Alan (Phllippine Folklore)

The Alan are deformed spirits from the folklore of the Tinguian tribe of the Philippines. They have wings and can fly, and their fingers and toes point backward.
These weird creatures have been known to shelter human children who have been left to their own devices in the harsh, jungle terrain of the Philippine Islands. 

Supposedly hailing from the dense jungles of the Philippine Islands, this mysterious race of small, deformed half-human, half-avian creatures, are known for their mischievous antics. Locals claim that these beasts dwell in the deep shadow ridden abyss of the Philippine rain forests, where they spend the better part of their days hanging upside down from trees in a bat-like fashion.

Appearance:

The skin on the face of a " wizened old alan” is described in a Tinguian tale as having been tough like carabao hide. The alan’s long arms had fingers pointing back from the wrist, “horrible to look at.” Elsewhere, the alan are said to be: “. . . as large as people but have wings and can fly. Their toes are at the back of their feet and their fingers point backward from their wrists.”

Legend:

The Alan and the Hunters:

Two men once went to hunt wild pig in the mountains, and after some time they speared and killed one, but they had no fire over which to singe it.

One man climbed a tree to see if there was a fire near by, and discovering smoke at some distance, he started toward it. When he reached the place, he found that the fire was in the house of an Alan,  and he was very much afraid; but creeping up into the house, he found that the Alan and her baby were fast asleep.

He stepped on tip-toe, but nevertheless the Alan was awakened and called out:

“Epogow,  what do you want?”

“I should like to get some fire,” said the man, “for we have killed a wild pig.”

The Alan gave him the fire, and then taking her basket she went with him to the place where the pig was.

After they had singed the animal, the Alan cut it up with her long nails and handed the liver to the man, telling him to take it to her house to feed the baby.

The man started, and on the way he ate the liver. When he reached the Alan’s house he did not know what to do. For some time he looked around, and then seeing a large cauldron of hot water on the fire, he threw the baby into it and went back.

“Did the baby eat well?” asked the Alan.

“Very well,” said the man.

Then she put most of the meat into her basket and started home. As soon as she had gone, the man told his companion what he had done, and they were so frightened that they ran to hide.

When the Alan reached home and found the baby dead in the hot water, she was very angry and started back immediately to find the men, who, in the meantime, had climbed a high tree that stood near the water.

The Alan looked down into the water, and seeing the reflection of the men, she reached in her long hand with the fingers that pointed backward, but when she could not touch them, she looked up and saw them in the tall tree.

“How did you get up there?” she cried angrily.

“We climbed up feet first,” called down the men.

The Alan, determined to get them, caught hold of a vine and started up the tree feet first, but before she quite reached them, they cut the vine and she fell to the ground and was killed.

Then the men came down and went to the Alan’s house, where they found a jar full of beads and another of gold, and these they brought with them when they returned home.

The Man and the Alan:

A Tinguian was once walking along a trail in the woods when he heard a strange sound in a large tree near him, and looking up he was startled to see that it was the home of the Alan-spirits who live in the wood.

He stopped and gazed for a moment at the horrible creatures, large as people, hanging from the limbs of the tree with their heads down like bats. They had wings to fly, and their toes were at the back of their feet, while their long fingers, which pointed backward, were fastened at the wrist.

"Surely," thought the man, "these terrible beings will eat me if they can catch me. I will run away as fast as I can while they are asleep." He tried to run but he was too frightened, and after a few steps he fell face down on the ground.

At this the Alan began to wail loudly, for they saw him fall and believed him dead. They came down out of the tree with gold and beads which they laid on him.

After a while the man gathered courage and, jumping up, he cried as loudly as he could, "Go away!"

The Alan did not move, but they looked at him and said: "Give us the one bead nagaba [a peculiar bead of double effect], and you may have the rest." When the man refused to do this, they were angry and turned away, crying, "Then we are going to burn your house, for you are a bad man."

Thereupon the man went home as fast as he could go, but very soon after that his house burned, for the Alan kept their word.

