JPK Huson 1863
Brev. Brig. Gen'l
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2012
- Location
- Central Pennsylvania
... And Things Which Go Bump In The Night, Good Lord, Deliver us.
No, no religion here. Well, kinda. This prayer, attributed variously to Scots and Cornish roots has been around for awhile. Ghosts, ghoulies and long-legged beasties a-plenty rampaging around the country, someone had to help. Or not. One seems to have taken care of itself.
Supposedly ' Peasant's Litany ', from the 1500's, who knows if it is genuine- but we love it. Note the dragons? They've been pestering us for centuries. The last one met a sticky end somewhere on battle-scarred South Mountain, 90 odd years ago.
South Mountain's winged and vengeful " Snallygaster " has followings of historians and experts far more astute than I'll ever be. What caught my eye was this terrifying creature's association to the late disagreement between the states.
What or who is " Snallygaster "? Like everyone, he deserves a public hearing. Best explanation out there in my opinion is the witness who heard this half-dragon, quarter-winged dinosaur, two eighths alcoholic ( hang on ) state " ‘My I’m dry, I haven’t had a good drink since I was killed in the battle of Chickamauga!'” Snally is a Confederate soldier, killed in the retreat.
Although most flurries of activity tend to center around turn of the century reports and again, 20 years later, Snallygaster sightings lurk, like the monster, in hints through history dating from German settlers and the 1700's. It would mean some grand-gaster was the thirst soldier but we'll take it.
A less entertaining explanation on why a winged monster terrorized this region, especially at nightfall is that it was a means to keep a newly freed black population' in place'. And iew, but effective. It kept everyone else pinned too. We're very adept at a good over- reaction. We like our fear and if denied it, will go find something to worry about. Witness this scene somehow growing from an already far-fetched tale, ' Cinderella '. Beasties ' R ' Us.
Right? Where, in " Cinderella ", is this scene?
We've been credulous since... well, since. Barnum made a gazillion, gazillion bucks from the notion Snallygaster could swoop down on your baby and carry the poor dear thing off to a lair. LOVE this- a turn of the century, hysterical book illustration.
Scoffing at Barnum's exhibits- and another
An annoyed ' Tattooed Woman '.
Back to Snallygaster?
Best. Story. Ever, wait for it.
Post- yet another Snallygaster sighting, newspaper flurries of activity, dead cows and sheep and `Big Foot stories galore... this.
" Imagine our feeling when our eyes feasted on the monster submerged in the liquor vat "
Prohibition agents, scouring the mountains, came across a home brewery the size of New Jersey. Snallygaster, for reasons known only to itself- and perhaps because he had not had a drink since Chickamauga, had chosen this method of death-by-drowning in 100-proof mash.
Blown To Glory. OHHH my. Still laughing.
Stories are here, for the sake of brevity. This blog has links to most of the other sites with some good information. I did not include photos of the beast out of concern for copyright. The Potter series seems to have picked it up and you never know....
http://www.baltimoreorless.com/2013/10/beware-the-snallygaster/
But. Old legends persist. These tales from the mountains persist, some- who knows? Celtic lore is deep and made the trip over the Pond. Pookas came with it, who knows in what form?
From an 1880 book examining Celtic lore- not witches, the flying figures are pooka. Look out, and up.