tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15062812963951306362024-03-04T23:54:12.477-08:00MAN-BEAST U.K.In Search of the British BigfootNick Redfernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07199813303416083671noreply@blogger.comBlogger189125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506281296395130636.post-20664449756983711112012-04-25T11:06:00.001-07:002012-04-25T11:06:10.794-07:00A Radical DecisionI have come to what some might consider a radical decision!
As you may know, I have so many blogs right now that it's sometimes hard to keep track of what's going on and where. So, I am bringing all my current blogs to a halt. I'm not deleting them. But, I am folding them as of today. In their place, I have set up a new blog titled <b>Nick Redfern's Fortean World</b>.
Yeah, I know: it's hardly the most original or imaginative title, but it is accurate and to the point! So, from now on, while all my existing blogs will remain archived, here's the address for the new blog, <b><a href="http://nickredfernfortean.blogspot.com/">Nick Redfern's Fortean World</a></b>.
As you'll see, the design and style has not been completed yet, and there's no content yet either. But, bear with me, and over the next few days you'll see it start to develop its life and character!Nick Redfernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07199813303416083671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506281296395130636.post-34704234289661245802012-04-02T07:40:00.001-07:002012-04-02T07:40:42.099-07:00The British Bigfoot - A Lecture<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinvsS0ockhXpNGr67d97kL2nueBtKxzCimEnrZBjFoHMTU5ExUMtc8yk_rHhh9cvvfMlDRweDk989eCe9LwYISuBROb5nXTuu7ONFfjF75luah6IttOpoxI5ESXLGGLvIBAT9WBRwAvzky/s1600/2012+Cross+Timbers.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinvsS0ockhXpNGr67d97kL2nueBtKxzCimEnrZBjFoHMTU5ExUMtc8yk_rHhh9cvvfMlDRweDk989eCe9LwYISuBROb5nXTuu7ONFfjF75luah6IttOpoxI5ESXLGGLvIBAT9WBRwAvzky/s320/2012+Cross+Timbers.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726812958713968546" /></a>If you're in the area, I'll be speaking about "British Bigfoot" reports at the <strong>Cross Timbers Creature Conference</strong> in Oklahoma on April 14. Maybe I'll see you there! If you do want to attend, <a href="http://www.cryptomundo.com/cryptozoologists/cross-timbers-creature-conference/"><strong>you can find more information right here.</strong></a>Nick Redfernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07199813303416083671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506281296395130636.post-26306450747407813462012-03-09T10:23:00.001-08:002012-03-09T10:23:29.340-08:00When Bigfoot VanishesOver at his <em><strong>Gralien Report</strong></em> site, Micah Hanks has an excellent new post on the one angle - more than any other - that many Cryptozoologists don't want to have to deal with when it comes to Bigfoot - the "high-strangeness" cases, such as those where the giant hairy thing seemingly vanishes in the blink of an eye, which is a staple part of many British Bigfoot reports.<br /><br />Fortunately, Micah does deal with them, and offers <a href="http://gralienreport.com/cryptozoology/bigfoot-is-an-archetype-sasquatch-reigns-supreme-among-folk-devils/"><strong>an intriguing theory</strong></a> to explain such events...Nick Redfernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07199813303416083671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506281296395130636.post-47119756341819844282012-03-05T07:54:00.002-08:002012-03-05T07:55:47.389-08:00Two New PostsThere's a couple of new posts from me that may be of interest to those following my studies of Bigfoot and/or Wild Men in Britain. <br /><br />The first is on the <a href="http://www.mania.com/lair-beasts-born-to-wild_article_132305.html"><strong>Green Children of Woolpit</strong></a>, and the second is on the possibility that <a href="http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2012/03/from-a-haunted-abbey-to-a-beastly-bridge/"><strong>Britain's Man-Monkey of the Shropshire Union Canal maybe a Tulpa</strong></a>.<br /><br />Yep, two totally different topics, but in their own ways, both being relevant to the strange phenomenon of the British Bigfoot!Nick Redfernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07199813303416083671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506281296395130636.post-34019301611919274962012-01-12T08:18:00.000-08:002012-01-12T08:19:10.888-08:00The Baboon in BritainYes, you <em>did</em> read that heading correctly! <br /><br />Of course, Britain is most certainly <em>not</em> home to wild colonies of Baboon - or, at least, it shouldn't be! <br /><br />And yet, people see them, and have done so for many a year, from England to Scotland. <br /><br />That some are of flesh and blood, and others seem decidedly spectral in nature only adds to the controversy - <a href="http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2012/01/britains-bizarre-baboons/">as this new post from