The mythical veneration of the goat can be found in many cultures, especially those that were closely associated with pastoralism. The goat or goat was associated with deities such as Hera (in Greek mythology wife and sister of Zeus, the supreme Olympic goddess), Dionysus (in Greek mythology, the god of the fruitful forces of the earth, vegetation and winemaking), Aphrodite (in Greek mythology, the goddess of love and beauty), Agni (in Vedic and Hindu mythology, the god of fire, hearth, sacrificial fire), Varuna (in ancient Indian mythology, a god associated with cosmic waters, the guardian of truth and justice, one of greatest gods Indian pantheon), Indra (in ancient Indian mythology, the god of thunder and lightning), Marduk (the central deity of the Babylonian pantheon, main god city ​​of Babylon), Tammuz (a number of peoples of Western Asia have a deity with clearly expressed features of the god of fertility), Ningirsu (in Sumerian mythology deity of the circle of gods of the city of Lagash) and others.

The personification of one or another deity by a goat was very common in the myths of antiquity. So, for example, Pan (in Greek mythology, the deity of herds, forests and fields) was invariably depicted by Greek sculptors and artists with the muzzle and legs of a goat. Satyrs (in Greek mythology, fertility demons who, together with the Silenians, make up the retinue of Dionysus) were depicted with pointed goat ears, and in other cases with protruding horns and a tail. Sometimes these deities were simply called goats, and the actors who acted as these gods dressed in goat skins. In the same attire, ancient artists depicted Silenus (in Greek mythology, demons of fertility, the embodiment of the elemental forces of nature). And regarding Faun, the Italian counterpart of the Greek Pans and Satyrs, it is known that he was half a goat, or rather, a goat-footed and goat-horned man.

There are also counterparts of these goat-shaped spirits in the myths of the peoples of Northern Europe. For example, to the Russians their forest spirits - goblins (from the word forest) - appear in human form, but with goat horns, ears and legs.

In myths, the goat was usually associated with aggressiveness, and most often with sexual aggressiveness. Hence the veneration of it as a symbol of fertility, as well as its connection with the deities personifying these qualities - the Lithuanian Perkunas (god of thunder, lightning, storm), Slavic Perun (god of thunder and lightning), Scandinavian Thor(the god of thunder, storms and fertility, the divine hero who protects gods and people from giants and terrible monsters), Prussian Pushkaits (a deity associated with the earth), Greek Pan (the deity of herds, forests and fields) and so on. Moreover, according to the chariot myths, some of the above gods were drawn by goats.

The mythological connection of a goat or goat with fertility is also reflected in one popular saying: “Where a goat walks, there it will give birth, and where a goat kicks, there will be a crop.”

Among the ancient Celts, in myths the goat was also considered a symbol of fertility. Therefore, the goat was often depicted next to the Roman-Celtic god Mercury.

Naturally, being associated with fertility, the goat could not help but become a phallic symbol, which in turn entailed the personification of courage, masculinity, bravery, and agility (the goat’s ability to run fast and climb the highest peaks).

But it must be said that in some traditions, along with aspects of fertility, there is also a motif of the uselessness and unsuitability of a goat, sometimes a goat (cf. the expressions: “like a goat has no wool or milk”, “milking a goat”). The goat was considered dubious, in a sense even “unclean,” that is, not a sacred animal. But, nevertheless, the goat or goat was one of the most common sacrificial animals that were sacrificed to the gods in many traditions, from Greek to Slavic.

The god of vegetation and winemaking, Dionysus, also took the form of a goat. One of his nicknames was "Little Goat." In Athens there was a cult of Dionysus, “who wears the skin of a black goat.” There was a legend that God owed this name to the fact that he once appeared in a similar skin.

In Greek culture, sacrificing a goat to Dionysus is very common. Legend says that in order to save the boy Dionysus from the wrath of Hera, Zeus turned him into a kid, and when the gods fled to Egypt from the wrath of Typhon, Dionysus turned into a goat. Therefore, tearing a live goat into pieces and eating its meat raw, the cult participants must have experienced the feeling that they were feeding on the flesh and blood of a god.

The motive for sacrificing a goat or goat is reflected, for example, in the fairy tale about Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka; the killing of a goat is depicted as a kind of sacrifice - “the fires are burning flammable, the cauldrons are boiling, they are sharpening damask knives, they want to slaughter the goat.”

