Most tales start with "once upon a time—," and yet that time can be as recent as yesterday, especially when it comes to something as diachronic as cryptids. One cannot help but wonder, in the grand cosmos of things, why do so many different cultures across the globe feel the need to conjure cryptids? Is it a matter of human curiosity and the need to explain the unknown, regardless of culture or geography? Perhaps a human race factor that unites them all across space and time?

In the event cryptids are in fact a fragment of humanity’s vivid imagination, they may be used as scapegoats to explain and excuse inherent fears or events beyond our means and comprehension—that we all as a species share, despite our time and distance apart, much like the ancient civilizations did with mythology back in their day. But where does one draw the line between fantasy and reality, and how does reality affect these legends?

Let's try to rationalize the dominating arguments regarding the explanation of how and why cryptids came to be through human nature, biology, and migration.

Cryptid no creeping: how far have these beasts crawled to be here today?

1. Boogeymen and their not-so-distant diaspora cousins

One of the primary arguments one can make for the creation of cryptids being a matter of human nature, rather than individual cultures alone (where it might be separating them instead of uniting them), would be the similarities shared between certain subtypes of cryptids: the infamous boogeymen, shapeshifters, blood-feasting monsters, etc., where each subtype, despite their location of origin, shares a similar archetype, features, and patterns of behaviour with others across the globe, miles and years apart.

The aforementioned factors can be supported through migration and trade, as stories are often carried across the globe, traded, and altered by the hands that “shape” and share them, not unlike the broken telephone game one may have played as a child.

These stories could have served either as a teaching moment for the younger generation, such as the case of boogeymen feasting on disobedient children (for those on whom the threat of Santa Claus’ naughty list doesn’t provide enough of a threat), or to explain phenomena that were beyond our understanding at the given time of the cryptid’s creation, much like mythology was used in ancient times.

We can take Mr. Boogeyman, known by many names across the world, as our primary example—known as a threat to unruly children, often ready to snatch them if they don’t go to sleep or misbehave, he is often portrayed as a big, intimidating figure. We see him as Krampus, Baboulas, or even El Cuco—a man (or rather beast) of many names and trades. He usually kidnaps, or for the naughtier ones, eats children, feasting on flesh or blood depending on how peckish he feels.

El Cuco particularly is an excellent example of the migration effect: having originated from Spain and Portugal, our lukewarmly regarded at best Cucuy is a boogeyman that managed to travel all across the Atlantic during the 17th century and nestled into the fearfully beating hearts of Latin Americans. Here, we can relatively easily trace the origin and the means of transport of our illegal cryptid immigrant that hopped continents in hopes of a darker, alas, more obedient future.

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Que viene el coco (Here Comes the Bogey-Man) by Francisco Goya.

With trade facilitating an exchange of both goods and cultures, it enables a unique exchange for its time through the transmission of cultural and even religious practices, as well as new language terms, and in our case, folklore and legend—or even cryptids. Whether those stories were brought via colonization or the initial trade, the one often compared to the devil does the same any sensible Boogeyman would do—terrorize children into good behaviour.

While he takes many names, forms, genders, and shapes, the principle remains the same, regardless of continent or century, whereas an interesting version of Cucuy also paints it as a shapeshifter, potentially excusing why this (un)popular cryptid has weaseled its way into every nation without distinctive features that would confirm our suspicions and enable a hunt.

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2023 El Coco Danger Zone Travel Guide by J.A. Hernandez, Into Horror History.

2. Shifting skin or mental state?

Where a Skinwalker or shapeshifter would be an easier explanation as to why we hear humanlike screeches in the forest at night, at least before we realize that the sound comes from a mountain lion or coyotes wreaking havoc in the shadows, it also poses an interesting argument on why completely different cultures that never had any contact whatsoever share such cryptids.

Let’s start by comparing Native American Skinwalkers/wendigo and shapeshifting Greek gods, or even Japanese kitsune (foxes)—what could be a common denominator here?

Many current scientists (biologists and cryptozoologists alike) believe that cryptid sightings are simply misidentified known animals—which could very well be the case but would then provide an issue in the shared image of cryptids across the world, as many regions that share cryptids do not share any such fauna yet still continue passing down legends of cryptids whose features and patterns match those of others thousands of miles (or even years) away.

Once again, doubt may creep in and make us wonder, why should we even listen to cryptozoology? Is that not also pseudoscience? Cryptozoology may be regarded as such, but more often than not, these scientists are not vampire or werewolf hunters but rather scientists related to fields such as biology or anthropology, analysing both folklore and biological data to understand the phenomena of our world (Davis, 2021).

According to Davis, it’s important that we know our history, regardless of whether that history is personal, cultural, or world history in general, and how, when it comes to cryptozoology, history is the key factor in both supporting the field’s existence as well as its subjects’. There have been instances where animals that were regarded as cryptids were eventually found and properly categorized, dissolving the mystery, or perhaps enhancing believers’ faith with endless possibilities.