me at <em><strong>Mysterious Universe</strong></em> demonstrates</a>.Nick Redfernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07199813303416083671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506281296395130636.post-15163934171624500232012-01-04T09:14:00.000-08:002012-01-04T09:29:07.126-08:00Bigfoot Weirdness<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgszTbg-7Uij3SysfV4ZtbHlFNBjI5NwPOEyWdCzkkMALZ-oQLeun2zCyYL_fj_7XHHzAZbMDRopY_AV4mxKsI_T4g8s41Z4DwYy0hRezxChgXVA18uUGOrLZrlASZEUqNznnVYGZbPPSRX/s1600/Creature+of+Controversy.bmp"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgszTbg-7Uij3SysfV4ZtbHlFNBjI5NwPOEyWdCzkkMALZ-oQLeun2zCyYL_fj_7XHHzAZbMDRopY_AV4mxKsI_T4g8s41Z4DwYy0hRezxChgXVA18uUGOrLZrlASZEUqNznnVYGZbPPSRX/s320/Creature+of+Controversy.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693824487198251522" /></a>Lisa A. Shiel's new Sasquatch-themed book, <em><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Creature-Controversy-Forbidden-Bigfoot-ebook/dp/B006PFNC2C/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325696312&sr=1-1">Creature of Controversy: Forbidden Bigfoot, Part One</a></strong></em>, is now available. <br /><br />It contains an extensive Q&A with me on my thoughts on what Bigfoot is (and isn't!), the paranormal/Fortean aspects of certain Bigfoot encounters, tales of the British Bigfoot, and much more that will probably not endear me (not that I am already! LOL) to the mainstream field of Cryptozoology!<br /><br />As an example of the interview with me, here's a taster from it:<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Lisa A. Shiel: "What is the biggest controversy in Bigfoot research?"<br /><br />Nick Redfern: "In my personal opinion, without any doubt, it's why we haven't been able to catch Bigfoot or find a body or any hard evidence—which flies in the face, in my view, of any other animal that doesn't fall in the realm of cryptozoology. When it comes to bears, lions, and tigers, we may find them dead occasionally in the wild or we might find a bear occasionally hit by a truck, but the important thing is that even though it's just occasionally, it does happen. I think this is the biggest controversy with Bigfoot research. Bigfoot, even when it reportedly gets shot, never crumples to the ground and dies. If it unfortunately gets hit by a car, it always manages to escape. Photographic evidence is interesting but never conclusive. Hair samples are interesting but never conclusive. It's this overwhelming, almost eerie elusiveness with Bigfoot that to me is the most controversial aspect. The reason it's the most controversial aspect is because, by default, being so elusive to me implies there's something more—or paradoxically less—to Bigfoot than just being an unclassified animal that science hasn't found our doesn't recognize."<br /><br /><strong>And if that has caught your attention, here's the publisher's blurb on the book:</strong><br /><br />Is Bigfoot real or a hoax?<br /><br />For most people, this is the most controversial question surrounding Bigfoot. But to the folks who study Bigfoot—interviewing witnesses, collecting evidence, and analyzing the data—there's no question about Bigfoot's reality. Yet behind the closed doors of Bigfoot research, arguments boil over into feuds worthy of the Wild West.<br /><br />Now, Lisa A. Shiel invites you to step through the door and learn about the controversies that both enliven and hinder the quest for this mysterious creature:<br /><br />• What should we call Bigfoot?<br />• Is Bigfoot paranormal, flesh and blood, or both?<br />• What on earth is Bigfoot?<br />• Should we shoot a Bigfoot in order to prove they exist?<br />• How much do we really know about Bigfoot?<br />• And much more!<br /><br /><em><strong>Creature of Controversy</strong></em> exposes the feuds in a no-holds-barred look at the secret world of Bigfoot research, enhanced by interviews with other well-known Bigfoot researchers:<br /><br />• Eric Altman<br />• Melissa Hovey<br />• Regan Lee<br />• Thom Powell<br />• Nick Redfern<br />• Kathy Strain<br /><br />Will the Bigfoot mystery ever be solved, or will infighting block the search? <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Creature-Controversy-Forbidden-Bigfoot-ebook/dp/B006PFNC2C/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325696312&sr=1-1">Buy <em><strong>Creature of Controversy</strong></em> today to find out!</a>Nick Redfernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07199813303416083671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506281296395130636.post-33824465437184082132011-12-29T06:07:00.000-08:002011-12-29T06:11:39.677-08:00Bigfoot High-Strangeness<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilfwNJPnj1QzTJNbJxllWo9d12vI7XOKlSX9jbDduDluR2kgmjCGq9lZl0EBfpeOOkBEr7sBcM0sp-RSxtR15nMV8e2Zox88JoCBOpV6l39FeEBFtc0x25lqBpwOPmiceuPH79qQDSAHhO/s1600/Silent+Invasion.bmp"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 199px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilfwNJPnj1QzTJNbJxllWo9d12vI7XOKlSX9jbDduDluR2kgmjCGq9lZl0EBfpeOOkBEr7sBcM0sp-RSxtR15nMV8e2Zox88JoCBOpV6l39FeEBFtc0x25lqBpwOPmiceuPH79qQDSAHhO/s320/Silent+Invasion.