Kelson Corbitt

April 7, 2016
English Comp II.

Cryptozoology: Fact to the

Myth?

Table of Contents:
Title page

page 1

Table of Contents

page 2

Introduction

page 3

Entry One: Interview

page 4-6

Entry Two: Newspaper Article

page 6- 7

Entry Three: Comic

page 8-9

Entry Four: Diary

page 10-12

Entry Five: Letter

page 13-14

Entry Six: Short Story

page 15-17

Entry Seven: Editorial

page 17-21

Work Cited

page 22

Introduction:

I have always been intrigued with monsters and myths surrounding them. I am
interested in finding out why monsters existed. Were there really monsters or did
someone alter facts to make it seem like there were? I have studied five monsters: the
Dragon, the Jinn, the Mage, the Sea Monster, and the Werewolf. I will explain to you
through this paper that some of these monsters could have facts behind the myths. I
believe that some monsters were real or from altered facts, but I believe other monsters
are completely fictional. While based on real facts, I feel that, some monsters were
created to cover up the dark side of our human nature. It is easier to create a monster than
believe a human being committed evil atrocities. I have done research on some monsters
and will argue which ones could be real and which could be a hoax. I once read a quote
online by Margret Attwood that said, Heroes need monsters to establish their heroic
credentials. You need something scary to overcome.

Entry One: Interview

Background: In a little harbor town, an alleged sea monster had tourists travelling from
around the world to see this creature. I am here with Chief of Police, Dan, to tell you the
latest information on this event.
Interviewer: So, Dan I hear there is a sea monster in your town and the local economy is
really rising because of the tourist attracted to it.
Dan: That is correct. It was announced not too long ago that a sea monster was spotted by
two fisherman while down by the pier. They were written off as troublemakers, but when
more towns people started reporting it we had to investigate. I was really intrigued, so I
decided to head up this case.
Interviewer: How did you go about investigating a sea monster?
Dan: Well, we did a full harbor drag, but nothing was found. We had a team of divers and
some expensive fish radars but still nothing. I started to investigate the people who had
first seen the monster starting with the two fishermen. I confronted the two men
separately and they both gave the same account, they were fishing and the fishermen saw
a large tail come out of the water. They said they thought nothing of it until they saw a
big neck come rising out of the deep. One said the neck was six feet long the other said
around three feet long.
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Interviewer: Wow that sounds like something from a book. Did you believe the men?
Dan: Well, to a degree I had too. There were so many sightings of this sea monster that
there had to be something behind it. I decided to look into the history of the sea monster
and see if there could be any ties. I found out that many of the Sea Monster sightings
could have been giant squid. (Encyclopedia Britannica, 3). I also discovered that during
the Age of Exploration (15th to 17th century A.D.) England had made stories of sea
monsters and perils in the water to dissuade sailors and explorers from sailing through
those waters. There ultimate goal was to take all the land while other people feared
sailing the waters.
Interviewer: Wow that is amazing I never knew that. Did this give you any leads?
Dan: Not in and of itself, but it led me to believe maybe the monster was a fraud. That
might explain why we could not find anything while dredging, diving, or looking through
radars. I decided to look back through the towns record. I discovered that the once
prosperous town was almost depleted of money. Buildings were falling apart and closing
down. I decided to talk to our new mayor about this since strangely the sea monster arose
the same month the mayor took office. I told him everything I knew and he confessed.
Interview: So did the mayor make it all up?
Dan: Yes, the mayor told me he loved this town and he was the fourth generation to fish
in the harbor and he had kids here. He hated to see the town dwindling. He had read

about the sea monster and thought it could be used to draw tourists to earn income for the
town.
Interviewer: so how did he do it?
Dan: He actually attached a large metal neck to submarine and only came out during fog.
He had already sold it by the time we dredged the water so thats why we did not find
anything.
Interviewer: Another exciting case closed, Dan any other words for our readers.
Dan: Make sure to stay out of trouble and never take the words of others as fact unless
there is hard evidence. Thousands of people paid money to come see something that
never really existed, so always think about things first.

