The Snallygaster
German settlers in Maryland told of a winged, beaked creature that swooped on farms, and in 1909 the papers said it was back.
What was reported
The Snallygaster is a creature of the folklore of central Maryland, brought by German settlers in the 1700s; its name may come from schneller Geist, 'quick spirit'. It's described as a dragon-like beast with wings and a metallic beak, sometimes with tentacles, that swooped down on farms.
In 1909 local newspapers ran a series of reports of a Snallygaster terrorising the area, and the story spread nationally. Seven-pointed stars painted on barns were said to keep it away.
Explanations offered
The 1909 reports are widely thought to have been invented by newspaper editors to sell papers. The painted stars are part of German-American folk art. The creature lives on in local festivals.
- When
- Newspaper scare in 1909
- Where
- Frederick County, Maryland, USA
- Witnesses
- Farmers and newspaper readers
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.