Legends 11: Dark Watchers (ad-free) (Patreon)

The feeling of being watched is a common strand that runs through many legends around the world. Pulling on that thread, however, might take us to very dark places.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by Harry Marks and research by Cassandra de Alba.

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Further Reading:

1. “Am Fear Liath Mòr, The Big Grey Man.” Undiscovered Scotland. Accessed October 22, 2022. https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/usscotfax/outdoors/greyman.html
2. Barrie, Alexander. Sutton Companion to the Folklore, Myths and Customs of Britain (History Press, 2005).
3. “Big Red Eye.” Weird N.J. Accessed October 22, 2022. https://weirdnj.com/stories/big-red-eye
4. Carey, Liz. “Local Lore: Dark Watchers – From Santa Lucia Mountains of California onto the Pages of Classic American Writers.” The Daily Yonder. January 21, 2022. https://dailyyonder.com/local-lore-dark-watchers-from-santa-lucia-mountains-of-california-onto-the-pages-of-classic-american-writers/2022/01/21
5. Caroline. “The Tale of the Denver Spider Man.” Denver Public Library. February 3, 2019. https://history.denverlibrary.org/news/tale-denver-spider-man
6. Chen, Michael. “The Mysterious Dark Watchers.” TsemRinpoche.com. August 1, 2017. https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/science-mysteries/the-mysterious-dark-watchers.html
7. Clark, Ronald W. “Britain’s Only Mountain Ghost—The Great Grey Man.” Evening Sentinel. May 30, 1955. https://www.newspapers.com/image/867745676
8. Coleman, Loren & Bruce G. Hallenbeck. Monsters of New Jersey: Mysterious Creatures in the Garden State (Stackpole Books, 2010).
9. Dowd, Katie. “For centuries, Big Sur residents have seen ‘Dark Watchers’ in the mountains.” SFGate. March 10, 2021. https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/dark-watchers-santa-lucia-range-stories-steinbeck-16012812.php
10. Gray, Affleck. The Big Grey Man of Ben MacDhui (Casemate Publishers, 2013).
11. Harpster, Richard E. “Family Swears ‘Bigfoot’ Pays Them Visits; Curiosity-Seekers Flock To Wantage Farm.” Daily Record. June 5, 1977. https://www.newspapers.com/image/254019828
12. Hogg, James. The Works of the Ettrick Shepherd (Blackie & Son, 1865).
13. Howe, Callum. “Theodore Edward Coneys: The Denver Spiderman.” The Casual Criminalist. August 28, 2021. https://thecasualcriminalist.com/podcasts/theodore-edward-coneys-the-denver-spiderman
14. “James Hogg.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed October 22, 2022. https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Hogg
15. Jeffers, Robinson. “Such Counsels You Gave to Me.” In Such Counsels You Gave to Me & Other Poems (Random House, 1937).
16. Jenkins, Jean. “Sasquatch is alive and well…or is he?” Madison Eagle. April 10, 1975. https://www.newspapers.com/image/244326917
17. Lambe, Frank. “Monster of Ben Macdhui.” Bristol Evening Post. September 29, 1953. https://www.newspapers.com/image/873135485
18. Margaritoff, Marco. “The Dark Watchers: Humanoid Phantoms That Haunt The Hikers Of California’s Big Sur.” All That’s Interesting. June 15, 2021. https://allthatsinteresting.com/the-dark-watchers
19. Marino, Pam. “Big Sur is home to shadowy figures – or at least people who see them.” Monterey County Weekly. October 26, 2017. https://www.montereycountyweekly.com/people/831/big-sur-is-home-to-shadowy-figures-or-at-least-people-who-see-them/article_ab3725be-b9be-11e7-aa73-43df29d5070d.amp.html
20. May, John. “The Gray Man of Ben MacDhui.” The Scotia News 14(5), November 2020. http://userhome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/anthro/jbeatty/Scotia/issue83/issue83a.html
21. Miller, Mark James. “Have you seen the Dark Watchers?” The Lompoc Record. March 11, 2018. https://www.newspapers.com/image/482565430
22. Mingren, Win. “Am Fear Liath Mor: The Terrifying Grey Man of the Cairngorms.” Ancient Origins. July 4, 2016. https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/am-fear-liath-mor-terrifying-grey-man-cairngorms-006230
23. Molnar, Phillip. “Keeping an eye out for county’s ‘Bigfoot.’” New Jersey Herald. April 18, 2010. https://www.njherald.com/story/news/2010/04/19/keeping-eye-out-for-county/4083977007
24. Muzdakis, Madeleine. “‘Brocken Spectre’ Is a Rare Yet Beautiful Optical Phenomenon of a Radial Rainbow.” My Modern Met. June 18, 2021. https://mymodernmet.com/brocken-spectre
25. Oberding, Janet. The Big Book of California Ghost Stories (Globe Pequot, 2021).
26. Rapoport, Scott. “The Legend Of ‘Big Red Eye’ Is Not A Tall Tale To Some In New Jersey.” CBS New York. August 4, 2011. https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/the-legend-of-big-red-eye-is-not-a-tall-tale-to-some-in-new-jersey
27. Shelton, Dave. “Authorities Call Wantage Beast ‘An Unidentified Woods Animal.’” New Jersey Herald. May 20, 1977. https://www.bfro.net/GDB/show_article.asp?id=108
28. Shelton, Dave. “Wantage Family in Terror of Odd Creature for Week.” New Jersey Herald. May 17, 1977. https://www.bfro.net/GDB/show_article.asp?id=88
29. “Sir Hugh Rankin, 3rd Baronet.” Wikipedia. Accessed October 22, 2022. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Hugh_Rankin,_3rd_Baronet
30. Steinbeck, John. “Flight.” In Complete Works of John Steinbeck (Delphi Classics, 2019).
31. Steinbeck, Thomas & Benjamin Brode. In Search of the Dark Watchers: Landscapes and Lore of Big Sur (Studio Brode, 2014).
32. “Stranger than fiction: the 'Denver Spiderman' and his Moncreiff Place murder.” 9News. October 26, 2015. https://www.9news.com/article/life/stranger-than-fiction-the-denver-spiderman-and-his-moncreiff-place-murder/73-27410997
33. Swancer, Brent. “The Mysterious Dark Watchers of California.” Mysterious Universe. July 3, 2018. https://mysteriousuniverse.org/2018/07/the-mysterious-dark-watchers-of-california
34. Walton, John. Glen More Cairngorms: Forest Park Guides (Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1966).
35. “The Watchers.” Dark Watchers of Big Sur, California. Accessed October 22, 2022. https://www.darkwatching.com/watchers
36. Weeks, Matt. “Big Red Eye: New Jersey's Other Woodland Monster.” Exemplore. June 15, 2022. https://exemplore.com/cryptids/The-Mystery-of-Big-Red-Eye-New-Jerseys-Other-Woodland-Monster
37. "BECKETT - HAPPY DAYS," edisciplinas.usp.br, Date Unknown, https://edisciplinas.usp.br/pluginfile.php/4505456/mod_resource/content/1/BECKETT%20-%20HAPPY%20DAYS.pdf