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691551562612805922" /></a>If you have followed the work of researcher/writer Stan Gordon - and particularly so his excellent book, <em><strong>Silent Invasion</strong></em>, which addresses a wealth of truly high-strangeness in relation to Bigfoot - <a href="http://www.examiner.com/ufo-in-national/paranormal-investigator-stan-gordon-s-legendary-life-chase-of-ufos-and-bigfoot"><strong>you will want to read this new piece on Stan's work</strong></a>, which provides some excellent insight.<br /><br />Indeed, I recommend Stan's book to anyone and everyone interested in the British Bigfoot phenomenon.<br /><br />Not because Stan's book focuses on Britain, but because <em><strong>Silent Invasion </strong></em>demonstrates (as do the actions of just about every British Bigfoot ever reported) that whatever the true nature of the world's hairy man-beasts, they are far more than mere flesh-and-blood apes that science and zoology have yet to classify.Nick Redfernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07199813303416083671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506281296395130636.post-85653446255835925182011-11-30T07:21:00.001-08:002011-11-30T07:21:39.735-08:00Bigfoot on Film<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgre6xqtFD8T0gN0oUH-ZWOM1MbHJmqJlb_dXnKSLpWYQZjXJV4R4_llnsVoCiZqmP2co32QpOUCXpq1MV4AZwg6ZIeCfC_8wn6H0iJ_M1nuWhYp1oWm9eX1MXc2qM_xdE-3asZEWNg_6nS/s1600/Bigfoot+Filmography.bmp"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 246px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgre6xqtFD8T0gN0oUH-ZWOM1MbHJmqJlb_dXnKSLpWYQZjXJV4R4_llnsVoCiZqmP2co32QpOUCXpq1MV4AZwg6ZIeCfC_8wn6H0iJ_M1nuWhYp1oWm9eX1MXc2qM_xdE-3asZEWNg_6nS/s320/Bigfoot+Filmography.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680808450920987714" /></a>Coming in January: <em><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bigfoot-Filmography-Documentary-Appearances-Television/dp/0786448288/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322666021&sr=1-5">The Bigfoot Filmography</strong></em> by David Coleman</a>. <br /><br />Here's the blurb for the book, which I'm sure most Bigfoot enthusiasts will want to get their hands on:<br /><br />"The 'Sasquatch' film genre, devoted to the legendary and notoriously elusive creature also known as Bigfoot, and its Himalayan counterpart, the Yeti, is the focus of this illustrated reference guide. Here is a fascinatingly detailed look at the cinematic history of Sasquatch, from the earliest trick films of Georges Melies to the most up-to-date CGI efforts. Critical insights regarding the genre's development are offered, along with an exhaustively researched filmography that includes every known film or television appearance of Sasquatch, Bigfoot and Yeti in both fictitious and documentary formats. Included are in-depth interviews with such filmmakers as Kevin Tenney, Adam Muto, Ryan Schifrin, Tim Skousen and Michael Worten, as well as reproductions of rare movie stills, posters, lobby cards and behind-the-scenes production photos. Renowned cryptozoologist Loren Coleman provides an insightful foreword to the text."Nick Redfernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07199813303416083671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506281296395130636.post-77485842598197818642011-11-15T14:23:00.000-08:002011-11-15T14:26:29.032-08:00Hairy Hands HorrorOver at <em><strong>Mysterious Universe</strong></em>, I have a new post on the infamous and legendary "Hairy Hands" of Dartmoor, England, that we might be inclined to place in the category of a spectral "British Bigfoot."<br /><br />There's an interesting comment-thread at the foot of the article where people have been noting their own experiences of the Hairy-Hands variety.<br /><br /><a href="http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2011/11/the-hairy-hands-horror/"><strong>Here's the link to the complete article.</strong></a>Nick Redfernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07199813303416083671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506281296395130636.post-87959820717922604462011-10-27T06:32:00.000-07:002011-10-28T08:14:50.073-07:00Man-Monkey Coverage<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLtFrNjpixyJdt4ZHD1ljXftrLVnQrrwxYrAyl5V5lV-kNvl2KeMEeFaF_CGyErPTxvqOYj_WaQJdtmhu29_EZ7T0-3GqthrrRn4M5Ln_8S8FQlwplXYOOPNvAMPIfGoO0fiq6sq2IJOBY/s1600/MonsterBanner.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLtFrNjpixyJdt4ZHD1ljXftrLVnQrrwxYrAyl5V5lV-kNvl2KeMEeFaF_CGyErPTxvqOYj_WaQJdtmhu29_EZ7T0-3GqthrrRn4M5Ln_8S8FQlwplXYOOPNvAMPIfGoO0fiq6sq2IJOBY/s320/MonsterBanner.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668561757681831666" /></a>Check out the blog of <strong>New Page Books</strong> - under their "<em><strong>Creature of the Month</strong></em>" banner - where you will find a new article from me on England's Man-Monkey and its strange and unearthly antics at Bridge 39 on the Shropshire Union Canal...