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{{short description|Modern urban legend}}
{{distinguish|Owlman}}
{{other uses|Mothman (disambiguation)}}
{{other uses|Mothman (disambiguation)}}
{{Paranormal}}
{{Infobox mythical creature
'''Mothman''', in [[West Virginia]]n [[American folklore|folklore]], is a humanoid creature reportedly seen in the [[Point Pleasant, West Virginia|Point Pleasant]] area from November&nbsp;15<small>th</small>, 1966, to December&nbsp;15<small>th</small>, 1967. Despite its name, the original sightings of the creature described avian features. The first newspaper report was published in the ''[[Point Pleasant Register]]'', dated November&nbsp;16, 1966, titled "Couples See Man-Sized Bird ... Creature ... Something".<ref name=WestVa.net>{{cite web|title=Couples See Man-Sized Bird...Creature...Something|url=http://www.westva.net/mothman/1966-11-16.htm|work=[[Point Pleasant Register]] |location=Point Pleasant, WV |date=November 16, 1966 |publisher=WestVA.Net, Mark Turner|access-date=27 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011230219/http://www.westva.net/mothman/1966-11-16.htm|archive-date=11 October 2007}}</ref> The national press soon picked up the reports and helped spread the story across the United States. The source of the legend is believed to have originated from sightings of out-of-migration [[sandhill crane]]s or [[heron]]s.<ref name="Gettysburg Times" /><ref name="Snopes" />
| name = Mothman
| image =
| image_size = 300px
| caption = An artist's rendering of Mothman
| AKA = Winged Man
| Country = [[United States]]
| Region = [[Point Pleasant, West Virginia|Point Pleasant]], [[West Virginia]]
}}
{{pp-move-vandalism|small=yes}}
'''Mothman''' is the name of a [[cryptid]] speculated to exist after several reports of unidentified creatures seen in the [[Point Pleasant, West Virginia|Point Pleasant]] area of [[West Virginia]] from November 15, 1966, to December 15, 1967. The first newspaper report was published in the ''Point Pleasant Register'' dated November 16, 1966, titled "Couples See Man-Sized Bird ... Creature ... Something".<ref name=WestVa.net>{{cite web|title=Couples See Man-Sized Bird...Creature...Something|url=http://www.westva.net/mothman/1966-11-16.htm|work=Point Pleasant Register Point Pleasant, WV Wednesday, November 16, 1966|publisher=WestVA.Net, Mark Turner|accessdate=27 January 2012}}</ref> The being subsequently entered regional [[folklore]].


[[File:Mothman_Artist's_Impression.png|thumb|right|An artistic impression of Mothman.]]
Mothman was introduced to a wider audience by [[Gray Barker]] in 1970,<ref>''[[Skeptical Inquirer]]'', Volume 33 (Pennsylvania State University, Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal., 2009).</ref><ref>Gray Barker, ''The Silver Bridge'' (Saucerian Books, 1970). Reprinted in 2008 entitled ''The Silver Bridge: The Classic Mothman Tale'' (BookSurge Publishing). ISBN 1-4392-0427-6</ref> and later popularized by [[John Keel]] in his 1975 book ''[[The Mothman Prophecies]]'', claiming that there were [[supernatural]] events related to the sightings, and a connection to the collapse of the [[Silver Bridge]].


The creature was introduced to a wider audience by [[Gray Barker]] in 1970,<ref>''[[Skeptical Inquirer]]'', Volume 33 (Pennsylvania State University, Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal. 2009)</ref><ref>Gray Barker, ''The Silver Bridge'' (Saucerian Books, 1970). Reprinted in 2008 entitled ''The Silver Bridge: The Classic Mothman Tale'' (BookSurge Publishing). {{ISBN|1-4392-0427-6}}</ref> and was later popularized by [[John Keel]] in his 1975 book ''[[The Mothman Prophecies]]'',<ref>Keel, John A. ''The Mothman Prophecies'' (2002). {{ISBN|0-7653-4197-2}} (Originally published in 1975 by Saturday Review Press)</ref> claiming that there were paranormal events related to the sightings, and a connection to the collapse of the [[Silver Bridge]]. The book was later adapted into [[The Mothman Prophecies (film)|a 2002 film]] starring [[Richard Gere]].<ref>Meehan, Paul (2009). ''Cinema of the Psychic Realm: A Critical Survey'', p. 130. McFarland & Company, Inc. {{ISBN|978-0-7864-3966-9}}</ref>
Mothman is the subject of regional [[folklore]] and popular culture. The 2002 film ''[[The Mothman Prophecies (film)|The Mothman Prophecies]]'', starring [[Richard Gere]], was based on Keel's book.<ref>Paul Meehan, ''Cinema of the Psychic Realm: A Critical Survey'', page 130 (McFarland & Company, Inc., 2009). ISBN 978-0-7864-3966-9</ref> An annual festival in Point Pleasant is devoted to the Mothman legend.

An annual festival in Point Pleasant is devoted to the Mothman legend.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mothmanfestival.com|title=Mothman Festival|website=mothmanfestival.com|access-date=2024-05-30}}</ref>


