Legend of the Goatman

Of all fantasy-creatures who are said to live in lonely, and often romantic places, the most appalling and dangerous one is the Goatman - a creature you should avoid at all costs. He is one of most horrific monsters in the form of half man and half goat, according to tales of American urban legends.

This urban legend comes from the depths of Maryland. He does exactly what you would expect him to do. He appears on quiet roads yielding an axe, kills teens, eats dogs, screams like a shrill goat and does other things of similar sort. Did I mention that he comes with a shiny axe? Terrifying, I know!

Now, no one knows the origin of this urban creature. Legend has it that he was once a scientist who worked in the Beltsville Agricultural Research Centre. He was working on experiments using goats and one day, the experiment backfired leaving him mutated as a half-goat creature, which we now know as The Goatman.

Another popular theory is that the man was actually a goat farmer who massacred a ton of teenagers after finding out they killed his goats. 

The more likely tale is that the Goatman legend was popularised in 1971 when a family came forward and blamed the brutal decapitation of their new puppy on the Goatman. The dog's head was found 14 years later.

While the story of the Goatman remains a mystery, the story of what he does is the same across the board. He jumps onto cars and punctures the tires so his victims cannot get away. He then drags them into the forest with him.

Now, do not get this Goatman twisted with the Goatman in Texas. There are two separate Goatman stories and who knows, maybe they are cousins.

The Goatman of Texas haunts the Old Alton Bridge, which is nicknamed the Goatman's Bridge for obvious reasons. This bridge connects Denton and Copper Canyon. The Goatman is said to roam the forest surrounding the bridge.

This Goatman arises from the tale of a black goat farmer who lived on the Northside of the bridge with his family. He was known for being a dependable and honest businessman within a few years after he moved there. History has it that the North

Texans started calling him The Goatman and the farmer put a sign on the bridge that read "This way to the Goatman's." 

The local Klansmen did not like this. They kidnapped the farmer and hung a noose on Old Alton Bridge where they hung him to death. The Klansmen then panicked and went back to the farmer's house where they killed his wife and children.

Locals now warn people of this tale. They warn that if you cross the bridge with no headlights, the Goatman will appear on the other side. People have reported seeing strange lights and ghostly figures as well as reports of being touched, grabbed, and having rocks thrown at them. Visitors in the area are warned by the locals to not mess with the Goatman for their own safety.