Is Truth Stranger Than Fiction? Myths & Legends

Winds Of Change

Is truth stranger than fiction? In this episode we decided YES, it is! We explored some of the very interesting myths and legends from Wyoming’s great history. We talked about Big Nose George, Devils Tower, cow-tipping and the "little people." Our very interesting narrative is from John Mionczynski, well known biologist, and naturalist. John tells his story of his encounter with Sasquatch, or “Bigfoot” while camping alone in the Wind River Mountains. John Mionczynski started on his journey to learn more about the creature known as Sasquatch, or “Bigfoot” and shares what he has learned over the years with other researchers. Over the decades since, he has searched for further evidence of a large primate inhabiting the forests of western North America, particularly in the Wyoming Wind River Range. John Mionczynski is well-known in Lander and Atlantic City, and his research is interesting and thought-provoking. He is a researcher of big horn sheep and grizzly bears, and medicinal plants expert. Listen to his story and decide for yourself!

Big Nose George The phrase “walk a mile in my shoes” takes on chilling connotations when the shoes are made of human skin. And although the creation of such a pair sounds so gruesome as to be unbelievable, the shoes exist and are displayed at the Carbon County Museum in Rawlins, Wyo., where additional items reveal more of the story of the mysterious outlaw Big Nose George Parrott.

Rawlins physician John Osborne had the shoes made from Parrott’s skin after his March 22, 1881, lynching and wore them to his 1893 inaugural as Wyoming’s governor. Osborne later served as a director in the Rawlins National Bank and displayed the shoes in a glass case in the front lobby there.

Devils Tower There are numerous stories about the Tower passed down through American Indian culture. Although popular culture would label them myths or legends, a more appropriate term would be oral histories, or in many cases sacred narratives. These stories helped to connect people with the Tower site. Sacred narratives are told today with a reverence to the beliefs and people of the past. Devils Tower, Americas first national monument is an unusual natural landmark, a climbers paradise and a sacred site for Native Americans. The name is misleading, however, because legend has it that the mountain is not the home of the devil, but a refuge from a bear.

"Legend of Bigfoot"

The legends of Bigfoot go back beyond recorded history and cover the world. In North America – and particularly the Northwest – you can hear tales of seven-foot-tall hairy men stalking the woods, occasionally scaring campers, lumberjacks, hikers and the like.

Bigfoot is known by many titles with many different cultures although the name Bigfoot is generally attributed to the mountainous Western region of North America. The common name Sasquatch comes from the Salish Sasquits, while the Algonquin of the north-central region of the continent refer to a Witiko or Wendigo. Other nations tell of a large creature much like a man but imbued with special powers and characteristics. The Ojibway of the Northern Plains believed the Rugaru appeared in times of danger and other nations agreed that the hairy apparition was a messenger of warning, telling man to change his ways.

Bigfoot: Is the Sasquatch real?

Bigfoot, or Sasquatch, is a giant ape-like creature that some people believe roams North America. It is a cryptid (opens in new tab) (or species rumored to exist)and just like the Chupacabra or Loch Ness monster(opens in new tab), there's scant physical evidence to suggest Bigfoot is actually out there. But that doesn't stop alleged sightings of the ape that never shows its face or Bigfoot buffs from trying to prove there's life in the legend.

Most Bigfoot sightings occur in the Northwest, where the creature can be linked to Indigenous myths and legends. The word Sasquatch is derived from Sasq’ets, a word from the Halq’emeylem language used by some Salish First Nations peoples in southwestern British Columbia, according to the Oregon Encyclopedia(opens in new tab). It means "wild man" or "hairy man."

Here are more Wyoming Myths and Legends Resources for you to explore!

Wyoming Urban Legends

Haunted Places of Wyoming

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