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The creature, named Sharlie -- also known as the "Twilight Dragon of Payette Lake" -- was first reported in 1920 when workers said they saw a moving log. In 1944, several groups of people claimed they spotted a creature with the head of a dinosaur, pronounced jaws, camel-like humps and skin similar to a shell. Sharlie is one of many legendary creatures in American folklore. These sorts of legends are so prevalent that a recent map lays out the most famous [136]mythical creature in each U.S. state. Source: CashNetUSA Double click on map to enlarge. (Source: CashNetUSA) "When we see these creatures and tell stories about them, what we're doing is we're saying that the world, as we know it, may not be exactly as straightforward as we think it is," says folklorist Debra Lattanzi Shutika, an associate professor at George Mason University. In West Virginia, for example, the mythical creature is a tall, man-like, dark figure with glowing red eyes called Mothman. There's even a statue, museum and festival devoted to the creature that supposedly terrorized the West Virginia town of Point Pleasant and the surrounding area in the 1960s. In Wisconsin, believers fear the Beast of Bray Road, a dark, hairy, muscular werewolf-like creature with glowing yellow eyes. Then there's Bigfoot, in Washington state, perhaps the most famous of these mythical figures. Bigfoot is large, hairy and walks on two feet like a human. He's so famous that he's appeared in numerous movies and television shows. This Aug. 8, 2019, photo shows a Bigfoot mask on display at Expedition: Bigfoot!, The Sasquatch Museum in Cherry Log, Georgia. This Aug. 8, 2019, photo shows a Bigfoot mask on display at Expedition: Bigfoot!, The Sasquatch Museum in Cherry Log, Georgia. Sharlie, Mothman, the Beast of Bray Road and Bigfoot are all examples of the sorts of myths and superstitions that are passed down through the generations, that can provide insight into a culture's perspective. "I think that the stories about mythical creatures could be about our deepest fears," says Lattanzi Shutika. "But I think it's also about the way in which we see the world, you know, that the world is a big, amazing, mysterious place ... and I think it suggests more that we can't fully understand everything." Another of folklore's societal uses is that it can function as a warning. "A cautionary tale," says Lattanzi Shutika. "When young people are out on their own in secluded areas, perhaps for different types of sensual or erotic activities, that they are vulnerable, and those vulnerabilities can be from without the car, as well as what's inside it." FILE -- A Mothman statue looks onto Main Street in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. FILE -- A Mothman statue looks onto Main Street in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Folklore can also be educational. In this case, the lesson is that there could be could be creatures living among us that we haven't yet discovered. While folklore is full of mysterious and magical features, not all of them are frightening, like unicorns, for example. And the legends are usually set against the backdrop of contemporary times, according to Lattanzi Shutika, who points out that before the concept of alien abductions entered the lexicon, people told stories about fairy abductions. Perpetuating these myths can also prove profitable for small towns that build a cottage industry around these legendary creatures. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that Sharlie, Mothman, the Beast of Bray Road and Bigfoot are fictional. "Folklore is the documentation and expression of informal culture. So, it's the things that we learn face-to-face ... through everyday life," Lattanzi Shutika says. "It's how we learn our culture, so the stories that we tell ourselves about the world in which we live are definitely not necessarily false." Related Stories A general view at "Hub Network's First Annual Halloween Bash" on Sunday, Oct. 20, 2013, at the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica,'¦ [137]All About America [138]Candy, Costumes and Pumpkins That Rule This Halloween Halloween may have evolved from spooky origins, but sweet treats now rule the day Default Author Profile By [139]Dora Mekouar Fri, 10/25/2019 - 10:53 Laid off workers in Louisiana line up for job searches after the steel mill where they worked unexpectedly shut down, Oct. 1, 2019. [140]All About America [141]Why Prime-Age US Men Are Working Less Labor force participation rates of males between the ages of 25 to 54 has steadily fallen since the 1960s Default Author Profile By [142]Dora Mekouar Tue, 10/22/2019 - 17:26 Personal care products on a store shelf in the Washington area, Oct. 17, 2019. [143]All About America [144]Does 'Pink Tax' Force Women to Pay More than Men? Research shows that women pay 13% more than men for comparable personal products Default Author Profile By [145]Dora Mekouar Thu, 10/17/2019 - 20:49 File photo -- Surveys show an increasing number of men are uncomfortable working closely with women since the birth of the #MeToo movement two years ago. [146]All About America [147]Is There a #MeToo Backlash? Surveys show an increasing number of male managers are uncomfortable working closely with women Default Author Profile By [148]Dora Mekouar Tue, 10/15/2019 - 08:54 Default Author Profile Written By [149]Dora Mekouar (Submit) (Submit) (Submit) (Submit) (Submit) [150]Twitter [151]Instagram [152]Facebook [153]YouTube [154]RSS Search VOA News ____________________ (Submit) Search * [155]United States [156]US Politics + [157]Immigration + [158]All About America + [159]Silicon Valley and Technology * World News [160]Africa + [161]The Americas + [162]East Asia Pacific + [163]Europe + [164]Middle East + [165]South & Central Asia * Sections [166]Arts & Culture + [167]Day in Photos + [168]Economy & Business + [169]Extremism Watch + [170]Press Freedom + [171]Science & Health + [172]VOA StudentU + [173]VOA Connect * Voice of America [174]About VOA + [175]Contact VOA + [176]Terms of Use and Privacy Notice + [177]Get Our Mobile App + [178]Usage Requests + [179]VOA Around the World + [180]VOA 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