User:Paleface Jack/Hidebehind

The Hidebehind, alternately spelled Hide-Behind, is a legendary creature from North American folklore that is said to inhabit the forests and woodlands of the United States, preying on loggers and those who find themselves wandering deep into the woods. The name Hidebehind is a portmanteau of Hide and Behind, a basic description of the creature's predominant characteristic.

Etymology and origins
Hidebehind takes its name from the portmanteau of the words Hide and Behind, a basic description of the creature's predominant characteristic.

The Hidebehind originates from the oral tradition termed "Fearsome Critters", which began its start in North American logging camps during the turn of the twentieth century. While these oral traditions were said to have been circulating in the mid-to-late 1800s, the first literary mention of the Hidebehind dates back to 1928, with the publication of the book The Hodag and Other Tales of the Logging Camps, written by Luke Sylvester "Lakeshore" Kearney. According to Kearney, Hidebehinds are vicious predators of forests and woodlands, so named "because of its habit of hiding behind trees". Kearney's description of the Hidebehind (referred to in his account as a "Hide-Behind") and its behavior would remain the most reoccurring description in subsequent publications by authors and folklorists.

Folk beliefs
"No one knew what it looked like" - Cohen

Appearance
Physical descriptions of the Hidebehind have changed over the years, with oral traditions commenting on witnesses or potential victims' inability to see it because of the Hidebehind's unique ability to remain hidden from view.

The 1928 documentation of a Hidebehind by Kearney described them as bipedal, standing five feet, ten inches tall. The body was slender in build, which Kearney notes, aided them in their ability to disappear behind tree trunks with relative ease. Details of the creature's face were, according to Kearney, obscured behind long, thick hair that completely covered its entire body. The forearms are described as short and muscular, with long, sharp claws that were said to slice through heavy garments with ease.

Bear-like description-find allusions tithe "Bear-Behind"

Alternate Descriptions

Behavior
Hunting method

Aversion to Alcohol

Popular culture

 * https://www.nightmarishconjurings.com/2019/01/30/panic-fest-short-film-review-the-hidebehind-2018/
 * https://shingangu.com/2013/10/27/man-e-news-the-hidebehind-kaiju-figure-from-karz-works/
 * https://www.ign.com/articles/2018/08/07/before-slenderman-urban-legends-that-inspired-the-tall-guy
 * https://movieweb.com/smile-parker-finn-short-films-hidebehind-laura-doesnt-sleep-horror-movie/