<br /><br /><a href="http://newpagebooks.blogspot.com/2011/10/man-monkey-by-nick-redfern.html"><strong>Here's the link.</strong></a>Nick Redfernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07199813303416083671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506281296395130636.post-19737519110682313482011-09-02T08:00:00.000-07:002011-10-28T08:16:09.843-07:00Woodwose and Wild Men<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioeGA54kF2hncVv6XlaAcKKEQwQ23UOhhwe25Q2c_RE58FNsBKxYqrpmecLY0HZOow5ZKBKF8QMIRrm-MlJja5wiCdqUBmiSrcB7aeV36hJBuDJR7GSVBBHW_1_bkQhb1Z8C-2SKWhTsot/s1600/Hairy+Wild+Man.bmp"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 235px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioeGA54kF2hncVv6XlaAcKKEQwQ23UOhhwe25Q2c_RE58FNsBKxYqrpmecLY0HZOow5ZKBKF8QMIRrm-MlJja5wiCdqUBmiSrcB7aeV36hJBuDJR7GSVBBHW_1_bkQhb1Z8C-2SKWhTsot/s320/Hairy+Wild+Man.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668562097319043314" /></a>Over at her website, Kithra has a new post on Woodwose and Wild Men - phenomena that play an integral role in the British Bigfoot controversy.<br /><br />Here's the opening words of Kithra's article:<br /><br />"In its depiction the Woodwose, sometimes called the Wild Man, is very similar to the Green Man. Both appear in ancient mythology and have their origins in ancient paganism. And, since they became subsumed into Christianity in medieval times, both can often be found as decoration in Churches.<br /><br />"Whilst the Green Man, a pre-Christian fertility symbol, is usually depicted with the face half-covered in leaves and vines emanating from the mouth, the Woodwose is usually shown as a complete, part human, figure carrying a club with the limbs being leafy. It also often shows a thick beard and wears a cap. The Woodwose may also be shown holding the club in different positions. Sometimes this is on its side and sometimes it is raised. There is a theory that a raised club depicts the figure before it was converted to Christianity, but it’s probably more correct to believe that it was raised to ward off evil spirits."<br /><br /><strong><a href="http://www.kithra.com/woodwosegreenman.html">And here's the link to the complete paper.</a></strong>Nick Redfernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07199813303416083671noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506281296395130636.post-49066752211264145722011-08-20T08:56:00.001-07:002011-10-27T06:37:04.667-07:00The Warrington Wild-ThingAt his <em><strong>Monster!</strong></em> blog, Neil Arnold tells the strange story of the Warrington Man-Beast, and begins thus:<br /><br />"The town of Warrington, which sits on the banks of the River Mersey, is also a borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire. According to an obscure story from the 18th century, later repeated in Wally Barnes' 1990 book <em><strong>Ghosts, Mysteries & Legends of Old Warrington</strong></em>, a terrifying man-beast once stalked a farm in Warrington. One such farm, once known as Peggy Gronachs Chicken Farm harboured a bizarre story which Wally Barnes was told of in the 1940s. According to Barnes, Peggy Gronach was '...the most evil, ugly and haggard old wretch ever seen in the vicinity.'"<br /><br /><a href="http://zooform.blogspot.com/2011/08/warrington-man-beast.html"><strong>And here's the link to Neil's complete article.</strong></a>Nick Redfernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07199813303416083671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506281296395130636.post-81153376706576082462011-08-13T09:35:00.000-07:002011-08-13T09:40:54.955-07:00The Spectral British Bigfoot<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiK13TQl0iBItffb9NgdVDrZDRY5fGGwWuEWlo4YG9QeTd2g3K4osBLJbjvRQWScOLgNJO7IdlXzhJdZKHMFGZiZEJ96H2nS41whhIg7_eeJi-nHI2Bw3O92vq3jeIsLzOh3ZALkwWRI8V/s1600/ghosts+spirits+and+hauntings.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 140px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiK13TQl0iBItffb9NgdVDrZDRY5fGGwWuEWlo4YG9QeTd2g3K4osBLJbjvRQWScOLgNJO7IdlXzhJdZKHMFGZiZEJ96H2nS41whhIg7_eeJi-nHI2Bw3O92vq3jeIsLzOh3ZALkwWRI8V/s320/ghosts+spirits+and+hauntings.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610384844551381458" /></a>
