Mogollon Monster
Encyclopedia
The Mogollon Monster is a legendary creature
that has been discussed in accounts from central and eastern Arizona
along the Mogollon Rim
. It is most often described as a Bigfoot
or ape
-like creature, but descriptions vary. No hard evidence has been found, and the existence of such a creature is doubted by biologists.
, 6–8 feet tall, with large eyes that some claim to be "wild and red". Its body is said to be covered with long black or dark brown hair, with the exclusion of the chest, face, hands and feet. Reports claim it has a strong and pungent odor like that of a skunk
or decaying fish.
Stories say the creature is shy, nocturnal, and omnivorous. It is generally reported to explore campsites after dark, emit unusual whistle sounds, and hurl stones from locations that are hidden from view. In numerous reports, it has also been said to emit a "blood-curdling" scream; described as sounding like a woman in great distress.
range from Prescott, AZ north to Williams, AZ
, east to Springerville, AZ, south to Hannagan Meadow, AZ
, and then west back to Prescott.
The oldest known documented sighting of the Mogollon Monster was reported in a 1903 edition of The Arizona Republic
an, in which I.W. Stevens described a creature seen near the Grand Canyon
as having "long white hair and matted beard that reached to his knees." He later stated that after he discovered the creature drinking the blood of two cougars
, that it had just beaten with a club, it let out an "unearthly screech".
Another early documented sighting was recounted by cryptozoologist Don Davis. During the mid-1940s he was on a boy scout
trip near Payson, AZ, of which he gave the following account: "The creature was huge. Its eyes were deep set and hard to see, but they seemed expressionless. His face seemed pretty much devoid of hair, but there seemed to be hair along the sides of his face. His chest, shoulders, and arms were massive, especially the upper arms; easily upwards of 6 inches in diameter, perhaps much, much more. I could see he was pretty hairy, but didn't observe really how thick the body hair was. The face/head was very square; square sides and squared up chin, like a box".
A member of the White Mountain Apache Nation in Arizona
by the name of Collette Altaha stated in 2006, “We're not prone to easily talk to outsiders, but there have been more sightings than ever before. It cannot be ignored any longer.” “No one's had a negative encounter with it,” said Marjorie Grimes, who lives in Whiteriver
, the primary town on the reservation
. When asked about her encounter she reports that “It was all black and it was tall! The way it walked; it was taking big strides. I put on the brakes and raced back and looked between the two trees where it was, and it was gone!” Regarding local reports, Tribal police lieutenant Ray Burnette states that “A couple of times they've seen this creature looking through the windows. They're scared when they call.” He stated “The calls we're getting from people — they weren't hallucinating, they weren't drunks, they weren't people that we know can make hoax calls. They're from real citizens of the Fort Apache Indian Reservation
.”
professor Stan Lindstedt of Northern Arizona University
dismisses the idea that a large homonid creature would remain hidden in such a large area of the country. "I put that in the category of mythology
that can certainly make our culture interesting, but has nothing to do with science."
Generally the scientific community attributes creature sightings to either hoaxes or misidentification. As recently as the early 1930's, grizzly bears roamed the forests of Arizona. These may account for the early day sightings while other large mammals such as black bears
, mountain lions and elk
may account for the sightings of today.
burned 467066 acres (1,890.2 km²) of Arizona forest land, Dolan Ellis
(Arizona's Official State Balladeer since 1966) wished to help. Years ago, Dolan used a song named after the monster in a campaign against littering, especially in the wildnerness areas of Arizona. The Mogollon Monster is included in Dolan's "Wildfire" song, as a metaphor
for the raging fire."
", and works of fiction, including the following
Legendary creature
A legendary creature is a mythological or folkloric creature.-Origin:Some mythical creatures have their origin in traditional mythology and have been believed to be real creatures, for example the dragon, the unicorn, and griffin...
that has been discussed in accounts from central and eastern Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
along the Mogollon Rim
Mogollon Rim
The Mogollon Rim is a topographical and geological feature running across the U.S. state of Arizona. It extends approximately from northern Yavapai County eastward to near the border with New Mexico.-Description:...
. It is most often described as a Bigfoot
Bigfoot
Bigfoot, also known as sasquatch, is an ape-like cryptid that purportedly inhabits forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid...
or ape
Ape
Apes are Old World anthropoid mammals, more specifically a clade of tailless catarrhine primates, belonging to the biological superfamily Hominoidea. The apes are native to Africa and South-east Asia, although in relatively recent times humans have spread all over the world...
-like creature, but descriptions vary. No hard evidence has been found, and the existence of such a creature is doubted by biologists.
Description
The Mogollon Monster is reported to be a bipedal humanoidHumanoid
A humanoid is something that has an appearance resembling a human being. The term first appeared in 1912 to refer to fossils which were morphologically similar to, but not identical with, those of the human skeleton. Although this usage was common in the sciences for much of the 20th century, it...
, 6–8 feet tall, with large eyes that some claim to be "wild and red". Its body is said to be covered with long black or dark brown hair, with the exclusion of the chest, face, hands and feet. Reports claim it has a strong and pungent odor like that of a skunk
Skunk
Skunks are mammals best known for their ability to secrete a liquid with a strong, foul odor. General appearance varies from species to species, from black-and-white to brown or cream colored. Skunks belong to the family Mephitidae and to the order Carnivora...
or decaying fish.
Stories say the creature is shy, nocturnal, and omnivorous. It is generally reported to explore campsites after dark, emit unusual whistle sounds, and hurl stones from locations that are hidden from view. In numerous reports, it has also been said to emit a "blood-curdling" scream; described as sounding like a woman in great distress.