And then...This Alan creature passed his legacy on to those that came forth and were worthy creatures of the gift. So, from generation to generation the Alan creatures can be seen.

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The Green-Clawed Beast

The Green Clawed Beast was an unseen underwater cryptid that is rumored to live in the Ohio River near Evansville, Indiana. 

On August 21, 1955, an unseen “claw-like hand” grabbed Mrs. Darwin Johnson and pulled her beneath the water. Her friend, Mrs. Chris Lamble, lay sunning herself on a nearby raft when she heard her friend yelp, and turned to see her pulled under.The hand released Johnson who swam to the surface only to be grabbed, and pulled under again. She kicked free and pulled herself onto the raft with the screaming Lamble. 

Appearance:

The creature was never seen, but it appeared to have clawed hands. In an interview, Mrs. Johnson also described the creature's palm as feeling "furry".

Chronology:

On August 21, 1955, in Godtown, Indiana, Mrs. Darwin Johnson had a terrifying encounter with what she claimed was a hideous creature beneath the surface of the Ohio River near Evansville, Indiana. While enjoying a leisurely swim only 4.5 meters from shore with a friend Johnson was suddenly clutched around the knee by a large, hairy, claw-like hand and started t drag her underwater. She managed to disengage herself, only to be grabbed again from behind. Mrs. Johnson struggled to disengage herself and head for safety. Mrs. Lamble could only stare in horror as her distraught friend was yanked beneath the surface of the river. 

Mrs. Lamble’s shrieks echoed down the shoreline as she helplessly watched her friend being pulled below the river’s murky surface once again. After resurfacing a second time, Mrs. Johnson lunged for Mrs. Lamble’s inner tube and the splash of her impact apparently scared her beastly assailant away.Once back on shore, Mrs. Johnson was treated for multiple contusions on her leg, at which point it was discovered that she bore a green, palm-print shaped stain. The stain could not be removed for several days.

As if that experience wasn’t strange enough, a few days later, Mrs. Johnson and her husband were visited at their home by a person claiming to be a Air Force colonel who questioned her extensively about the incident in the river. Before leaving, he warned the couple not to talk about the matter.

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Loveland Frog Creature

These amphibious anomalies have shocked and terrified both business men, farmers and police officers and remains one of the most intriguing cryptozoological mystery in the United States.

One of the most intriguing cases is that of the Loveland Frogmen. The story of these unique creatures begins in May of 1955, on a lonely stretch of road that runs along the Little Miami River in Clermont County, just on the outskirts of a small town known as Loveland, Ohio.

Loveland, Ohio can best be described as a sleepy, pocket suburb in the hills north of Cincinnati.  Nestled along the Little Miami River, Loveland is a community that straddles three counties and is home to a true enigma of the aquatic realm.  Loveland, Ohio is home to the legendary Loveland Frogmen.

Appearance:

A Loveland Frog is said to be roughly three to four feet in height, weighing 50 to 75 pounds, and having greenish, leathery skin. They are also described as having frog faces, with large eyes and mouths, as well as walking on two legs. By some estimates, this puts them at the size of a large dog or a small person.

They are also sometimes said to have deep wrinkles on their heads where hair would be on a person.

Chronology:

The legend of the Loveland Frogmen begins in the early summer of 1955.  The exact date is a matter of speculation, but most reports place it sometime in May.  Like any good legend involving monsters, this encounter is typically told in three similar, but slightly different versions.The first states that at approximately 3:30 a.m., an unnamed business man claimed to have witnessed three, bipedal, quasi-reptilian entities congregating by the side of the road. The man pulled his car to the curb and observed these creatures for what he estimated to be about three minutes.

During this time he noticed that these strange beings stood between 3 and 4-feet tall, were covered with leathery skin, and had webbed hands and feet. Their most distinguishing characteristic, however, was their distinctly “frog-like” heads, which the man claimed bore deep wrinkles where there hair should have been.

Just as the man was about to steal away, one of the creatures suddenly held what the witness could only describe as a “wand” above its head. The anonymous source further claimed that sparks spewed out of the end of this device. Needless to say, he left posthaste.