<br /><em><strong>Exposed, Uncovered, and Declassified: Ghosts, Spirits, & Hauntings, Am I Being Haunted?</strong></em> - which has just been published and is now widely available - includes a paper from me on ghostly creatures, some of a definitively monstrous nature, including the phantom-like <em><strong>Man-Monkey</strong></em> of England's Shropshire Union Canal and the local old villages of Ranton and Woodseaves. <a href="http://www.newpagebooks.com/?section=home&product_id=488">For more information, here's the link.</a>Nick Redfernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07199813303416083671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506281296395130636.post-65427231903096624422011-08-13T09:27:00.000-07:002011-08-13T09:35:14.242-07:00A 19th Century Scottish MonkeyRichard Muirhead has uncovered a truly fascinating case of a distinctly out-of-place monkey shot dead in Scotland in the 19th Century! Weird, indeed! <a href="http://forteanzoology.blogspot.com/2011/08/muirheads-mysteries-monkey-in-wilds-of.html"><strong>Here's the link.</strong></a>Nick Redfernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07199813303416083671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506281296395130636.post-20919223088403055692011-06-03T11:02:00.000-07:002011-06-03T11:04:01.441-07:00Spectral Bigfoot - Coming Soon<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiK13TQl0iBItffb9NgdVDrZDRY5fGGwWuEWlo4YG9QeTd2g3K4osBLJbjvRQWScOLgNJO7IdlXzhJdZKHMFGZiZEJ96H2nS41whhIg7_eeJi-nHI2Bw3O92vq3jeIsLzOh3ZALkwWRI8V/s1600/ghosts+spirits+and+hauntings.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 140px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiK13TQl0iBItffb9NgdVDrZDRY5fGGwWuEWlo4YG9QeTd2g3K4osBLJbjvRQWScOLgNJO7IdlXzhJdZKHMFGZiZEJ96H2nS41whhIg7_eeJi-nHI2Bw3O92vq3jeIsLzOh3ZALkwWRI8V/s320/ghosts+spirits+and+hauntings.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610384844551381458" /></a><br /><br /><br /><em><strong>Exposed, Uncovered, and Declassified: Ghosts, Spirits, & Hauntings, Am I Being Haunted?</strong></em> is a soon-to-be-published collection of writings that includes a chapter from me on spectral animals - some of a distinctly cryptozoological nature, including the ghost-like <em><strong>Man-Monkey</strong></em> of England's Shropshire Union Canal. <a href="http://www.newpagebooks.com/?section=home&product_id=488">For more information, click right here!</a>Nick Redfernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07199813303416083671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506281296395130636.post-25717463360170707242011-03-31T08:58:00.001-07:002011-03-31T09:00:38.721-07:00An Irish Wild-ManOver at his <strong>Gralien Report</strong> site, Micah hanks delves into an enigmatic tale of a 13th Century Irish Wildman. <a href="http://gralienreport.com/cryptozoology/fear-and-folk-devilry-in-ireland-a-thirteenth-century-wild-man/"><strong>Here's the link to the article</strong></a>, which begins thus: <br /><br />"Within various Medieval literature detailing history and folklore throughout Europe, one who looks hard enough won’t have to struggle to find references to hairy, manlike beasts, variously referred to as orcs, ogres, trolls, woodwoses, and wild men in various documents from England and its surrounding countries."Nick Redfernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07199813303416083671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506281296395130636.post-17373692172374388272011-02-24T10:06:00.001-08:002011-02-24T10:09:30.754-08:00An East-Coast Man-BeastNeil Arnold delves into the strange - and fascinating - realm of the <a href="http://forteanzoology.blogspot.com/2011/02/neil-arnold-notes-from-norfolk.html"><strong>Norfolk Wildman...</strong></a><br /><br />Neil says, in part: "Many years ago when I first began writing for <em>Animals & Men </em>magazine (around issue 5 or 6) I mentioned to Jon Downes something regarding cryptozoological pub signs. There are many <em>St George and the Dragon</em> signs, and I know a few which also mention unicorns. However, one particular pub sign which is of great interest to me is that which belongs to <em>The Wild Man </em>at 29 Bedford Street in Norwich. Now, most pub signs have a meaning but the legend which pertains to <em>The Wild Man </em>is extremely intriguing."<br /><br />And, indeed, it is! Click on the link above, and you'll see why!Nick Redfernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07199813303416083671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506281296395130636.post-89523080557194924552011-02-16T09:21:00.000-08:002011-02-16T09:24:37.901-08:00Beasts of the BridgesTwo days ago I began writing (on a 3-times-a-week schedule) for <strong>Mysterious Universe</strong>. My second post, which has been uploaded today, deals with the link between bizarre creatures (including Britain's Man-Monkey) and ancient bridges. <a href="http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2011/02/bridging-the-barriers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=bridging-the-barriers"><strong>Here's the link...</strong></a>Nick Redfernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07199813303416083671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506281296395130636.post-27781149811864476322011-02-07T09:06:00.001-08:002011-02-07T09:09:05.749-08:00Cannock Chase Controversies<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiC9mMactNarZf4aY56NBdqePDo5zHBh6Ntsuuuy5pyo-QtY25yPjuU6ShxJ0_FUAm7OrCzaq4ARvUyTRVj5QAT6faoyT_Ru0Ox6WkyfjvJxJgeKBBZYo4whgXv12frtn0F1F0mMKgKNcN/s1600/Woods.