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Fearsome Critters
In North American folklore and American mythology, fearsome critters were tall tale animals jokingly said to inhabit the wilderness in or around logging camps,Dorson, Richard M. ''Man and Beast in American Comic Legend.'' (Bloomington, IN: Indiana Univ. Press, 1982.)Leach, Maria. ''Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary Of Folklore, Mythology and Legend.'' (New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1949.)South, Malcolm. ''Mythical and Fabulous Creatures: A Source Book and Research Guide.'' (Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1984.) especially in the Great Lakes region. Today, the term may also be applied to similar legendary creatures, fabulous beasts. Origins Fearsome critters were an integral part of oral tradition in North American logging camps during the turn of the twentieth century, principally as a means to pass time (such as in tall tales)Cox, William T. with Latin Classifications by George B. Sudworth. ''Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods.'' Washington, D.C.: Judd & ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hugag
In American folklore, the hugag is a fearsome critter similar to a moose with an extensive upper lip, preventing it from grazing, and jointless legs preventing it from lying down. Name usage The word hugag well predates its usage as a term to describe a mythical creature. It appears as a variant spelling of hewgag, a woodwind instrument akin to a kazoo. For example, the June 20, 1846 issue of the ''American Republican and Baltimore Daily Clipper'' reads, "My friends and fellow-countrymen—awake, arise! for the Philistines are upon you. Strike the tunjo! blow the hugag! whistle the fife, and chastise the drum! Your lives, your loaves, and liberties are in danger." However, the word also appears in non-English works. The term is referenced in a German text as a transliteration of an Arabic name in 1861. As well, Hugag also appears as a name of a mine located at Republican Mountain, in Colorado, discovered in 1870. The first mention of the hugag to refer to an imaginary animal, while ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
