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Brother C.A. McAllister's

Comprehensive List of
Wisconsin's Mythical Creatures

Wisconsin Lore is filled with all manner of cryptid, haunting, and fearsome critter. Hereafter is the list of Wisconsin's Mythical Creatures. The list contains all creatures that could be found within Wisconsin's extensive folklore, including both creatures originating within the State, and creatures which could be shown to have been "imported" into the state by immigrants, and which could be found in Wisconsinite stories. A few entries (such as the gloomnadoom) were allegedly from outside of the state, but seem to have originated from immigrant groups within the state, instead of their supposed country of origin.

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Previously this page included a brief description of each creature as well as an AI-generated image for each. As more and more creatures were uncovered by research into Wisconsinite folklore, maintaining such a page proved to be untenable, with new creatures found every week or so. Currently, a document is being compiled with full descriptions and custom artwork of each creature. As of the time of writing, this document is 160 pages long and covers the list up through the "Fearsome Critters" section. When the document is complete, it will be edited, published, and available from this site.

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Entries marked with a "*" are creatures that have never been given any sort of official name, and so the Ancient Order of the Reveeting Society has taken the liberty of naming them.

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Entries marked "**" are creatures that were at one time thought legendary but are now proven to be real.

The List

  • Wisconsin's Most Well-Known

    • The Hodag​ and Sub-Types

      • The Green Hodag​

      • The Black Hodag

      • The Spotted Hodag

      • The Pine-Eating Hodag

      • The Dwarf Hodag​​

      • The Sidehill Dodge Hodag

      • The Pink Cave Hodag

      • The Shovel Nosed Hodag

    • The Beast of Bray Road

      • AKA The Werewolf​

      • AKA The Bear-Wolf

    • Bigfoot and Regional Variants

      • The Blue Hills Beast

      • The Cumberland Beast

      • The Deltox Marsh Monster

      • Eddy

      • The Lima Marsh Monaster​

    • The Wisconsin Manbat

      • AKA The Medford Lizardman​

      • AKA The Lake Michigan Gargoyle

      • AKA The Lake Michigan Mothman

    • The Kettle-Moraine Goatman

      • AKA The Satyr of Southern Wisconsin​

  • Modern Lake and River Monsters​

    • Freshwater "Sea" Serpents​

      • Bozho of Lake Mendota

      • Delavan Lake Serpent

      • Elkhart Lake Monster

      • Jenny of Lake Geneva

      • Lake Kegonsa Dragon

      • Lake Koshkonong Monster

      • Lake Michigan Serpent

      • Lake Waubesa Monster

      • Mississippi River Serpent​

      • Pewaukee Lake Monster

      • Rock River Serpent

      • Rocky, the Terror of Rock Lake

    • Plesiosaurs

      • Devil's Lake Hokuwa

      • Lake Monona Monster

      • Lake Ripley Monster

      • Pepie of Lake Peppin

      • Pressie of Lake Superior

      • Red Cedar Lake Monster​

    • Tentacled Monsters

      • Devil's Lake Kraken

      • Lake Superior Kraken

      • Whitewater Lake Monster

    • Turtle Monsters

      • Lake Wingra Water Monster

  • Gnomes

    • Indigenous Gnomes

      • Heroka​

      • Memegwesi

      • Canoti

      • Iktomi

    • Immigrant Gnomes

      • Pa'is​

      • Bagwajiwinini

      • Lutins

      • Tommyknockers

      • Elves (German)

      • Elves (New Glarus)

      • Kobolders

      • Tomte Nisse

      • Leprocauns

      • Will-o'-the-Wisp

      • Mining Gnomes

      • Tehotikal:luhe'

