(PCM) Many of you have probably heard about the legendary Mothman, a mysterious half bird, half man looking creature that is said to haunt the woods near the area of Point Pleasant, West Virginia in the late 1960’s. The first mention of the Mothman was published in the Point Pleasant Register in November of 1966, where the story claims that a couple driving in the area spotted a “man-sized bird … creature … something”. Later on national press picked up on the couples account and the nickname “Mothman” was coined.
All throughout the year of 1967 there were numerous reports of people spotting the Mothman and claiming that eerie or supernatural events took place along with the sightings. One particular incident, the collapse of Silver Bridge, in particularly tied into Mothman lore. The collapse of the bridge killed 46 people with 2 victims never being located. Investigation of the wreckage pointed to the cause of the collapse being the failure of a single eyebar in a suspension chain, however others feel that an alleged sighting of the Mothman is what may have led the bridge to collapse. It is rumored that after the bridge collapse incident the Mothman was never seen again.
The lore of the Mothman was brought further into the realm of pop culture when author Gray Barker published his book “The Silver Bridge” in 1970 which attempted to tie the bridge collapse to the Mothman. Another book, “The Mothman Prophecies” was published by author John Keel five years later, which was later adapted into the 2002 film by the same name starring actor Richard Gere.
More than 100 people had come forward throughout the year of 1967, all with similar accounts of their encounter with the Mothman creature. They all described a large flying man with a tremendous wing span and glowing red eyes. Many skeptics have tried to chalk up the sighting to various animals that are native to the region such as snow owls or a sandhill crane, however the witness all stand behind their claims that the Mothman was its’ on entity entirely and could not be confused for another type of animal.
Some people wholeheartedly believe that the Mothman was sent as a sign to foretell of impending danger or doom, while others believe that the Mothman itself is the harbinger of doom and gloom. The Mothman’s existence is definitely a mystery.
Now the town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia celebrates the Mothman and have even dedicated a festival to it which began back in 2002 with the unveiling of a 12ft metallic statue of the creature, created by artist and sculptor Bob Roach. The Festival is a weekend-long event held on the 3rd weekend of every September. There is a variety of events that go on during the festival such as guest speakers, vendor exhibits, a mothman pancake eating contest, and hayride tours focusing on the notable areas of Point Pleasant. There has even been a Mothman Museum and Research center that opened up in 2005, which proves that even to this very day people are still incredibly fascinated with this illusive creature.