Entry Two: Newspaper Article

New Hannover Advisor

by: Kelson Corbitt

Sept. 18, 2015

Attacks on a Farm Monday! Could this be the Return of the

Werewolf?
Monday, Sept. 16, 2015, in New Hannover,

I went and spoke to her and she told me

vicious attacks were made on a family farm.

some other interesting theories. She told

the crops were trampled and the cattle

me in old Germanic Literature there was a

looked like they were eviscerated by a large

thing called a Wolf Girdle and when

animal like a bear or lion. No sightings were you put it on you became a wolf man. She
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made because the attacks happened at night,

told me that old texts said that the Girdle

but some older people say it is the return of

was a gift from the Devil to people. She

the Werewolf. Many people said they were

said the myth could go back as far as

crazy but we investigated. We found out in

1 A.D. though because of Ovids book

4th century A.D. Germanic tribes in present

Metamorphosis. (Shelly 7).She then told

day Germany were attacked by what they

me to go talk to the Psychology dept.

believed to be a Werewolf. We did research

The Psychology teacher told me he

to find out the cause of this belief. We found

believes that the Werewolf legend

out that in the 4th century the Germanic

spurred from the need to hide the dark

tribes had vicious attacks where crops were

side of humans. In the 16 th century,

trampled and cattle were eviscerated, just

Werewolf trials started happening all

like Monday night. (Willem

over the world. People were being

We talked to the history professor at Leibniz executed and tortured on the basis that
University of Hannover. He told us that he

they were Werewolves. (Shelly 3, 4).

believes the Werewolf legend came from the Most were criminals that had killed
early 4th century in Germany. One of his

people in gruesome ways and some

theories for the legend is they were made up

were cannibals.

to bring the tribes together. (Willem). He told Werewolves, Fact or Fiction? Only
me to go and talk to the Germanic Literature
teacher to find out more.

you can decide the answer.

Entry Three: Comic

This comic illustrates one of the main theories for why monsters might have been
created. I am going to talk about the aspects in this comic first. There is a rug in front of
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the tepee as well as some shoes right outside indicating other humans nearby. There is a
huge bird being cooked to the right much too big for the two people to eat indicating a
village or tribe is here. There is a sleeping bag of sorts in the tent next to spears and a
bow and quiver. There is a forest in the background. There are two Indian leaders to the
right noted by their headdress. One is drinking something and the other says to him,
Now that we made up those monsters, the village should obey us. Over to left in the
forest, two monsters are standing and one says, Now that we made up those humans, the
kids should obey us. I made it like this to be funny but to serve a purpose and get my
point across. Many people in authority have used scare tactics to gain power and
compliance over those they are above. This comic is a way to explore the idea that
monsters could just be a way to scare and control people into a desired behavior.
Monsters might not be real at all, but if a leader says you will be killed by a monster if
you do these things then people are more inclined to stay away from those taboo things.
Even parents have used these methods to encourage their children to be obedient. Things
like Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy encourage a desired behavior
from the parents kids. This is just one of many theories surrounding the legend of
monsters, but it is a very likely one for some legends.

Entry Four: Diary

Friday, January 13, 2012
Dear Diary,
I did not want to kill him, but he killed him anyway. This inner monster that comes out
and controls me. I try to fight it but he ultimately wins. I am not strong enough to defeat
this foe. He is my adversary but I am his slave. He comes out at his will with no regard
for my wishes. His dark deeds are mine to bear. I feel the heavy guilt that he does not
bear. I wish I could get rid of him for good.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Dear Diary,
I fought with him again, but this time I did not turn I was able to withstand him. Maybe
he chose to let me win or maybe this willpower is helping me. Whatever the reason I did
not kill again. I might have a chance here.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Dear Diary,
He won, he won, he won!! Again! I fought with all my might but I was too weak. I turned
into that monster again yesterday and killed again. O, this guilt is killing me. I havent

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slept since Thursday. Maybe thats what it is. Yes, Im just tired. A good sleep will calm
him down. Yes, I think Ill sleep now.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Dear Diary,
Sleeping did not help. He came out last night under the full moon and killed a lady in
cold blood. I must be a Werewolf. I must be. This vicious, dastardly deeds I am
committing, NO he is committing. I must not blame myself! It is not me who commits
these atrocities. It is the other half of me the dark Werewolf side that comes out whenever
he pleases and wreaks havoc on the world and on my mind. He is too much for me to
bear. Ill get some help from a doctor.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Dear Diary,
I met with the doctor and he told me I might have rabies. (Shelly, 8) I told him I did not
have rabies I was turning into a Werewolf. He told me to go see a shrink. I am not crazy.
Am I? NO! No No No. Im not Im perfectly sane. Its him, he is this crazy one yes. I let
him kill he doctor. I wanted to do it myself but he wanted to, so I let him. Oh no, he is
transforming me. Trying to make me less of a human and more into a... a... Monster! No!
I could never be a monster. I have always loved people and helped the needy. I have
never intentionally hurt anyone. It is him, he is the monster taking over my body, my
mind, my very being. I cannot take it anymore. Maybe I will go see a Shrink. Maybe he
11

