep-horror-movie/
See also edit
- Leshy (Slavic Mythology)
References edit
- ^ Dorson 1982, pp. 4–5.
- ^ a b c Kearney 1928, pp. 51–57.
- ^ Edmonds 2010, p. 233.
- ^ Tryon 1939, p. 21.
Bibliography edit
- Bane, Theresa (May 22, 2016). Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-1-4766-2268-2.
- Bialozynski, Lee (October 1, 1988). "Fiber & Folklore" (digital). The Wolf Area's Forest Heritage. Forest History Association of Wisconsin Inc. Wisconsin Historical Society. 34416. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
- Benson, Ivan (1955). Paul Bunyan and His Men: Being Exploits of the Men in the Logging Camps of Paul Bunyan, Lumberjack Hero of the North. C.E. Tuttle Company.
- Blassingame, Wyatt; Vestal, Herman (January 1, 1977). Pecos Bill Catches a Hidebehind. Garrard Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-8116-4045-9.
- Borges, Jorge (January 1, 1984). Manual de Zoología Fantástica [Book of Imaginary Beings] (in Spanish) (illustrated ed.). Argentina: Fondo de Cultura Económica. ISBN 978-9-6816-1710-3.
- Botkin, Benjamin (January 1, 1997). The American People: Stories, Legends, Tales, Traditions, and Songs. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-4128-3585-5.
- Brown, Charles (January 1, 1935). Paul Bunyan Natural History: Describing the Wild Animals, Birds, Reptiles and Fish of the Big Woods about Paul Bunyan's Old Time Logging Camps. C.E. Brown.
- Bruchac, Joseph (1991). Hoop Snakes, Hide Behinds, and Side-hill Winders: Tall Tales from the Adirondacks. Crossing Press. ISBN 978-0-8959-4504-4.
- Cohen, Daniel (January 1, 1975). Monsters, Giants, and Little Men from Mars: An Unnatural History of the Americas. Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-3850-3267-4. -20
- Derleth, August (1985). The Wisconsin River of a Thousand Isles (2nd ed.). University of Wisconsin Press. ISBN 978-0-2991-0374-3.
- Dorson, Richard (January 1, 1982). Man and Beast in American Comic Legend. Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-2533-3665-1.
- Edmonds, Michael (September 24, 2010). Out of the Northwoods: The Many Lives of Paul Bunyan, With More Than 100 Logging Camp Tales. Wisconsin Historical Society. ISBN 978-0-8702-0471-5.
- Glimm, James (1983). Flatlanders and Ridgerunners: Folktales from the Mountains of Northern Pennsylvania. University of Pittsburgh Press. ISBN 978-0-8229-3471-4.
- Kearney, Luke (January 1, 1928). The Hodag and Other Tales of the Logging Camps (1st ed.). Democrat Printing Company. 51-57
- Leach, Maria (September 26, 1984). Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-0625-0511-8.
- McDonald, James (March 20, 1931). "Paul Bunyan and the Blue Ox". State of Wisconsin Blue Book. Industrial Commission.
- Packard, Christopher (September 1, 2021). Mythical Creatures of Maine: Fantastic Beasts from Legend and Folklore. Down East Books. ISBN 978-1-6089-3727-1.
- Randolph, Vance (January 1, 1951). We Always Lie to Strangers: Tall Tales from the Ozarks (2nd ed.). Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-8371-7765-6.
- Rose, Carol (December 4, 2001). Giants Monsters and Dragons: An Encyclopedia Of Folklore Legend And Myth. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-3933-2211-8.
- Stott, Jon (June 15, 2015). Paul Bunyan in Michigan: Yooper Logging, Lore & Legends. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1-6258-5205-2.
- Seal, Graham; White, Kim (March 14, 2016). Folk Heroes and Heroines around the World (2nd ed.). Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4408-3861-3.
- South, Malcolm (March 12, 1987). Mythical and Fabulous Creatures: A Source Book and Research Guide. Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 978-0-3132-4338-7.
- Tryon, Henry (January 1, 1939). Fearsome Critters. Idlewild Press.
- Wyman, Walker (January 1, 1978). Mythical Creatures of the U.S.A. and Canada. University of Wisconsin-River Falls Press. ISBN 978-0-6862-7300-4.
Category:American folklore Category:American legendary creatures Category:Fearsome critters Category:Minnesota folklore Category:Monsters Category:New York (state) folklore Category:Paul Bunyan Category:Supernatural legends Category:Tall tales Category:Wisconsin folklore