July 16, 2013

The lore of the sasquatch


Having been born and raised in a province that can boast not one, but two, rather legendry cryptozoological creatures, and in an era when The X-Files were at their zenith (a show which, interestingly - and rather fittingly - enough was filmed right here in British Columbia), it is perhaps not terribly surprising that I've always had a certain fascination with the idea Bigfoot (or sasquatch, as it is often referred to around these Canadian parts).

By my very nature, I'm tend to be a very rational, science-minded person. I may enjoy a good conspiracy story, tall tail, or secondhand account of a bizarre event, but when all is said and done, I'll be the first one out there trying to get to the truth of the matter, even if it means admitting something that I would love to have actually exist, is in fact nothing more than the stuff of old legends and spooky campfire stories.

That said, I believe wholeheartedly in keeping an open mind and not being too quick to rule out the possibility that there could be something as incredible as Bigfoot traversing the vast expanse of forests that cover much of British Columbia. Of course B.C. is by no means the only part of North America (or the world, for that matter) to lay claim to sasquatch, but it has always been Canada's biggest hotbed of activity and eyewitness sightings.

Much as I wish in a way that I could claim to have a personal account relating to Bigfoot, I do not. I've never seen, heard, or found anything in the woods that I couldn't easily explain - but doesn't mean I won't one day.

Objectively, the likelihood that a huge bipedal mammal is prancing around B.C., escaping conclusive documentation well into the twenty-first century is pretty slim, but it's entirely not impossible (though we know about many of the wild creature we share our planet with, previously unknown critters - sometimes even large animals, such as a species called the Bili ape that was found a few years ago in the Congo - continue to be discovered).

Generally speaking, sasquatch is said to be a tall, hefty sized creature with a somewhat ape-like face and general appearance, covered in shaggy (brown or reddish auburn) hair, who tips the scales anywhere from two to five hundred or more pounds, and is frequently said to omit a strong, distinct odour.




{My all-time favourite artistic rendering of a Bigfoot: Sasquatch by Canadian painter Robert Bateman. Image source.}


Though sasquatch is sometimes portrayed as being a gentle giant of sorts (as in 1987's classic Hairy and the Hendersons), I think it's a safe bet to say that even the bravest of us would be rattled to our core if we came face-to-face with this towering, mysterious creature.

For hundreds of years, the First Nations peoples of the Pacific Northwest have told stories of tall, often hairy wild men or beasts roaming the forests where they too hunted and/or lived, sometimes ascribing supernatural powers to these creatures, other times viewing them more as an animal, on par with say a bear or cougar, that stalked the same forests they called home.

As European settlers began to make their way westward in the 1800s, reports started to surface amongst the non-native population of spectacular, frightening hairy beings being seen amongst the trees, too (one tale even holds that famed frontersman Daniel Boone shot and killed a hairy, ten foot tall beast that he dubbed Yahoo). However, by and large, though there were certainly strange sightings and pockets of interest in the subject before then, prior to the late 1950s, few in the general population paid much attention to these seemingly fanciful accounts of a mythical creature that had somehow managed to elude being discovered by modern science.

In 1958 all that changed though when a bulldozer operator at Bluff Creek in Del Norte County, California came across a series of large, unidentified animal tracks at a site he where was working. These were quickly documented through plaster of Paris casts, with the odd footprints causing locals in the area to come up with the name Bigfoot for the creature who may have left them behind (certain individuals later claimed that they'd been involved with the creation of these prints, which they said were nothing more than a hoax). The story debuted in a local newspaper and was picked up a little while later by the Associated Press. The rest, as they say, is history, and bigfoot has held court in the public eye - and imagination - ever since.

Nearly as quickly as the story hit the international sphere, Bigfoot hunters began to appear in Bluff Creek and the surrounding area. Though, nowadays, thanks to movies, (many) TV shows, books, and scores of articles having been devoted to sasquatch, few even raise an eyebrow when the term Bigfoot hunter is brandished, back in the late 1950s and early 60s, such folks were (by and large) a new breed indeed.

A few years later, in 1967, Bluff Creek was thrust into the public spotlight again when what is arguably the world's most famous piece of Bigfoot film ever was captured. The Patterson-Gimlin tape (shown below), as it quickly became known, is a brief clip captured by Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin that purports to document an adult sasquatch walking upright.





