Dora Esquivel's Blog: Ancient Bond: Masters and Servants, page 25

Swamp Monster Pt.1

The legend of the Swamp Monster is not as old as one would expect. When doing research on the monster itself, thinking mostly to be as old as Bigfoot, to my surprise the very first sighting of the half humanoid half leafy murky wet abominable monster took place in 1963 when a man and his friend were looking down from a plane on a swamp and discovered more than they anticipated.



The Birth of A Monster

It was on a hunting trip that Harlan Ford and his friend Bill Mills encountered what we have come to name the Honey Island Swamp Monster or most commonly the Swamp Monster. The story or maybe the legend goes a little something like this.

[image error]Swamp Aligator

While Harlan Ford and Bill Mills were on their way to a duck-hunting
trip, piloting above Honey Island, they both spotted a tall slimy creature who
fixed them right in the eyes for a short moment before disappearing in the
wilderness not to be seen again.

9 years later

When settling for their duck-hunt, the two friends might have
thought about the figure they saw until they quickly found bodies of boars
savagely killed with their throat slashed open along their path. Too far from
the water, alligators couldn’t have been responsible for the kills they were
witnessing and that alone, was enough to pick their curiosity about the monster
they saw near a decade ago, but at what cost.

When noticing a three-toed webbed footprint next to one of the boars, the two friends decided maybe their curiosity would lead them to trouble, and so they decide not to take their chances with the monster marauding around the swamp and left the Honey Swamp Island.

[image error]Swamp

Maybe it was too hard to resist or maybe too much determination that had them both return later in the night to the island to make a cast of the unique footprint. Ford’s description of the monster was enough to have the imagination of many artists and authors thriving with stories, but his words are those of a man who encountered a beast.

“It was nothing like I’ve ever seen before, ugly and sinister and looking like something out of a horror movie.”

Harlan Ford

What seemed to be the typical characteristics of the monster is the tallness of the creature itself which seems to be around seven and a half feet tall, and the appearance would give the idea of a four to five hundred pound creature.

While the appearance seems to almost be out of a horror movie, it seems as if the animalistic biped creature adapted to its surroundings if not initially from that area. Many believed witnesses described the Swamp Monster entirely covered in thick and long grey or brown hair intertwined with wild weeds probably from it spending days and nights walking around wet areas in the marshy wilderness. The eyes are reminiscent of one of a reptile, yellow and bright.

[image error]Swamp Cabin

For many creatures straight out of the imagination or folklore, a smell often follows the character and it is not different for the Swamp Monster that seems to be emanating a smell of death which I believe linked to all the creatures that it kills from livestock to wild boars. What is frightening about those local legends or maybe the truth is the link between the creature and the disappearance of children close to the Honey Swamp Island.

Legend says that the Swamp Monster was first born in the early
twentieth century when a train transporting circus animals was crossing the
state of Louisiana in the United States near the island and derailed. The
animals were able to escape into the swamp but sadly did not survive its harsh
environment for such creatures.

However, chimpanzees are believed to have survived and somehow interbred with the alligators which later on created a new breed of Swamp Monsters, though now revealed to be impossible for mammals and reptilians to interbreed, for a very long time that was the general belief and the beginning of the legend of the Swamp Monster.

The 8 mm Evidence

Following the death of Mr. Ford in 1980, the people who went into
his home to clean his belongings found somewhere a reel of eight-millimeter
film. Once played, to their surprise, the film shown the abominable creature he
had encountered with his friend.

When thinking about actual footage, it is easy to think it might be real. Then the reality settles in, and one could easily think it fake. Then again, knowing the year of filming, faking footage was a hard thing to do and that type of costume, no distinction between the neck and shoulders, not invented yet.

Credibility is hard to achieve in today’s world because of the technology that is now available to everyone. Folklore such as the Swamp Monster, Bigfoot, Jersey Devil, Windigo to name only a few, might be the last ones passed down to future generations because somehow we have moved away from passing down new stories and legends and our surroundings have changed, and yet, those creatures still excite our imagination.

The OCD Vampire,
Alexa Wayne

The Nickelavee

Hello fair travels and welcome to my side of fantasy and whim. I always look for things that fascinate me and for this article I am featuring a lesser known mythical creature.

While there are many creatures in the magical and mythical categories that have been more and more well-known throughout the years, there are many who are not as well known.