As this first account does not give an exact location or road, it is difficult to confirm which specific bridge the reports are meant to describe. The tale is further complicated by local information that puts the man entering or leaving Branch Hill (a community bordering the southern end of Loveland).  It is worth noting that most of the side roads leading to and from Loveland, specifically the bridge areas, are not well lit

At about 1:00 am., on March 3, 1972 — nearly 17 years after the first report — a police officer (who understandably chose to remain anonymous) was traveling along Riverside Road heading towards Loveland when he saw something that would forever change his life.

The officer claimed that he was driving slowly, due to the substantial amount of ice on the road, when he saw what looked like a dog by the curb. 

Suddenly, the animal darted in front of the cruiser, forcing the officer to slam on the brakes in order to avoid a potential collision with the creature. Once the police cruiser came to a halt, its headlights fell upon the prone creature; at this point the officer describes something that seems literally too bizarre to be true.

In the span of seconds this crouched, frog-like creature, stood on two legs, stared back at the police man, then scrambled over the guard rail and scurried down the embankment, finally disappearing into the Little Miami River.

The officer in question described the creature as being 3 to 4-feet tall and weighing in the area of 50 to 75 pounds. He also claimed that its skin had a leathery texture and that the animal’s features resembled those of a frog or lizard. Another officer investigated the scene later that evening. He saw no sign of the creature, but reported that there were distinct “scratch” marks on the guard rail where the animal purportedly crossed.

The second sighting occurred two weeks later while police officer Mark Mathews had an encounter of his own. According to the report officer Mathews, while driving into Loveland, spotted what he believed to be an injured animal lying on the pavement. Mathews climbed out of his cruiser with the intention of removing the carcass from the already ice slicked road, when the creature abruptly lurched upwards into a “crouched” position.

Taken aback by the Frog Man’s Reptilian visage, Mathews unholstered his revolver and took a shot at the creature, which then proceeded to hobble over to the side of the road and step over the guardrail — all the while keeping a watchful eye on the trigger-happy officer. Mathews’ “Frogman” matched the first officer’s description down to the last detail, with the exception of a tail, which was absent in earlier reports.

In the years following these events, Officer Mathews ended up recanting somewhat on his tale. He now claims that the animal in question was nothing more than a large reptile, which likely escaped from its owner. He further insists that the only reason he shot at the creature was to help confirm a fellow officer’s story — a story which was, of course, being met with predictable skepticism by their superiors.
Whether or not Mathews’ change of heart was inspired by ridicule or the fading memory of an event from which he was 30-years removed, the fact remains that his own testimony counter indicates his later retraction.

Other sightings of the Loveland Frog came from area farmers. One spotted a large reptilian creature with large circular eyes. Its skin was a pale greenish-grey and its huge mouth was filled with sharp pointy teeth. Luckily, the creature didn’t attack the farmer, but quietly slipped away, heading back toward the waters’ edge from whence it came.

Another recent encounter comes from a woman who claims she was attacked by a reptilian creature while swimming in the Ohio River near Evansville, Indiana. The frogman grabbed her by the legs and dragged her deep under the water. The panicked swimmer managed to kick herself free from the monster with help from a bystander who witnessed her distress. The attack left behind tears and scratches, as well as an unusual green palm print that stained her leg for days.

It is vital to note that the tales of the Loveland Frogmen did not truly originate in 1955.  The Native American population was familiar with a creature, or species of creatures, they call Shawnahooc (River Demon).  The creature was described as being a large reptile that could walk on two legs.  The creature lived specifically along the banks of the Little Miami River.  It is said that this creature threatened the indigenous tribes until they sent their greatest warriors to confront the demon.  After the fray was decided, the Shawnahooc is said to have gone into hiding.  When the Native Americans were driven from the territory by encroaching settlers, the Shawnahooc is claimed to have returned to the river banks.  This particular aquatic legend is attributed to both the Shawnee and the Twightwee tribes.

