April 8, 2024
Posted by in Creatures and Monsters, Paranormal | 8.15am
Half goat, half man. A cryptid dubbed the “Goatman” has, over the years, easily become one of the most horrifying and mysterious creatures in the United States of America. Amongst the list of eerie and sometimes violent incidences that have been attributed to the Goatman are reports of animal mutilation, property destruction, ravaging of roadkill, sudden highway accidents, and even the abrupt intrusion of lovers’ trysts. This article delves into the background of this strange as well as terrifying creature which has continued to strike fear in the hearts of many.
Appearance
As you can tell, the name Goatman probably says it all when imagining what this creature looks like. It is generally thought to be a hybrid beast that bears both human as well as goat-like characteristics. Apart from being consistently described to be half human and half goat, huge, foul-smelling as well as looking eerily grotesque, eye-witness accounts differ as to which half of the beast’s body is human and which half is goat!
![Pan1](https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Pan1-167x300.jpg)
Artistic impression of the ancient Greek god, Pan
Some swear that it has a human body with a goat’s head complete with curved horns, much like the popular portrayal of Satan while some insist it is the other way round; a creature with a goat’s lower body and a human head, which is similar to portrayals of fabled monsters in Greek mythology. The Goatman has also been attributed to drawings of the Greek God Pan except that Pan’s flute would be replaced by a deadly axe.
Another alternative description of the Goatman on record is that of an exceptionally hairy humanoid with horns roughly six feet in height. This closely resembles the description of another famous cryptid, the Sasquatch, except for the addition of horns.
Origins
Considering that tales relating to the Goatman can be found across America and are not exclusive to any region, it is hardly surprising that there are so many diverse variations of the Goatman’s origins. Of all such explanations, the following represent the most mainstream and talked about versions when delving into the origins of the Goatman.
1. Revengeful Spirit
This theory revolves around the Old Alton Bridge which was constructed in 1884, to connect the city of Lewisville to the township of Alton in Texas. In modern times, it now connects the cities of Denton and Copper Canyon. To locals, the Old Alton Bridge is also known as Goatman’s Bridge owing to the legend that surrounds supernatural sightings in the area.
According to the story, Oscar Washburn was a goat farmer who lived just north of the bridge. He was a black man living the American dream, establishing his business in just a few short years. In fact, he was acknowledged by many in the community to be a dependable, honest businessman and North Texans endearingly called him the Goatman.
Unfortunately, racial tensions were still high at that time and the success of a black man drew a lot of dissatisfaction especially from Klansmen who still peppered much of predominantly white Texas. These Klansmen took advantage of a sign Washburn had put up on the bridge that facilitated people finding his family home. One night, the Klansmen crossed the bridge in the dead of the night, violently dragged the Goatman from his family home, lynched him and threw him over the side of the bridge. However, when the Klansmen failed to see his body floating in the water, they panicked and returned to the Washburn residence, killing Washburn’s entire family in cold blood. Oscar Washburn was never seen again and was presumed dead following the attempted murder.
Since Washburn’s disappearance, there have been many strange sightings on and near the Old Alton Bridge or Goatman’s Bridge, causing many to believe that his spirit still haunts the surrounding area. To this day, the Old Alton Bridge remains open to foot traffic and is officially under surveillance by the Paranormal Investigators of North Texas and the Denton County Paranormal Investigators.
![Old Alton Bridge](https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Old-Alton-Bridge.jpg)
The Old Alton Bridge, where the spirit of its builder, Oscar Washburn, is said to roam as a Goat-like beast seeking revenge for his murder
2. Escaped Beast
There are two different portrayals of the Goatman in this theory but both agree that Canada is the birthplace of this creature. This account paints a picture of the Goatman roaming in the Canadian wilderness before it was caught in the 19th Century by a travelling circus seeking to cash in on this curiosity. However, the Goatman escaped while on board a train passing through Fisherville in Kentucky, USA and has since remained in that general vicinity. The area has also given the Goatman the name “Pope Lick Monster” as he is thought to live beneath the railroad trestle bridge over Pope Lick Creek.