==History==
==History==
On November 15, 1966, two young couples from Point Pleasant—Roger and Linda Scarberry, and Steve and Mary Mallette—told police they had seen a large black creature whose eyes "glowed red", standing at the side of the road near "the [[McClintic Wildlife Management Area|TNT area]]", the site of a former [[World War&nbsp;II]] munitions plant.<ref name="coleman">{{cite book |last1=Coleman |first1=Loren |title=Mothman and Other Curious Encounters |date=1 December 2001 |publisher=Cosimo, Inc. |isbn=978-1-931044-34-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pTfBBAAAQBAJ |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Nickell2004" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/93914124.html|title=Munitions Risk Closes Part of Wildlife Area Again|access-date=2012-02-08|archive-date=2014-08-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826115943/http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/93914124.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Linda Scarberry described it as a 'slender, muscular man' about seven feet tall with white wings. However, she was unable to discern its face due to the hypnotic effect of its eyes.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sergent |first1=Donnie |last2=Wamsley |first2=Jeff |title=Mothman: The Facts Behind the Legend |date=2002 |publisher=Mothman Lives Pub. |isbn=978-0-9667246-7-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VVdFkp1geIoC |language=en}}</ref> Distressed, the witnesses sped away, reporting that the creature flew after their car, making a screeching sound. It pursued them as far as Point Pleasant city limits.<ref name="coleman"/>
On November 12, 1966, five men who were digging a grave at a cemetery near [[Clendenin, West Virginia]], claimed to see a man-like figure fly low from the trees over their heads.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wvcommerce.org/news/story/First-sighting-of-the-Mothman/1215/default.aspx |title=First sighting of the Mothman |publisher=Wvcommerce.org |date=1966-11-12 |accessdate=2016-09-19}}</ref> This is often identified as the first known sighting of what became known as the Mothman.
[[File:Mothman Statue (cropped).jpg|thumb|Mothman statue located in [[Point Pleasant, West Virginia|Point Pleasant]], [[West Virginia]] ]]


Over the next few days, more people reported similar sightings after local newspapers covered it. Two volunteer firemen who saw it said it was a "large bird with red eyes". Mason County Sheriff George Johnson believed the sightings were due to an unusually large [[heron]] he termed a "shitepoke". Contractor Newell Partridge told Johnson that when he aimed a flashlight at a creature in a nearby field, its eyes glowed "like bicycle reflectors". Additionally, he blamed buzzing noises from his television set and the disappearance of his [[German Shepherd]] dog on the creature.<ref name="Gettysburg Times" /> Wildlife biologist Robert L. Smith at [[West Virginia University]] told reporters that descriptions and sightings fit the [[sandhill crane]], a large American crane almost as tall as a man with a seven-foot wingspan and reddish coloring around its eyes. The bird may have wandered out of its migration route, and therefore was unrecognized at first because it was not native to this region.<ref name="Gettysburg Times" /><ref name="Snopes" />
Shortly there after, on November 15, 1966, two young couples from Point Pleasant, Roger and Linda Scarberry and Steve and Mary Mallette, told police they saw a large white creature whose eyes "glowed red" when the car headlights picked it up. They described it as a "large flying man with ten-foot wings", following their car while they were driving in an area outside of town known as 'the [[McClintic Wildlife Management Area|TNT area]]', the site of a former [[World War II]] munitions plant.<ref name="Nickell2004" /><ref>[http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/93914124.html UPDATE: Munitions Risk Closes Part of Wildlife Area Again] (retrieved 8 February 2012)]</ref>


[[File:Batman063.jpg|thumb|[[Batman]] and his antagonist [[Killer Moth]] are varyingly cited as influences for the term "Mothman"]]
During the next few days, other people reported similar sightings. Two volunteer firemen who sighted it said it was a "large bird with red eyes". Mason County Sheriff George Johnson commented that he believed the sightings were due to an unusually large [[heron]] he termed a "shitepoke". Contractor Newell Partridge told Johnson that when he aimed a flashlight at a creature in a nearby field its eyes glowed "like bicycle reflectors", and blamed buzzing noises from his television set and the disappearance of his German Shepherd dog on the creature.<ref name="Gettysburg Times" /> Wildlife biologist Dr. Robert L. Smith at [[West Virginia University]] told reporters that descriptions and sightings all fit the [[sandhill crane]], a large American crane almost as high as a man with a seven-foot wingspan featuring circles of reddish coloring around the eyes, and that the bird may have wandered out of its migration route. This particular crane was unrecognized at first because it was not native to this region.
Due to the popularity of the [[Batman (TV series)|''Batman'' TV series]] at the time, the fictional [[superhero]] [[Batman]] and his [[List of Batman family enemies|rogues gallery]] were prominently featured in the public eye. While the villain [[Killer Moth]] did not appear in the show, the [[comic book]] influence of both him and Batman is believed by some to have influenced the coinage of the name "Mothman" in the local newspapers.<ref name="Eason2008">{{cite book|author=Cassandra Eason|title=Fabulous Creatures, Mythical Monsters, and Animal Power Symbols: A Handbook|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s4AP30k4IFwC&pg=PR15|year=2008|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-275-99425-9|pages=15–}}</ref><ref name="Moreno2013">{{cite book|author=Richard Moreno|title=Myths and Mysteries of Illinois: True Stories of the Unsolved and Unexplained|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hfhKAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA142|date=6 August 2013|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=978-1-4930-0231-3|pages=142–}}</ref>


After the December 15, 1967, collapse of the [[Silver Bridge]] and the death of 46 people,<ref name=WVHS>{{cite web|last1=LeRose|first1=Chris|title=The Collapse of the Silver Bridge|url=http://www.wvculture.org/history/wvhs/wvhs1504.html|website=West Virginia Historical Society Quarterly|publisher=West Virginia Division of Culture and History|accessdate=24 September 2014}}</ref> the incident gave rise to the legend and connectedthe Mothman sightings to the bridge collapse.<ref name="Gettysburg Times">{{cite news|last=Associated Press|title=Monster Bird With Red Eyes May Be Crane|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LG0mAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Rf8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=620,2790721&dq=point+pleasant+roger+scarberry&hl=en|accessdate=21 August 2011|newspaper=Gettysburg Times|date=Dec 1, 1966}}</ref><ref name=AP>{{cite news|last=Associated Press|title=Mothman' still a frighteningly big draw for tourists|url=http://www.thestar.com/Travel/article/294673|accessdate=21 August 2011|newspaper=Toronto Star|date=Jan 19, 2008}}</ref><ref name=UPI>{{cite news|last=UPI|title=Eight People Say They Saw 'Creature'|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XyNEAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_7AMAAAAIBAJ&pg=959,3488207&dq=newell-partridge&hl=en|accessdate=22 August 2011|newspaper=Williamson (WV) Daily News|date=Nov 18, 1966}}</ref>
Following the December 15, 1967 collapse of the [[Silver Bridge]] and the death of 46 people,<ref name="WVHS">{{cite web |last1=LeRose |first1=Chris |title=The Collapse of the Silver Bridge |url=https://archive.wvculture.org/history/wvhs/wvhs1504.html |access-date=9 May 2023 |website=West Virginia Historical Society Quarterly |publisher=West Virginia Division of Culture and History}}</ref> the incident gave rise to the legend and connected the Mothman sightings to the bridge collapse.<ref name="Gettysburg Times">{{cite news|last=Associated Press|title=Monster Bird With Red Eyes May Be Crane|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LG0mAAAAIBAJ&pg=620,2790721&dq=point+pleasant+roger+scarberry&hl=en|access-date=21 August 2011|newspaper=Gettysburg Times|date=Dec 1, 1966}}</ref><ref name=AP>{{cite news|last=Associated Press|title=Mothman' still a frighteningly big draw for tourists|url=https://www.thestar.com/Travel/article/294673|access-date=21 August 2011|newspaper=Toronto Star|date=Jan 19, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091120110655/https://www.thestar.com/Travel/article/294673 |archive-date=2009-11-20}}</ref><ref name=UPI>{{cite news |agency=[[United Press International]]|title=Eight People Say They Saw 'Creature'|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XyNEAAAAIBAJ&pg=959,3488207 |access-date=22 August 2011|newspaper=[[Williamson Daily News]] |location=Williamson, WV |date=Nov 18, 1966}}</ref>