      • Makia’wisag

      • Wemategunis

      • Ohdoh

      • Nagumwasug

      • Huldrefolk

    • Other Gnomes

      • St. Croix River Little People​

      • Rock-Throwing Gnomes of Fifield

      • Devil's Punchbowl Gnomes

      • Barron County Trolls

      • Humpdumples

    • Gnome-Adjacent Creatures

      • Haunchies

      • La Crosse Goblins

      • Pancake Aliens

      • Mapolians

  • Giants

    • Blue Collar Giants

      • Paul Bunyan​

      • Ole Olson

      • Carrie McIntie

      • Whiskey Jack

      • Badger Bill

      • Haystack Hilda

    • Wagerucge​​​​​​​​

    • Windigos

      • AKA Wendigo​s

      • AKA Witikos

    • Stonecoats

    • Mhuwe

    • Manabai'wok

    • Coon Valley Trolls

      • Blacksmith Troll​s

      • Farmer Trolls

      • Fisher Trolls

      • Hunter Trolls

      • Logger Trolls

    • Mound Giants

  • Indigenous Wisconsinite Legends​

    • Animal Spirits

    • The Cannibal Heads

    • Celestial Spirits

    • The Chiha Tanka

    • The Double Face

    • The Forked Man

    • The Horned Serpent​

    • The Iron Spirits

    • The Mashe-Nomak

      • AKA The Lake Winnebago Water Monster​

    • The Merman

      • AKA The Nibiinaabe​

    • The Night Spirits

    • The Rock Spirits

    • The Thunderbird
    • The Tree Spirits
    • The Underwater Panther
    • The Wakacuna
      • AKA The Woodspirits​

    • The Wakcexi

      • ​AKA The Waterspirits​

    • The Were-Grizzly​

    • Redhorn's Host

      • AKA The Rocky Arbor Battle Ghosts​

  • Fearsome Critters

    • Paul Bunyan Related

      • Blue Oxen​

      • Bumbelitos

      • Camp Chipmunks

        • AKA Vilas County Tiger​s

      • Cougar Fish​

      • Dogs

        • Giant Dogs​

        • Moosehounds*

        • Reversible Dogs

        • Slopedogs*

      • Giant Mosquitos

      • Gillgaloos

      • Goofus Birds

      • Gumberoos

      • Hoopsnakes

      • Pinnacle Grouse

      • Purple Cows

      • Sidehill Gougers

      • Silver Cats

    • Domesticated Critters​

      • Axehandle Hounds​

      • Fish-Foxes

      • Fish Hounds

      • Griddlegreasers

    • Fearsome Fish and Other Aquatics​

      • Bait Robbers​

      • Blue Racers

      • Boat Hounds

      • Cowaskies

      • Dismal Saugers

      • Dungavenhooters

      • Fog-Hogs

      • Fur Herrings

      • Giant Catfish

      • Giddy Fish

      • Log Gar

      • Owl-Eyed Ripple Skippers

      • Shovel-Face Oscars

      • Spoon-Bills**

      • Swamp Augurs (Fish Version)

      • Upland Trout

      • Whiffenpoofs

      • Whirligig Fish

    • Fearsome Birds​

      • Anserbaks​

      • Dingbats

      • Gazunks

      • Phillyloo Birds

      • Roperites

      • Sizzerbills

      • Swamp Augurs (Bird Version)

      • Tripoderos

    • Tree-Dwelling Critters​

      • Agropelters​

      • Flittericks

      • Swingdingles

      • Treehoppers

      • Tree-Squeaks

    • Deadly Critters​

      • Banshee Cats​

      • Hidebehinds

      • Luferlangs

      • Rumptifusels

      • Skeeteroos

      • Snow Snakes

        • Siberian Snow Snakes​

        • Snowshoe Snakes

        • Shovel-Tailed Snow Snakes

    • Other Critters​

      • Accordianteaters​

      • Callopodes

      • Duck-Footed Dum Dums

      • Gloflikops

      • Hangdowns

      • Hugags

      • Mug-Lumps

      • Oomphs

      • Rhinelapuses

      • Speedemons

      • Splintercats

      • Spurdoodles

      • Squasholigers

      • Stone-Eating Gyascutuses

      • Teakettlers

      • Toteroad Shagamaws

      • Trapspringers

      • Wamps

  • Immigrant Legends

    • The Akaree

    • The Aniwye

      • AKA The Great Skunk​

      • AKA The Mishizhigaag

    • The Baykok

    • The Bearwalker

    • The Big Rump Bear

      • AKA the Ahamagachktiat Mecehqua​

    • The Black Shuck

      • AKA The Hellhound​

      • AKA The Devil's Pack

    • The Blauman

      • AKA The Blueman​

    • The Death Guide

    • The Deer Woman

    • The Elbedritzel

    • The Fossegrimer

      • AKA The Grim​

    • The Giant Leech

    • The Giant Mosquito (Oneida Version)