Where the two versions differ is the Goatman’s supposed intelligence. One portrays the Goatman as a lesser beast with a temper to match, hence the violent attacks which include murder by hacking with an axe. The other views the Goatman as more of a supernatural being, with the ability to vanish, teleport and control minds. It is said that the Goatman influences the minds of people who have the misfortune to cross paths with him, especially youths, and that he uses hypnosis or voice mimicry to lure them onto the railway tracks only to meet their deaths before an oncoming train.
![pope lick monster](https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/pope-lick-monster.jpg)
Artistic depiction of Pope Lick Monster (named after the Pope Lick Creek below the Pope Lick Train Trestle)
3. Cursed Victim
Legend has it that the Goatman was cursed by an enemy with the face of a goat. Upon being cursed, he fled into the woods near Tucker Bridge. He is said to appear at midnight under the full moon and vent his anger and frustration by throwing rocks and running cars off roads before scurrying off in a troll-like manner.
4. Related to Bigfoot
Another lesser known theory links the Goatman to the family of Bigfoot, another mythical beast that roams the rural areas of North America. This, in essence, makes the Goatman an East Coast relative of the North American Sasquatch. It is said that this theory is indirectly perpetuated by those who incidentally also believe in the existence of Bigfoot.
5. Experimental Mishap
Perhaps the most bizarre yet intriguing tale of them all is the claim that the Goatman is the result of a ghastly experiment at the Beltsville Research Agricultural Center (BRAC). It is said that most of the sprawling and wooded 6,600 acres that make up the BRAC (the largest undeveloped open space near Washington, D.C.) are closed to the public because of secret underground laboratories equipped with state of the art modern scientific technology. One of these is supposed to be the Goatman’s birthplace. Depending on who you speak to, there are two versions at play although both maintain that the Goatman is the result of a top-secret experiment approved by Washington, D.C. and conducted by the local authorities which went tragically wrong.
One story states that the Goatman was originally a scientist who was conducting experiments on animals so that he could improve on human physical abilities. Unfortunately for him, an experiment with a goat went horribly wrong when a power failure resulted in the scientist becoming a monster, some parts of him man and other parts goat. As with all government conspiracy theories, such a disastrous mishap was covered up and the poor deformed scientist was locked up. It is believed that there were occasions when the Goatman successfully escaped, hence the sightings. However, being unable to return to civilised society, he would always return to his hidden prison cell within the BRAC.
The other version believes the Goatman was transformed from a goat in an experiment. Typical of any monster created from a secret scientific experiment, it escaped the research centre after causing much property damage and killing the scientist, his assistants and security personnel. Naturally, this creature remains elusive and has yet to be captured.
Despite the issuance of an official denial by the BRAC, this claim remains a strong point of contention due to intense speculation and public attention.
![BRAC](https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/BRAC.jpg)
Beltsville Research Agricultural Centre
Sightings
There are so many Goatman sightings from various localities across the region that it is nearly impossible to keep them straight. However, according to Mark Opsasnick, a historian, author and the foremost expert on the Maryland legend of the Goatman, it is widely accepted that the Goatman’s rise to fame began on Fletchertown Road in Bowie. This is where it gained its first media mention by appearing in the Bowie-based Prince George’s County News on 27th October 1971. Being the first report in print, this was the stepping stone that triggered more and more media attention. Prior to this, tales about the Goatman were pretty much confined to their own region.