Such cases have been the famous okapi and Komodo dragons, or even giant squids. For all we know, the Kraken could be a scurvy-ridden pirate’s fever dream, albeit a little overplayed and exaggerated, like an uncle’s legendary fish catch growing bigger and badder every Thanksgiving.

Another important factor that ought to be considered is the psychological—humanity may differ across cultures and languages, but we all (primarily) share the same biology. Whether it’s pareidolia or more severe cases of hallucinations and mental and psychological disorders, or even altered states of consciousness such as intoxication or fatigue, they may also be taken into consideration.

While we once considered Zeus shapeshifting his way into a woman’s bed and out of child support responsibilities to enhance demigod legends, now we can also consider cases such as the mental illness Kitsunetsuki. A cousin of clinical lycanthropy, Kitsunetsuki or rather, being possessed by a fox, with roots from the Heian period but more established in the 15th century, speaks of possible mental illness disguised as possession of ordinary humans by a fox spirit.

While there are many different descriptions, in “Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan," Lafcadio Hearn describes it as a madness that drives people to odd behaviour, sometimes with physical ailments such as unexpected literacy where there wasn’t any before, or even ‘traveling’ lumps under the skin to match (Hearn, 2005). While previously treated by exorcism, in modern psychiatry, this issue is referred to as a culture-bound syndrome that is unique to Japan (Yonebayashi, 1964, Haviland, 2002).

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Foxes Practicing the Art of Transformation (Doke kitsune henge no keiko, 道外狐へん化のけいこ) by Masa.

One may also take into account the possibility of religion or spirituality being involved in cryptid sightings, as faith can often be much stronger (and hallucination-inducing) than common sense and reality, therefore affecting the spread of these stories and the meaning behind them.

Angels, demons, and other religious beings are often called upon in discussions involving the paranormal. While they may not be the first being that comes to mind when thinking about cryptids, they certainly tick all the cryptid certification criteria on the list. Where Christians may see demons or other questionable invisible forces, Muslims may encounter Jinn.

The previously mentioned Skinwalkers are initially said to have been Native American shamans, or rather harmful witches, that used their gifts and knowledge for evil, ultimately turning to arts that bent them into something twisted and inhuman in order to satisfy their ambitions (Kluckhohn, 1962). The Japanese fox possessions were also once treated with exorcisms (Smyers, 1999), much like one would in a temple with a demon possession in the West.

Religious beliefs have often impaired one’s judgement when allowing ourselves to get carried away or manipulated by people who use religion and faith as tools to aid their own goals. Some atheists today have even attempted to go as far as comparing the hunt for cryptids to that of God’s existence—and before hellfire rains upon this author, let us consider the extensive amount of faith in both, as well as the lack of physical evidence, as that is their prime argument.

The comparison is simple: if God exists and is indeed all-powerful in our universe, there must be physical evidence detectability to be had, in the same way there would be for a cryptid like Bigfoot for example. Without the ability to confirm and test his existence and its extent, the lack of physical evidence and framework to produce tangible proof, and the atheist argument live on.

Then again, of course, every God-based religion’s counterargument would be that God is not tangible to begin with and therefore also cannot be a cryptid per se; as he is not bound by time, space, or mass, he is inherently impossible to subject to science and experiments. The same argument can subsequently, however, be made for certain cryptids and paranormal phenomena—what if these beings do in fact exist but are merely out of reach due to our failure to produce the right means of research and technology?

Blind faith induces statements such as “there is no need to physically prove a god’s existence, as faith and a relationship with said god should suffice," a faux comfort for anyone who considers facts and reality logically, but the truth is that a middle ground between faith and science is where legends and religions alike are made—the principle that we are the most powerful product of this world simply feels too arrogant to be true, if not a faint bit like hubris.

Many have also sought to abuse both religious and cryptid tales in order to gain publicity and profit through sightings and other such stunts, which can factor in yet another very human trait, that of opportunist behaviour. From media material like pictures and video footage, to physical proof like footprints, cryptids have been reinforced through storytelling and popular culture, eventually straying from their original forms and into something more capitalist rather than mythical.

The movie industry also aided the spread through pop culture yet also simultaneously discredited any (if any) credibility of cryptid sightings, as Hollywood often took and reimagined many legends and stories into best-selling franchises that ultimately both normalized the notion and undermined any deeper research on the matter altogether—vampires went from devastating, world-shattering, blood-feasting beasts to comely, attractive, and even eligible counterparts in human society within the span of a hundred years.

Eyewitness testimony is also often called upon, yet still unreliable due to distress, the passage of time, or other external factors, which may or may not be affected by greed and hunger for fame. We previously also mentioned an altered state of consciousness via alcohol or drugs that can impair and impact perception of related incidents.

