This week I decided that the first monster of 2016 should be one that pays tribute to a beast that we are all familiar with...well, at least one that most Wisconsinites are.
Have you ever heard of a Hodag?
Hodags are a folkloric monster from Wisconsin, primarily in Rhinelander (which is the city mascot). They appear in several Paul Bunyan stories and newspapers reported a "discovery" which ended up being a hoax in 1893. The alleged capture had occurred in Rhinelander by a land surveyor and timberman named Eugene Shepherd. He had the event photographed as well as the created corpse on display at the county fair. Despite the discovery, capture, and evidence being completely fictitious, the Hodag remains a prominent symbol of Rhinelander and the folklore is still celebrated for its fantasy as any mystical, mythical monster should be.
The above Hodag made from Sculpey will lovingly be named Heinrich and will appear for sale in the Etsy shop soon.
Happy New Year,
xx emily
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