The goat was an indispensable character in carol and Maslenitsa rituals of the Slavs. On the holiday dedicated to the end of the harvest, peasants, as a rule, left several unharvested ears of rye on the field, tying them into a bunch, and placed a loaf of bread next to it, while singing in chorus: “A goat sits on the boundary, marveling at the beard.”

In some places there was also a ban on eating goat meat.

Sometimes certain mythological attributes of various deities, especially thunder deities, are correlated with the goat. So, for example, the aegis (“goatskin”) (according to Homer, the aegis is a shield made by Hephaestus for Zeus) is an attribute of Zeus, Athena (in Greek mythology, the goddess of wisdom and just war), and sometimes Apollo. Later it was believed that the aegis was the skin of the Amalthea goat, stretched over a shield (some researchers see here a memory of ancient custom protect left hand goatskin).

From the middle. 6th century BC e. The aegis shield made of goatskin becomes a permanent attribute of Athena. Every year on the Acropolis a goat was sacrificed to Athena, the skin of which was placed as an aegis on the statue of the goddess. And over time, the goat also becomes a symbol of the cloud that hid the lightning of Zeus.

The image of a goat is also associated with astronomical and temporal symbolism. So, for example, Capricorn, as one of the signs of the Zodiac, is associated with the goat in the Chinese and some other animal calendars.

In Minoan myths, the goat appears as the god of the waning year, in contrast to the ram as the god of the waxing year.

Often the goat also acts as the personification of the spirit of bread. For example, in the Vesoul region (Haute-Saône department), while squeezing the remaining ears of grain, residents say: “We are holding the cat by the tail.” And when the ears of corn sway in the wind, residents of many areas of Prussia say: “It’s the goats chasing each other,” “It’s the wind that drives the goats through the grain,” “It’s the goats grazing in the grain.” In such cases, they count on an excellent harvest.

In other cases they say: “In a field of oats sits an Oat goat,” “In a field of grain sits a Rye goat.” Children are warned not to go into the field to collect cornflowers or bean pods, because there is a Rye, Wheat, Oat or Bean goat lurking there who will drag them away and kill them.

In East Prussia, local peasants rush to bind sheaves of oats, “so that they are not gored by the Bread Goat.”

In some villages there was a tradition of sticking two horns into the last sheaf and giving it the nickname “Horned Goat.”

There is a belief that the spirit of bread, captured in the form of a goat or in some other form, spends the entire winter on the estate or in the barn.

In alchemical mythology, the goat's head was an allegorical symbol of sulfur.

© Alexey Korneev

Legends and traditions of many peoples of the world are important topics studying folk art. They tell about the heroic history of peoples, contain a number of interesting facts, around which there is a lot of controversy. Painters, sculptors and architects immortalize heroes in stone and on canvas, and writers, poets and playwrights play out stories in their works.

Mythical creatures, fairy-tale animals and monsters

Ancient man was in fear of the power of the forces of nature. These forces embodied various images of monsters and beasts, which were the product of human imagination.

As a rule, such creatures combined human and animal body parts. The tails of fish and snakes, the wings and beaks of birds, the hooves, tails and horns of domestic animals emphasized the disgusting nature of the monsters. Most of them were inhabitants of the seabed, swamp mud, and dense forests. These habitats personified their dark essence.

But not all monsters are scary; among them there are quite beautiful inhabitants of fantasy worlds. Mostly these are half-humans, but sometimes among them there are absolutely fantastic creatures, unlike either an animal or a person.

Half-man, half-goat from antiquity

The largest number of such semi-humans is characteristic of them. They were endowed with superpowers and various cunning was attributed to them.

Pan - good forest god

Initially, the god Pan was one of the most ancient greek gods. Lord of forests, shepherds and protector of cattle breeders. Despite the fact that Pan was revered in Argos and Arcadia, where livestock farming was actively developed, he was not included in the pantheon olympian gods. Over time, he becomes simply a patron of wildlife.

His father was the powerful Zeus, and his mother was the nymph Dryope, who ran away when she saw her son of unusual appearance. Half-man, half-goat Pan was born with goat hooves and a beard, and they were surprised and laughed when they saw the son of Zeus on Olympus.

But God Pan is kind. To the sound of his pipes, herds graze peacefully and nymphs dance merrily. But there are also a lot of rumors about him. Tired after round dances, it is better not to wake him up, because Pan is quick-tempered and can frighten a person or send him into a deep sleep. Greek shepherds and cattle breeders honored Pan and appeased him with gifts of wine and meat.