According to [[Georgia (country)|Georgian]] newspaper ''Svobodnaya Gruziya'', Russian [[ufology|UFOlogists]] claim that Mothman sightings in [[Moscow]] foreshadowed the 1999 [[Russian apartment bombings]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lobkov |first1=Denis |script-title=ru:Призраки катастроф |url=https://dlib.eastview.com/browse/doc/4104201 |website=Zheltaya Gazeta via Svobodnaya Gruziya |date=23 May 2002|language=ru |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181209124559/https://dlib.eastview.com/browse/doc/4104201 |archive-date=2018-12-09}} ([https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.x-libri.ru%2Felib%2Fsmi__653%2F00000001.htm English translation] of the article.)</ref>

''[[The Mothman Prophecies (film)|''The Mothman Prophecies'']]'' (2002) is a major motion picture, loosely based on the 1975 [[The Mothman Prophecies|book of the same name]] by John Keel.

In 2016, [[WCHS-TV]] published a photo purported to be of Mothman taken by an anonymous man while driving on [[West Virginia Route 2|Route&nbsp;2]] in [[Mason County, West Virginia|Mason County]].<ref name="WCHS">{{cite web|last1=Pierson|first1=Fallon|title=Man photographs creature that resembles legendary ''Mothman" of Point Pleasant|url=http://wchstv.com/news/local/man-photographs-creature-that-resembles-legendary-mothman-of-point-pleasant|website=[[WCHS-TV]] news|date=November 21, 2016|publisher=WCHS|access-date=18 January 2017}}</ref> Science writer [[Sharon A. Hill]] proposed that the photo showed "a bird, perhaps an owl, carrying a frog or snake away" and wrote that "there is zero reason to suspect it is the Mothman as described in legend. There are too many far more reasonable explanations."<ref name="Snopes">{{cite web|last1=Palma|first1=Bethania|title=Mothman About Town|url=http://www.snopes.com/mothman-returns-to-point-pleasant-west-virginia/|website=Snopes.com|date=25 November 2016 |publisher=Snopes|access-date=18 January 2017}}</ref><ref name="AudubonOwlNickell" />


==Analysis==
==Analysis==
[[Folklore|Folklorist]] [[Jan Harold Brunvand]] notes that Mothman has been widely covered in the popular press, some claiming sightings connected with UFOs, and others claiming that a military storage site was Mothman's "home". Brunvand notes that recountings of the 1966-67 Mothman reports usually state that at least 100 people saw Mothman with many more "afraid to report their sightings" but observed that written sources for such stories consisted of children's books or sensationalized or undocumented accounts that fail to quote identifiable persons. Brunvand found elements in common among many Mothman reports and much older folk tales, suggesting that something real may have triggered the scares and became woven with existing folklore. He also records anecdotal tales of Mothman supposedly attacking the roofs of parked cars inhabited by teenagers.<ref name="Brunvand1994">{{cite book|author=Jan Harold Brunvand|title=The baby train and other lusty urban legends|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mrdbY3zXLCAC&pg=PA98|accessdate=21 August 2011|date=1 October 1994|publisher=W. W. Norton & Company|isbn=978-0-393-31208-9|pages=98–}}</ref>
[[Folklorist]] [[Jan Harold Brunvand]] notes that Mothman has been widely covered in popular press, with some claiming sightings connected with UFOs, and others suggesting that a military storage site was Mothman's "home". Brunvand notes that the recountings of the 1966–67 Mothman reports usually state that at least 100 people saw Mothman with many more "afraid to report their sightings." However, he points out that these written sources for such stories consisted of children's books or sensationalized or undocumented accounts that fail to quote identifiable persons. Brunvand found elements in common among many Mothman reports and much older folk tales, suggesting that something real may have triggered the scares and became woven with existing folklore. He also records anecdotal tales of Mothman supposedly attacking the roofs of parked cars occupied by teenagers.<ref name="Brunvand1994">{{cite book|author-first=Jan Harold|author-last=Brunvand|author-link=Jan Harold Brunvand|title=The Baby Train and Other Lusty Urban Legends|year=1994|publisher=W. W. Norton & Company|isbn=978-0-393-31208-9|pages=98–}}</ref>