Though, over the years, numerous people (including a friend of Mr. Patterson, who claimed he was in the costumed man in the video) have come forward to say that the tape was a deliberate hoax, and much scrutiny has been placed on the footage from a wide range of scientific experts and interested laymen alike, to this day, it's validity remains in question and no one has been able to conclusively prove for sure whether what we're witnessing is indeed a real life Bigfoot or a very well done fake involving a human in a shaggy ape-man costume.

Throughout my life, I've probably seen the Patterson tape fifty or more times, and no matter how objectively I look at it, I still cannot bring myself to conclusively say that it's a hoax. There's something almost haunting about the way the creature we're seeing in the film walks and carries its body, that lingers in your mind long after you've viewed it. If this was indeed a manmade fake, I doff my hat to those behind it, who were clearly leagues ahead of most in the special effects world of the 1960s when they created this legendry spoof.

The Patterson tape is by no means the only piece of footage that purports to show a living sasquatch (here's one round of up ten famous Bigfoot clips from around the world, for example), but it is by far the most well known and widely publicized to date.

Whether you're the first to see it as proof that a species of giant furry beasts really do roam the woods, dismiss it entirely, or (like myself) remain open to the possibility that it could be real, there's no denying that this short clip is a powerful one that folks will likely continue to discuss for generations to come.

Back up the Pacific coast in British Columbia, numerous people claim each year to hear, see, and sometimes even come close enough to touch sasquatch, and this mythical being has found its way into popular culture all across the province (for example, on a lovely tree lined road on the outskirts of Osoyoos, right here in the Okanagan Valley, one finds the following street sign, which I couldn't help but get an iPhone photo of the moment I spotted it this past March).



 photo SasquatchTrailstreetsignoutsideOsoyoosBritishColumbia_zps9dc89093.jpg


Unlike with the Ogopogo (a Loch Ness Monster type creature which is said to inhabit Okanagan Lake here in Penticton where I live), I've never spoken firsthand to anyone who claims to have encountered Bigfoot, but I've certainly heard my fair share of "friend of a friend" type of tales over the years, some more credible and likely than others, but all interesting and more then enough to continue to fuel the fires of my fascination with the lore and possibility of sasquatch.

Much like Fox Mulder on the X-Files and his quests in search of answers to the great unknown mysteries of our universe, there is a part of me that passionately wants to believe sasquatch really does live somewhere in the vast expanse of dense forest that makes up my province, even if I realize that, realistically, the odds may be against such being the case.

For surely, when all is said and done, the truth, if not Bigfoot himself, must be out there somewhere...


31 comments:

  1. I have always said that I believe in anything unless it's absolutely proved to be nonsense. I do enjoy a good conspiracy theory as the notions out there can be rather amusing (Paul McCartney being dead for instance).

    I very much enjoyed the programme 'Finding Bigfoot' which was shown over here not so long ago. The stories by those who claimed to have seen or heard a sasquatch were fascinating.

    As much as I would love to be proved right in believing that fantastical creatures are out there, part of me wants to keep on wondering and for it never to be proven either way.

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  2. Neat post! There is no sci-fi-like folklore here. I would certainly be caught up in the idea of an elusive mythical-esque creature if there happened to be one in Manitoba. And to have two originating so close to where you live! Can I say neat again? lol! Neat.

    I hope you get a glimpse of sasquatch one day.

    Lisa.

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    1. Thank you very much, sweet Lisa - I totally agree, "neat" is the perfect word to describe these mysterious creatures. One of these days I'm going to give the good, ol' Ogopogo its own well deserved post, too.

      Interestingly, you do have one right in your very own backyard, too - there's Manipogo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manipogo) who is said to live in Lake Manitoba and be similar to Okanagan Lake's famous Ogopogo (and Lake Champlain's famous "Champ"). If memory serves me right, I first caught wind of "Mani" on the TV show Northern Mysteries a few years back. It doesn't seem to be as famous as the 'pogo, but there's nothing to for sure say either/or aren't real.

