The Hidebehind

A Sharp-Fanged Shadow

The Fearsome Critters:

The Hidebehind is one of a collection of cryptids known as the Fearsome Critters. These creatures were said to inhabit the forests surrounding early American logging camps and are an absolutely integral part of American oral tradition. The stories were told as a way to pass the long hours in isolated camps as well as to spook unsuspecting rookies. Tellers would spin their stories to draw in eavesdroppers while accomplices added their own sightings to create a sense of credibility to truly sell the ruse. The poor unsuspecting listeners would end up regaled by a tale of creatures in the woods that could turn their job into a nightmare (or at the very least make it very very strange)(3,4).

    The ultimate codex for these creatures is the field guide created by William T. Cox and illustrated by Coert DuBois titled: Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods (1910). Cox was known as the first state forester of Minnesota and clearly had a delightful sense of humor to spend so much time creating such a fantastical field guide. Fearsome Creatures remains one of the greatest principle sources of American and Canadian folklore to this day (1). 


(Image credits: Hidebehind Illustration by Coert DuBois from Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods, 1910)


(Image credits: Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods, 1910 Cover Courtesy of RedShelf)


The Legend of the Hidebehind:

The hidebehind or Ursus dissimulans is a classic cryptid which plays on the natural human fear of being followed while also dipping into the phenomena of pareidolia.If you’ve ever been hiking through the deep, isolating forests of the Northern United States and felt the spine tingling sensation of something right behind you, but found nothing when you turned around, then you have met the hidebehind. William T. Cox describes the creature as follows (1): 


 A biggish beast, standing about six feet and walking erect. The slender body makes it possible to hide completely behind the bole of a ten inch tree. The pelt is long thick, and black, and the tail is carried recurved. Looks like a French sheepdog’s. Almost impossible to tell whether the critter is going or coming, and practically hopeless to locate its face—if any. The short, well-muscled forelegs are equipped with grizzly-like claws.


It lurks just outside the view of unsuspecting hikers watching and following with uncanny precision, but you won’t ever see it until it’s too late. It is impossibly good at staying out of sight and can hide behind even the smallest of obstacles regardless of its body size. One moment there is a creature behind you, the next nothing but thin thicket. Distant footsteps, cracking branches, and whispers on the wind are all signs that the hidebehind is near (1,3,4,5).


Surviving the Hidebehind:

Keep Calm. This is the number one way to survive the hidebehind. Victims of the hidebehind often face death via heart attack. The creature is a master of fear and is a very patient hunter. It stalks its prey for as long as it takes to rack up deadly levels of tension. Once their target is ripe for the taking, the hidebehind emerges from the trees with a howl that scares their victim to death. Keeping calm, cool, and collected is the only way to ensure that you don’t meet the same fate. 

This, of course, is no guarantee of safety in the woodlands of the creature. It possesses extremely sharp claws and is known to slash its victims to ribbons when its original plan doesn’t come to fruition. The only way to truly avoid the hidebehind is to always travel with a bottle of alcohol. The monster cannot stand the smell and will leave any who have it alone. In any case where you fear you are being followed by a hidebehind, be sure to open the bottle and pour some on your hands. Drink some if you have to. Just ensure that the smell follows to deter the beast (3,4,5). 

In short, never approach a hidebehind, never panic in its presence, and keep a bottle of alcohol on hand for emergencies. Only then will you be truly safe.  


(Image credits: The Hidebehind Drawing, credits unknown)


Pareidolia:

Pareidolia is the human tendency to see patterns in random visual patterns even when they don’t exist. This is how we recognize shapes in the clouds, animal forms in flickering flames, and most importantly faces where there are none. The Man in the Moon is a fantastic example of this phenomenon. The celestial body itself doesn’t have a face, but the cratered patterns upon it give the human brain the impression of a face. 

A possible explanation for the inclination is the idea that, for early humans, it was safer to assume a random pattern in the dark was a potentially dangerous stranger rather than letting their guard down under the belief that it’s actually nothing and paying the ultimate price later (6). 

Perhaps this is partly to blame for sightings of the hidebehind. A shifting branch tricking the brain into seeing a flash of a tail. A gnarled trunk masquerading as a frightening face or an impossibly thin body twisting through the dark to snatch unsuspecting victims. There is no way to know for sure, but somehow it is just as frightening to believe that the monsters we so fear are products of our own fallible minds.


(Image credits: The Man in the Moon, deleted Reddit user on r/pareidolia)


Notable Media Appearances: 

Gravity Falls:

For many, Gravity Falls was a gateway drug into the world of the strange and unknown. An animation gem created by Alex Hirsch which spins the tales of twin children Dipper and Mable on a summer adventure to the Mystery Shack, their great uncle Stan’s highway tourist trap, and the exceedingly strange woods that surround it. Over the course of the series many cryptids and creatures make appearances in the twins’ life, leading them to make discoveries into the unnatural world that spiral to depths they never could have imagined.

The series was accompanied by a series of shorts exploring the unique flora and fauna of Gravity Falls including the elusive hidebehind. Dipper’s Guide to the Unexplained: The Hide Behind is a fantastic little piece which introduces the audience to the concept of the creature. A must-watch for enthusiasts and a great demo for the series.


(Image credits: Dipper’s Guide to the Unexplained (2013), Hide Behind image courtesy of IMDB)


Unknown Children’s Poem: 


This image was found on an archived Reddit post on r/oddlyterrifying. Try as I might, I could not find its origin. It seems to be an illustration by Quentin Blake (who often worked with Roald Dahl), but I cannot say for sure. Anything which could point me to its origin would be greatly appreciated. 

-The Archivist 

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