Satires

A satyr is outwardly half-man, half-goat. An athletic creature with goat-like legs, hooves, tail and horns. In Greek mythology, he personifies the forest lord of fertility.

What does the half-man, half-goat look like? Photos of paintings by famous artists depict satyrs surrounded by forests playing the pipe. They were considered the embodiment male power. They get drunk, chase the forest nymphs and seduce them.

The half-man, half-goat is endowed with the strength of wild animals, and human morality and rules are alien to him. They could often be seen surrounded by Dionysus and having fun.

In the legends of other peoples there is also a half-man, half-goat. What is the name and what does the creature represent?

Ochokochi

In Georgian folk tales there is a story about a hunter who met a humanoid creature in the forest at night. They call him Ochokochi. This is an evil deity worst enemy hunters and gatherers.

Ochokochi is a huge evil monster covered with thick red fur. A sharp hump in the shape of an ax protrudes from his chest, with which he cuts his opponents. Ochokochi was immortal, and no hunter could kill him. In some Georgian families, naughty children are still frightened by this character.

Krampus

This is a half-man, half-goat in Western European mythology. He is a Christmas hero and the antipode of Santa Claus, a frequent guest of the winter holidays who punishes naughty children. This creature often scares children today.

Legends about krampus are associated with the onset of cold weather and shortening daylight hours. Most often, stories about these evil and insidious creatures can be heard in Germany, Austria and Hungary. The image of Krampus, despite the menacing and frightening appearance, associated with the Christmas holidays.

In Western Europe, they even came up with a whole holiday for this deity - “Krampusina”. This cheerful and kind action puts people in a good holiday mood. People dressed in Krampus skins with horns appear on the streets. They are hung with all sorts of loud attributes - bells and pieces of iron, they create noise, play with children and adults.

Is half-man, half-goat the devil in mythology?

IN Christian religion The image of a creature with the features of a goat is considered the personification of the devil and the most negative qualities are attributed to it. During the Middle Ages, the image of a satyr was transformed into the image of a devil. Artists of antiquity depicted these creatures as musicians picking grapes and preparing wine.

The image of a half-man, half-goat smoothly migrated into modern fairy tales and legends. And it is associated not only with evil and negativity, but also with fertility and fun.

Prince George's is a county in the US state of Maryland, representing five hundred square miles of green fields and suburbs. Fewer than a million people live here and enjoy nature reserves, historical reenactments, blues festivals and a sandy coastline. In short, the place is truly bucolic.

However, many residents of the United States associate Prince George not with the serenity of rural open spaces, but with a bloodthirsty monster that supposedly lives here, terrifying everyone. His name is Goat Man(Goat Man)

Where did this strange creature come from?

There are several versions of the origin of this creature. According to one of them, he was once an ordinary goat breeder whose wife became seriously ill. The man worked tirelessly, earning money for medicines and operations for his beloved.

One day, teenagers decided to play a cruel joke on their unfortunate husband and poisoned all his goats. The family lost single source income, and the woman died. After this, the farmer went crazy with grief, turned into a monster and ran into the forest, starting to kill everyone who crossed his path.

Another version is connected with a local agricultural research center, where prohibited experiments on animals were allegedly carried out. They say that one of the employees accidentally dropped blood into the test tube and injected his own genetic material into the goat.

After some time, she gave birth to an ugly half-man, half-goat. The researchers decided to leave the creepy creature alive and study it. When the aggressive creature grew up, he managed to kill several scientists and escape from the center.

There are residents of Prince Georges who are sure that the monster was born in the wild without human intervention. Despite the fact that such mutations look like pure science fiction, some mistakes of nature, as we know, can be truly surreal and seemingly simply incredible.

Monster Popularity

Despite the fact that the Goat Man is incomparably inferior in popularity to the Loch Ness Monster or Bigfoot, his fame has long gone beyond the scope of an ordinary urban tale.

Many Americans fully believe in the existence of a cryptid, although they see no reason for pride, since, unlike the peaceful Sasquatch and Nessie, the Goat Man is known exclusively for his atrocities.

In 2011, the American horror film Deadly Detour was released, the plot of which was inspired by the legend of this mythical creature.

Real murders

Folklorist Barry Pearson of the University of Maryland has been studying information about the Goat Man for almost thirty years. According to the expert, it all started in the fifties, centuries passed, when things began to happen in Prince George murder mystery. In 1958, a German shepherd was found dead here - the dog was torn to shreds, but its meat was not eaten.

