Abstract
The infamous Mothman is a prominent creature of American monster lore, perhaps only surpassed in recognition by the lumbering forest giant Bigfoot, said to be sighted all over the United States. Although the Mothman is a relatively new entity in the seemingly ever-growing menagerie of American monsters, similar entities, such as Thunderbirds, the Snallygaster, and the Jersey Devil, have been reported and discussed for centuries prior to the Mothman’s emergence. This essay argues that these winged monster legends serve as cultural touchstones, reflecting and evolving in response to societal fears, ranging from spiritual beliefs and natural dangers in Indigenous traditions to postwar trauma, racial oppression, and Cold War anxieties in settler and modern American contexts.
How to Cite
Heilman, J. S., (2025) “ Omens in the Sky: A Historical and Comparative Examination of the Mothman and Other Winged Legends ”, Capstone, The UNC Asheville Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship 38(2).
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