The Legend of Bigfoot: Leaving His Mark on the World

by Tammy Ayers, Melissa Ayers

Overview

Bigfoot. Sasquatch. Skunk Ape. He's everywhere. The most well-known cryptid in American history, Bigfoot is as feared as he is loved. The subject of thousands of stories, this creature has been pegged as a monster terrorizing the woods, a supernatural entity stealthily living among us with an otherworldly agenda, or simply an animal trying to live a life of seclusion. With various theories and beliefs abounding, research and discussion have become a hobby for many, and even an occupation for some. In The Legend of Bigfoot: Leaving His Mark on the World, T. S. Mart and Mel Cabre reveal the myths, personal stories, and pop culture surrounding the legendary icon. Featuring more than 80 images recreating the Bigfoot's appearance from firsthand accounts and folktales, The Legend of Bigfoot showcases the many faces of the creature. Included are the Boston Bahumagosh, which is said to weigh up to 400 pounds, stand up to 10 feet tall, and terrorize the Boston area; the Honey Island Swamp Monster—also known as the Louisiana Wookie—who roams the Louisiana swamps with yellow or red eyes; and the Wendigo, placed between 7 and 15 feet tall with long, yellow fangs and yellow-tinted skin. Half phantom, half beast, the Wendigo lives in the forest and dates back to the earliest Native American legends. Featuring legends, culture, and history from across the globe, The Legend of Bigfoot brings the famed cryptid to life in this entertaining and accessible guide.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781684351398
Publisher:	Indiana University Press (Ips)
Publication date:	10/13/2020
Pages:	216
Sales rank:	619,279
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

T. S. Mart specializes in writing true-to-life stories, showcasing ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. Her short story "Delivering Hope" won first place in a national competition and appeared in a bestselling anthology. With a background in social work, T. S. makes her home in a small Midwestern town, writing to inspire and entertain. Mel Cabre has a passion for designing creatures, cryptids, and monsters. She learned this by closely studying the world around her and teaching herself animal and human anatomy. Constantly looking for inspiration in nature keeps Mel's imagination alive. She is newly married to a man who rolls with all of her wacky thought processes and loves cats as much as she does. This mother-daughter team co-owns and maintains the website Cryptid World where they regularly post content about various cryptids. They are based in Greenville, Ohio.

Read an Excerpt

Bigfoot has captured America's attention, seeping into the cultural veins of our society. Over the years, the creature has morphed into a phenomenon because he is many things at once: a vulnerable animal, a supernatural wonder, a paranormal entity, a monster, a toy, a superhero, an intriguing creation.
He is a cultural icon.
But what is he really?
Is Bigfoot an animal, created in the same way as other animals, driven by an instinctual need for survival? A warm-blooded creation who potentially migrated across the Bering Strait and then across North America? Or, is Bigfoot a supernatural force, created with abilities far superior to humans? Perhaps, he exists in an unusual manner as a paranormal entity, sent from another place by a means humans haven't fully come to understand.
Maybe the beast is a figment in our mind, a monster born out of a fear living deep within our psyche—a product of our imaginations we hold onto for various reasons.
As we explore each possibility with an open mind and a sense of wonder, the goal is not to prove or disprove Bigfoot's existence, or to discredit one belief for another, but to enjoy the experience as we examine evidence and apply critical thinking (debate) that allows every reader to ask questions and draw conclusions. Everything that is not a fact is an interpretation grounded in biased opinion. And that's okay, too, as long as we understand our biases and the purpose they serve.
We'll be referring to Bigfoot as "he" throughout the text. Except where obvious, the pronoun is not meant to imply certain characteristics or traits exclusive to that gender. Frankly, no one knows the distinctions between a male and female Bigfoot.
Bigfoot as an Animal
There is a certain amount of documentation—yet no definitive proof—suggesting Bigfoot is a bipedal primate that lives in the remote areas across North America and other parts of the world. Some call this the Undiscovered Ape Theory.
Investigation confirms people confuse him with bears and other wildlife. Most of the observational evidence belongs to footprints and other casted body parts. Hair and scat samples have been tested and point to a creature that has not been scientifically identified. Do these belong to a Bigfoot? No one knows, but we can speculate.
While referring to Bigfoot as an animal, we'll keep in mind the major differences between humans and other animals. This will allow us to explore Bigfoot behaviors and apply the typical boundaries that exist.
Humans are capable of complex reasoning with a limitless variety of thoughts and words used in language. We can solve difficult problems using abstract thought, and we have the ability to self-reflect, analyzing data that helps in decision making.
If Bigfoot is an animal, then there are several characteristics and behavioral patterns we can assume based on all other animals.
Animals serve a purpose within the ecosystem
Animals depend on an ecosystem to survive. Since we find Bigfoot all over world, like humans, he would possess the ability to adapt within different biomes or habitats. The most prominent would be the Boreal forests and mountains of the Pacific Northwest and the temperate forest and grasslands of the Northeast, Midwest, Southern Appalachia, and the Deep South since these are the locations one might most likely see a Bigfoot in North America.
With no available data defining Bigfoot's behavioral patterns within a habitat, we can only speculate at his role in the ecological community based on scattered evidence. If scat (feces) found by researchers belongs to a Bigfoot and not some other animal or human, then evidence suggests he eats plants and berries. Other detailed encounters show that Bigfoot eats fish and livestock (See the Ruby Creek incident in section four). Based on these and other findings, we can assume that like a grizzly bear or cougar, Bigfoot is an apex predator who helps control the population of deer, elk, and other small mammals while also helping to propagate nature by dropping seeds in his scat and embedding them into the ground with his large feet.
Animals act on instinct
Animal instinct is a fixed, unlearned pattern of behavior that occurs in response to a stimulus or motivational need. If Bigfoot is an animal possessing instinct, then his fight-or-flight intuition might account for his adeptness at hiding and running from potential danger.
Instinct also drives communication. Animals use four methods to communicate: visual, auditory, tactile, and chemical.
Visual pertains to an animal's physical appearance. The dilation of a cat's eyes, the quirky dance of flamingos, and the grand display of antlers on a moose all send messages to those nearby. While no one has seen a Bigfoot dance, he has shown off a larger-than-life appearance to those who have seen him, and some researchers feel the stick structures and ground glyphs found within the regions of Bigfoot sightings represent a form of communication.
Stick structures are an arrangement of trees and sticks that nature could not have produced. When they occur in areas where other Bigfoot evidence is found, some researchers think they might represent a form of communication. Common structures include: Broken trees, twisted until they expose wood fibers on the inside; asterisks made up of multiple sticks of equal size or length arranged in a pattern; arches and loops of all sizes; and walking sticks where several sticks are strategically placed or propped against a tree. The scientists also believe ground glyphs—sticks made into symbols—could be intended to impress a mate or offer clues to their location, a territorial marker.