Not Just Unicorn and Dragons

For example, Unicorn and Dragons are almost instantly recognizable in their forms while you may not think of a Selkie or a Joint Snake. Those are two examples of creatures we do not see in most of the fantasy representations.

For this feature, I would like to introduce you to a creature that while some may know it, this was one I was not as familiar with and would love to share some of what I have learned.

[image error]

Our creature for this article is called a Nuckelavee, and it and its story belong to the Orkney Islands. This archipelago is in the Northern Isles of Scotland off the north coast of Great Britain.

What It Is

The Nuckelavee is said to be a creature of both land and sea but has one of the elements of many familiar sea demons in the fact that it cannot cross fresh water. The name Nuckelavee means “Devil of the Sea” and to hear the description is enough to give you nightmares, or inspiration, depends entirely on your perception of the creature.

According to an islander named Tammas, the only one to have given a first-hand account of meeting the beast and surviving,

“The Nuckelavee has a man’s torso attached to a horse’s back as if it were a rider. The male torso has no legs, but its arms can reach the ground from its position on top of the equine body, the legs of which have fin-like appendages. The torso has a large head – possibly as much as 3 feet (90 centimeters) in diameter – that rolls back and forth. It has two heads; the equine head has an enormous gaping mouth that exudes a smelly toxic vapor, and a single giant eye like a burning red flame.”

* One crucial detail is that the Nuckelavee has no skin, black blood courses through yellow veins, and the pale sinews and powerful muscles are visible as a pulsating mass.

So a skinless horse joined permanently with its also skinless rider. One that is also believed to have the power to abduct inhabitants and take them back to the sea as well as having the ability to breathe on crops to ruin them. Although the ability not to come on land when it rains, and the inability to cross fresh water is undoubtedly information to have on hand should you ever cross paths with such a creature.

The Unusual

This being is just one of many creatures from the world of myth and fantasy that is a hidden gem; I hope through the course of the discovery articles to share many other gems with you. What are some creatures from folklore that you feel are just not seen enough? Let us know in the comments below!

Footnote: Description of the beast came from here, Traill Dennison, Walter (1891), “Orkney Folklore, Sea Myths,” The Scottish Antiquary, or, Northern Notes and Queries, Edinburgh University Press, 5 (19): 130–133

Kendra Hale

Leatherface The Man

Who never watched one of the nine movie versions of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre? Well, I only watched the 1974 movie version and let me tell you when I stomached it back in 1982, it scared the hell out of me as it was creepy, violent, and so believable.

*** WARNING THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS MATURE AND GRAPHIC SUBJECT MATTER ***

It Was True Or Not

I was gullible back then and believed my friends when they told me it was a true story. As movie horrors connoisseurs, we have to wonder where these filmmakers get this type of terror-filled inspiration.

[image error]Ed Gein Farmhouse

Again, for the longest time, I thought the Texas Chainsaw Massacre came from a true story of a group of unfortunate young people who met their demise in the hot backwoods of Texas, but alas I was wrong, well sort of I guess. Let me explain.

Why Leatherface

Yes, there are plenty of real-life horror stories of missing and murdered women and men throughout the United States, never to be seen again, but the film and leather-face got its inspiration from a truly evil and sadistic murderer named Ed Gein, a farmer from Wisconsin.

The movie marketed “a true story” to attract a broader audience, and it worked. Many of us know whom leatherface is yet never heard of the man who inspired the story behind The Texas Chainsaw Massacre; real-life monster Ed Gein, known as the Butcher of Plainfield.

Ed Gein was the key inspiration for leatherface, but in what way? He engaged in necrophilia and cannibalism and murdered at least two women in the 1950s.

[image error]Ed Gein Leathers

Ed Gein turned human skin into pieces of furniture such as trash cans, aprons, chairs, lamp shades, and skull bedposts. It went as far as where a pair of lips were, in fact, a window shade drawstring.

He also made corset, leggings, masks, and dresses from the skin of women he dug from grave sites. He also kept women’s sexual organs and noses in a box and liked to dress up in their skins and face’s pretending to be his mother.

One of the most repulsive items found was a belt made from women’s nipples. Reports say that he would rob graves and choose corpses that were similar of age and appearance to his mother.

[image error]Ed Gein Leathers

Gein killed two women and suspected in the disappearance of four other people, in central Wisconsin, two men and two women, though none of the bones found around his farmhouse matched the missing four people.