Reported sightings
Reported sightings range along the Mogollon RimMogollon Rim
The Mogollon Rim is a topographical and geological feature running across the U.S. state of Arizona. It extends approximately from northern Yavapai County eastward to near the border with New Mexico.-Description:...
range from Prescott, AZ north to Williams, AZ
Williams, Arizona
Williams is a city in Coconino County, Arizona, United States west of Flagstaff. Its population was 2,842 at the 2000 census; according to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 3,094. It lies on the route of Historic Route 66, Interstate 40, and the Southwest Chief Amtrak...
, east to Springerville, AZ, south to Hannagan Meadow, AZ
Hannagan Meadow, Arizona
Hannagan Meadow is an unincorporated area in east central Arizona, elevation .-History:The explorer Coronado and his expedition passed through the area in the 1540s on their way from Mexico to Zuni, but it is unknown whether they passed by this particular site, although some have speculated that...
, and then west back to Prescott.
The oldest known documented sighting of the Mogollon Monster was reported in a 1903 edition of The Arizona Republic
The Arizona Republic
The Arizona Republic is a daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. It was ranked tenth in US daily newspapers by circulation in 2007.-Early years:The newspaper was founded...
an, in which I.W. Stevens described a creature seen near the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...
as having "long white hair and matted beard that reached to his knees." He later stated that after he discovered the creature drinking the blood of two cougars
Cougars
Cougars is a Chicago-based rock band signed to the New York-based label Go-Kart Records.The Cougars' music is often compared to that of Rocket from the Crypt...
, that it had just beaten with a club, it let out an "unearthly screech".
Another early documented sighting was recounted by cryptozoologist Don Davis. During the mid-1940s he was on a boy scout
Boy Scout
A Scout is a boy or a girl, usually 11 to 18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section...
trip near Payson, AZ, of which he gave the following account: "The creature was huge. Its eyes were deep set and hard to see, but they seemed expressionless. His face seemed pretty much devoid of hair, but there seemed to be hair along the sides of his face. His chest, shoulders, and arms were massive, especially the upper arms; easily upwards of 6 inches in diameter, perhaps much, much more. I could see he was pretty hairy, but didn't observe really how thick the body hair was. The face/head was very square; square sides and squared up chin, like a box".
A member of the White Mountain Apache Nation in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
by the name of Collette Altaha stated in 2006, “We're not prone to easily talk to outsiders, but there have been more sightings than ever before. It cannot be ignored any longer.” “No one's had a negative encounter with it,” said Marjorie Grimes, who lives in Whiteriver
Whiteriver, Arizona
Whiteriver is a census-designated place in Navajo County, Arizona, United States. The population was 5,220 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Whiteriver is located at ....
, the primary town on the reservation
Indian reservation
An American Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs...
. When asked about her encounter she reports that “It was all black and it was tall! The way it walked; it was taking big strides. I put on the brakes and raced back and looked between the two trees where it was, and it was gone!” Regarding local reports, Tribal police lieutenant Ray Burnette states that “A couple of times they've seen this creature looking through the windows. They're scared when they call.” He stated “The calls we're getting from people — they weren't hallucinating, they weren't drunks, they weren't people that we know can make hoax calls. They're from real citizens of the Fort Apache Indian Reservation
Fort Apache Indian Reservation
The Fort Apache Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation in Arizona, United States, encompassing parts of Navajo, Gila, and Apache counties. It is home to the federally recognized White Mountain Apache Tribe of the Fort Apache Reservation, a Western Apache tribe. It has a land area of 2,627.608...
.”
Criticism
BiologyBiology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
professor Stan Lindstedt of Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University is a public university located in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and has 39 satellite campuses in the state of Arizona. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.As of...
dismisses the idea that a large homonid creature would remain hidden in such a large area of the country. "I put that in the category of mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
that can certainly make our culture interesting, but has nothing to do with science."
Generally the scientific community attributes creature sightings to either hoaxes or misidentification. As recently as the early 1930's, grizzly bears roamed the forests of Arizona. These may account for the early day sightings while other large mammals such as black bears
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
, mountain lions and elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
may account for the sightings of today.
The monster in fiction
After the Rodeo-Chediski FireRodeo-Chediski fire
The Rodeo–Chediski Fire was a wildfire that burned in east-central Arizona beginning on June 18, 2002, and was not controlled until July 7. It was the worst forest fire in Arizona's recorded history until June 14th, 2011 when the Wallow Fire surpassed Rodeo-Chediski as the largest fire in Arizona...
burned 467066 acres (1,890.2 km²) of Arizona forest land, Dolan Ellis
Dolan Ellis
Francis Dolan Ellis has been Arizona's Official State Balladeer since 1966, as appointed by ten consecutive governors. Governor Sam Goddard made the first appointment. Since then, official balladeers have been appointed in other states.In his role as Balladeer, Dolan has written more than 300...
(Arizona's Official State Balladeer since 1966) wished to help. Years ago, Dolan used a song named after the monster in a campaign against littering, especially in the wildnerness areas of Arizona. The Mogollon Monster is included in Dolan's "Wildfire" song, as a metaphor
Metaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
for the raging fire."
Media
The Mogollon Monster is a topic in folklore collections, guides on "local colorRegionalism (literature)
In literature, regionalism or local color refers to fiction or poetry that focuses on specific features – including characters, dialects, customs, history, and topography – of a particular region...
", and works of fiction, including the following
- Novels by Bentley LittleBentley LittleBentley Little is an American author of horror novels.-Personal history:Little's first novel, The Revelation, was published with St...
: The Return (2002, ISBN 9780451206879) and The Summoning (1993, ISBN 9780786014804)