This maiden print report was written by Karen Hosler, who was looking for a new angle for a Halloween feature and decided to delve deep into the University of Maryland Folklore Archives. Hosler authored two articles which would be instrumental in elevating the Goatman’s status from local curiosity to nationwide phenomenon. In her first article, Hosler made references to the Goatman legend alongside another cryptid called the Boaman and accounts of various ghosts that were haunting the woods around Fletchertown Road. Two weeks later, Hosler wrote her second newspaper article with particular emphasis on the Goatman. In this article, the death of a decapitated missing puppy was indirectly linked to the Goatman. This was based on the testimony of a group of teenage girls (including the 16-year-old owner of the poor puppy) who had reportedly heard strange noises and seen a large creature lurking in the woods on the night the dog had disappeared. The article also reported that sightings of an “animal-like creature that walks on its hind legs” along Fletchertown Road were increasing.
Essentially, these two articles started the ball rolling and it was not long before other papers began publishing reports on the Goatman. This culminated in nationwide notoriety when the Washington Post reported it.
Considering that there have been countless accounts of the Goatman over the years, it would be impossible to list all the sightings here, but these are some of the most popular:
- In the early 1950s, there were various reports of people witnessing the Goatman throwing dogs off the Interstate 495 overpass!
- In August 1957, a strange gorilla-like creature was sighted in the woods off Upper Marlboro. Thereafter, the Prince George’s County Police logged more than 200 calls about the monster. However, despite deploying several search parties to comb the area, they still came up empty-handed.
- In the early 1960s, the Goatman was accused of killing about 14 hikers in Maryland.
- In 1968, a woman driving in Beltsville, near Patuxent Wildlife Research Centre, was reportedly stopped by a “huge, hair-covered creature with some goat-like features”. It was standing in the middle of the road which forced her to stop. Thankfully, the woman was left unharmed and the creature left after causing a dent on the hood of her car.
- In the late 1960s, a teenage couple was out on a romantic date in the woods when they heard a goat-like sound outside their car. The boy left the car to investigate with clear instructions to the girl not to leave the car until his return. After an hour, the girl was getting worried as there was no sign of him. Then, she heard a tapping sound on the roof of the car. Paralysed with fear, she was unable to get herself out of the car to check the source of the sound nor could she drive away. In the morning, with the sun out, the girl finally mustered enough courage to step out of the car only to discover her dead boyfriend dangling directly above the car. It was only then that she realised the tapping sound was probably from her boyfriend’s feet, trying to get her attention.
- As recently as August 2000, a group of construction workers sighted a Sasquatch-like creature traversing an area of the Washington suburbs.
- In 2015, interest in the Goatman legend was re-ignited following a YouTube video produced by the Strange Mysteries channel and there was an influx of new reported sightings.
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/goatman.mp4
Regardless of whether the Goatman is real or a mere legend, there is sufficient circumstantial evidence and enough witnesses to keep the Goatman’s name and myth alive. If you are interested in braving the unknown to discover the truth behind the Goatman legend, or if you just want to avoid bumping into him, the following are the reported Goatman hotbeds:
- Pope Lick Monster in Louisville, Kentucky
- Lake Worth Monster in Texas
- Crybaby Bridge at Governer’s Bridge Road
- Lottsford Road
- Tuckers Road
- Goatman’s Bridge in Denton, Texas
- Los Angeles National Forest Goatman
- White Rock Lake Goatman in Dallas, Texas
- Goatman of Bowie, Maryland
- Hogs Back Road in Richfield, Wisconsin
- The Goatman of Nags Head Woods in Kill Devils Hill, North Carolina
- Sheepsquatch in West Virginia
- Mill Road in Kewaskum, Wisconsin
Sources/References:
- https://www.thesun.co.uk/archives/news/1153123/has-the-goatman-of-maryland-returned-fresh-reports-claim-mystery-beast-is-tormenting-towns-teens/
- http://uproxx.com/webculture/goatman-urban-legend-sightings/2/
- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/goatman-investigator-killed_us_571efcd4e4b0b49df6a8d3a8
- https://www.facebook.com/PopeLickMonster?fref=ts?clienttype=generic&mobilecgbypass
- http://www.goatmansbridge.com/
- http://www.halloween-website.com/goatman.htm
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FOR EXTREME PROTECTION
A powerful mantra from Tibet to protect from paranormal disturbances. It invokes upon the powerful angel Dorje Shugden, who rides on a mystical snow lion and rescues all that call upon this supreme awakened one from the land of the snows. His avatar has manifested in our world system to benefit us during the most turbulent of times. Dorje means adamantine energy, and Shugden means immovable and unchanging power.