Some say he killed many more, but he only confessed to the two murders. When the sheriff department walked into his farmhouse, they discovered the body of Bernice Worden decapitated and hanging upside down from her ankles.

Loosely Inspired

The filmmaker’s of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and the actor who played leatherface told many fans that the story is not real, but fans declined to believe them. Instead, they refused to accept that the movie is fake keeping the story alive of a cannibalistic family that lived and killed in Texas.

[image error]Ed Gein Leathers

It is a strange phenomenon when a movie, a fictional piece of untruth, is so ingrained in the public’s mind. It becomes a reality.

Ed Gein is the original leatherface. He was also the inspiration for Psycho‘s Norman Bates, Hannibal Lector, and Buffalo Bill of Silence of the Lambs.

Real-Life Horror

So, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is all made up, sorry folks, there was never a family of chainsaw killers and cannibals stalking and murdering young lost souls in the woods of Texas.

[image error]Ed Gein Leathers

There is no “Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” Real life is more horrifying than any Hollywood movie. Texas alone has many real-life killers such as The Phantom Killer, Dean Corll, “The Candyman,” The Servant Girl Annihilator, and The Killing Fields Murderer to name a few.

As they say, everything is bigger in Texas and so is the legend of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Dora Esquivel
Dora Esquivel Author Website

Happy Birthday Gothic Bite Magazine!

Gothic Bite Magazine went online last year in March of 2018. There is no exact date as it took us some time to adjust and time to figure things out. We changed the platform, make changes, quite a rocky road!



The Monster That Started It All

There is no secret here, I’m a Louisiana lover, and aside from vampires, I am crazy curious about the Swamp Monster. For that reason, I wanted to launch Gothic Bite Magazine on a monster I admired: the Swamp Monster!

All you need is a swamp, and we all know that Louisiana is not short of wetlands. Those creatures prefer the shadows and cover of nature where water is surrounding their territories.

[image error]Photo by Kostas Tapakarakis on Unsplash

People are usually after Bigfoot and its entire family. I was after what seemed even more creepy. We are talking about a creature born from the swamps walking its way through the wilderness trying to hide from people on their fan boats.

Remember The X-Files?

I don’t know if any of you used to watch The X-Files, but there were a few episodes that kept me wondering about the craziness this planet holds without our knowledge or only a few are aware.

I remember that particular episode that only aired once. All happened in one house, secluded from the town to one family. Many of those people looked different from others, deformed, disabled and beneath the bed, hidden… yes, now you remember!

[image error]Louisiana – New Orleans

Why am I mentioning this specific episode of The X-Files? Because the folklore surrounding the Swamp Monster, back in the day, had its origin story. We’re talking back when it was La Nouvelle-Orléans.

People said that those considered outcasts mostly little people and albinos, moved to an isolated town down a forest path and lived there. Through generations of inbreeding, created the Grunch creature, now known as the Swamp Monster.

GBM Birthday

It is an adventure to create something you love. It has its ups and downs. It has lovely pride and a few tears. After a year of setting up this webzine and print, I can happily say that we made it! One Year Old.

[image error]Buy Gothic Bite Magazine Issue 1 – Kindle Cover

Thank you to Kendra my #1, The James, Edward, Artemis, Dora, L.A., Temple, Paul, Nanye and wonderful authors that passed by, bloggers like Kat Valentine and artists, musicians and advertisers! Without Y’all, it wouldn’t be possible to make this a reality!

So, here’s to this year and many more to come!
The OCD Vampire,
Alexa Wayne

Evil Encounters

Ghosts aren’t the only ones crawling their way into our monitors anymore. We know that werewolves are coming if we listen to some testimonies from Terror In The Woods and even Paranormal Witness. Now, another creature is creep its way into our lives…



Summary

From innocent travelers to the woods who find themselves in a frightening clash with forces not of this world, to determined investigators who deliberately seek out mysterious beings that dwell in the hinterlands.

[image error]Evil Encounters

Evil Encounters delivers heart-stopping, terrifying tales of people out in nature who find themselves in the wrong place, at the wrong time, in places far from civilization where no one can hear you scream.

In The Forest

The episode starts with a man, Seth, his wife and nephew who invited their friend, John to tag along for a weekend in the woods for camping. John got along with Owen, his friend’s nephew and since he was in the military, he taught him how to build a fire in the middle of nowhere except they are running out of wood.

