Is Bigfoot a Myth

Many people who first hear about the Bigfoot legend often ask, "Is Bigfoot a myth?" Read on for the answer, and learn more about the history of the amazing legend of Bigfoot.

For centuries, people have been reporting sightings of large, hairy humanoid creatures roaming some of the more remote wilderness areas of North America. Bigfoot sightings have been a controversy for many years, mostly because even sightings by reputable sources such as hunters or rangers are not supported by solid evidence. This leads many observers to question whether the creatures could be misidentified bears. Although questionable evidence exists, no one has yet to capture the creature itself.

Myths are stories that are typically shared by some group, such as a tribe, a small community, a city or even a large country. Along with legends and traditions, myths form part of that group's identity. The literal, dictionary definition of the noun "myth" is a story, sometimes based on true events, that serves as a lesson about people, customs, ideals and even the overall psychology of a particular society.

It may actually make sense to attach the word "myth" to the Bigfoot legend. Although the word "myth" often has a negative connotation, in this case the description is only suitable because sightings are reported around the world, and throughout many different cultures. If there were a unique, undiscovered species of creature living in the hills of the western United States, it would stand to reason that such sightings would only occur only within a specific area. Much like ghost sightings, Bigfoot sightings occur around the world. They are usually reported under various names such as Yeti or Sasquatch. They have been seen in Massachusetts, Tennessee, the Pacific Northwest, California and all across the world including Canada, Russia, China and Australia. Either this is a case where these creatures exist undetected all across the world, or Bigfoot represents a cultural and social archetype. Without substantial evidence, Bigfoot could be what one could call a modern day myth. The real question is whether or not the stories are actually based on a small gem of truth and supported by evidence.

The difficulty with labeling the phenomenon of Bigfoot sightings as a cultural myth is that even ancient tribes handed down tales through the generations detailing their own sightings of legendary creatures. Such creatures are also reported in connection to the practice of Native American witchcraft. In fact, the terms "Bigfoot" and "Sasquatch" were used in news articles written in the 1920s by J.W. Burns, a schoolteacher at the Chehalis Indian reservation. He used these terms to refer to the creatures that were sighted in Canada.

1800s: Within the United States, these creatures have been reported ever since explorers and colonists first arrived. The first recorded sighting was in 1811 when fur trader David Thompson reported discovering large, strange footprints in the snow. Over 70 years later, another sighting was reported in 1884 by a train crew in Victoria, British Columbia who spotted the animal and reported it to the Daily Colonist newspaper. The crew reported seeing a "gorilla-type, standing four-feet, seven-inches in height and weighing 127 pounds". The creature was described as appearing human-like, but covered with long black hair from head to toe and capable of breaking very large tree limbs.

1900s: In 1924, another major sighting was reported by Albert Ostman, a Canadian lumberjack. However, the story became surreal as Albert reported being abducted by a family of the creatures and held for a week until he escaped. The same year, a group of miners claimed that they shot and killed one of the creatures. They said that afterwards, an entire group of the creatures attacked their cabin with rocks and pounded on the building. The world of Sasquatch sightings was silent again until 1958 when excavator Jerry Crew claimed that he found large footprints at a job site in California. The impressive thing about this case was that Jerry made a plaster-cast of the footprint. The picture of the cast was printed by the local paper, and it made the worldwide news. Finally in 1967, Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin allegedly recorded the famous Bigfoot video at Bluff Creek in northern California.

One of the organizations that approach the Bigfoot issue more scientifically is the Bigfoot field Researchers Organization (BFRO). This organization tracks sightings throughout North America. The organization provides the public with a sighting report form, and the website database contains hundreds of recorded sightings from around North America. The organization also offers articles and research advice such as "How to Collect Evidence".

Those who believe that Bigfoot is a real species of creature point to the following evidence to support that belief.

• Ancient Native American artifacts including stone heads and masks
• Tribal legends about man-like animals
• Plaster casts of abnormally large Sasquatch footprints up to three feet in length
• Handprints taken from sightings
• Alleged fingerprints
• A full lower-body cast, collected in 2000 by BFRO using bait over a large run-off puddle
• Hair and blood samples
• Audio and video evidence

Unfortunately, in every case where evidence has been found or a claim is made, skeptics successfully discount the evidence as unsatisfactory and inconclusive. Hoaxes are often also very common, and make it extremely difficult for cryptozoologists to conduct serious research.

So, is bigfoot a myth? The controversy is not likely to be resolved until a major and startling discovery is made. Even though video, photo and forensic evidence has been captured by researchers through the years, nothing short of an actual body of a Sasquatch is likely to convince a highly skeptical public.

• Signs of Paranormal Activity
• Chupacabra Images
• Top Scary Places to Visit
• Test Psychic Skills
• Past Life Quiz

• Survey:Psychic Ability Quiz
• Survey:Past Life Quiz
• 10 Most Haunted Places in America
• Haunted Insane Asylum Stories
• Really Scary Ghost Story

• Popular Myths and Urban Legends
• Navajo Witchcraft
• History of Halloween
• Bigfoot Found
• Bigfoot Photos