When you were a child, did a fear of monsters keep you awake at night? While I can safely say that there are no monsters under your bed, I cannot assure you that your fears were without basis. Most legends do not materialize out of thin air; they develop from actual experiences and strange sightings. And while the reality might not be quite as scary as the myth, it is certainly just as interesting.   

Almost Human

Stories of strange, primitive, human-like creatures are extremely prevalent. Whether you have heard about the Big Foot of California, the Sasquatch of the North-West United States, the Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas, the Mapinguari of the Amazon, the Yowie of Australia, or the Yeti of Asia, you are probably familiar with at least some ape-man legends.

Some people adamantly believe that these creatures exist among us. However, despite some suspicious videos and footprints, these claims have never been scientifically proven. No modern ape-man remains have ever been found, no ape-man has ever been captured, and no clear videos have ever been recorded. This is despite the existence of dedicated individuals and organizations, such as the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, who look for conclusive evidence nonstop.

But even if these ape-men no longer exist, their legends may still be based on actual creatures. The neandertals were a hominid species closely related to humans; they have been classified both as Homo neanderthalensis and as Homo sapiens neanderthalensis. They lived in Western Europe and central Asia until approximately 30,000 years ago. By this time, modern humans had already evolved; in other words, modern humans and neandertals coexisted. Although scientists are not sure how much these species interacted – some believe that the two species actually mated, whereas others believe that they generally kept their distance – it is likely that they were aware of each other. Therefore, it is possible that our modern stories of ape-men are based on the now extinct neandertals.

Not all mythical, human-like creatures are larger than humans. According to the legends of Indonesia, small, hairy, human-like creatures existed until about 100 years ago. These creatures were dubbed the Ebu GoGo, or greedy ancestors. They frequently stole from the humans living nearby and even kidnapped human children; eventually, the humans drove them into extinction. Most people considered these creatures to be purely fictitious, but now some scientists are rethinking this assumption. In 2003, the remains of a small hominid, named Homo florensiensis, was discovered on the island of Flores in Indonesia. The remains fit the description of the Ebu Gogo and date to approximately 13,000 years ago. It is possible, even likely, that the legends of the Ebu Gogo are based on this real hominid. Other stories of leprechauns and elves could have similar origins, as well.

Sea Monsters

The ocean is a very dangerous place; certain rivers are quite treacherous, too. In an attempt to explain why so many shipwrecks occur in the same place time after time, sailors have often created legends of mythical creatures that lure men to their death. And since sailors were mostly men, and rather lonely men at that, it is not surprising that they described these creatures as beautiful, singing maidens called sirens. Legends of sirens are fairly common. For example, in Homer’s Odyssey, Ulysses has to resist a siren. In Germany, there is a common legend about a siren named Lorelei who haunts the Rhine River.

Unfortunately, not all sea creatures are as lovely as the sirens. Sailors also tell of huge sea serpents and unidentifiable beasts. The most famous of such creatures is the Loch Ness Monster, nicknamed Nessie, although Nessie actually lives in a lake in Scotland and not the ocean.

It is not surprising that sailors were unable to identify various sea creatures. Even in modern times, scientists have a lot of unanswered questions concerning marine life. The ocean covers two-thirds of the Earth’s surface and is incredibly deep; the Marina Trench near the Philippines, for examples, is 35,838 feet deep. Exploring the ocean is not an easy task.

Sailors may also have seen shark and whale carcasses or large masses of inanimate matter – seaweed, logs, ship debris, for instance – and mistook them for large, living creatures. Dr. Paxton of the University of St. Andrews has proposed another interesting explanation for some sea serpent sightings: sailors may have been seeing whale penises. Some whales, including North Atlantic right whale and the Pacific grey whale, have long penises that can resemble snakes. Perhaps we are better off think of them as serpents.

Terrors of the Night

According to medieval legend, a succubus was an evil, demonic woman who would attack and seduce men while they slept; an incubus was a demonic man who would attack and seduce women. These legends were fueled by actual experiences that men and women frequently had; they would wake up in the middle of the night, but be unable to move. They would feel pressure of their chest, as if something was on top of them, and they would experience a feeling of extreme panic. It seemed obvious that they were being attacked by demons.

However, a common sleep disorder called night terrors or sleep terrors produce the same exact experience that was described above. When people experience night terrors, they are actually in a deep sleep, even though they may think they are awake; this is why they cannot move. Also, because they are asleep, they can produce dreams to explain the sensations they are experiencing. The subject of the dream depends on the beliefs of the person. People who believe in demons will imagine demons. People who believe in aliens will imagine aliens; night terrors are likely involved in many alien abduction stories.

The legends of succubi and incubi might also have been used to explain more common, albeit unseemly, matters. According to legend, succubi were especially prone to attacking religious men in their sleep, and incubi could even impregnate women. The myths could have been used simply to account for inappropriate, sexual dreams that priests and monks had, as well as pregnancies that occurred outside of marriage. 

Creatures of the Night

Some legends describe humans who were turned into monsters. Many of these myths might actually be based on diseases that cause humans to display odd behaviors and physically characteristics.

Porphyria is a group of several genetic disorders involving enzyme deficiencies. Porphyria causes a range or bizarre symptoms, including paranoia, hallucinations, photosensitivity, and ulcers that can cause deformities. Occasionally, victims of porphyria may also have red or purple urine. Some of these symptoms match the descriptions of vampires: the mental disturbances and physical deformities could make porphyria sufferers seem like insane monsters; the photosensitivity would make porphyria sufferers avoid the sun and even blister severely when they are exposed to too much sunlight; red urine could lead people to think that porphyria sufferers drank blood. Although this biological explanation is possibly at least partially responsible for vampire legends, humanity’s fear of death and the unknown probably contributed significantly to the shaping of these myths. Porphyria has also been connected to legends of werewolves.

Will This Help You Sleep?

Perhaps knowing the logical explanations behind mysterious monsters will help you sleep at night. Or, perhaps knowing that there are bits of truth behind your worst nightmares will actually keep you awake. The world can be a scary place, and the human imagination rarely helps.