This mantra is:
… excellent for those who do paranormal research and must enter into places that are afflicted with negative energies.
… powerful to protect psychics and astral travellers. For those who do astral travel, it is good to do this mantra before travelling.
… indispensable for those who visit cemeteries or places where violent energies are present.
… excellent to give protection for those who are afflicted with paranormal disturbances, and is highly protective.
Mantra: OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SOHA
– You can recite this mantra 108 times every day. If you miss a day, it does not matter. Simply continue reciting when you can.
– Recite the mantra slowly and with concentration during times of distress and fear. Breathe deeply.
– If you have visitations from spirits, disturbances or negative forces, recite strongly and with full trust. While reciting, request the spirits, disturbances and negative forces to be dispelled into the light. You can include this mantra with any other rituals you may or may not have. There is no conflict.
– If you have spirits in the house, bodies of water, land, office or where you are residing, wish the spirit well and recite this mantra asking for the light and love to bless the spirit to be on its way.
– When one is under the influence of hexes/spells and feels abnormally uncomfortable, you can recite this mantra more than 108 times (number up each individual) until you feel the affliction has subsided. It will also help in dispelling bad dreams.
– If one comes across animal spirits, one can recite this mantra to bless the animal to cross over.
– It is an overall mantra that energizes the place where we live, work or reside. It is most powerful especially if done every day. It activates and invokes upon the wisdom, compassion, blessings, abundance and protective energies of the ascended and awakened angel Dorje Shugden.
Meaning of the Mantra
OM: Refers to the form of Dorje Shugden; as such recitation of this syllable calls upon Dorje Shugden.
It invokes upon his divine presence to manifest now to bless, help and dispel negative energies.
BENZA: Represents the awakened mind of Dorje Shudgen, the indestrubtible nature of which is filled with compassion and wisdom inherent in all awakened beings. This increases wisdom within our minds to help us make good decisions to tackle life’s vicissitudes.
WIKI BITANA: Represents the four energies of peaceful, increasing, controlling and wrathful enlightening activities that are invoked upon depending on the situaion. These are the four energies invoked to subdue, counter, bless and send a spirit on its way.
SOHA: Represents the exhortation to grant requests. It means bless me with abundance, wisdom, love and fulfilment.
With this syllable we invoke the blessings of all good things into our lives.
Source: http://www.dorjeshugden.org
Interesting story of the Goatman, as the other commentators have mentioned, Satyrs are the closest to Goatman mentioned in tales snd stories across Europe. It is quite possible that Americans who are influenced by stories of Satyrs could have imagined such a thing as well.
The inhabitants of the world need not be confined to those we can see or perceive through our senses. There are those which are non human in form or formless,like spirits , or mystical beings. Yetis and the Goatman are probably beings who exist but whose existences have not been fully substantiated so far. Nevertheless, there continues to be sightings or reports of sightings of the Goatman as recent as in 2015 .
Although who the Goatman is/was and how he came into existence remains a mystery, nevertheless since the first sightings in the 1970s, there have been countless sightings reported from all over America. So the Goatman cannot be just a legend or a myth. The Goatman has been mainly associated with murders and killings of humans and animals in the reports and sightings about him.There has to be a reason why he is so vicious and violent in behaviour . Hence the first story of how a black man was lynched(though he just disappeared after that) and his whole family murdered in cold blood sounds like the most plausible story.
The Goatman has gained nationwide notoriety ever since the tabloid “The Washington Post” published a report about him. His story will remain alive as long as there are reports of new sightings. Whoever this mysterious being is, he should be respected and we should feel compassion for him, as he is most likely in a state of tremendous suffering.
