The glawackus is one of the
fearsome critters
In North American folklore, fearsome critters were tall tale animals jokingly said to inhabit the wilderness in or around logging camps,Dorson, Richard M. ''Man and Beast in American Comic Legend.'' (Bloomington, IN: Indiana Univ. Press, 1982.) ...
, a group of legendary creatures in the folklore and traditions of
lumberjacks during the 19th and early 20th centuries in North America. The Glawackus is described as looking something between a
bear, a
panther
Panther may refer to:
Large cats
*Pantherinae, the cat subfamily that contains the genera ''Panthera'' and ''Neofelis''
**'' Panthera'', the cat genus that contains tigers, lions, jaguars and leopards.
*** Jaguar (''Panthera onca''), found in So ...
, and a
lion. The Glawackus is also known as the Northern Devil Cat. It is known for its fearsome screech that compares to the cackle of a
hyena. The creature is blind and uses its sense of smell as well as sound waves. Looking into the creature's eyes is said to wipe the victim's memory. It was seen in 1939 in
Glastonbury, Connecticut
Glastonbury ( ) is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, formally founded in 1693 and first settled in 1636. It was named after Glastonbury in Somerset, England. Glastonbury is on the banks of the Connecticut River, southeast ...
.
Sightings of the creature
Memories of
cryptozoologist
Cryptozoology is a pseudoscience and subculture that searches for and studies unknown, legendary, or extinct animals whose present existence is disputed or unsubstantiated, particularly those popular in folklore, such as Bigfoot, the Loch Ness ...
, from the Cape Codder:
Lowell Thomas, a radio network commentator, who was popular nationwide, reported the Glawackus had been named by a "Connecticut scientist."
A
safari was organized with two Ozark-trained hounds. The search came back empty-handed. The event, however, was memorialized in verse:
"Say did the fearless hunters, Pick up the beastly spoor, While trekking through the jungle, With steps alert and sure?"
References
* John Matthews, ''The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures''. 2005, Barnes and Noble Inc. NY
*
Jeff Belanger
Jeff Belanger (born August 8, 1974) is an American author who focuses on the paranormal. He hosts the Emmy-nominated series ''New England Legends'' and co-hosts, with Ray Auger, the New England Legends podcast. He is a writer and researcher for '' ...
Hunting Glastonbury’s Glawackus(2019)
Republican Newsroom, et al. "Son of 'Caveman,' Springfield Bookstore President Charlie Johnson Marks 90th Birthday." Masslive.com, Masslive.com, 2 Feb. 2018, www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2018/02/son_of_caveman_springfield_boo.html.
See also
*
Phantom cat
Phantom cats, also known as Alien Big Cats (ABCs), are large felids such as leopards, jaguars and cougars which allegedly appear in regions outside their indigenous range. Sightings, tracks and predation have been reported in a number of count ...
{{American tall tales
1939 in Connecticut
Glastonbury, Connecticut
Fearsome critters
Connecticut folklore
Mythological felines