Conversely, [[Joe Nickell]] says that a number of hoaxes followed the publicity generated by the original reports, such as a group of construction workers who tied flashlights to helium balloons. Nickell attributes the Mothman stories to sightings of [[barred owl]]s, suggesting that the Mothman's "glowing eyes" were actually [[red-eye effect]] caused from the reflection of light from flashlights or other bright light sources.<ref name="AudubonOwlNickell">{{cite web |last1=Elbein |first1=Asher |title=Is the Mothman of West Virginia an Owl? |url=https://www.audubon.org/news/is-mothman-west-virginia-owl |website=Audubon.org |access-date=30 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181027003431/https://www.audubon.org/news/is-mothman-west-virginia-owl |archive-date=27 October 2018 |date=26 October 2018}}</ref><ref name="Nickell2004">{{cite book|author=Nickell, Joe|title=The Mystery Chronicles: More Real-Life X-Files|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sComGoDFJZ4C&pg=PA93|access-date=21 August 2011|date= 2004|publisher=University Press of Kentucky|isbn=978-0-8131-2318-9|pages=93–}}</ref> [[Benjamin Radford]] points out that the only report of glowing "red eyes," was secondhand, that of Shirley Hensley quoting her father.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Radford|first=Benjamin|date=May–June 2020|title=Investigating Mothman's Red Eyeshine|url=https://skepticalinquirer.org/2020/05/investigating-mothmans-red-eyeshine/|journal=Skeptical Inquirer|volume=44|pages=29–31}}</ref> One of the prevailing hypotheses associated with the Mothman at the time of the original sightings was that it was a misidentified sandhill crane, due primarily to the size of the bird as well as the "reddish flesh" around the crane's eyes.<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 1, 1966 |title=Monster Bird with Red Eyes may Be Crane |work=The Gettysburg Times |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=7_FrD3gH8REC&dat=19661201&printsec=frontpage&hl=en}}</ref> Daniel A. Reed examined the migration patterns and historically reported sightings of Sand Hill Cranes in the area of Point Pleasant, West Virginia and proposed that, in cases where eyeshine was not noted, it was statistically more likely that witnesses were seeing and misidentifying a Great Blue Heron instead.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Reed |first=Daniel |date=July–August 2022 |title=The Mothman and the Crane: A Contemporary Perspective |url=https://skepticalinquirer.org/2022/06/the-mothman-and-the-crane-a-contemporary-perspective/ |journal=Skeptical Inquirer |volume=46 |issue=4 |pages=52–56}}</ref>

According to [[University of Chicago]] psychologist David A. Gallo, "55 sightings of Mothman in Chicago during 2017" published on the website of self-described [[Charles Fort|Fortean]] researcher Lon Strickler are "a selective sample". Gallo explains that "he's not sampling random people and asking if they saw the Mothman{{snd}}he's just counting the number of people that voluntarily came forward to report a sighting." According to Gallo, "people more likely to visit a paranormal-centric website like Strickler's might also be more inclined to believe in, and therefore witness the existence of, a 'Mothman'."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/paqv9z/mothman-sightings-in-chicago|title=People Keep Seeing the Mothman in Chicago|website=Vice|date=2018-01-17|first=Josh|last=Terry}}</ref>


Some [[UFOlogy|ufologists]], [[paranormal]] authors, and [[cryptozoology|cryptozoologists]] claim that Mothman was an [[alien (extraterrestrial)|alien]], a supernatural manifestation, or an unknown [[cryptid]]. In his 1975 book ''The Mothman Prophecies'', author John Keel claimed that the Point Pleasant residents experienced [[precognition]]s including premonitions of the collapse of the Silver Bridge, [[unidentified flying object]] sightings, visits from inhuman or threatening [[men in black]], and other phenomena. <ref name="Clark2000">[[Jerome Clark|Clark, Jerome]] (2000). Extraordinary Encounters: An Encyclopedia of Extraterrestrials and Otherworldly Beings Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio, ISBN 1-57607-249-5, pp. 178-179.</ref>
Some [[pseudoscience]] adherents (such as [[ufologist]]s, [[paranormal]] authors, and [[cryptozoologist]]s) suggest the Mothman could be an [[alien (extraterrestrial)|alien]], a supernatural manifestation, or a previously unknown species of animal. In his 1975 book, Keel claimed that Point Pleasant residents experienced [[precognition]]s including premonitions of the collapse of the Silver Bridge, [[UFO]] sightings, visits from inhuman or threatening [[men in black]], and other phenomena.<ref name="Clark2000">[[Jerome Clark|Clark, Jerome]] (2000). ''Extraordinary Encounters: An Encyclopedia of Extraterrestrials and Otherworldly Beings''. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio, {{ISBN|1-57607-249-5}}, pp. 178–179.</ref>


==Festival and statues==
[[Skepticism|Skeptic]] [[Joe Nickell]] says that a number of hoaxes followed the publicity generated by the original reports, such as a group of construction workers who tied flashlights to helium balloons. Nickell attributes the Mothman reports to pranks, misidentified planes, and sightings of a [[barred owl]], an [[Plumage#Albinism|albino owl]], suggesting that the Mothman's "glowing eyes" were actually [[red-eye effect]] caused from the reflection of light from flashlights or other bright light sources. The area lies outside the snowy owl's usual range.<ref name="Nickell2004">{{cite book|author=Joe Nickell|title=The Mystery Chronicles: More Real-Life X-Files|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sComGoDFJZ4C&pg=PA93|accessdate=21 August 2011|date=April 2004|publisher=University Press of Kentucky|isbn=978-0-8131-2318-9|pages=93–}}</ref>
Point Pleasant held its first Annual Mothman Festival in 2002. The Mothman Festival began after brainstorming creative ways to attract visitors to Point Pleasant. The group organizing the event chose the Mothman to be the center of the festival due to its uniqueness, and as a way to celebrate its local legacy in the town.<ref name="festival">{{Cite web |date=2019-09-06 |title=Mothman Festival returns Sept. 21–22 |url=https://www.mydailyregister.com/news/44780/mothman-festival-returns-sept-21-22 |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205142653/https://www.mydailyregister.com/news/44780/mothman-festival-returns-sept-21-22 |archive-date=2021-12-05 |access-date=2020-10-07 |website=www.mydailyregister.com – The Point Pleasant Register |language=en-US}}</ref>


