Bigfoot

“Hairy hominid” sightings date back to the 3rd and 4th centuries, at least. Probably older. Perhaps they began with sightings of other ancient humanoid species, which were still clinging to survival before ultimately becoming extinct. Or maybe, something is still out there.

Either way, tales of a hairy, bipedal creature that has humanoid characteristics are possibly most famously embodied in the legends of Bigfoot from the USA.

Interestingly, there is no “first recorded sighting” for this creature. No one incident kicked it off. Instead, it has been part of the oral history of Native American people for centuries, and in written and oral accounts from European settlers since the 1800s.

In the USA, the monster stands between 7-9 feet tall (2.1-2.7m) and is either evasive of any contact, or outright aggressive, depending on who is telling the story. After the Patterson-Gimlin film from 1967 became famous, their image of the creature became the most recognisable archetype.

But did you know that Bigfoot isn’t the only version of hairy hominid that exists in the world? In fact, nearly every country has a similar legend, ranging from the little, 1m “teh-lma” from the Himalayas to the 9m (yes, meters, not feet) monster “True Giants” of northern America.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to work too many of them into my books… yet. But I’m still writing, so there’s still time! If you’d like to see one pop up, send me a message and let me know!