can help me or tell me what to do. There has to be others with my condition. I cannot be
the only Werewolf.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Dear Diary,
This past days were great until today. Friday I went to see a shrink and I felt great I
poured out my emotions and he listened. He told me I should take a prescription pill to
help me stay calm and to be able to think clearer. They worked so well, but I still heard
his voice telling me to kill the shrink. But did I listen? Oh no I didnt! I took a lot of pills
and I did not hear his voice anymore. O the bliss of silence. No more voices no more
turning into a monster just peaceful silence. The voices came back today but I knew the
cure. I reached into the pill bottle. EMPTY!!!! I ran all the way to the shrinks office and
begged him for more. The shrink told me I could not have anymore because those were
supposed to last me two months not two days. The voices got louder. Kill him they said
Steal the pills, KILL Him. I couldnt handle the voices. So I let him out. I let myself be
overtaken by this monster. The shrink told me to calm down and that I was acting like an
animal no a monster. (Shelly, 9) It was too late. He killed the shrink and the secretary as

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well as two customers in the office. I stole the pills and took them all. I felt blissful!
Peaceful even. I feel kind of sleepy. Yes, sleep is what I need I think Ill lay down and sle

Entry Five: Letter

James Patterson
1392 Jackson Lake Dr.
Laytonville AS. 57293

Dear Doctor Vesuvius,

My name is James Inglton and I am writing to you to discuss Dragons. I know you are a
world famous Cryptozoologist and I know you do not have much time, but if you read
and respond to my letter I would be very grateful.

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I am fascinated with Dragons and I have done a lot of research on them. What I find
the most interesting is that every culture in every time period has some sort of Dragon
myth. Having no form of communications between cultures how could the Dragon myth
exist if not based on some fact. I propose that Dragons really did exist at some point.
While I have no basis on this point I believe it is the only explanation to this cross-culture
feat. I read on Encyclopedia.com that there were cultures that viewed Dragons as evil
spirits that were there to kill, but some cultures viewed Dragons as good omens or
symbols of good fortune. (Dragons Myths and Legends of the World, 1) Throughout
history it is believed that gods fought Dragons and Dragons were revered as ancient
powers or deities. (Dragons Myths and Legends of the World, 2, 3) I wanted to ask
what your thoughts were on Dragons. All over the globe, Dragon myths and sightings
have arose. From early Sumerian culture to Roman, Greek, Egyptian, Native American,
English, Irish, and Asian cultures, Dragons have been in inscriptions, literature, and
paintings. Dragons play a large role in Asian cultures like Japan and China becoming
ancient powers to be revered and even worshipped. Dragons to them are beautiful
creatures that all have a purpose whether good omens, fortune, or mischief. The ancient
thought of yin and yang have been thought of as two battling Dragons that cause a
balance in the world. All these thoughts and yet to evidence. Could the dragons have
existed or are they just fabricated? I would like some more information or sources where
I can learn more as well as your opinion. Anything at all would be a great help. Thank
you for your time.

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Sincerely,
James Inglton

Entry Six: Short Story

A long time ago, in ancient Arabia, there lived a lonely Jinn. He was
created by Allah to watch over certain humans and grant them three wishes. (A
Brief History of Jinn, 1) He was upset because he had not been given a quest in
over three hundred years. One day as he wandered through the desert he received a
message from Allah. The message told him to come up to Paradise and to talk to
Allah. Once there, Allah told the Jinn that there was a quest for him. The Jinn was
so excited and he instantly took the quest. The Jinn was to watch over a man
named al-Kamledi. The Jinn headed back to earth and found the man. To the Jinns
surprise the man was a poor beggar. The man was startled by the Jinn and thought
he was going crazy to see such a thing. The Jinn told the man he could have three
wishes. The man thought for a while and said he wanted a home, a job, and his
family back. The Jinn was puzzled at how the man was able to make the wishes so
fast. The Jinn granted the man the three wishes. When the man saw his family
again he wept tears of joy and thanked the Jinn for what he had done and told him
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he would never forget the Jinns kindness. The Jinn was very happy again that he
was able to do a quest and help that man. The Jinn left and went back to Paradise.
Allah gave him another quest this time to go to a war veteran Wazari al-din. The
Jinn went down to the man and told him why he was there. The old veteran
laughed and said I only wish I was younger so I could fight in the war at my full
strength. The man became twenty years old again. The man was ecstatic. He asked
if the Jinn could also make his wife young and beautiful again. The Jinn granted
this request as well. Then the man asked what the Jinn wanted. The Jinn was
puzzled. The Jinn had never wanted anything except quests. The man told the Jinn
to stay with him until there was something the Jinn wanted. Seventy years past,
and the old man sat around the table where his four generation sat. His wife had
passed three years prior, but she had borne a child and she borne three and they
borne three each. The mans family had grown and he was so happy. The man
thanked the Jinn for everything he had done and asked the Jinn to use the last wish
on himself. The Jinn thanked the man and left to go to Paradise again. On his way
he spied al-Kamledi. The man was old and was out in the yard watching his greatgrandchildren. The Jinn came down to speak to the man. The man was happy to
see him and called the Jinn his friend. The Jinn then received a quest to go to
Prince Razmin-al Malik. The Jinn appeared before the man and told him of three
wishes. The prince smiled and said he wanted to become Immortal. The Jinn
granted this request. The prince laughed and said for the Jinn to kill his older
brother and father so he could take the throne. The Jinn reluctantly did as the
16