According to the event organizer Jeff Wamsley, the average attendance for the Mothman Festival is an estimated 10–12&nbsp;thousand people per year.<ref name="festival" />
==Festivals and statue==
Point Pleasant held its first Annual Mothman Festival in 2002 and a 12-foot-tall metallic statue of the creature, created by artist and sculptor Bob Roach, was unveiled in 2003. The Mothman Museum and Research Center opened in 2005 and is run by Jeff Wamsley.<ref>[http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/12036 Mothman Statue]</ref><ref>Mark Moran, Mark Sceurman, Matt Lake, ''Weird U. S. The ODDyssey Continues - Your Travel Guide to America's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets'', page 260 (New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 2008). ISBN 978-1-4027-4544-7</ref><ref>[http://cpsi-paranormal.org/files/Plaque2.jpg "Legend of the Mothman" plaque on base of statue]</ref> The Festival is a weekend-long event held on the 3rd weekend of every September. There are a variety of events that go on during the festival such as guest speakers, vendor exhibits, a mothman pancake eating contest, and hayride tours focusing on the notable areas of Point Pleasant.<ref name=AP />
A 12-foot-tall metallic statue of the creature, created by artist and sculptor Bob Roach, was unveiled in 2003. The Mothman Museum and Research Center opened in 2005.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mothman Statue, Point Pleasant, West Virginia |url=https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/12036 |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=RoadsideAmerica.com |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208193246/https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/12036 |archive-date=2023-02-08}}</ref><ref>Moran, Mark; Sceurman, Mark; Lake, Matt (2008). ''Weird U.S. The ODDyssey Continues – Your Travel Guide to America's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets'', p. 260. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. {{ISBN|978-1-4027-4544-7}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://cpsi-paranormal.org/files/Plaque2.jpg |title="Legend of the Mothman" plaque on the base of the statue |access-date=2012-02-14 |archive-date=2012-04-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425161522/http://cpsi-paranormal.org/files/Plaque2.jpg |url-status=dead }}</ref> The festival is held on the third weekend of every September, hosting guest speakers, vendor exhibits, pancake-eating contests, and hayride tours of locally notable areas.<ref name=AP />


==Popular culture==
==In popular culture==
===Derived from Keel's story===
{{Refimprove section|date=June 2015}}
* ''[[The Mothman Prophecies (film)|''The Mothman Prophecies]]'' (2002), loosely based on the 1975 [[The Mothman Prophecies|novel of the same name]] by [[John Keel]].
*''[[The Mothman Prophecies]]'' (1975) – [[John Keel]]'s 1975 book is largely responsible for popularizing the legend.
* ''[[Mothman (2010 film)|Mothman]]'' (2010), a [[Syfy]] original movie
*''[[The Mothman Prophecies (film)|The Mothman Prophecies]]'' (2002) – A film inspired by Keel's book.
*''[[Mothman (film)|Mothman]]'' (2010) – A [[Syfy]] TV movie.
* Mothman was the focus of a segment on ''[[Unsolved Mysteries]]'', originally aired July 29, 2002.
*Mothman (2010) - Season 4, Episode 5 of [[MonsterQuest]]
* The Mothman is the subject of the [[Blitzkid]] song "Genus Unknown"<ref>{{cite web|last1=Wamsley|first1=Jeff|title=Mothman Museum|url=https://www.facebook.com/mothmanmuseum/posts/213664998747299?stream_ref=5|website=Facebook|accessdate=14 June 2015}}</ref>
* ''[[The Mothman of Point Pleasant]]'' (2017) – A documentary.
* In episode two of the short-lived TV series ''X-Testers'', the researchers attempted to duplicate alleged photographs of Mothman.<ref name=X-Testers>{{cite web|title=Episode List|url=http://www.xtesters.com/html/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=18&Itemid=37|publisher=X-Testers|accessdate=21 August 2011}}</ref>
*''[[Craig McDonald|The Mothman Menace]]'' (2023) – A fictionalized account of the Silver Bridge collapse and other historical events from 1960s' Point Pleasant, WV. [[Craig McDonald|Craig McDonald, author]].
* In the video game ''[[Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow]]'', Mothman is one of three cryptozoology-based monsters along with the [[Yeti]] and the "Flying Humanoid". It appears again as an enemy in ''[[Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin]]''.
*''The Mothman Revisited'' (2024) - Volume 4, Episode 5 of ''Unsolved Mysteries'' on ''Netflix''
* Mothman is a recurring demon in the ''[[Shin Megami Tensei]]'' franchise.
* The Italian independent [[hardcore punk]] [[Musical ensemble|band]] ''Ekidna Orgy'' dedicated to Mothman a song of the same name.
* In the French novel "Les yeux de l'épouvante" ("The eyes of the terror") written by [[Jimmy Guieu]] in 1977 (and published at "editions Fleuve Noir"), the Mothman appears as character, clearly named like this (especially into chapter 7). But in this book, he appears in France, in Var, near the Malmont. The title of the novel "The eyes of the terror" is directly about the dreadful red eyes of the Mothman.
* In season one, episode five of ''Mountain Monsters'', the crew of expert hunters and trappers attempt to capture the Mothman of Mason County, WV.<ref>{{cite web|author=TV.com |url=http://www.tv.com/shows/mountain-monsters/episodes/ |title=Mountain Monsters - Episode Guide |publisher=TV.com |date=2013-06-22 |accessdate=2016-09-19}}</ref>


