(opens the full-size plate in a new tab) Snallygaster
Demonic Bird
A 1909 circulation stunt by the Middletown Valley Register, later admitted in print.
A heavily armored, demonic avian chimera with a metallic beak and tentacles whose myth was resurrected by newspapermen to exploit regional superstitions.
Etymology. Derived from the German 'Schneller Geist', meaning 'quick ghost'.
Anatomy. It is a demonic, bird-reptile chimera equipped with enormous wings, claws like steel hooks, and a long-pointed metallic bill lined with razor-sharp teeth. It possesses a bulletproof hide, a single eye in the center of its forehead, and octopus-like tentacles.
Ecology. An aerial predator patrolling the skies of Central Maryland and the Shenandoah regions of Virginia.
Behavior. It swoops silently from the sky to pick up and carry off its victims, historically rumored to suck their blood. It emits terrifying screeches that sound like a locomotive whistle, but can be repelled by seven-pointed stars painted on barns.
Mythology. Originating in the superstitions of 18th-century German immigrants, the monster achieved national fame in 1909. The flap was later revealed to be a sensationalistic hoax perpetrated by the 'Middletown Valley Register' to boost readership.