prince requested. The new King said his final wish was to have the Jinn as his
slave. The Jinn did not want to be his slave, but the Jinns quest was to grant the
King three wishes, so the Jinn became a slave. For four hundred years the Jinn
toiled in the fields and slaved away for the immortal King. The King was a bad
ruler and enslaved many people. One day while the Jinn toiled, he spied his old
friends al- Kamledi and Wazari-al din. He went over to them and found out they
were descendants of the Jinns friends. They reminded the Jinn of his wish that
was granted to him. One said use it to kill the King the other said use it to escape.
The Jinn pondered what to do and finally closed his eyes and wished he had never
been a Jinn. He opened his eyes and he was in his old dwelling place. He looked
around and saw a pool of water. He looked in and realized he was a human being.
He was very happy, but also he was sad he would not get to meet his friends or
complete their wishes. The man now wandered through the desert until he was met
by a Jinn giving him three wishes. The Jinn wished for his friends to live with him
and for all of their loved ones to be with them. Finally he wished for the Jinn to
become a human. This tale is the tale of the downfall of the Jinn. The Jinni do not
exist today because of one man giving his wish to a Jinn who passed on that
blessing who in turn passed the blessing along. Pretty soon no Jinni were left. This
story may or may not be true, but that is how the legend goes.

Entry Seven: Editorial

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Page 17- Factual Times Friday, May 12, 1998

Factual Times

Doctor Tobias Vesuvius

Editorial
Monsters: Theories in the World of Myths

n a world clouded in myths in mystery, monsters stand tall as one of the most

mysterious and myth covered topics. Many believe monsters exist and many do not think
they exist. Through this editorial I will tell you many theories on monsters and I will tell
you my beliefs. I will write a series of editorials on the Mage, Jinn, Dragon, Sea Monster,
and Werewolf.
First, on our series of editorials is the Mage. The Mage came about in ancient
medieval times (Sangster, 2, 4). A Mages sometimes called: Wizard, Witch, Warlock,
Shaman, or Witchdoctor; are people who use magic to manipulate other people or other
things. Many mages were described as good people who were wise and kind, but some
were described as evil and manipulative. In history, many people were killed for being
witches or wizards, even if there conviction had no basis. People would throw girls into
ponds with rocks attached and say, If she is a witch she will float. If the girl sank and
died she was not a witch. In all of the witch trials no witches were confirmed. Some
theories are that people during that time found ancient tomes (a book containing
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knowledge in the art of magic), and this allowed them to use that magic whether it be
elemental or manipulating magic. Others believe certain people are born with magical
abilities and knowledge and practice helps to unlock it. Some believe it was a pact with a
deity that brought the powers. Our world is encapsulated and almost addicted to the idea
of magic. Millions of dollars a year go to merchandise, books, movies, and games about
magic and wizards. Cultures all around the world are fascinated by magic, so could magic
really exist. I believe it does, but we as a majority do not have access to it. Only you can
decide for yourself though.
In this editorial we will cover the Jinn. The Jinn arose in ancient Arabia through the
religious teachings of Islam. (A Brief History of Jinn, 1) They were spirits that were sent
by Allah to watch over people and either bless or curse them. The Jinn had powers given
to them by Allah and could use them whenever they pleased. Another name for a Jinn is a
Genie. The Genie were said to be in everything including nature and inanimate objects.
Some could take the form of humans or animals to watch other humans. (A Brief History
of Jinn, 1) Some cases of Jinn and Genie also arose in African literature and religion.
Some cultures believed that Genie could possess humans and they used magic to fight
them off. (A Brief History of Jinn, 1) In ancient Rome, there was a concept of good Jinn
and bad Jinn that fought each other to control a humans actions. (A Brief History of Jinn,
2) Many people believe in Jinn, I am not sure where I lean to, but there is always a
possibility. What do you think?