Although there have been no confirmed sightings of the Loveland Frogmen in almost 40-years, the  Ohio River — and it’s tributaries like the Little Miami and Licking Rivers — remain some of the most prolific cryptozoological “hotspots” in the continental United States

The Loveland frogs continue to be sighted at irregular intervals along the Ohio River and the Little Miami River. They got their moniker from the town of Loveland, Ohio, near most of the sightings. Today cryptozoologists have little interest in these creatures. After all, they sound absurd, just like most humanoids that are not some kind of Bigfoot or a closely related hairy humanoid.id.

The tales of the Loveland Frogmen have been the subject of countless campfire stories that echo the banks of the Little Miami River.  Whether cryptid, alien, or hybrid, the Loveland Frogmen has captured the collective psyche of the Ohio River Valley.  Some dismiss the creature as something too imaginative to be real.  Others insist that the dark river banks hold secrets few are willing to accept.  Regardless, when stalking through the dank mud of the Little Miami, even those with a rationally skeptical mind will find themselves peering over their shoulder on occasion.

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The Snallygaster

While we have all heard of Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster and the Chupacabra, many more regional and rare cryptids exist that few ever hear of. One of these is the Snallygaster of Maryland, particularly found in the hills of the Washington and Fredrick counties.

Descriptions of the beast vary, but in general, it is described as a reptilian bird with hooks on the ends of its feet, a massive beak (possibly made of metal) lined with sharp teeth.It is reported as having claws, but it is also reported as having hooves.At times it has tentacles.It resembles a flying octopus. The noise it makes has been likened to that of a locomotive whistle.

The Snallygaster has one widely known enemy, called Dewayo. The Dewayo is reported to be a mammalian biped with features similar to a wolf, but the stance and stature of a human. The sightings of Dewayo are primarily reported in West Middletown, Maryland, but sightings have also been reported in the Wolfsville, Maryland region. The Dewayo and the Snallygaster have reportedly had vicious encounters dating back to early settlement of the Middletown valley.

The word Snallygaster has its origins in the German phrase "Schneller geist," meaning quick spirit.The area around Middletown Valley was no stranger to strange happenings.Rumors of a beast that would swoop in silently and steal children and chickens pervaded the area from as soon as the first white settlers arrived in the area.There are early references to ghosties and ghoulies that could be the Snallygaster throughout Frederick's history. The documented Snallygaster, however, is a twentieth-century beast. 

The first newspaper article about the Snallygaster appeared in 1909 in the Middletown Valley Register. A smattering of articles appeared during that time. The Snallygaster then went dormant in this area until 1932, when a series of sightings were again reported in the Middletown paper. Some speculate that the second monster was the offspring of the first that had been reported to have been laying eggs. In fact, some men were reported to have found one and tried to incubate it.

The First report of the Snallygaster came from a man named James Harding who saw the creature flying low overhead.  He described the Snallygaster as a huge winged monster with a long sharp beak, claws like steel hooks, and having one eye in the middle of its head.  The monster’s screech he described as “as loud as a train whistle”.

Reports would continue for several months with only one reported fatality. Bill Gifferson was a black man and is said to have been snatched up by the monster, who flew to a nearby hill, pierced his neck and sucked out his blood.  While it dined it flapped its wings and when satisfied, dropped his corpse down the hill.

Sightings of the Snallygaster were creating such a commotion that at one point it was reported that President Theodore Roosevelt might postpone a trip to Europe so that he could lead an expedition to capture it.

Apparently, the Smithsonian Institute was also interested in the beast. From the description provided by engineer 83, at Shepherdstown, West Virginia, they determined the strange beast was either a bovalopus or a Snallygaster, since it had the characteristics of both. Further, its hide was so rare that it was worth $100,000 a square foot, as it was the only substance known to man that could polish punkle shells.

The Snallygaster's travels throughout Maryland are not limited to Frederick County.  It has been seen not only in neighboring Carroll and Washington Counties, cut as far away as Baltimore and Cecil Counties. 

