July: In July of 1973, a strange creature was seen in the TNT area of Point Pleasant, West Virginia. The area is infamous as the lair of the Mothman, but this creature was different. It was described as white, thick and wingless, with shaggy hair. This seems to match the description of a Devil Dog, a monster of West Virginia folklore.
Strange sightings are not uncommon in West Virginia, there seems to be an abundance of strange or unexplained creatures. One of these creatures has so many sightings and so many variations, you wonder if it’s a new species or dedicated hoax.
These are the White Things of West Virginia.
Also known as White Devils or Devil Dogs, White Things are described as strange creatures with shaggy white fur. Some are described of having red eyes and large fangs, some of them walk on two legs while others on four, and some are described as having more than four limbs. It’s said that they sound like a woman screaming. They’re also described as being very aggressive, but for some peculiar reason when they attack humans they don’t injure them. Victims described feeling the teeth rip them apart but later when checking they’re fine. Victims also report never being able to fight back, bullets don’t work and their fists just go through air. The only known weakness is that White Things refuse to go into cemeteries.
One creature I’ve written about is typically considered a type of White Thing, the Sheepsquatch.
The Sheepsquatch is said to be covered in shaggy white fur, and makes a screaming noise. It has attempted to attack people before, but most of the time it runs away. Other differences include that it has horns, distinct hands and claws, and apparently smells really bad.
The first sighting was in 1929, when a man decided to take a shortcut through the woods on his way home from work. It was the middle of the night and all was well, until the man was confronted by a terrifying creature. It was shaped like a large dog, it was covered in long white fur with a big bushy tail, and it had a large gaping mouth filled with sharp teeth. The creature launched itself at the man, he threw a lunch pail he was holding but it just went through the creature. The man ran but the creature soon slammed into him, biting and scratching at him. The man tried to shove and punch at the creature but his hands just went through like it was made of air. Eventually the man continued running even though the beast kept attacking, he ended up running near a cemetery. As soon as he fell near the place the creature disappeared. Strangely enough the man checked himself and found no cuts or bites.
The second sighting was in the late 1970s, a group of men were out hunting when they heard a sound like someone was screaming in anguish. Suddenly a white creature burst out from the bushes and tackled a man. The man tried to fight the creature, and ended up rolling down a hill trying to get it off. When his friends found him he was on the ground crying, saying that the beast ripped out his guts. When the men checked their friend there wasn’t a scratch on him.
One woman wrote that she was driving with her husband one night, they were in an area with no lights or houses. She looked forward and noticed a large white creature in the middle of the road. It was on all fours, but when they got closer it stood up and opened a very large mouth to reveal sharp teeth. It then ran into the woods.
One person said they were walking in the woods near their home when they saw a white furred creature the size of a bear. The person quickly crouched down, they watched the creature for a few minutes before trying to get back to their house. The creature immediately noticed, stood up, and ran off. The person described the creature as being nothing like any known animal.
One woman spotted a white thing more similar to a sasquatch. She was house-sitting in a house deep in the woods. She was reading at night when all of a sudden she heard a commotion on the back porch. She decided to check it out and look through the window, and was met by red eyes glaring at her. The woman ran into the living room and turned off all the lights, she hid behind a chair and prayed for the creature to go away. Unfortunately the creature decided to slam its palms on the window and scream. At one point the screaming stopped and the woman peeked around the chair to investigate, there stood a 5 foot creature covered in white shaggy hair, staring right at her. It turned around and started messing with things on the porch again, though at one point it started slamming on the door and messing with the doorknob. Eventually she heard it jump off the porch and then complete silence. The woman ran up the stairs and hid, but nothing else happened that night.
There have also been a good amount of these creatures attacking livestock. People have reported seeing these creatures ripping open goats, pigs, and even horses.
There aren’t many theories as to what these things are. Some people they come from native American culture, and are a warning of when someone is about to die. Some people they’re just albino wildlife that are scaring people. Others believe it could possibly be an entire new species.
Though whether or not the White Things of West Virginia are merely albino bears or a strange new species is up for you to decide!
