Belief systems and cryptozoology pursue the idea of monsters because both encounter the mysterious “otherness” that elicits fear and attraction. Certain cryptids are believed to have spiritual or supernatural significance in some religious traditions. For example, in many Native American cultures, the sasquatch, also known as Bigfoot, is viewed as a guardian of the forest and a symbol of the connection between humans and nature. Conversely, some religious groups may view cryptids as demonic. For example, some Christian denominations view the Chupacabra as an evil creature that preys on livestock and represents evil. Another example is the secular cryptid Bigfoot, which is rejected by science and Christianity. Science is important because there is no hard evidence, and religion is important because it is not mentioned in the Bible.

Cryptid monsters are metaphorical symbols of chaos. They can transgress boundaries and represent ‘otherness’ in the human world. One example is Tiamat in the Enuma Elish of Babylonian tradition, which personifies water. She is not killed but placed under Marduk’s control. Here, Tiamat is a beast that belongs to the world yet threatens the natural, established order of the world. These are figures of chaos and disorientation within a seemingly ordered world, and they reveal insecurities in society and a person’s worldview. Monsters are pitted against the sacred order of humanity and represent malevolent chaos. An attack by a cryptid beast creates chaos in the world and disorients the person seeking sacred meaning; in contrast, religion is about creating sacrosanct order and positioning people against disorder and confusion. Some view cryptids as evidence of the existence of a higher power or as part of a divine plan. Others see them as a challenge to their beliefs or a potential threat to the world’s natural order.

Historical Cryptids

  • Classical Roman author Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD) first wrote about monsters. He noted that cryptids are evidence of the existence of a higher power or as part of a divine plan.
  • St. Augustine (354–430) also wrote about cryptid beasts and monsters. He debated if such beasts were human, writing, “But if the peoples of whom these marvels were written are in truth human beings, then what if God wished to create some peoples of this sort precisely to keep us from thinking … that the wisdom by which he forms human nature had erred as if it were the art of some inferior craftsman?” God had created these beasts to demonstrate something to humans.

Further Reading

A Guide To California’s Monsters And Mythical Creatures, website

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Author: mountshastamyths

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