At the beginning of the 21st Century monsters still roam the remote, and sometimes not so remote, corners of our planet. It is our job to search for them. The Centre for Fortean Zoology [CFZ] is - we believe - the largest professional, scientific and full-time organisation in the world dedicated to cryptozoology - the study of unknown animals. Since 1992 the CFZ has carried out an unparalleled programme of research and investigation all over the world. Since 2009 we have been running the increasingly popular CFZ Blog Network, and although there has been an American branch of the CFZ for over ten years now, it is only now that it has a dedicated blog.

Tuesday 21 October 2014

FOLKLORE PIGMAN

There have been a number of reports of cryptids looking like men with pig's heads ranging from England to Australia.  In the United States there was the well-known Pigman reported in Vermont about 1971.  Does the Pigman ever feature in older folklore?

While I have yet to find an American traditional pigman, I have found one on the Isle of Man.  The Isle of Man is a small British dependency in the Irish Sea, ruled by, but not part of, the United Kingdom.  The adjective relating to it is Manx.  The Manx cat, for example, is a breed noted for lacking a tail.


Flag of Isle of Man


The Manx have a legend about a creature called Johnny Squarefoot.  He started off as a large pig, the steed of a demon.  After the demon had abandoned him, he was changed by magic into a man with a pig's head.  This pig's head boasted a set of tusks.  The creature hung out around the district of Greasby.  Although fearsome of aspect, however, he does not seem to have been aggressive.  What lies behind this legend?  Who can say?   


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