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Showing posts with the label Arkansas

Jimplecute

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  The jimplecute is a vampiric reptile from Ozark legend. It is a rarely heard of fearsome critter and shouldn't be confused with the gowrow, the more famous reptile from the region. There are two different descriptions of the jimplecute. The original appearance is of a long serpentine reptile, yet still baring short legs. It has skin the texture of dead leaves, which allows it to hide better in the forests. It even had the chameleon like ability to change color, so to blend in with leaves of different seasons. This jimplecute is able to wrap around its victims like a python to immobilize them while it feeds on their blood. The more modern version of the jimplecute is of a vampiric dinosaur, usually something similar to a raptor. This interpretation comes from the book We Always Lie to Strangers by Vance Randolph, which is a book about Ozarks folklore. There Mr Randolph describes the jimplecute as a prehistoric. Although I think he meant that all reptiles are primitive in his e...

Snawfus

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  The snawfus is a pure white stag with flowering branches for antlers and supernatural abilities. It comes from the folklore of the Ozarks and is found in Arkansas and Missouri. The snawfus is associated with the cool misty winters of the region. It was said to be the origin of the blue haze which shrouded the Ozark mountains in the wintertime by breathing out clouds of blue mist. Legends most often speak of their only being one snawfus, unlike many fearsome critters which are treated like species. Instead the snawfus is more like a spirit, and guardian of the Ozarks' wilderness. The snawfus was much larger than the average buck, being more akin to an elk in size. Yet in spite of this, it was far more swift than any regular deer, to the point it couldn't be captured or shot down by any means. The snawfus was also able to jump up into the canopy of the forest and walk along the branches. In spite of its size the snawfus could perch on the smallest of twigs. Sometimes it just ha...

Gowrow

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  The Gowrow is a fearsome critter from Arkansas. It's considered a species, rather than one individual. There exists multiple different stories of hunters and locals defeating a troublesome gowrow by differing means and in different locations. It's also said that the females carry their soft shelled eggs around in a throat pouch, implying a breeding population. The gowrows are giant reptilian monsters. They're 20 feet long from snout to tail and resemble giant lizards or wingless dragons. Gowrows are said to have massive jaws with even larger tusks, either like those of a hippopotamus or a wild boar. They have a row of bony spikes down their backs and long reptilian tails that end in a blade or a spike which they can use as a weapon. Gowrows have strong front arms which they can use to uproot entire trees and dig through solid rock. The feet are usually, but not always, webbed and and the Gowrow is considered a good swimmer. Besides these qualities, the over all body shap...