Some accounts place Snallygaster activity in Ohio and West Virginia, communities that have migrant patterns out of Western Maryland. Coincidence - or an illustration of cultural traditions?

While people may have seen less of the Snallygaster as the twentieth century progressed, it was still very much in the minds of Frederick Countians. In the late 1940s, for example, a Thurmont algebra teacher would threaten his less studious charges with the beast.  He also threw erasers at them. It is unclear which threat was more successful.

The Snallygaster finally met his end in a way some might envy. The creature was flying near Frog Hollow in Washington County when it was attracted by the aroma of a 2500-gallon vat of moonshine. As the beast flew overhead, it was overcome by the fumes and dropped into the boiling mash. A short time later, revenue agents George Dansforth and Charles Cushwa arrived on the scene. They had received information about the still, but were rather startled at the sight of the dead monster in the vat.

The two agents exploded five hundred pounds of dynamite under the still, destroying the remains of the Snallygaster and John Barleycorn’s workshop.

A great deal has been written about the Snallygaster since 1909. It has appeared in countless articles in the Middletown Valley Register, Frederick News Post, and other area newspapers. Is has also appeared in the Baltimore Sun, National Geographic, and Time Magazine.

Information about the Snallygaster can be found in several books on Maryland legends.  There is a Snallygaster chapter in both "Spirits of Frederick" (1992) and "Weird Maryland" (2006). The definitive history of the Snallygaster tale was recently published by local researcher Patrick Boyton in "The Snallygaster: The Lost Legend of Frederick County."  

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The Fouke Monster

The forests, sparsely populated regions and the Ozark Hills of Arkansas have long made for many mysteries and the strange creatures of the state are no exception. There have been a number of anomalous creatures who have appeared throughout the state over the years.

The "Fouke Monster" - or "Boggy Creek Monster" as it is sometimes referred to - is a Sasquatch-like creature said to haunt the network of creeks extending from the Sulphur River Bottoms in southern Arkansas to the small town of Fouke.It is also known as Southern Sasquatch.Over the years, the creature has been seen by countless people, including respected citizens, experienced hunters, famous musicians, and even a police officer. It has inspired several movies, most notably The Legend of Boggy Creek, which became a drive-in sensation netting nearly $25 million during its run.

Appearance:

Various reports between 1971 and 1974 described the creature as being a large hominid-like creature covered in long dark hair, which was estimated to be about 7 feet (2 m) tall with a weight of 300–500 pounds. Witnesses said that its chest was about 3 feet (1 m) wide.Later reports, published during the early 1980s, claimed that it was far larger, with one report describing it as 10 feet (3 m) tall, with an estimated weight of 800 pounds (360 kg).It has also been reported that the creature's body is covered with dark brown or black hairs.

Some accounts describe the Fouke Monster as running swiftly with a galloping gait and swinging its arms in a fashion similar to a monkey.Reports also describe it as having a terrible odor, the odor being described as a combination of a skunk and a wet dog, and as having bright red eyes about the size of silver dollars.

A variety of tracks and claw marks have been discovered which are claimed to belong to the creature. One set of foot prints reportedly measured 17 inches (43 cm) in length and 7 inches (18 cm) wide, while another appeared to show that the creature only had three toes.

Chronology:

Prior to the 20th-century reports, several reports in the general area have been tied to the Fouke Monster. The two most widely circulated reports focus on an 1851 report in the Memphis Enquirer, and an 1856 report in the Caddo Gazette.

 The first reported sightings of the "Boggy Creek" monster were in 1946, and it was seen again in 1965. But it was an alleged attack on a farmhouse near the Fouke community in 1971 that brought state and national attention to the region south of Texarkana.

Shaggy-haired, stinky and well over six-feet tall, the creature allegedly clawed its way through a screened window before the men of the house chased the creature back into the woods. Law enforcement officers were called and investigated the scene, taking casts of some strange footprints. Soon after the lawmen departed, the beast returned and was met with gunfire from the homeowners, according to reports.