We must respect all beings. The goatman has been witnessed by many. The many ways of how the goatman come to life shows that we don’t know much. This is a very interesting subjet and article.Thank you
I believe there are many creatures or beings like goatman existed in the world. They may live in the forest. They may be a run away creature from some kind of scientific experiment or a human that was being cursed, or beings from a realm where we cannot see yet we bump into them just like when someone see ghost and big foot. It also linked us to what the Tibetan Astrology says about the war god and King spirit that we engaged with and they can actually protect us. Again we do not see them so are they real? It also mentioned that one with bad attitude will open p the karma to be afflicted by spirit that can be very destructive. Hence everything we found in this world are samsara. All existed from our own karma.
The existing of the goatman story according the article are happen at America. However,i do believe there is such being existing in this world just like those unseen being existing. some how i only hear the story about goat man story according the ancient Greek god story about pan which is benevolent god, who helped those who were close to nature grow good harvest and have abundance. I will love to hear pan story protect the nature rather that he become vengeful spirit murder people.
This is the first time I came to know about goatman. Each time reading this kind of story, i will wonder that is many different dimension of the space. And not everybody can see through them and all this sentient being such like goatman suddenly exist is because run out of the dimension. This is just like there may be spirit around us but we can’t see them. My question is goatman is in which realms in Buddhism?
Whether it is Bigfoot or Goatman, I do believe they exist, this planet is so huge, very sure there are many beings in this planet that we have not discovered yet, or have the abilities to discover. Human is not the first and the only beings on earth, there are many more beings, how many we can discover and how far history we can trace back?
Although Goatman and Bigfoot are known to be moving very fast, have special power/abilities, but through years of new inventions from human, more and more species being discovered and who knows, one day beings like Goatman and bigfoot will be able to discovered too, wish that day will come soon 🙂
I thought Goatman exist merely in fantasy movies which only an elution from film makers. Whether it’s a myth or scientific invention, discoveries are the evidence.
We are leaving in the mysticism world where there are many mysteries and unheard stories been told. It’s not surprising when there were new discoveries found cause we human beings are curious about funny things.
Personally I have not read much about the goatman except for Pan which is benevolent god, who helped those who were close to nature grow good harvest and have abundance.
There are a lot of mysteries of these kind of creature that we may not have seen them but it doesn’t mean they don’t exist. What important is to keep our mind open and respect. If there are truly exist at very least we do not offend them. Nothing to loose to know about them and it widen our view and understanding.
While reading the part of Experimental Mishap, I was telling myself, this is kinda dramatic. Like as though it was from a movie tagline of how an experiment went wrong and something bad came out of it.
Nevertheless, one cannot say that they do not exist, just because we cant see it now. Like in bigfoot’s case, many have claimed that they have seen the creature yet, no substantial evidence to back it up but it doesnt meant they dont exist.
Are they myths, legends, camp fire stories?
Ghosts, spirits, demons, supernatural phenomena, unknown creatures, bigfoot, yeti, sasquatch, abominable snowmen, UFO, ET always fascinate humankind. Some encounters by eye witnesses may be real, some fabricated for publicity. What we cannot see does not mean such entities do not exist. Science can only show proof of what have been discovered. Maybe one day the rest of the mysteries will be made known to the world.
Pastor Henry Ooi,
I guess the time will not come for human kind to discover everything that we wanted to know and have been guessing back and forth for all these while, we are extremely high in EGO and tend to underestimate things that are not direct to us.
For instance, we have been assuming that human kind is the king of the Earth, true but not enough, mother nature has decided to stand up and fight for justice, she has been providing what we want for living, but the greediness and selfishness of human kind are not going to stop taking as we are shameless and ungrateful about what we have done to the Earth and what she has provided.
So called “natural disasters” are going to teach human kind a series of lessons until we stop hurting the Earth and start to repay for what we have gained from her.