Fearsome Critters

In early lumberjack folklore, fearsome critters were mythical beasts that were said to inhabit the frontier wilderness of North America.

Fearsome critters were an integral part of oral tradition in North American lumber camps during the turn of the 20th century,principally as a means to pass time (such as in tall tales) or as a jest for hazing newcomers. In a typical fearsome critter gag, a person would casually remark about a strange noise or sight they encountered in the wild; subsequently, another accomplice would join in. Meanwhile, an eavesdropper would begin to investigate, as Henry H. Tryon recorded in his book, Fearsome Critters (1939). [Wikipedia]

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