===Books===
===Other appearances===
*''[[Watchmen]]'' (1986) – Features a minor superhero known as Mothman.
* Barker, Gray ''The Silver Bridge'' (Saucerian Books, 1970). Reprinted in 2008 entitled ''The Silver Bridge: The Classic Mothman Tale'' (BookSurge Publishing). ISBN 1-4392-0427-6
*''[[Megami Tensei]]'' (1995) – Mothman regularly appears as a recruit-able demon in the Megami Tensei series of games, first appearing in [[Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner]].
* Coleman, L. ''Mothman and Other Curious Encounters''. (2002). ISBN 978-1-931044-34-9 (or ISBN 1-931044-34-1)
*''[[Detour (The X-Files)|Detour]]'' (1997) – An episode of ''[[The X-Files]]'' in which [[Fox Mulder|Agent Mulder]] hypothesises that the monster could be related to the Mothman of Point Pleasant.
* Colvin, Andrew ''The Mothman's Photographer: The Work of an Artist Touched by the Prophecies of the Infamous Mothman'' (2007). ISBN 978-1-4196-5265-3
*''[[The Perhapanauts]]'' (2005) – A Mothman named Karl appears as a supporting protagonist.
* Colvin, Andrew ''The Mothman's Photographer II: Meetings With Remarkable Witnesses Touched by Paranormal Phenomena, UFOs, and the Prophecies of West Virginia's Infamous Mothman'' (2007). ISBN 978-1-4196-5266-0
*[[The Adventure Zone|''The Adventure Zone: Amnesty'']] (2018) – The Mothman Indrid Cold is revealed to be one of several alien beings crossing into the West Virginia portion of the [[United States National Radio Quiet Zone|National Radio Quiet Zone]] from another world.
* Myres, Rau & Macklin ''The Little Giant Book of True Ghost Stories'' (2001) ISBN 0-439-33995-2
*''[[Fallout 76]]'' (2018) – Multiple Mothmen appear as some of the many cryptids inhabiting a post-apocalyptic West Virginia.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-27 |title=How Fallout 76 became a haven for Mothman, Jersey Devil, and other creepy cryptids |url=https://www.gameshub.com/news/features/fallout-76-cryptids-mothman-jersey-devil-cryptids-2637819/ |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=www.gameshub.com |language=en-AU}}</ref>
* Sergent, Jr., Donnie ''Mothman: The Facts Behind the Legend'' (2001) ISBN 978-0-9667246-7-7
*''[[Inside Job (2021 TV series)|Inside Job]]'' (2021) – A humorous version of the creature known as "Elliot Mothman", appears. He works for a shadowy organisation known as Cognito, Inc., specifically as the head of HR.
* Fear, Brad ''A Macabre Myth of a Moth-Man'' (2008) ISBN 978-1-4389-0263-0
*An illustrated oracle deck called the ''Southern Gothic Oracle'' has an expansion pack called ''[[The Haunts]]'', which features a Mothman card (2021).<ref>{{cite web|access-date=September 27, 2024|date=August 2021|title=The Haunts|url=https://lapantherestudio.com/collections/southern-gothic/products/the-haunts-expansion-pack|website=lapantherestudio.com}}</ref>
* Keel, John A. ''The Mothman Prophecies'' (2007). ISBN 0-7653-4197-2 (Originally published in 1975 by Saturday Review Press)
*[[The Adventure Zone|''The Adventure Zone: Dust'']] season two (2022) – Indrid Cold returns as a player character, portrayed by [[Griffin McElroy]].
* Keel, John A. ''The Eighth Tower'' (1977). ISBN 978-0-451-07460-7
* Myers, Bill. ''Angel of Wrath: A Novel'' (2009). ISBN 978-0-446-69800-9
* Ressel, Steve. ''Perverted Communion'' (2010). ISBN 978-0-9787483-5-7
* Bullard, Stephan, et al. ''The Silver Bridge Disaster of 1967'' (2012). ISBN 978-07385-9278-7
* Wood, Jen A. ''Point Pleasant'' (2013) ISBN 978-1492121602
* Schmidt, W.L. ''Threads of Faithfulness'' (2013) ISBN 978-1-62510-894-4


==See also==
==See also==
*[[List of West Virginia Cryptids]]
* [[Apparitional experience]]
* [[Apparitional experience]]
* [[Belled buzzard]]
* [[Bogeyman]]
* [[Cryptid town]]
* [[Flatwoods monster]]
* [[Flatwoods monster]]
* [[Goatman (urban legend)]]
* [[Owlman]]
* [[Owlman]]
* [[Spring-Heeled Jack]]
* [[Popobawa]]
* [[Snallygaster]]
* [[Spring-heeled Jack]]


==References==
==References==
Line 74: Line 81:


==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category|Mothman}}
* {{Commons category-inline|Mothman}}
* {{Skeptoid | id=4159 | number= 159| title= The Mothman Cometh| date= June 23, 2009| quote= | access-date=}}
* [http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4159 Skeptoid Podcast]


{{American folklore}}
{{Cryptozoology}}


[[Category:Alleged UFO-related entities]]
[[Category:American folklore legendary creatures]]
[[Category:Anthropomorphic animals]]
[[Category:Flying cryptids]]
[[Category:Humanoid cryptids]]
[[Category:Mason County, West Virginia]]
[[Category:Mothman| ]]
[[Category:Mothman| ]]
[[Category:American folklore]]
[[Category:Cryptozoology]]
[[Category:1966 in West Virginia]]
[[Category:1966 in West Virginia]]
[[Category:1967 in West Virginia]]
[[Category:1967 in West Virginia]]
[[Category:Alleged extraterrestrial beings]]
[[Category:American legendary creatures]]
[[Category:American urban legends]]
[[Category:Cryptids]]
[[Category:Point Pleasant, West Virginia]]
[[Category:Supernatural urban legends]]
[[Category:West Virginia folklore]]

Latest revision as of 05:46, 28 November 2024

Not to be confused with Owlman.
For other uses, see Mothman (disambiguation).
Part of a series on the
Paranormal
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Mothman, in West Virginian folklore, is a humanoid creature reportedly seen in the Point Pleasant area from November 15th, 1966, to December 15th, 1967. Despite its name, the original sightings of the creature described avian features. The first newspaper report was published in the Point Pleasant Register, dated November 16, 1966, titled "Couples See Man-Sized Bird ... Creature ... Something".[1] The national press soon picked up the reports and helped spread the story across the United States. The source of the legend is believed to have originated from sightings of out-of-migration sandhill cranes or herons.[2][3]

An artistic impression of Mothman.