In 1972, Texarkana native Charles B. Pierce produced a low-budget movie called "The Legend of Boggy Creek," which assured a place in folklore history for the Fouke Arkansas Monster. The pseudo-documentary film became a cult hit and reportedly grossed $22 million in ticket sales, mostly at drive-in theaters.

Many people believe that sighting reports of the creature stopped in the mid-1970s after the movie mayhem died down. However, the sighting reports did not halt, nor did they truly start in 1971. Sightings of a large, hairy mysterious creature in the Fouke area date back to the early 1900s and continue right up until today.

Conclusion:

The Beast of Boggy Creek will always be a stand-out among America's spooky legends due to his movie fame, continued popularity, and modern sightings. The creature is often mentioned on television documentaries including Monsters and Mysteries in America, Finding Bigfoot, Mysteries at the Museum, MonsterQuest, Lost Tapes, and Weird Travels.

If you visit Fouke, Arkansas, just remember to keep an eye on the woods just as the sun begins to set. You never know when you just might see the legendary Beast of Boggy Creek!

Source: http://www.foukemonster.net/

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Lampong

The lampong is an Ilonggot gnome disguised as a one-eyed white deer.Its true appearance is a humanoid creature two feet tall.It wears a tall, black, two-peaked cap. It is bright-eyed and long-bearded. It lives in the forest shepherding wild beasts, risking its life to save them. It beckons men who shoot at these beasts. If someone tries to shoot at it, the first five tries will be without success, giving it time to escape, at least. But when it does get hit, it turns into a Duwende, which by then will give it powers to inflict vengeance.When wounded it retaliates by inflicting a fatal illness to the hunter. Once a hunter was out one night hunting with his bright light in the forest as he came across Two brilliant eyes that showed up and he shot between them but when he search for the animal believe to be a deer Nothing was found. Few minutes he saw the bright eyes again so he shot again and again but never hit the animal until the the sixth time he glimpsed the light fur of a white deer Then immediately it changed form and the hunter saw standing there, a little duwende about two feet high. It had on only a tall two-peaked black cup and a long white beard reaching to the knees. Its eyes were very brilliant. It stood there beckoning to the hunter but just then the rest of the hunting party walk up and saw the duwende. So frightened they ran scream and cried out: “It is the Lampong,” and ran away.

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Paja Tomic (Vampire)

Although most Europeans stopped taking vampires seriously by the 20th century, belief in the creatures persisted in some rural areas. In the Bosnian village of Tupanari, for example, in 1923, a case of vampiric manifestation happened in Bosnia. The story started on the death of a village peasant named Paja Tomic on April 9. 1923 (Some says that it was May 1923, but the date May 1923 is the day that the case was published in the local newspaper but based on the book of Alan Dundes  The Vampires: A casebook the incident happened on April 9, 1923).  Soon after his death, his wife named Cvija was alarmed about the sightings of her husband during the night.  She claimed that her husband appeared on random guests and scares the occupants.  She also said that her husband has turned into a vampire.  Some villagers immediately believed her claims but some of them disregarded it.  But when her sons Krsto and Stevo told them that they also have an eerie experience with the vampire, the villagers started to grown weary.

The two siblings called the attention of the town and asked them on what measures they should take in order to repel this evil creature. Finally, they made the conclusion that this vampire should be destroyed.  The two siblings together with some of the town members storm to the cemetery to hunt the vampire.  They exhumed the body of Paja Tomic and struck the corpse with a stake made up of Hawthorn, which they believe has a magical element that strongly opposed the undead element.  They also burned the body of Tomic and dispersed the ashes.  The remaining bones were returned into the grave.

