One of the first mentions of pukwudgies in literature comes from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem The Song of Hiawatha, which refers to the “mischievous Puk-Wudgies” that killed the giant Kwasind by pelting him with pine cones. Longfellow was inspired by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, who in turn based his works on Ojibwe folklore as told to him by his part-Native American wife, Jane.

Pukwudgies are often tied to specific locations, even today. Many reported sightings come from the woods of Massachusetts. In fact, the police in Freetown, Massachusetts have put up a Pukwudgie Crossing sign near the Freetown State Forest.

Related: A Walk in the Woods: 7 of the World’s Most Haunted Forests and Woodlands

Freetown is a state park located in Fall River, Freetown, and Lakeville, Massachusetts. Fall River already has its fair share of violent rumors due to its infamy as the longtime home of Lizzie Borden, who was suspected of murdering her father and stepmother with an axe in the 1890s. The pukwudgies put an even darker stain on the town’s history. In the Freetown State Forest, a 100-foot cliff known as The Ledge overlooks a quarry. There have been several suicides at The Ledge by people not known to be mentally ill. Some say the pukwudgies are to blame for luring people to their deaths.

Massachusetts police may regard the pukwudgies as a joke or prank, but people who have reported sightings seem far from amused. One Massachusetts woman reported seeing a pukwudgie in the forest who continued to pester her by tapping on her window at night as she slept. The mischievous creatures are also rumored to live near West Virginia's haunted Moundsville State Penitentiary, as well as in Round Rock, Texas, home to Bigfoot.

Whether contemporary pukwudgie sightings are a sign of supernatural activity is unclear, but their status as one of the oldest mythical creatures in North America is uncontested.

What Is a Pukwudgie? If You See One, It’s Best to Stay Away

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