Most stories of Bigfoot come from the USA, Canada and Nepal. But what about the rest of the world? What are their myths, legends and folklore? England, when it was a very dark and scary place, had Goblins, Elves, Green Men and Robin Hood. Were these campfire stories just warnings to scare children to stay close to keep them safe from real dangers such as wolves and bears?

But then again, what is in name? In olden times it was not unusual to call a town or spot after something that was there, like Woodhouse when wooden houses were what everyone had. Many used names of river crossings or the name of a legend or a beast. Woodhouse in early Modern English was derived from an old folk memory of Wild Man of the Woods or Wodewose, which gave rise to Wodehouse or Woodhouse as a sir name, which means Wild Man Beast of the Woods.

Germany and Italy were highly fond of the Wild men of the Woods. From the 12th century they were consistently depicted as being covered in hair. They would carve and paint images of Wild Men into their homes and churches.

These folklore memories were not only found in England but all over the world, all using the words the people had to describe something they did not know. Germany had Wilder Mann; the French had Homme Sauvage; Italy had Uomo Selvatico, Orco or Huorco. For many years the people in Tyrol called the Wild Man Orke, Lorke or Noerglein. Various languages and traditions include names suggesting affinities with Orcus, a Roman and Italic god of death. The Wild Man of the Woods has different names in every country and area of the world.

In modern times we have separated folklore and legends. Now we have Green Man, a Wild Man of the woods without modern technologies. He normally has been seen with a wood club – was this for protection or to hunt for food? These stories can be carried over to the USA with sightings of Bigfoot carrying a club or a tree branch. The terms varied from around the world but were similar: Hairy Wildman, Beast of the Woods, Bigfoot, Sasquatch, Green Man, and Yeti. But if you look at parallels from around the world, such as Bigfoot, Green Knight, Jack in the Green, Sir Gawain the may king and so many more, they are names that have been separated from the Wodewose. Switzerland had Fange or Fanke, which was derived from the Latin Fauna, the feminine form of faun.

Time changes and men forget folklore and myths, invoking lost worlds, lost memories, lost times.

Bigfoot Facts: Bigfoot has been spotted for more than 400 years, on every continent. Footprints have been reported and collected for more than 80 years. We have video, photographic and eye witness evidence, but no carcass, although some have claimed to have Yeti hair and skull caps. And yet folklore of Bigfoot can be traced back for thousands of years.

What about the theory of Alien Bigfoot?

Let’s save that for another day.