The incident was picked up by a local newspaper. According to the report published on May 23 of 1923:

“…an old peasant Paja Tomic…died…the 9th of April this year.  Shortly after his death, his wife Cvija began to complain that her dead husband had begun to return nights as a ghost and that he ran throughout the house scaring the inhabitants.  There are some who believe Cvija and some who did not, though she has unceasingly asserted that her husband is a vampire and that he returns every night.  Thus things went on for a whole month and then, it is said, her sons also became aware that there was a vampire in the house.            Stevo and Krsto Tomic, the sons of the deceased man, called the whole village to a discussion of what could be done about their father who had become a vampire.  All of the peasants were in agreement that the vampire must be destroyed.  They decided that they must dig up the corpse, burn it and disperse the ashes.  The decision was put into action.  The peasants, armed with pickaxes and shovels, went to the cemetery.  Some carried wood for the fire and one prepared a pointed hawthorn pole.  The peasant crowd, led by the sons of the deceased Paja, arrived at the cemetery.  The corpse was dug up, it was pierced by the hawthorn pole and thrown onto the stakes.  After the body was burned, they dispersed its ashes, and those few charred bones which remained were thrown back into the grave…”

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Yacumama

The world is filled with secrets. Many of them it does not give up easily. Empires have risen and empires have fallen in the midst of mysteries-riddles that remained unsolved through the centuries.

One such mystery has haunted the darker, steamier regions of the fabled land of the Amazon.The Amazon, a dark, forbidding river sluggishly twisting its way through Brazil and eight other South American countries. It is a river second in size only to the mighty Nile and it is so wide that no bridge passes over it.

As far back as the Aztecs, legends have been spoken about the monster snakes. The Aztecs of central Mexico made it one of their most powerful gods: Quetzalcoatl.

Quetzalcoatl tasting human flesh.

In the centuries that followed, the indigenous people of the Amazon often spoke of the Yacumama—the snake of the water. The Yacumama is a giant anaconda-like snake that has been frightening Brazilians for many years. This immensely strong serpent, capable of sucking up everything around it, has the power to cause mudslides and general chaos. European and American herpetologists shrugged off the talk as myths or as references to the great aquatic boa, the anaconda.

According to the indigenous peoples, other giant snakes inhabit the Amazon's shadowy realm too: the Sachamama and the Minhocão, a snake that some Amazon natives believe can alter the land as they pass through.

Despite the herpetologists' belief, the natives were not speaking of big anaconda by different names. They spoke of true monsters-leviathans so huge that the anaconda would be small in comparison. The snakes the natives sometimes spoke of in fear and awe over village campfires and the safety of their homes—measured 120, sometimes 160 feet long. The heads of these mammoth creatures were said to reach 6 feet wide. They can bring down their prey with explosive jets of water, toppling trees in their passage and change the course of minor tributaries.

During the year 1906, the world-famous explorer Major Percy H. Fawcett claimed of encountering a gigantic anaconda while traveling up the Amazon River. A report from Percy H. Fawcett reads: 

 “We stepped ashore and approached the reptile with caution. It was out of action, but shivers ran up and down the body like puffs of the wind on a mountain tarn. As far as it was possible to measure, a length of 45 feet lay out of the water, and 17 feet in it, making a total length of 62 feet.....such large specimens as this may not be common, but the trails in the swamps reach a width of six feet and support the statements of Indians and rubber pickers that the anaconda sometimes reaches an incredible size, altogether dwarfing the one shot by me. The Brazilian Boundary Commission told me of one killed in the Rio Paraguay exceeding 80 feet in length!"

Major Fawcett was inspired by tales of giant anacondas (Picture based in part on a photograph published in the newspaper of Pernambuco, January 24, 1948.)

However, they were far from convinced academic professionals and herpetologists. The monstrous snakes just seemed to be something obviously crazy. As the dispute continued for another century until two brothers, Mike and Greg Warner, mounted an expedition in the jungles of the Amazon looking for evidence of monstrous snakes. The expedition was inconclusive, although recorded mammoth trails giant snake and took testimonies of natives who claimed to have seen the Yacumama.

Mike Warner spoke to hundreds of indigenous and workers who had encounters with Yacumama. He researched thousands more. He noted that certain native tribes of both African and Native near the Amazon River in South America describe an enormous snake "takes water with it." Although the first expedition could not find the elusive Yacumama, the brothers were undeterred. After two new fundraising, they mounted another expedition to the Amazon.