Hunters, for example, are likely to see cryptids deep in the woods at night during hunting season, but how well does one see in the dark foliage, at a distance, perhaps inebriated after a couple of drinks around the fire? What of pareidolia, where the human mind takes in ordinary objects and sees them as faces or shapes that are far more alive than their true inanimate nature?

A common assumption, where one may encounter a sick deer or another animal suffering from chronic wasting disease, causing it to walk and behave in an odd, unnatural way, often feeds into the Skinwalker narrative, much like the oddly humanlike noises some animals make during mating season.

While chronic wasting disease was only first detected around 1967, there may have been other prior such illnesses that sparked tales that sought to explain very reasonable human fears regarding oddly behaving animals (or even people)—much like when animals resort to filial cannibalism, where they eat their young because they sense there is something wrong with them that will turn into an inability to survive or hinder other offspring (Wolfgang, 1987), perhaps humans too experience an instinct of rejection of the irregular for survival reasons of their own.

While culture may play a very active role in the creation and shaping of these beliefs and cryptids, human biology could very well be a more likely and binding factor across our well-spread-out species around the globe.

While some cryptids are more spread out than others via trade and history, all humans have undoubtedly showcased instances of auditory or visual hallucinations at some point in their lives, whether due to temporary ailment, physical predisposition, or exposure to such inducing products (i.e., drugs/medication or exposure to natural elements such as the sun or seawater) or chronic issues such as schizophrenia, PTSD, or other such mental disorders.

A recent study suggests that about 17% to 38% of healthy people experience visual hallucinations (Aynsworth et al., 2023). These percentages showcase that experiencing a single visual hallucination is a more common experience than one may think, as one may not necessarily be suffering from psychosis in order to experience visual hallucinations, which in the case of cryptids is of importance, as visual is more common than audio "proof."

The authors of the study sought to normalize the experience of visual hallucinations via their work so that people are less likely to react negatively or irrationally in case it does happen to them, although this would perhaps affect paranormal or metaphysical sightings and stories—whether positively or negatively is entirely up to the literal eye of the beholder. All these factors certainly paint different pictures of altered reality without our awareness at the time, with genetic components making them possible to the entire human species.

Conclusion

We showcased some of the leading effects reality can have on legend, or rather, where these cryptids’ legends could stem from—factors such as migration and trade have aided in the spread of such stories, transcending borders and generations, languages and cultures, and spreading the image and reputation of the same cryptid in completely different parts of the world that have had little to no prior ties.

Human psyche has also been determined as another possible factor, as despite our differences, the human race shares similar struggles in the face of mental illness, addiction, or plain greed for profit and glory. Mental illness, which has consistently served as a source and scapegoat for evil and misfortune in the past centuries, is finally recognized today for what it truly is, and we can confidently say that many cases of hallucinations, ‘odd’ behaviour and even physical ailments and disabilities are correctly recognized and treated today, instead of turning to exorcisms and the assumption that cryptids make up part of our population in disguise.

Religion was also taken into consideration, as it isn’t uncommon for faith (or lack thereof) to affect the concept of cryptids—evil beings lurking in the shadows do enhance ‘God’s light’s’ potency in the eyes of believers, no different than a mother’s bedtime ritual would a scared child from the Boogeyman, but one cannot forget that sometimes, the ‘monsters’ we ought to fear the most are ordinary people who have no need for horns and sharp teeth, as their cunning and intentions more than suffice.

And yet, alongside these cryptids that transcend centuries and humanity’s struggle with The Unknown, we can’t help but feel that there’s a blessing to be acknowledged in between the lines; human nature and curiosity live on, propelling both advancement and cultivation of one’s culture and traditions, reminding us that if taken in with an open mind and heart, perhaps cryptids and men alike can one day, when technological advancement allows it, find answers and solace after all.

Notes

Aynsworth, C., Rolinson, J., Pervez, M., Collerton, D., & Dudley, R. (2023). What is the frequency and nature of visual hallucinations in non-clinical participants? Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 96, 281–295.
Davis, L. (2021). The Beginnings of Cryptozoology. ScIU – Indiana University Bloomington.
Haviland, W. A. (2002). Cultural Anthropology. Wadsworth. PP. 144–5.
Hearn, L. (2005). Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan. Project Gutenberg.
Hernandez, J.A. (2023). El Coco, El Cucuy: The Child Eater. Into Horror History.
Kluckhohn, C. (1962). Navaho Witchcraft. Boston, Massachusetts: Beacon Press.
James, W. (1917). The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature. Longmans, Green and Co.
Shuker, K. P. N. (2003). The Beasts That Hide From Man. Paraview.
Smyers, K. A. (1999). The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Worship. University of Hawaii Press.
Wolfgang, M. (1987). Filial cannibalism and reproductive success in the maternal mouthbrooding cichlid fish Pseudocrenilabrus multicolor. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 21 (4): 257–265.
Yonebayashi, T. (1964). Kitsunetsuki (Possession by Foxes). Transcultural Psychiatry. 1 (2): 95–97.