Funeral Mountain Terrashot


The Funeral Mountain Terrashot is a fearsome critter from American folklore. The legend of this creature was used to explain the name of the Funeral Range in California.

The terrashot was a six to eight foot long beast. It had a coffin shaped structure on its back. It also had long wobbly legs, which caused it to sway with uncertainty with every step it took.

The creatures would spend most of their lives up high in the mountain meadows, grazing on the alpine grass. There they would gradually increase in number. Some unknown compulsion would cause the terrashots to all leave their mountain homes at once and travel through Death Valley. They would all travel down from the mountains in a single line. One by one each of the terrashots would bloat and explode in the heat, leaving behind a grave shaped pit. Even after witnessing the previous member in front of them die, the next terrashot would not be convinced to turn away. It would proceed onto its death in the exact same manner. It was unknown where the terrashots intended to travel along the procession, but not a single one made it to their destination.

The procession and fate of the terrashots were witnessed by Mormon pioneers, who gave morbid names to the

Funeral Mountains and Death Valley as a result. 


 

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