During the second expedition, Warner succeeded in finding and photographing areas where Yacumama lives, gaps are formed near rivers, their trenches (some almost 2 meters wide) and photographing some of the giant snakes, not Yacumama but just as impressive. In fact, their findings are so credible that the National Geographic Society expressed serious interest in the brothers' research and findings.

What they found tallied with the reports of previous witnesses. Through the years, many sightings have included descriptions Yacumama snake with horns sprouting from his head. This peculiar feature, mentioned in many reports of independent observers along the Amazon, has led Warner to the hypothesis that Yacumama could be a prehistoric version of modern day caecilians.Most of the roughly 50 species of caecilians that have been rated have a groove along both sides of the head containing retractable tentacles. To the untrained observer, they may appear as horns. According to Mike Warner, "The exact species of this creature is unknown but we believe that the physical characteristics and behavior are a snake - or amphibians - similarly to a caecilian behavior. " - An amphibious snake-like creature.

A snake photographed in Brazil with a length of 35 meters, 75 cm wide and 4 tons.

Most of the witnesses who have sighted one Yacumama have not spent much time studying the creature -. Been generally passed over it by accident and then gave swing and ran for their lives. Warner's research led him to discover that seeks Yacumama prey near the regions where two rivers merge into one, called "confluence". He determined that those areas provide the colossal predators a steady supply of food. He hypothesizes that this capacity may have one or more of the following purposes:

1. The stunning prey or tear down trees in its path. The Yacumama allegedly swallows water and throws his prey like a water cannon. 
2. while "takes water with it" you may use this water pressure to sustain its skeletal structure, while moving through the jungle . . 
3 You can also use water as an instrument of burrow - like a worm does on the ground, therefore, has some similarity to a Gymnophiona features. The Indians of the Peruvian Amazon witness a loud noise that can be heard when the Yacumama this game during the rainy season.

All sightings of these giant snakes have similar descriptions. Warner believes that the snakes that the natives call the Sachamama - mother earth - are the same as the Yacumama snakes. Have grown so large that they have become virtually immobile and therefore no longer feed on prey caught in the water. He extrapolates this hypothesis: "At this point we can release pheromones to attract snakes of the same species and so eat them This process can even restrict the population of this species in a given area.."

Perhaps Yacumama are real.They can even be a previously undiscovered species. They are also, without a doubt, some of the most dangerous and terrifying predators in the animal kingdom.

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2,000-year-old pre-Aztec ancient palace complex found in Mexico

A palace complex believed to be the home and business center for the ruler of an ancient empire dating back to over 2,000 years has been discovered in Mexico. The palace has been dated to approximately 2,100 to 2,300 years ago, a time before the Aztecs, researchers said.

The palace is well preserved and covered about 2,790 square meters. The construction techniques used by the builders suggest the building was designed ahead of time and that it was likely a single construction effort that would have taken a lot of organization, researchers said.

Its large size demonstrated that the ruler had a lot of manpower at his disposal. The researchers also note that personal details are still evident in some parts of the palace, such as the cistern for collecting rainwater in the residential quarters and the drain carved into stone to bring in fresh water and remove waste.

The civilization that existed in Oaxaca is believed to be among the earliest states to come into existence in Mesoamerica. Researchers Elsa Redmond and Charles Spencer of American Museum of Natural History suggest that their findings at the palace site backs up that theory.

The Oaxaca Valley near the southern tip of Mexico has been offering up clues of past civilizations for several decades – a team has been working at the El Palenque site in particular since 1993, ‘Phys.org’ reported.

The El Palenque palace exhibits certain architectural and organizational features similar to the royal palaces of much later Mesoamerican states described by Colonial-period sources, researchers said. The royal palace was multi-functional and had courts and buildings for government officials to conduct state affairs as well as residential quarters for the rulers, according to the paper which is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It also had a staircase, dining area and space to perform sacrifices. There are even personal details in parts of the palace such as a cistern for collecting rainwater and a stone drain to bring in fresh water and remove waste.  

Using radiocarbon dates, researchers found that the palace was built in a single construction effort during 300-100BC. 

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