In the spring of 1961, two students were found dead in the northeastern Maryland town of Bowie. The girl and the boy went into the forest at night to be alone. Early in the morning, a local hunter discovered a car with broken glass and many deep scratches on the body.

Lifeless teenagers were in the back seat - both bodies were disfigured beyond recognition. The killer, as you might guess, was never found.

Less than a month after this terrible incident, two other teenagers went by car into the same forest in the dark. When the young people began to indulge in love, they noticed a goat's head with huge horns in the bushes. At first, the lovers thought that cattle from one of the nearby farms had wandered there.

Suddenly, the “goat” stood on its hind legs and stared straight at the car, then began to slowly approach the car. The frightened students stepped on the gas and miraculously escaped. It is noteworthy that their story was documented by the police as evidence in the case of teenagers who had had much less luck in this forest the day before.

After this, the legend of the Goat Man began to spread throughout Maryland, and then throughout other states of America with lightning speed. The brutal murders that occur periodically in Prince George are widely attributed to the bloodthirsty cryptid.

If you ever find yourself in this area, the residents of Prince George's, upon learning that you are not local, will certainly tell you to stay away from the forests at night. Otherwise there will be trouble

The Goat Man, the Camaro Ghost and Judge Sneeze - what scares Americans from Florida to Michigan.

Halloween is a holiday of fun, absurdity and, of course, wow! And also the release of the second season of Stranger Things. Especially for the funniest weekend in the USA, we have prepared a selection of tales - urban horror stories that American Boy Scouts still tell each other around the campfire.

Riverdale Road, Colorado

Where did this come from: the origin is unknown, but given another conspiracy legend, according to which the state of Idaho does not exist at all, we can assume that this is another government invention.

Goat Man, Maryland

Why is this creepy: The infamous Goat Man of Maryland is said to do everything you'd expect from a crazy half-human, half-animal: killing teenagers, eating dogs, screaming goat, etc. But the most horrifying aspect is how widespread this legend is. The US Department of Agriculture was even forced at one point to publicly deny the accidental creation of such a creature at its research center in Beltsville. Another story about the appearance of the goat man tells of a goat breeder who, upon learning that a group of rowdy teenagers had killed his herd, went crazy and turned into a monster.

Where did this come from: Journalist Karen Hosler of the Prince George's County News first wrote about the Goat Man in 1971. The material was devoted to the study of urban folklore of Maryland and was accompanied by the story of one of the local families about how someone cut off the head of their puppy. Of course, the family - not without a hint from the journalist - blamed the goat man for everything. A month later, The Washington Post published a large article dedicated to this legend. The Goat Man instantly became famous throughout the country. The legend about him remains one of the most popular in the United States. Goat man regularly "meet", and notes about him, sometimes incredibly detailed, appear in the Maryland press even now.

Vampire Saint Germain, Louisiana

Why is this creepy: When it comes to scary things, Louisiana doesn't just rely on voodoo, ghosts and Woody Harrelson's True Detective accent. Jacques Saint-Germain, like any self-respecting vampire, seduced young girls and drank their blood. According to one version, he was born at the beginning of the 18th century. According to another, he lived since the time of Jesus. After his "death" in 1783, he appeared here and there throughout Europe until he moved to New Orleans in 1902. Rumor has it that he still plies his murderous deeds in the city's French Quarter, but now calls himself Jack.

Where did this come from: The Comte de Saint-Germain was a real person, an alchemist and a real high-society snob who was friends with all the celebrities of his time. He communicated with Louis XV, Catherine the Great and Voltaire. The latter called him “an immortal man who knows everything.” He was even suspected of a series of murders. Besides, he never ate in public. In the 1970s, French showman Richard Chenfray declared that he was the immortal Saint Germain. However, less than 10 years later Chenfrey died of a drug overdose. Or not?

Dog Boy, Arkansas

Why is this creepy: This character's name may sound stupid. However, you will not be laughing if in the town of Quitman, Arkansas, you suddenly see the silhouette of a 140-pound half-man, half-beast with glowing eyes in the window of house 65 on Mulberry Street. In this case, it is better to get out of there as soon as possible, because he has a habit of chasing people on the street, biting their legs like a dog.