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiC9mMactNarZf4aY56NBdqePDo5zHBh6Ntsuuuy5pyo-QtY25yPjuU6ShxJ0_FUAm7OrCzaq4ARvUyTRVj5QAT6faoyT_Ru0Ox6WkyfjvJxJgeKBBZYo4whgXv12frtn0F1F0mMKgKNcN/s320/Woods.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570995770351986674" /></a><br /><br /><br />As regular readers of this blog will be aware, I often provide details of hairy, man-beast encounters in and around England's Cannock Chase woods, located only a very short car-drive from where I used to live.<br /><br />Well, now there is <a href="http://icstafford.icnetwork.co.uk/news/localnews/tm_headline=fears-grow-over-chase-sale-plans%26method=full%26objectid=28102919%26siteid=87875-name_page.html"><strong>this bureaucratic atrocity</strong></a> to deal with that may very well change this wonderful locale forever...<br /><br /><strong><a href="http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/forests/">And click here </a></strong>for more info on this stupid and outrageous move by the powers-that-be, and where you can learn more about what is going on.Nick Redfernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07199813303416083671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506281296395130636.post-29854768752947862582011-02-07T09:03:00.000-08:002011-02-07T09:05:45.405-08:00Pondering the Woodwose<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Cv9iQGTs2OcciJ3iTsIywXgAwaeCzAVEZWi-rdvZK7kfzQMsbQk69YiJbPXdrLHRv6GqnbqMBrwKx3eu3zXrOyCYOrcssQi8q2mqq_NxauQWZmF60A_h2TEW4aIyLqgJEf8Ekq0rNFc2/s1600/Wildman"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 235px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Cv9iQGTs2OcciJ3iTsIywXgAwaeCzAVEZWi-rdvZK7kfzQMsbQk69YiJbPXdrLHRv6GqnbqMBrwKx3eu3zXrOyCYOrcssQi8q2mqq_NxauQWZmF60A_h2TEW4aIyLqgJEf8Ekq0rNFc2/s320/Wildman" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570994936898511826" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />When it comes to a study of the British Bigfoot, there's one creature that is a vital component of the puzzle: <a href="http://www.mania.com/lair-beasts-wildmen-woodwose_article_128212.html"><strong>the Woodwose...</strong></a>Nick Redfernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07199813303416083671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506281296395130636.post-49495229463140023902011-01-26T11:25:00.000-08:002011-01-26T11:26:56.985-08:00The Paranormal Bigfoot<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglly33jOAVINZnlI4yV4NSMT6EayEIiwm6JswDF2QzvRTCVMR_jiS2yr3IDx9ljZWfn7eeoYCGCXwS_YiwUiBHxOae4v7_QYB_5dMdlBq4kht7WvcgaiRmMFhlAwqMIt1BaiySxsgjexVS/s1600/Silent+Invasion.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglly33jOAVINZnlI4yV4NSMT6EayEIiwm6JswDF2QzvRTCVMR_jiS2yr3IDx9ljZWfn7eeoYCGCXwS_YiwUiBHxOae4v7_QYB_5dMdlBq4kht7WvcgaiRmMFhlAwqMIt1BaiySxsgjexVS/s320/Silent+Invasion.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566577445222991346" /></a><br /><br />Given that the British Bigfoot is clearly an entity of paranormal - rather than flesh-and-blood - origins, you may want to <a href="http://forteanreviews.blogspot.com/2011/01/silent-invasion-bigfoot-ufos.html">check out my review of Stan Gordon's new book, <strong>Silent Invasion: The Pennsylvania UFO-Bigfoot Casebook</a></strong>.<br /><br />As I note, in part, in the review:<br /><br />"...Now, I know for sure that any book suggesting Bigfoot may somehow be inextricably linked with the UFO phenomenon - and vice-versa, of course! - is bound to raise hackles in certain quarters. <br /><br />"However, the fact of the matter is that there is surely not a Bigfoot researcher out there who has not been exposed to (at the very least) a few creature cases that absolutely reek of high-strangeness, and that place the hairy man-beasts into definitively Fortean - rather than zoological or cryptozoological - realms. <br /><br />"Whether those same Bigfoot researchers are willing to admit they have come across such cases - or are willing to give such reports some degree of credence - is a very different matter, however!"Nick Redfernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07199813303416083671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506281296395130636.post-27449520530250061582011-01-03T09:49:00.000-08:002011-01-03T09:51:53.839-08:00Richard Holland & British Wild MenHere's an excellent website that I definitely recommend: <a href="http://www.uncannyuk.com/">Richard Holland's <strong>Uncanny UK</a></strong>. As you may be aware, Richard was the editor of Britain's <strong>Paranormal</strong> magazine, until its recent, untimely demise. Fortunately, the closure of the magazine hasn't stopped Richard from continuing his writings at his own website - which, <a href="http://www.uncannyuk.com/2008/05/09/wild-men-of-the-woods/"><strong>as this link demonstrates</strong></a>, includes an article on the always-controversial British Bigfoot.Nick Redfernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07199813303416083671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506281296395130636.post-62627127809287410322010-12-23T06:52:00.000-08:002010-12-23T07:26:26.537-08:00Stig, Standing Stones & Wildmen<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdyOYqyf2jsagA9kFPEWxWKjVlhCGOEZVwTeo8UsrXlwXt52G3MPemmUb3H_kwetztdDervplnxW9fFruvpfWG-soIi2eomAGX6PiNI3XiqFMaQM9Mn3Zx6CRDjnWbsX3J7HWEYEqOJgHQ/s1600/neil+book.