      ♥ Jessica

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  3. If Bigfoot exists, I can certainly picture him living in the beautiful overgrown forests of British Columbia! I don't think he lives in the forest of Alberta, though - we just have zombies here. ;o)

    I remember my parents telling me about Ogopogo when we used to go camping in BC. If I remember right, there were a LOT of roadside attractions devoted to him and I'm pretty sure I made my folks take me to every single one!

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    1. It might be a bit trickier for Bigfoot to remain hidden in the Prairies, that's for sure! Mind you, you could hide just about anything in the Rocky Mountains, so one can't say for sure that they haven't ventured a little to east. I think that anytime I was in a wooded area anywhere in the country, I'd be willing to believe a Sasquatch could potentially turn up.

      There aren't all that many attractions devoted to the 'pogo around these parts anymore, I'm afraid, though a few still exist, such as the delightful Ogopogo statue down at the beach in Kelowna (the beach right at the start of town). I really wish there were more and that the local communities played up the legend to a greater extent. The Ogopogo really is Canada's Loch Ness Monster and, I believe, has the potential to be much more of a tourist draw than it currently is. If I was mayor of any of the towns that touch Okanagan Lake, I would put the Ogopogo on that town's flag for sure! :)

      ♥ Jessica

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  4. Great post. Up here on the north coast I've spoken to many people, many of them First Nations, who have had very close encounters. They are incredible stories and all note the 'smell' of the Sasquatch. I too, always get a tingle up my spine when I see the Patterson footage. (If you see the movie _Signs_ I think the director copied it for the footage caught of the alien). And funnily enough, I just put the X-files as my ringtone on my phone! Gotta love "supernatural" BC.

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    1. Very cool timing - perhaps I should set my ringtone to the X-Files theme, too (I didn't have a cell yet back in the days when it was first on, or else I would have set it as such then for sure!).

      I've heard a fair bit over the years about the distinct odour that is said to accompany the Sasquatch, too, and will readily admit to sometimes taking an extra deep whiff of the air when in an even slightly wooded area in case I caught wind of a scent that might be a Bigfoot. No dice yet - but you never know. I certainly am extremely curious to know what that odour smells like firsthand.

      ♥ Jessica

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  5. I was scrolling though my Bloglovin feed and some random post about Sasquatch popped up. Then I realized it was YOUR random post about Sasquatch and thought, "this Ive gotta read"! Hilarious post- one of my faves.

    Thanks doll,
    The Glamorous Housewife

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    1. :) My pleasure, sweet gal! Sometimes I get the itch to write about something a little out there in leftfield, and few things are furthest to the left than legendary creatures like Bigfoot. One of these days I really have to devote a post to the Ogopogo, too, especially given that they're said to live right here in Penticton in Okanagan Lake (and, boy, was I always a little frightened as a child when I went swimming there that one might brush against my leg in the water - or worse! I love the 'pogo though, and do secretly hope they're real, too, no matter how improbable that might be).

      ♥ Jessica

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  6. I think there are many things still being discovered in this planet... I believe that mermaids exist!

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  7. I enjoy stories like these. The interesting thing is that they don't go away, because no one can say exactly what it is.

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  8. Le sigh, I am a BIG fan of cryptozoology, even though like yourself, I rely on the scientific method for my understanding of the world, and spend much of the time I devote engaged on the topic yelling at the speaker/author about various reasons they're failing under their burden of proof.

    Did you see this article a while back, about a 12th century manuscript in which a traveling monk describes the boy who ferried him across a river getting devoured by an abominable sea creature? Though under modern scrutiny, his illustration clearly depicts this sea creature as a Cave Bear!

    http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2013/03/loch-ness-monster-found-at-british-library.html

    There are no words for how much I love this INSANE DRAWING. The expressions on each of their faces are just priceless: The monk holding his money, about to pay the kid, turning around and going "Hey do you have change or...oh shit." And the way the monster is like, wringing its hands and baying at the sky in rage. Something very Python-esque and fascinating about the whole thing.

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    1. Awesome link and story, dear Cammila, I don't believe I'd caught wind of that yet. It's certainly right up my history/cyrptozoolgy/mystery/just plain cool loving alley, too. Thank you for sharing!