Where did this come from: The real story behind this legend is much darker. Gerald Bettis, the only son of the Bettis family at 65 Mulberry Street, was always a troubled child. But not like in the movie “Problem Child.” As a child, Bettis tortured animals (hence his nickname, Dog Boy). As he grew older, his sociopathy spilled over into his elderly parents. He did not let them leave the house. Rumor has it that he killed his father. Bettis was eventually arrested for growing marijuana on backyard. He died in prison from a drug overdose in 1988.

Hell's Bridge, Michigan

Why is this creepy: The Michigan legends of Detroit's Red Dwarf or the Dog Warriors are no match for the story of Elias Friske, a crazy old preacher who is said to have tormented children in the woods that are now the site of Algoma. He kept his victims tied up and killed one by one. He drowned the remains in Cedar Creek. When the parents of the victims caught him, he said that he was possessed by demons. This did not stop his parents from hanging him. Hell's Bridge is a narrow crossing over a stream in the middle of the woods. Those who dare to cross it at night can hear the screams of the victims of the mad preacher, and sometimes see his black figure with glowing eyes.

Where did this come from: There is no record of Elias Frisk in official state records, although such a family is known to have lived here in the early 1910s. However, everyone who has been on the bridge agrees that there is something there - and it most often makes itself felt at night.

Three-Legged Lady of Nash Road, Mississippi

Why is this creepy: in general, if someone strange starts running after your car at night, it’s always annoying. It’s even worse if at the same time they knock on the body of the car. But when the pursuer turns out to be a woman with three legs, and the extra one is a bloody stump sewn to her body, it’s truly scary. According to legend, it can be found on a section of Nash Road near Columbus.

Where did this come from: Mississippi has plenty of ghost stories, from Robert Johnson who sold his soul to the Yazu Witch. The story of the Three-Legged Lady is interesting because it changes depending on the fears of the narrator. Some say the extra leg belongs to a murdered lover. According to another version, this is the ghost of a woman who was looking for her missing daughter, but found only her dismembered body. Still others believe that if you meet the Three-Legged Lady, you will have to overtake her on the nearest bridge. In any case, if you turn off your headlights on Nash Road at night, you run the risk of encountering a ghost in person.

Area 51, Nevada

Why is it (still) creepy: The story of Area 51 has been retold (sometimes in a humorous way) so many times that it has become forgotten how alarming the whole situation looked in the very beginning. However, government silence, dead aliens and sinister experiments in desert Nevada look more disturbing than the movies about it. There is a lot of speculation about what is really going on at Area 51. They talk about time travel, and genetic experiments, and alien autopsies. However, no one except the authorities knows the truth.

Where did it come from: First of all, it’s worth remembering that Area 51 really exists. This is a well-equipped military base in southern Nevada. However, its purpose is unknown to anyone. At the very beginning of the Cold War, in the 1950s, President Eisenhower approved a plan to build the first aircraft based on stealth technology, the U-2. The laboratories and test airfield were located in the area that later became known as Area 51. The experimental plane resembled a UFO. Local residents who saw his flights, of course, built theories about his extraterrestrial origin, which immediately hit the press. The scandal was further fueled by news of a “UFO crash” in Roswell. Since then, Area 51 has been the center of conspiracy theories around the US government.

Watermelon Heads, Ohio

Why is this creepy: The name "Watermelon Heads" could be a good name for a dessert. However, the legend behind this name is much darker: it talks about pale, sick children who were subjected to genetic experiments. They are reputed to have huge heads and sharp teeth, perfect for tearing apart babies (and maybe you). Doesn't sound like dessert at all.

Where did this come from: Similar stories exist in Michigan and Connecticut, but Ohio's version is the darkest. According to this legend, the Watermelon Heads are the adopted children of a certain doctor who tested new surgical and pharmaceutical treatments on them. It didn't turn out very well. Now the test subjects hunt in the forests of Kirkland, ready to flay the skin of any random passerby. According to other versions, when children see strangers they just run away. Finally, some consider them to be ordinary ghosts. One thing is for sure: one super-low-budget horror film was made based on this legend.

Hobo Sam, South Dakota

Why is this creepy: In December 2014, a wave of suicide attempts swept across the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota - a total of 103 cases occurred. The incident is associated with the legend of Hobo Sam. Teenagers who tried to commit suicide said that a tall and thin figure appeared to them, who called himself Sam and demanded to kill himself (reminds me of nothing?). A year earlier, five members of the Oglala Sioux tribe committed suicide. In 2015, the head of the tribe posted on Facebook a photo from a local forest with already prepared loops on the trees. This is how the plan for mass teenage suicide was revealed.