The friends realized they went off trail and deeper in the woods then they usually would. John wasn’t familiar with the forest and ran after Owen when he decided to get the wood needed to build a better fire. No matter how much he screamed, Owen would not respond and disappeared over the hill.

Not Welcome

In most cases, ghosts or Bigfoot, preys or predators, we are all born with territorial instincts and what Owen saw was no different. I believe, along with many parapsychologists, that paranormal creatures prefer the comfort of the woodlands and go as far away as possible from civilization to preserve their species and overcome extinction.

[image error]Evil Encounters

What was a camping weekend turned to a nightmare because those friends stepped into the territory of the one creature not many would be pleased to meet or confess to being right: VAMPIRE.

Not Real

Legends, myths, fire camp stories, old belief, impossible and not real: Those are all terms used when referring to the word vampire. However, now and after testimonies of werewolves’ encounters, vampires are surfacing. The thing is, no one benefits from lying about a vampire encounter.

[image error]Evil Encounters

Evil Encounters is a paranormal show that according to my findings is “real.” Why the quotations? Because it is only as real as the one remembering the encounter. The reenactment is only there to provide imagery of the memory and embellish the story, but what the person recollects is real to them.

Where?

Unlike other episodes and encounters from the series, the State remained secret. As far as I know, the place could even be in Canada as it often shares Canadian encounters as well. Why keep it a secret? I guess that many people would try to find the forest and the vampire.

Unless you are a paranormal researcher, do not seek out creatures you do not understand. They are hiding for a reason. They do not wish to be part of our world. Vampires, if real, are dangerous and ferocious.

[image error]Evil Encounters

Those are not Eric Northman or Bill Compton, despite Eric’s beauty I wouldn’t wish to meet him when hungry! Do not look for vampires. One would only find trouble.

Just watch Evil Encounters; it’s enough!
The OCD Vampire,
Alexa Wayne

Playing Around! Candy Skull Makeup

One of the things I have always loved about makeup is that there are so many ways to use it. Imagine in your head something that you wish to bring forward and try.

In my case I have a daughter who allows me to try new things; new techniques and she take what I do and tries to imagine herself as what I have created.

I cherish this bond with her, and for this one, I had taken advantage of last year’s Halloween clearance and bought a skeleton kit.

[image error]

I have been watching The Book Of Life and Coco a lot like the stories not only intrigue me, but they are movies we love to watch together. I have seen so many versions of candy skulls, and for this makeup, I wanted to bring some color.

My daughter loved it, and honestly, I was even surprised how it turned out, benefits of looking for the light I guess. Sometimes you get lucky. I do hope you guys get as much enjoyment out of these as we do, it makes our day each time we get to test ourselves and try out something new.

For March we have a pretty fun surprise with our Monster of the Month, not only that but this month marks the 1st anniversary of Gothic Bite Magazine itself, and I am honored to have been here from the start with Alexa and the rest of our Ghoul Family. Here is to many more adventures!

Kendra Hale

New Years 2019 Writing Schedule

Stories for 2019:
Many are shorts and some are continuation from other series.

I know there may be another new story or two sometime in November and December.
Hope you guys will join me in my writing adventures for 2019.

Ancient Blood: Masters and Servants---Book 2
Genre: Dark paranormal | Horror ---Publishes: 22 Jan 2019

Downfall Anthology
Genre:Superhero/Action/Adventure
Publishes--- February 2019(?)

The Grimoire Anthology
Genre: Dark Paranormal | Horror ---Publishes: March 5th, 2019

Criminal Delights: MM author collaboration
Hunters and Killers
Publishes in May 2019---Tentative
http://criminaldelights.com/…

Event Horizon Anthology
Genre: Science-Fiction---Publishes: June 4th, 2019.

Ancient Breed: Masters and Servants---Book 3
Genre: Dark paranormal | Horror ---Publishes:(July ??)

Echo Marines Series: Book 2
Genre: Science Fiction: Publishes (August??)

Roped In
Genre: Contemporary | BDSM | Cowboys
Publishes: September 2019(??)

LaSasha's Fairy Tale Anthology of Abdullah and the Merman.
Title: The Black Sea
Genre: Romance | Erotic | Paranormal | Fairy tale retelling
Publishes: Est Release date Oct 1, 2019

The Rose Black Asylum Anthology
Genre: Horror | Paranormal---Publishes: October 1st, 2019.