Smugglers and Strange Creatures

And another new post from me at Mysterious Universe, which begins...

"Just recently, I had a fascinating conversation with a fellow researcher of so-called “British Bigfoot” reports - which is a particular and favorite area of investigation for me, and which was the subject of my 2012 book, Wildman. It turns out that he has been studying a number of stories relative to hairy 'wild men,' cannibalistic sub-humans, and other, similar, horrific humanoids reported in the English county of Devon way back in the 1600s and the 1700s. In doing so he has uncovered something very interesting and eye-opening.

"If I sound just a little bit mysterious here, it’s because my colleague in question is preparing a major paper on all of this, hence why – right now – I’m being more than fairly vague about his identity. His paper should, however, appear in a major periodical before the end of this year. And, no, I’m not blowing any whistles by telling you the basics of the story. He’s cool with it."

Manufacturing a Monster

When is a monster not a monster? When it's a manufactured one.

That's the theme of my latest Mysterious Universe article, which kicks off like this...

"In his classic book Explore Phantom Black Dogs, author and researcher Bob Trubshaw wrote the following words: 'The folklore of phantom black dogs is known throughout the British Isles. From the Black Shuck of East Anglia to the Mauthe Dhoog of the Isle of Man there are tales of huge spectral hounds ‘darker than the night sky’ with eyes ‘glowing red as burning coals.’ The phantom black dog of British and Irish folklore, which often forewarns of death, is part of a world-wide belief that dogs are sensitive to spirits and the approach of death, and keep watch over the dead and dying.'

"Having investigated many such cases across the UK, I can say for sure there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that there is a very real – and undeniably paranormal-based – phantom black hound in the UK. Indeed, it’s one that has been able to call the old land its very own for centuries. And although reports of the beast are nowhere near as prevalent as they were in the Middle Ages, they still surface from time to time."