Where did this come from: the figure of Hobo Sam also references the legends of the Boogeyman, which still work today - one only has to remember the Slenderman hysteria in 2008. The idea of ​​the “shadow people” is also so old that it is difficult to find its origin. However, Hobo Sam himself is a relatively new local legend of the Lakota and Dakota Indian tribes. Journalist Peter Matthiesen first wrote about Sam in 1980 in his article “The Spirit of the Crazy Horse.” According to the material, Sam was first seen by Indians from the Sioux and Little Eagle tribes. The Tramp is sometimes called taku-he or "Bigfoot with a Straw Hat."

Rabbit Bridge, Virginia

Why is this creepy: This legend is fun to retell at night around the fire, but the real events behind it are truly frightening. In the 1970s, police repeatedly reported people being threatened by an axe-wielding man dressed in a bunny suit. Some eyewitnesses said that he threw his ax at them. There are still frequent reports of dead rabbits being found in the woods around the Fairfax Bridge, also known as the Rabbit Bridge. They also talk about a man in white who was seen under the bridge.

Where did this come from: According to legend, in 1904, a group of prisoners were transported by bus from a mental hospital in Clifton, Virginia, to a nearby prison. On the way, the bus overturned, many prisoners died, but some managed to escape. The next day, the police began searching for the fugitives, and caught all but one. During further searches, police began to find gnawed carcasses of rabbits in the woods near the Fairfax Bridge, but they were unable to catch the one who ate them. A year later, on Halloween night, a group of teenagers went under a bridge to spend time away from their parents. The next morning they were found hanging from the bridge supports. Since then, it has been believed that anyone who finds themselves under the bridge that night will face imminent death.

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Prince George's is a county in the US state of Maryland, representing five hundred square miles of green fields and suburbs. Fewer than a million people live here and enjoy nature reserves, historical reenactments, blues festivals and a sandy coastline. In short, the place is truly bucolic. However, many residents of the United States associate Prince George not with the serenity of rural open spaces, but with a bloodthirsty monster that supposedly lives here, terrifying everyone. His name is Goat Man. Where did this strange creature come from? There are several versions of the origin of this creature. According to one of them, he was once an ordinary goat breeder whose wife became seriously ill. The man worked tirelessly, earning money for medicines and operations for his beloved. One day, teenagers decided to play a cruel joke on their unfortunate husband and poisoned all his goats. The family lost their only source of income, and the woman died. After this, the farmer went crazy with grief, turned into a monster and ran into the forest, starting to kill everyone who crossed his path. Another version is connected with a local agricultural research center, where prohibited experiments on animals were allegedly carried out. They say that one of the employees accidentally dropped blood into the test tube and injected his own genetic material into the goat. After some time, she gave birth to an ugly half-man, half-goat. The researchers decided to leave the creepy creature alive and study it. When the aggressive creature grew up, he managed to kill several scientists and escape from the center. There are residents of Prince Georges who are sure that the monster was born in the wild without human intervention. Despite the fact that such mutations look like pure science fiction, some mistakes of nature, as we know, can be truly surreal and seemingly simply incredible. Popularity of the Monster Despite the fact that the Goat Man is incomparably inferior in popularity to the Loch Ness Monster or Bigfoot, his fame has long gone beyond the scope of an ordinary urban tale. Many Americans fully believe in the existence of a cryptid, although they see no reason for pride, since, unlike the peaceful Sasquatch and Nessie, the Goat Man is known exclusively for his atrocities. In 2011, the American horror film Deadly Detour was released, the plot of which was inspired by the legend of this mythical creature.

Real Murders Folklorist Barry Pearson of the University of Maryland has been studying information about the Goat Man for almost thirty years. According to the expert, it all started in the fifties, centuries ago, when mysterious murders began to occur in Prince George. In 1958, a German shepherd was found dead here - the dog was torn to shreds, but its meat was not eaten. In the spring of 1961, two students were found dead in the northeastern Maryland town of Bowie. The girl and the boy went into the forest at night to be alone. Early in the morning, a local hunter found a car with broken windows and many deep scratches on the body. The lifeless teenagers were in the back seat - both bodies were disfigured beyond recognition. The killer, as you might guess, was never found. Less than a month after this terrible incident, two other teenagers went by car into the same forest in the dark. When the young people began to indulge in love, they noticed a goat's head with huge horns in the bushes. At first, the lovers thought that cattle from one of the nearby farms had wandered there.