American Folklore: the Hidebehind #AtoZChallenge

E.E. Rawls 10 Comments

Part of the A-to-Z blog challenge. My theme is legends and legendary creatures. I hope you enjoy following along!

Hidebehind

Today we bring you a legend from American folklore (one I haven’t heard of until now) about a creature apparently more fearsome than any Bigfoot ever was, named the Hidebehind.

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A nocturnal fearsome creature, one that preys on humans who wander the woods at night. Powerful and large, though none who have fully seen it have survived to tell us more. *shudders*

It was credited for the disappearances of early loggers when they failed to return to camp. The hidebehind was given its name for its ability to conceal itself: When an observer notices movement and tries to look at it, the creature hides behind an object so that it can’t be seen directly. It sucks in its stomach until its body becomes so slender that it can easily hide behind the trunk of any tree, making the woods a perfect hunting ground.

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With this clever trick, hidebehinds can stalk human prey and attack without warning. Their victims, mostly lumberjacks who frequent forests, are dragged back to the creature’s lair to be devoured. Strangely enough, it’s said to have a severe aversion to alcohol. So keep some with you next time you go into the forest chopping down trees at night. 😉

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10 thoughts on “American Folklore: the Hidebehind #AtoZChallenge”

  1. Now that’s creepy! But maybe it’s purpose was to protect the forest? To stop people cutting down the trees. I wouldn’t like to run into it though. 🙂

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  2. Yeesh. I don’t think I’ve heard of a Hidebehind before, but it’s definitely not one I’d want to meet in a dark forest – or in daylight. :S

    And I was thinking the same thing as Phoenix. Maybe the Hidebehinds intended on protecting their forest homes from being destroyed…?

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    • Yeah, it would certainly keep me away from the forest! I kind of wonder too if Native Americans first told the tale to scare loggers away. I don’t know if there’s any evidence for that or not though. Either that or there once really was some creature, and it’s gone extinct.

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  5. I have heard of a Hidebehind. When I finally figured out what Slenderman was, I thought of the Hidebehind, actually.
    Anyhow, the alcohol thing baffles me. It seems like you’d be more LIKELY to run into monsters if you were sipping from a flask the whole time . . . or hurt yourself, at the very least. And alcohol was supposed to draw ghosts, so I think those lumberjacks might have been in trouble either way.

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