The Sasquatch: Bigger is Better June 23, 2015
Author: Beach Combing | in : Contemporary, Modern , trackback
There is a natural and very understandable human tendency to see a terrifying four-foot dog and describe it, honestly, to your neighbour as a terrifying six-foot dog. This is well known, of course, and may be behind the extraordinarily long lengths given to some snakes, a previous subject of this blog. However, there is another human tendency, that is less understood, namely the tendency for a community of story-tellers (and we are all story-tellers) to slowly turn a six-foot savage dog into a sixty foot shark-toothed extra for Jurassic Park. Beach came across a phenomenon of this kind while recently looking through references to the Sasquatch in British Columbia (Canada). Consider this little crescendo of sightings.
In 1888 ‘Jacko’ a strange wild gorilla was found (or not found there are very credible allegations that he was a newspaper hoax). Sasquatch enthusiasts claim him as the first recorded contact with a local sasquatch tribe. Height? Four feet seven inches.
In 1905 some Mowglis were seen (hairy humanoids who came out of a cave, love the name) in Cumberland B.C. Height? ‘more than six feet in height’.
In 1906 there was a report of a Mowgli near Comox (on Vancouver Island). Height? ‘nearly seven feet tall’.
In 1924 Albert Ostman claimed that he had been taken prisoner by sasquatches. Height? An Indian informant had told Albert that one had been seen that was ‘over eight feet tall’. [might have got this wrong but can’t see any estimate from Ostman’s alleged experience]
In 1934 an article came out that described the Sasquatch. Height? ‘Nine feet tall’.
In 1934 an article on Sasquatch in BC came out in Nevada (?!). Height? ‘six and seven feet tall’
In 1935 a general article was published in Indiana on the BC sasquatch. Height? ‘nine feet tall.’
In 1940 an article was published in Manitoba on the BC sasquatch. Height? ‘nearly eight feet tall’.
In 1941 an article was published in California on the BC sasquatch. Height ‘at least 14 feet tall’.
In 1942 an article was published in Alabama on the BC sasquatch. Height ’10 feet tall’.
There are two obvious conclusions here. First, the BC sasquatch was evolving into a giant. Second, story-tellers have some very unfortunate tendencies. Any views? Drbeachcombing At yahoo DOT com Note that as the sasquatch became fully paid up members of the crypto-zoological community post 1958, when the Big Foot craze began, their height has hovered around eight feet.
Sorry somehow yesterday’s post didn’t go up. Mussolini doesn’t roll the dice.
This exercise was made possible by Chad Arment’s endlessly interesting Historical Bigfoot, which splits sightings into States for the US and provinces for Canada.