    • The Gloomnadoom

    • Hasgaardsreia

      • AKA Asgardsrei​

      • AKA Wild Hunt

    • The Hulder Creature

    • The Loup-Garou

      • AKA The French Werewolf​

    • The Magic Horse

    • The Magic Ox

    • The Man-Faced Pig

    • The Manitou of Sinsinawa Mound

    • ​The Mesingw​

    • The Night Owl

      • AKA The Nacht Eule​

    • The Nederman

    • The Nokker​

      • AKA The Nixie​

    • The Nymph

    • The Oberman

    • The Polutnitsha

    • The Rugaru​

      • AKA The Rougarou​

    • The Water Man​

      • AKA The Hastrman​

      • AKA The Vodnik

  • Things that Go Bump in the Night

    • ​Spectral Creatures​

      • "Normal Ghosts"​

      • Ghost Orbs

      • Shapeshifting Trickster Ghosts

        • The Ridgeway Ghost​

        • Winny Beaujeau

          • AKA Wilhelm Baugau​

          • AKA Willy Bolle

      • Ghost Ships​​

        • The Christmas Tree Ship​

      • Ghost Vehicles​​

        • Ghost Carriages​

        • Ghost Cars

        • Ghost Motorcycles

      • Kasegeist​

        • AKA Cheese Spirit​

      • Headless Snowmobiler

      • Phantom Chickens​​

      • Phantom Cows

        • AKA Lime Ridge Cows​

      • Phantom Elephants

      • The Night Rider

        • AKA The Wind Rider​

        • AKA The Power

        • AKA "Wendigo" (Misnomer)

      • Fire Specters​

      • The Voice of the Wisconsin Heights​

    • Related to the Peshtigo Fire​​

      • Peshtigo Orb**

      • Peshtigo Fire Demon

      • Peshtigo Shadow People

      • Peshtigo Beast

      • Other Peshtigo Ghosts

    • Other Shadow Creatures​​

      • Shadow People​

        • Blackie​

      • The Putty Man

      • The Shadow Demon of Nekoosa

    • Internet-Born Legends (That Can Be Confirmed are in Wisconsin)​

      • Neowendigos

      • Not-Deer​

      • Fleshgait

      • Pale Crawlers

    • Other Undead

      • T​he Boobooshaw

      • Concrete Creepers

      • The Devil's Hitching Post Reaper

      • Ghouls

      • Graveyard Trees

      • The Lanky Night Walker

      • The Mineral Point Vampire

      • Modern Cannibal Heads

      • The Plainfield Chopper

      • Skeletons

      • Sleepers

      • The Wauwautosa Night Visitor

  • Other Cryptids​

    • The Central American Whatsit

    • The Eau Claire Beast​

      • AKA The Black Cougar​

      • AKA The Panther

    • The Hillsboro Hairless Thing​

      • AKA The Hillsboro Mutant​

      • AKA The Wisconsin Chupacabra

    • The Kidrick Swamp Whatsit​

    • The Mauston Birdman​

    • The Milwaukee Lion

    • The Milwaukee Lizard Being

    • The Northern Bristlenose Mudshark

    • The Pterosaur

    • The Steinthal Monster

    • The Wisconsin Alligator

    • The Wisconsin Kangaroo

  • True Obscurity

    • The Buffabob​

    • The Cabbit*

    • The Chameleon Fish

    • The Cowpacabra

    • Dragons

      • The Elk Mound Dragon​

      • The Green Bay Dragons

      • The Seven-Headed Dragon of Devil's Lake

    • The Dwarf Mastodon​

    • The Lake Michigan Lizard-Fish*

    • The Stumper-Jumper

    • The Superior Crown-Headed Humanoid

    • "Tall Tale Postcard" Giant Animals

      • Giant Bucks

        • AKA Giant Rabbits​

      • Giant Dogs

      • Giant Fish

      • Giant Frogs​

        • AKA Kickers​

    • The Wellwater Lurker*

Sources:

"A Legend In Port Washington, Wisconsin?", The W-Files

"A Timeline of the Lake Michigan Mothman Sightings So Far", The Singular Fortean

Barnouw, Victor, Wisconsin Chippewa Myths & Tales: And Their Relation to Chippewa Life

"Beware the Tommyknockers!", Wisconsin Historical Society

Bierhorst, John, The Deetkatoo: Native American Stories About Little

Boyer, Dennis, Driftless Spirits: Ghosts of Southwest Wisconsin

Boyer, Dennis, Giants in the Land: Folktales and Legends of Wisconsin

Boyer, Dennis, Northern Frights: A Supernatural Ecology of the Wisconsin Headwaters