The creature was introduced to a wider audience by Gray Barker in 1970,[4][5] and was later popularized by John Keel in his 1975 book The Mothman Prophecies,[6] claiming that there were paranormal events related to the sightings, and a connection to the collapse of the Silver Bridge. The book was later adapted into a 2002 film starring Richard Gere.[7]

An annual festival in Point Pleasant is devoted to the Mothman legend.[8]

History

[edit]

On November 15, 1966, two young couples from Point Pleasant—Roger and Linda Scarberry, and Steve and Mary Mallette—told police they had seen a large black creature whose eyes "glowed red", standing at the side of the road near "the TNT area", the site of a former World War II munitions plant.[9][10][11] Linda Scarberry described it as a 'slender, muscular man' about seven feet tall with white wings. However, she was unable to discern its face due to the hypnotic effect of its eyes.[12] Distressed, the witnesses sped away, reporting that the creature flew after their car, making a screeching sound. It pursued them as far as Point Pleasant city limits.[9]

Mothman statue located in Point Pleasant, West Virginia

Over the next few days, more people reported similar sightings after local newspapers covered it. Two volunteer firemen who saw it said it was a "large bird with red eyes". Mason County Sheriff George Johnson believed the sightings were due to an unusually large heron he termed a "shitepoke". Contractor Newell Partridge told Johnson that when he aimed a flashlight at a creature in a nearby field, its eyes glowed "like bicycle reflectors". Additionally, he blamed buzzing noises from his television set and the disappearance of his German Shepherd dog on the creature.[2] Wildlife biologist Robert L. Smith at West Virginia University told reporters that descriptions and sightings fit the sandhill crane, a large American crane almost as tall as a man with a seven-foot wingspan and reddish coloring around its eyes. The bird may have wandered out of its migration route, and therefore was unrecognized at first because it was not native to this region.[2][3]

Batman and his antagonist Killer Moth are varyingly cited as influences for the term "Mothman"

Due to the popularity of the Batman TV series at the time, the fictional superhero Batman and his rogues gallery were prominently featured in the public eye. While the villain Killer Moth did not appear in the show, the comic book influence of both him and Batman is believed by some to have influenced the coinage of the name "Mothman" in the local newspapers.[13][14]

Following the December 15, 1967 collapse of the Silver Bridge and the death of 46 people,[15] the incident gave rise to the legend and connected the Mothman sightings to the bridge collapse.[2][16][17]

According to Georgian newspaper Svobodnaya Gruziya, Russian UFOlogists claim that Mothman sightings in Moscow foreshadowed the 1999 Russian apartment bombings.[18]

The Mothman Prophecies (2002) is a major motion picture, loosely based on the 1975 book of the same name by John Keel.

In 2016, WCHS-TV published a photo purported to be of Mothman taken by an anonymous man while driving on Route 2 in Mason County.[19] Science writer Sharon A. Hill proposed that the photo showed "a bird, perhaps an owl, carrying a frog or snake away" and wrote that "there is zero reason to suspect it is the Mothman as described in legend. There are too many far more reasonable explanations."[3][20]

Analysis

[edit]

Folklorist Jan Harold Brunvand notes that Mothman has been widely covered in popular press, with some claiming sightings connected with UFOs, and others suggesting that a military storage site was Mothman's "home". Brunvand notes that the recountings of the 1966–67 Mothman reports usually state that at least 100 people saw Mothman with many more "afraid to report their sightings." However, he points out that these written sources for such stories consisted of children's books or sensationalized or undocumented accounts that fail to quote identifiable persons. Brunvand found elements in common among many Mothman reports and much older folk tales, suggesting that something real may have triggered the scares and became woven with existing folklore. He also records anecdotal tales of Mothman supposedly attacking the roofs of parked cars occupied by teenagers.[21]

Conversely, Joe Nickell says that a number of hoaxes followed the publicity generated by the original reports, such as a group of construction workers who tied flashlights to helium balloons. Nickell attributes the Mothman stories to sightings of barred owls, suggesting that the Mothman's "glowing eyes" were actually red-eye effect caused from the reflection of light from flashlights or other bright light sources.[20][10] Benjamin Radford points out that the only report of glowing "red eyes," was secondhand, that of Shirley Hensley quoting her father.[22] One of the prevailing hypotheses associated with the Mothman at the time of the original sightings was that it was a misidentified sandhill crane, due primarily to the size of the bird as well as the "reddish flesh" around the crane's eyes.[23] Daniel A. Reed examined the migration patterns and historically reported sightings of Sand Hill Cranes in the area of Point Pleasant, West Virginia and proposed that, in cases where eyeshine was not noted, it was statistically more likely that witnesses were seeing and misidentifying a Great Blue Heron instead.[24]

According to University of Chicago psychologist David A. Gallo, "55 sightings of Mothman in Chicago during 2017" published on the website of self-described Fortean researcher Lon Strickler are "a selective sample". Gallo explains that "he's not sampling random people and asking if they saw the Mothman – he's just counting the number of people that voluntarily came forward to report a sighting." According to Gallo, "people more likely to visit a paranormal-centric website like Strickler's might also be more inclined to believe in, and therefore witness the existence of, a 'Mothman'."[25]

Some pseudoscience adherents (such as ufologists, paranormal authors, and cryptozoologists) suggest the Mothman could be an alien, a supernatural manifestation, or a previously unknown species of animal. In his 1975 book, Keel claimed that Point Pleasant residents experienced precognitions including premonitions of the collapse of the Silver Bridge, UFO sightings, visits from inhuman or threatening men in black, and other phenomena.[26]

Festival and statues

[edit]

Point Pleasant held its first Annual Mothman Festival in 2002. The Mothman Festival began after brainstorming creative ways to attract visitors to Point Pleasant. The group organizing the event chose the Mothman to be the center of the festival due to its uniqueness, and as a way to celebrate its local legacy in the town.[27]

According to the event organizer Jeff Wamsley, the average attendance for the Mothman Festival is an estimated 10–12 thousand people per year.[27] A 12-foot-tall metallic statue of the creature, created by artist and sculptor Bob Roach, was unveiled in 2003. The Mothman Museum and Research Center opened in 2005.[28][29][30] The festival is held on the third weekend of every September, hosting guest speakers, vendor exhibits, pancake-eating contests, and hayride tours of locally notable areas.[16]

[edit]

Derived from Keel's story

[edit]