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction

1. What Is Bigfoot?
2. Who's Who Among Bigfoot
3. History and Legends
4. Bigfoot Culture
5. Facts of Fiction
6. Bigfoot around the World

Bigfoot Culture Timeline
Notes
Chronological List of References
Index

What People are Saying About This

Laura Krantz

"A tour-de-foot, er, force! If you want to delve into the history, science, lore, and culture of Bigfoot, this book is for you. Mart and Cabre walk us through the world of Sasquatch, from Native American legends, to storied Bigfoot hunters, to modern-day pop culture fascination. This book will keep the mystery and fun of Bigfoot alive and leave readers wondering, "Maybe?"

Devin Shepherd]]>

The Legend of Bigfoot is the definitive starter book for all the Bigfoot Enthusiasts who aspire to make the leap to Bigfoot Expert. Through this narrative, we learn how closely Bigfoot is tied to our own cultural identity and how the mystery of this great cryptid could help us uncover the secrets of humankind. Through the history of Bigfoot, we learn what it means to be human.

Laura Krantz]]>

A tour-de-foot, er, force! If you want to delve into the history, science, lore, and culture of Bigfoot, this book is for you. Mart and Cabre walk us through the world of Sasquatch, from Native American legends, to storied Bigfoot hunters, to modern-day pop culture fascination. This book will keep the mystery and fun of Bigfoot alive and leave readers wondering, "Maybe?"

Devin Shepherd

" The Legend of Bigfoot is the definitive starter book for all the Bigfoot Enthusiasts who inspire to make the leap to Bigfoot Expert. Through this narrative, we learn how closely Bigfoot is tied to our own cultural identity and how the mystery of this great cryptid could help us uncover the secrets of humankind. Through the history of Bigfoot, we learn what it means to be human."

Editorial Reviews

"The Legend of Bigfoot is the definitive starter book for all the Bigfoot Enthusiasts who aspire to make the leap to Bigfoot Expert. Through this narrative, we learn how closely Bigfoot is tied to our own cultural identity and how the mystery of this great cryptid could help us uncover the secrets of humankind. Through the history of Bigfoot, we learn what it means to be human."—Devin Shepherd, Director, Wild Obscura Films and Cryptids Podcast

"A tour-de-foot, er, force! If you want to delve into the history, science, lore, and culture of Bigfoot, this book is for you. Mart and Cabre walk us through the world of Sasquatch, from Native American legends, to storied Bigfoot hunters, to modern-day pop culture fascination. This book will keep the mystery and fun of Bigfoot alive and leave readers wondering, "Maybe?"—Laura Krantz, host of the Wild Thing podcast

"A "cryptid" is a mythological beast with an origin in folklore, but no real basis in scientific fact. However, for those who believe, these creatures are all too real. In "The Legend of Bigfoot: Leaving His Mark On the World", by mother and daughter authors T. S. Mart and Mel Cabre, the most storied cryptid of all is given a well-researched overview—complete with illustrations by author Mel Cabre. Bigfoot—or call him Sasquatch, Yeti, Abominable Snowman, or any of his various other names—has been sighted in many different settings and iconized in numerous cultures around the world. Whether looked at as an animal, a supernatural being, or a paranormal entity, his is a fabled presence—one not so easy to dismiss due to its prevalence. The authors themselves state that the legendary lore of Bigfoot "evolved over decades amid a variety of unusual factors—personal encounters, hoaxes and cover-ups, a deep enjoyment of the idea, and curiosity". I found "The Legend of Bigfoot" to be a detailed, fascinating, and enjoyable read."—Virginia Campbell, Booked Solid With Virginia C

From the Publisher

A "cryptid" is a mythological beast with an origin in folklore, but no real basis in scientific fact. However, for those who believe, these creatures are all too real. In "The Legend of Bigfoot: Leaving His Mark On the World", by mother and daughter authors T. S. Mart and Mel Cabre, the most storied cryptid of all is given a well-researched overview—complete with illustrations by author Mel Cabre. Bigfoot—or call him Sasquatch, Yeti, Abominable Snowman, or any of his various other names—has been sighted in many different settings and iconized in numerous cultures around the world. Whether looked at as an animal, a supernatural being, or a paranormal entity, his is a fabled presence—one not so easy to dismiss due to its prevalence. The authors themselves state that the legendary lore of Bigfoot "evolved over decades amid a variety of unusual factors—personal encounters, hoaxes and cover-ups, a deep enjoyment of the idea, and curiosity". I found "The Legend of Bigfoot" to be a detailed, fascinating, and enjoyable read.

Booked Solid With Virginia C - Virginia Campbell