I have spent my entire life collecting tales about the weird and mysterious elements of Utah — stories that at first seem completely unbelievable, but sometimes, just sometimes, there ends up being more of a foundation of truth than we’d like to admit. (See my article about The Giant Flying Manta Ray of Provo for evidence of this.) Since 2011, I have been documenting sightings … [Read more...]
The Last of The Hobos and Utah Phantom Train
I grew up on a “haunted” racehorse farm close to the border of Vineyard and Orem. Trains would run north and south along the tracks exactly west of the farm. These trains ran past a bar that was literally “on the other side of the tracks,” and just a stone’s throw away from my farm. I believe the bar was called Danna and Shirley's Hitching Post. Many of my nights were spent … [Read more...]
Bigfoot In Mormon lore … is Bigfoot Cain?
Who is this hairy hominid? The Sasquatch or Bigfoot (both terms are plural and singular) is North America’s largest cryptozoological mystery. The name “Bigfoot” has come to denote any unknown relic hominid that is reported throughout the world. However, each unknown creature does have is own label, such as the Yeti or Abominable Snowman in the Himalayas. It is … [Read more...]
The Giant Flying Manta-Ray of Provo Utah
About eleven years ago a woman shared an interesting story with me. Late one June night she was walking along University Ave., a little after 10 PM and near 300 South when she saw a “gigantic black manta-ray” flying across the Provo sky. “This thing was four-hundred feet in the air, coming from the South-East and flying North-West. It had a fourteen-foot wingspan and its body … [Read more...]
The Faerie Folk of Utah
For centuries we have heard tales and people have had sightings of enchanted-diminutive humanoids. Their stories are found all over the globe... Even in Utah. I've spent my entire life studying Folklore and Legends and because of this I have accumulated an almost encyclopedic knowledge of Nature Spirit Lore... Or as most people have come to know them... “Faeries.” A little … [Read more...]
The Significance of the “Salamander” In Mormon and Occult Lore
Most of us have at least heard of the “Mark Hofmann murders” and the related “Salamander Letters,” but what's the deal with this so-called “Salamander?” Most people have heard of Mark Hofmann, his forgeries, that include the “Anthon Transcript,” the “Joseph Smith the 3rd Blessing,” and “The Salamander Letter,” which eventually led to one of the most compelling … [Read more...]
Lost and Discarded Love and Courtship Traditions In Utah and Abroad.
The J. Geils Band said it best... “Love Stinks”, but it doesn't have to be that way. Several years ago I wrote a lecture/performance piece with the sole purpose of impressing and eventually wooing a girl. The title of the performance was “Love, Luv, Wuv: One Man’s Bitter Interpretation of The Folklore and Mythology of Love.” It was a hit, not only with the girl I had a crush … [Read more...]
Something Eerie is Happening West of the North Temple Bridge
North Temple... On The “Other Side” When I moved to Salt Lake City and into the apartment complex on North Temple I knew something was amiss about this street. I'm not referring to the homeless or criminal element, this is something much-curiouser than a drug-deal or a stumbling drunkard. No, I'm hinting at the possibility of a HAUNTED NORTH TEMPLE! Once I was situated … [Read more...]
A Christmas Ghost Story
The Holiday Season. Beneath the theological ownership (you had better say “Merry Christmas”, damn it!), mindless, competitive consumerism, and talking caribou with bizarre otorhinolaryngological symptoms, there lies an often-ignored tradition of folklore, myth, and legend—traditions that are steeped in occult practices. Occult, when properly defined, means “Hidden Knowledge” … [Read more...]
Utah Bigfoot Sightings
Before we can have a constructive conversation about Bigfoot, or any other unsubstantiated creature, we first must understand cryptozoology—the study of animals not yet recognized by science. There is a lot of baggage that comes with this particular branch of science, and this baggage misconstrues cryptozoology's true intent. Whenever the word cryptozoology is mentioned, … [Read more...]