Pigman of Vermont
Also known as the Pig Man of Northfield, the Pig Man of Vermont is an urban legend that has snaked its ways through New England for decades. In fact, we have to go way back to the 1950s when the rumor of a pig man first started rearing its snout around the Vermont area. But why, and how, is the pig man? Let’s find out, together.
The pig man is said to be a human-hybrid...half-pig, half-human (but bipedal so maybe 75% human and 25% pig). There is some controversey over if pig man has a pig head for his head...or if he wears the skin of a pig face as a mask. Either way, one thing is certain no matter the story: he kills people.
There are several stories of how the pig man came to be, but here are a few of my favorite:
Satanic Ritual in the Woods: When you’re searching information about the pig man, it’s likely Sam Harris’ name comes up. Sam Harris was a teenager who went missing on October 30th (mischief night), last seen leaving his house with eggs presumably to egg someone’s house with. His disappearance caused a statewide search. Despite exhaustive efforts, he was never found. Some people believe that he had stumbled upon a satanic ritual in the woods and was caught in a ritual that turned him into the pig man. Or, others believe he was the first victim of the pig man that started the pig man’s thirst for human blood.
Butcher Gone Mad: Other stories alleged that the pig man was once a totally regular man who worked as a butcher. However, during work one day he was severly injured and disfigured. So disfigured, the scar tissue around his face made him look like a pig. Not willing to live in a society that would ridiculue him, he retreated to the woods, went mad, and became the killer we know today.
Just a Pig Man: Other stories claim he is more of a cryptid and is a pig man haunting the woods that may or may not be immortal.
No matter what origin story you decide to ascribe to him, the pig man is up to no good in the woods outside of Northfield. Dozens of strange occurrences have happened in the woods, some of them hauntingly impossible. When a few teenagers were drinking on the edge of the woods after a high school dance, a monster appeared from the woods. It had rwo human legs, was covered in strange white hair, and with a giant pig head. It began to chase the teenagers, but they escaped. However, a local farmer saw that he saw something fitting that description running through the woods in pursuit of...something (or someone).
Like all good urban legends, the pig man, and especially the Sam Harris version, warns teenagers against doing bad things. In particular, the kinds of things that they might seek seclusion to practice -- drugs, sex, drinking, and more.
So, be good, avoid the woods, and maybe the pig man won’t chase you down.
Shout out to @winotali for this blogstonishing suggestion!
The featured image is unrelated to the story but does feature a covered bridge in Northfield, VT. It was taken by Dougtone. It is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic License.