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdyOYqyf2jsagA9kFPEWxWKjVlhCGOEZVwTeo8UsrXlwXt52G3MPemmUb3H_kwetztdDervplnxW9fFruvpfWG-soIi2eomAGX6PiNI3XiqFMaQM9Mn3Zx6CRDjnWbsX3J7HWEYEqOJgHQ/s320/neil+book.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553894984149829458" /></a><br /><br />Neil Arnold - author of many books, including <a href="http://kentmonsters.blogspot.com/"><em><strong>The Mystery Animals of the British Isles: Kent</strong></em></a>, has a fascinating new post that focuses on the classic novel, <em><strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stig_of_the_Dump">Stig of the Dump</strong></em> by Clive King</a>.<br /><br /><strong>Here's Neil's post:</strong><br /><br />When I were a lad (as they say in Yorkshire, apparently!) I watched and collected some of the weirdest examples of children’s television. From eerie documentaries, to low-budget dramas, from supernatural series to psychedelic cartoons. One of the most intriguing and certainly most influential thing I watched was <em><strong><strong>Stig Of The Dump</strong></strong></em>, adapted from the Clive King classic novel which was originally published in the ‘60s. Despite being a huge fan of both series and book, I never realised that such a work may well have been based on an area close to my heart, and my house – Blue Bell Hill in Kent. In the book there is mention of Sevenoaks, but only recently I re-read the book and to my amazement found some odd cases of synchronicity which often pepper local folklore.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULo_2uckGSCq2cuBqw-yzMajfpGj_8O6uxiXAQ6gVp6qWRX034ji87Ppp8a9tQ09WQh_Emu7G-lSWHsuxHmP0pzKbpfevUV0V512rkFP9clnR2NRUGUaJzeOutHfjNuIlAjLELUQ9nIgc/s1600/Stig_Dump.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 217px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULo_2uckGSCq2cuBqw-yzMajfpGj_8O6uxiXAQ6gVp6qWRX034ji87Ppp8a9tQ09WQh_Emu7G-lSWHsuxHmP0pzKbpfevUV0V512rkFP9clnR2NRUGUaJzeOutHfjNuIlAjLELUQ9nIgc/s320/Stig_Dump.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553894449685975458" /></a><br /><br />For those of you who are not familiar with this delightful tale, it concerns a young boy named Barney who, whilst staying with his nan, somewhere in Kent, discovers an old chalk quarry which just happens to be inhabited by a Neanderthal-type humanoid who Barney calls Stig. When we are first introduced to Stig, one could almost visualise a completely hair covered humanoid, something akin to a small Sasquatch. Over the course of the fascinating book Barney and Stig become great friends, but like so many great kids programmes and books of that era, from the ‘60s to the ‘80s, we are often left to wonder as to whether Stig was a real creature or all part of Barney’s strange imagination. Either way, upon re-reading the book I was amazed at how the author had mentioned several ‘fictional’ items which I would eventually cover as fact many decades later.<br /><br />On a less cryptozoological note, we are introduced to the ‘Standing Stones’ in Chapter Nine, which could be a reference to Kit’s Coty House, a set of Neolithic stones said to be older than Stonehenge, which jut from a field at Blue Bell Hill. These stones have a lot of folklore attached to them. Some suggest that the stones are used as a calendar, or could be a mark of where a great and bloody battle once took place. Others believe the stones to have once been used for sacrificial means and there are those who opt for the more fanciful rumour that they were constructed by witches on a dark and stormy night.<br /><br />When we are first introduced to Stig, Barney, with a bump on the head along the way, falls into a steep chalk quarry (there are such quarries at the base of Blue Bell Hill) and accidentally stumbles upon the den of the creature called Stig. Oddly, for almost a century there have been reports from the quarries around Blue Bell Hill of a ‘wildman’ of sorts. <br /><br />A woman many years ago, growing up in the neighbouring village of Wouldham, often spoke about how in the 1960s her grandmother would tell her bedtime stories of the local ‘hairy man’ seen near the standing stones. The woman mentioned that her grandmother had grown up with these stories and seen the man-beast herself. In the 1970s a woman named Maureen saw a hair-covered, hulking great creature with glowing eyes one night whilst tending to a campfire with her boyfriend. <br /><br />In 1992 a similar beast was seen at Burham, a neighbouring village of Blue Bell Hill, by several men on their way to the pub. The men were all members of the territorial army and not prone to flights of fancy but they were all spooked by the massive humanoid which appeared near the chalk quarry. In 2008 a man-beast was seen by a female motorist in Kent. She was so terrified by the creature she almost crashed her vehicle.