Other appearances

[edit]
  • Watchmen (1986) – Features a minor superhero known as Mothman.
  • Megami Tensei (1995) – Mothman regularly appears as a recruit-able demon in the Megami Tensei series of games, first appearing in Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner.
  • Detour (1997) – An episode of The X-Files in which Agent Mulder hypothesises that the monster could be related to the Mothman of Point Pleasant.
  • The Perhapanauts (2005) – A Mothman named Karl appears as a supporting protagonist.
  • The Adventure Zone: Amnesty (2018) – The Mothman Indrid Cold is revealed to be one of several alien beings crossing into the West Virginia portion of the National Radio Quiet Zone from another world.
  • Fallout 76 (2018) – Multiple Mothmen appear as some of the many cryptids inhabiting a post-apocalyptic West Virginia.[31]
  • Inside Job (2021) – A humorous version of the creature known as "Elliot Mothman", appears. He works for a shadowy organisation known as Cognito, Inc., specifically as the head of HR.
  • An illustrated oracle deck called the Southern Gothic Oracle has an expansion pack called The Haunts, which features a Mothman card (2021).[32]
  • The Adventure Zone: Dust season two (2022) – Indrid Cold returns as a player character, portrayed by Griffin McElroy.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Couples See Man-Sized Bird...Creature...Something". Point Pleasant Register. Point Pleasant, WV: WestVA.Net, Mark Turner. November 16, 1966. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d Associated Press (Dec 1, 1966). "Monster Bird With Red Eyes May Be Crane". Gettysburg Times. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  3. ^ a b c Palma, Bethania (25 November 2016). "Mothman About Town". Snopes.com. Snopes. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  4. ^ Skeptical Inquirer, Volume 33 (Pennsylvania State University, Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal. 2009)
  5. ^ Gray Barker, The Silver Bridge (Saucerian Books, 1970). Reprinted in 2008 entitled The Silver Bridge: The Classic Mothman Tale (BookSurge Publishing). ISBN 1-4392-0427-6
  6. ^ Keel, John A. The Mothman Prophecies (2002). ISBN 0-7653-4197-2 (Originally published in 1975 by Saturday Review Press)
  7. ^ Meehan, Paul (2009). Cinema of the Psychic Realm: A Critical Survey, p. 130. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-3966-9
  8. ^ "Mothman Festival". mothmanfestival.com. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
  9. ^ a b Coleman, Loren (1 December 2001). Mothman and Other Curious Encounters. Cosimo, Inc. ISBN 978-1-931044-34-9.
  10. ^ a b Nickell, Joe (2004). The Mystery Chronicles: More Real-Life X-Files. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 93–. ISBN 978-0-8131-2318-9. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  11. ^ "Munitions Risk Closes Part of Wildlife Area Again". Archived from the original on 2014-08-26. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
  12. ^ Sergent, Donnie; Wamsley, Jeff (2002). Mothman: The Facts Behind the Legend. Mothman Lives Pub. ISBN 978-0-9667246-7-7.
  13. ^ Cassandra Eason (2008). Fabulous Creatures, Mythical Monsters, and Animal Power Symbols: A Handbook. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 15–. ISBN 978-0-275-99425-9.
  14. ^ Richard Moreno (6 August 2013). Myths and Mysteries of Illinois: True Stories of the Unsolved and Unexplained. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 142–. ISBN 978-1-4930-0231-3.
  15. ^ LeRose, Chris. "The Collapse of the Silver Bridge". West Virginia Historical Society Quarterly. West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  16. ^ a b Associated Press (Jan 19, 2008). "Mothman' still a frighteningly big draw for tourists". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 2009-11-20. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  17. ^ "Eight People Say They Saw 'Creature'". Williamson Daily News. Williamson, WV. United Press International. Nov 18, 1966. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
  18. ^ Lobkov, Denis (23 May 2002). Призраки катастроф. Zheltaya Gazeta via Svobodnaya Gruziya (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2018-12-09. (English translation of the article.)
  19. ^ Pierson, Fallon (November 21, 2016). "Man photographs creature that resembles legendary Mothman" of Point Pleasant". WCHS-TV news. WCHS. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  20. ^ a b Elbein, Asher (26 October 2018). "Is the Mothman of West Virginia an Owl?". Audubon.org. Archived from the original on 27 October 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  21. ^ Brunvand, Jan Harold (1994). The Baby Train and Other Lusty Urban Legends. W. W. Norton & Company. pp. 98–. ISBN 978-0-393-31208-9.
  22. ^ Radford, Benjamin (May–June 2020). "Investigating Mothman's Red Eyeshine". Skeptical Inquirer. 44: 29–31.
  23. ^ "Monster Bird with Red Eyes may Be Crane". The Gettysburg Times. December 1, 1966.
  24. ^ Reed, Daniel (July–August 2022). "The Mothman and the Crane: A Contemporary Perspective". Skeptical Inquirer. 46 (4): 52–56.
  25. ^ Terry, Josh (2018-01-17). "People Keep Seeing the Mothman in Chicago". Vice.
  26. ^ Clark, Jerome (2000). Extraordinary Encounters: An Encyclopedia of Extraterrestrials and Otherworldly Beings. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio, ISBN 1-57607-249-5, pp. 178–179.
  27. ^ a b "Mothman Festival returns Sept. 21–22". www.mydailyregister.com – The Point Pleasant Register. 2019-09-06. Archived from the original on 2021-12-05. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
  28. ^ "Mothman Statue, Point Pleasant, West Virginia". RoadsideAmerica.com. Archived from the original on 2023-02-08. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  29. ^ Moran, Mark; Sceurman, Mark; Lake, Matt (2008). Weird U.S. The ODDyssey Continues – Your Travel Guide to America's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets, p. 260. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. ISBN 978-1-4027-4544-7
  30. ^ ""Legend of the Mothman" plaque on the base of the statue". Archived from the original on 2012-04-25. Retrieved 2012-02-14.
  31. ^ "How Fallout 76 became a haven for Mothman, Jersey Devil, and other creepy cryptids". www.gameshub.com. 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
  32. ^ "The Haunts". lapantherestudio.com. August 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
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