Boyer, Dennis, "The Phantom Snowmobiler"

Brown, Charles Edward, "Folklore Pamphlets, 1921-1945"

Brown, Charles Edward, Paul Bunyan Natural History

Childs, Art, Yarns of the Big Woods

Clithanus, Andersen Library Latin Hymnal

Cox, William T. with Latin Classifications by George B. Sudworth, Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods

Derleth, August, "The Dweller in Darkness"

Derleth, August, "The Thing that Walked in the Wind"

Derleth, August, The Wisconsin: River of a Thousand Isles

Dieterle, Richard L., "Giants or Man Eaters (Wą́gerúcge)"

Dieterle, Richard L., "Heroka ("Without-Horns")"

Dieterle, Richard L., "Iron Spirits"

Dieterle, Richard L., "Nightspirits (Hąhĕ́, 'Nights')"

Dieterle, Richard L., "Redhorn (Hešúcka)"

Dieterle, Richard L., "Rock Spirits"

Dieterle, Richard L., "The Wąkpanįgᵋra"

Dieterle, Richard L., "Tree Spirits"

Dieterle, Richard L., "Waterspirits (Wakcéxi)"

Dieterle, Richard L., "Witches"

Dieterle, Richard L., "Wood Spirits (Wakącųna, Wakaįcųna)"

Dunn, Carolyn, "Deer Woman and the Living Myth of Dreamtime"

Federal Writers' Project. Records 1936-1939

"Flying Head (Big Heads)", Native Languages

Gard, Robert E. and L.G. Sorden, Wisconsin Lore

Godfrey, Linda S., The Beast of Bray Road

Godfrey, Linda S., Haunted Wisconsin 

Godfrey, Linda S., Monsters of Wisconsin 

Godfrey, Linda S. and Richard D. Hendricks, Weird Wisconsin: Your Travel Guide to Wisconsin's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets

"Honoring the Memegwesi", Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe

"Huldra", Mythical Creatures Guide

Ibn Hayyan, Jabir, Book of Stones

"Jogah(Jokao, Gahongas, Drum Dancers, Stone Throwers)", Native Languages

Johnston, Basil, Mermaids & Medicine Women

Johnston, Basil, The Bear-Walker: And Other Tales

Johnston, Basil, The Manitous: the Spiritual World of the Ojibway

Johnston, Basil, Ojibway Tales

Kearney, Luke "Lakeshore" Sylvester, The Hodag and Other Tales of the Logging Camps

Krulos, Tea, Wisconsin Legends & Lore

"Legend of the Giant Skunk", Our Voices

Lewis, Chad, Hidden Headlines of Wisconsin: Strange, Unusual, & Bizarre Newspaper Stories

Lewis, Chad, The Wisconsin Road Guide to Mysterious Creatures

Martinez, Susan B., The Lost History of the Little People: Their Spiritually Advanced Civilizations around the World

"Mashenomak, The Fish Monster: A Menomini Legend", First People of America and Canada - Turtle Island

McKern, W. C., "The Spotted Grizzly Man"

"Memegwesi (Mannegishi)", Native Languages

"Mishipeshu", The Canadian Encyclopedia

Mythos, Mr., "Ultraterrestrial Conspiracy Theories"

"Ojibwe Oral Tradition", Indian Country

"Paissa (Paisake)", Native Languages

"Phantom Chickens and Disembodied Voices at Chicken Alley in Seymour, Wisconsin", Unexplained Research

"Rhinelapus", Roadside Creatures

Shepard, Esther, Paul Bunyan

"Skunny-Wundy and the Stone Giant", Indigenous Peoples Literature

That which was once revealed to me in a dream.

"The Legend of the Mosquitoes", Oneida Indian Nation

"The Mineral Point Vampire", Wisconsinology

"The Night Rider", The W-Files

"The Peshtigo Fire Demon", Wisconsinology

"The Peshtigo Fire’s Strange Object in the Sky", Pine Barrens Institute

"The Steinthal Monster", Pine Barrens Institute

"The Wauwatosa Night Visitors", Pine Barrens Institute

Tryon, Henry H., Fearsome Critters

Zimm, John, Blue Men & River Monsters: Folklore of the North

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