<br /><br /><em><strong>Stig Of The Dump </strong></em>also makes a couple of references to leopards, and in particular one specimen which Stig captures and skins in the local quarry. Barney finds the skin of the exotic cat in Stig’s den and one begins to wonder whether Barney has stepped into some ancient period or Stig has killed an animal that has escaped from a private collection. <br /><br />Interestingly there are several reports of large cats on the loose around Blue Bell Hill dating back to the 1500s. I saw a black leopard three times (twice in 2000 and once in 2008) near Blue Bell Hill, but interestingly the area where Stig would have killed his prey is the same area which once housed a local zoo. During the early part of the 1900s several children playing on the Downs reported seeing a black leopard. Some people believe it escaped from the zoo, then owned by Sir Tyrwhitt-Drake, although this was never proven. The children reported that the authorities came out, flushed the animal from the undergrowth and shot it dead. <br /><br />During the 1700s a large animal was said to have killed a rambler on the Pilgrim’s Way, an ancient track-way which runs through Blue Bell Hill. The ‘beast’ was also recorded by a local Reverend as being the size of a calf. Some believe the animal was a hellhound but I’m of the belief it was a large cat, misunderstood at the time and confined to superstition.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxb1xOULEaPg9QxDKttAEJ90Cr-SGqObHE-jz7I3jEEZJ3XHg2WMk9rFmJGDEtTFYjUaIr5c7wXXkN-7zbpQSSLdFIi2Sy2T8ELFnK95j9SxTinCZp_fLMdHnwJdA-IRRQo6qb94oLTNc5/s1600/nickandneil"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxb1xOULEaPg9QxDKttAEJ90Cr-SGqObHE-jz7I3jEEZJ3XHg2WMk9rFmJGDEtTFYjUaIr5c7wXXkN-7zbpQSSLdFIi2Sy2T8ELFnK95j9SxTinCZp_fLMdHnwJdA-IRRQo6qb94oLTNc5/s320/nickandneil" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553896816334622834" /></a><br /><br /><br /><strong>(Nick Redfern, left; Neil Arnold, right at the Weird Weekend gig, August 2009)</strong> <br /><br />A number of children’s programmes and books a few decades ago always hinted at some bizarre, psychedelic landscape of imagination, dream and eerie drama. I just wonder if Clive King knew of such local folklore and built the story around it, or by accident manifested some of the forms which have become embedded into local lore. Either way, <em><strong>Stig…</strong></em> is a magical story and a great place to start for any would-be adventurer and explorer, like I was all those years ago.Nick Redfernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07199813303416083671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506281296395130636.post-10049249762720294052010-12-22T05:45:00.000-08:002010-12-22T05:48:56.931-08:00Staffordshire Man-BeastsEngland's <strong>Stafford Post </strong>newspaper notes its Top 10 paranormal stories from the county of Staffordshire, which includes (A) the Man-Monkey of Ranton; (B) a mysterious Gorilla-like entity; (C) a werewolf; and (D) a strange, old tale from Chartley Castle where (as my <strong>Man-Monkey </strong>book reveals) a hairy man-beast was seen in 1986...<br /><br /><a href="http://icstafford.icnetwork.co.uk/news/localnews/tm_headline=spotlight-on-stafford-spooks-in-our-top-ten-of-local-haunts%26method=full%26objectid=27869223%26siteid=87875-name_page.html"><strong>Here's the complete article.</strong></a>Nick Redfernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07199813303416083671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506281296395130636.post-4423279387454633292010-12-21T07:09:00.000-08:002010-12-21T07:13:21.987-08:00True Giants!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGAkUItUzN3K89A2C5veGbQfU9Wmsmon0JCwAyhliYBl-spQ7SAo6TRbT6lVLpSwZvqCHLBTnL1y6PIGit8OrPzuWz1o-kYFGIlruD_9F4IMHK_T1yFK1NjAtjTPqAAqiHEORrrl3gH6q/s1600/True+Giants.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 208px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGAkUItUzN3K89A2C5veGbQfU9Wmsmon0JCwAyhliYBl-spQ7SAo6TRbT6lVLpSwZvqCHLBTnL1y6PIGit8OrPzuWz1o-kYFGIlruD_9F4IMHK_T1yFK1NjAtjTPqAAqiHEORrrl3gH6q/s320/True+Giants.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553152731086681074" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Over at my "<strong>Reviews</strong>" blog, you can find a new review from me on the brand new book from Mark A. Hall and Loren Coleman, <strong>True Giants: Is Gigantopithecus Still Alive?</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://forteanreviews.blogspot.com/2010/12/true-giants.html"><strong>Here's the link.</strong></a> If you're into accounts of the British Bigfoot, you'll definitely want to get a hold of this book (a Christmas present to yourself, perhaps!), as it covers such issues as Scotland's Big Gray Man of Ben MacDhui, and the Gray Man of Braeriach.Nick Redfernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07199813303416083671noreply@blogger.com0