This week on Creatures Unknown, we take you to the rolling hills of Maryland, where a terrifying creature once haunted the skies: the Snallygaster. Originating in the 18th century, this cryptid was said to terrorize early settlers in Frederick County, swooping down at night to snatch away its victims. Sightings spiked in the early 1900s, with reports flooding local newspapers, and rumors even claiming President Theodore Roosevelt wanted to hunt the beast himself. But was the Snallygaster real, or simply a product of folklore and newspaper hoaxes? Join us as we explore the legend, from its roots in German tales of the “Schneller Geist” to its modern-day presence in pop culture, and delve into the truth behind this winged terror of Maryland.
Sources
Haunted Maryland: The Monsters Lurking in Frederick County.
The American Snallygaster Museum
“The United States of Cryptids” by J.W. Ocker
Music attributions
Bent and Broken (intro)
"Bent and Broken" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Awkward Meeting (outro)
"Awkward Meeting" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