      ♥ Jessica

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  9. Hi Jessica! I feel exactly the same as you do about the sasquatch. I watched an investigative documentary a couple years ago where "scientists" were trying to disprove the video above, using an athlete of similar size to recreate the creatures exact body movements, and they couldn't do it! They also interviewed one of the men that took the video, who is very old now, and he still swears it was very real. He has been horribly ridiculed over the years but insists he is telling the truth. In my opinion he was very convincing. But like you, I have to personal experiences to go on and keep an open mind both ways!

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  10. We have a local sasquatch legend in Upstate NY, too! http://youtu.be/wn01SYJI7Co

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    1. Very cool! Thank you for sharing that link, Kathleen. I see no reason why, if this creature truly is real, it couldn't exist all across the continent.

      ♥ Jessica

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  11. I hope Sasquatch is real like I hope the Loch Ness Monster is real too. I think we still need a little mystery surrounding these mythical creatures don't you? We still need something we cannot easily explain away :-)

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    1. Excellently said, I completely agree. I'm all for scientific truth and the importance of fact, but a little mystery - in the midst of the 21st century where it seems so much has been exposed at this point in human history or can be debunked at the drop of a hat online nowadays - is greatly appealing to me as well.

      Here's to those things that cannot easily be explained away!
      ♥ Jessica

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  12. I absolutley ADORE the X-Files! In fact my husband and I first became friends watching the X Files together in collage and I had mulder and scully dolls on our wedding cake. Ive watched the entire series many times. My dogs even have X Files shirts, but then yes Im a huge nerd. I love all kids of sci fi and fantasy. As for Sasquatch I doubt he is realy but I agree the story is alot of fun. The tape is interesting too

    kate

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  13. I have always loved stories of the unknown. Ghosts, specters, chupcabra, Big Foot, gnomes, aliens anything and everything. The X Files was one of my favorite shows as a kid. I know there are things out there we don't understand and I love hearing about it.

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  14. How interesting! I've heard tales of bigfoot in America and we have a similar kind of spotting here in Australia of yowies. Though…I'm not sure if there is actually any evidence on the yowie front!

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  15. Well,dear,up here in the Sierra Nevada mountains of Calif. we have several sightings
    of our version of Big Foot/or whatever --
    I wont poo poo the story tellers as who the heck knows? I just hope they have good film/capture one before I go to the next level of existence !
    Sierra Sue

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    1. That would be extremely awesome for sure! I hope the same thing rings true in my lifetime as well. It might be a long shot, but I'll always secretly hold out hope that Bigfoot is real and a truly credible film of one would go a long way towards proving that.

      Here's to the hope one of these elusive creatures shows up in either of our corners of the Pacific West Coast one of these days.

      ♥ Jessica

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  16. I did so enjoy your post, such fun! We have no comparable legend here - unless you count the Loch Ness monster! However, most years the local press go about crazy about a big cat on the loose. Everyone gossips about it then forgets it until the next time!

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  17. My mom is SO into Big Foot right now. Also, this poem: http://notellmotel.org/poem_single.php?id=2222_0_1_0

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  18. Such an interesting post! I have always loved to hear Big Foot and Loch Ness lore. (And I loved Harry and the Hendersons as a kid lol)

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  19. Fun post indeed, Jessica. Now I'm curious about the Ogopogo....never heard of it!

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  20. I had no idea that the sasquatch was based in British Columbia!
    A very interesting and fun post!! :D Thank you for sharing this with us

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  21. I've always found bigfoot a very interesting type of thing. It could be real, but it could also just be one big hoax indeed. Same goes for Nessie of course. I think it's quite an interesting idea that something so big and so often speculated about would have been able to remain relatively unseen, especially in this digital age, where everyone's phone is equipped with a camera.

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  22. Interesting to read about how the legend began! I've never seen the whole of that tape, it is intriguing. I just love the name sasquatch!

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  23. I too LOVE watching all the docu's on Big Foot. There has been quite a few sitings in Montana as far down as Tennessee. I haven't seen the Sasquatch either, but I too will not rule out there he does exist. Much like faeries in Ireland. I saw a photograph of a faerie on the UK version of Antiques roadshow and it was taken in the 19-teens, but it was there clear as day, a faerie. Just think it took us until the 1920s to figure out that Gorilla's exist, think how much we can find out now with all the technology. :D

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