In this editorial I will be discussing the Dragon. The tale of the Dragon is told
worldwide. From the earliest of ages till now there have always been tales of large lizard
flying high and guarding treasures. Many people say Dragons never existed. People
needed something to fight to become heroes. People could have said there was a Dragon
in the cave so they could hide their treasure. Some cultures fear these creatures while
others exalt them: Japan and China. (Dragons Myths and Legends of the World, 1) At
19

Encyclopedia.com under Dragons I saw that throughout history cultures have

mythology and literature saturated with Dragons and gods and heroes fighting Dragons in
epic battles. (Dragons Myths and Legends of the World, 1, 2) Some cultures even have
gods that are the form of dragons like the Aztec god, Quetzacotyl or the Japanese Yin and
Yang (which is sometimes Koi fish and other times twin Dragons) I believe Dragons
existed and very well could still exist. I think that we have turned them into something
they are not (giant, ferocious, fire-breathing, reptile-like, killers that roam the skies), but I
do think they very well could exist. Do you think they could, or is it another hoax?
I hope you have following my series and enjoying it as much as I have. The next
editorial I will do is on the Sea Monster. The Sea Monster or Sea Serpent ranges from
large snake to a Liopleurodon-like creature. Many sightings have been seen throughout
the world and some have even believed to have been beached. Many cultures have these
creatures in their mythology and literature. The Greek Hydra is a sea serpent. Some
suggest that Sea Serpents could just be a sea animal thought to be a Sea Monster by
accident such as an Oarfish, Sea Lion or Shark. (Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica)
Others suggest they are fabricated to make sailors stay clear of Dangerous Waters. If
there are supposed Sea Monsters in the water, people might not tread there. Encyclopedia
Britannica says, The history of sightings of freshwater monsters is lengthy, especially
those of Loch Ness in northern Scotland. They have been the object of much
investigation, all of it remaining inconclusive. (Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica) I
believe in Sea Monsters and they have a high probability of existing. I do not believe they
come to the surface to kill people and attack boats, but I do believe there could be some
large serpents or Liopleurodons still in our waters. What do you think? Could there be
remnants of ancient aquatic life in our waters?
The last of our editorial series brings us to the infamous Werewolf. There are many
possible myths for the Werewolf. One of which is the belief that serial killers in older
times were called Werewolf to separate them from humans and to show they behaved like
animals or beasts. (Shelly, 3) Another is that Ovid created the Werewolf in his book
20

Metamorphosis. (Shelly, 5) Some believe it was a Wolf Girdle which allowed the
wearer to become a Werewolf. (Shelly, 6) Another belief is that people described a human
with rabies as a Werewolf. (Shelly, 8) The Werewolf could have just been large wolves
attacking camps and rumor spread that it was humanoid. (Shelly, 8) I believe that the
Werewolf probably does not exist and it was a way to make killers seam less human.
There could always be a possibility that they do exist, but there is no proof either way.
What do you think about this popular myth? Do you believe it or is it a fake?
This concludes our editorial series on the Mage, Jinn, Dragon, Sea Monster, and
Werewolf. I hope you had fun reading it, because I had fun writing it; but most of all I
hope it intrigued you and got you thinking. Whichever way you lean towards, you should
always be open-minded to other possibilities.

Work Cited
21

1). Barclay, Shelly. The History of the Werewolf Legend. Historic

Mysteries. Historic Mysteries, March 12, 2011. Web. February 30, 2016.
2). Circa71. A Brief History of Jinn or Genies. Wordpress. August 25, 2011.
Web. February 30, 2016.
3.) de Blcourt, Willem. "I Would Have Eaten You Too: Werewolf Legends
In The Flemish, Dutch And German Area." Folklore 118.1 (2007): 2343.Academic Search Premier. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.
4.) Editors of Cengage Learning. Dragons. Myths and legends of the world.
2001. Encyclopedia.com. Encyclopedia. February 30, 2016
5.) Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. Sea Serpent Mythology
Encyclopedia Britannica. 2016 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. 2-30-2016.
February 30, 2016.
6.) Sangster, Angela. Wizards, Warlocks, and Sorcerers~ The Magic, The
Myths, The truth and Origins. True Ghost Tales. 2010 TrueGhostTales.com,
Web. 2012. February 30, 2016.

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