How did an eight-foot-tall terrifying moth-human hybrid become so precious to me?
by Josephine Johnson
Point Pleasant West Virginia, with a population of 4,350 as of the 2010 census, has been home to the legend of the Mothman since 1966. The little town has embraced the legend as a large part of their identity.
The creature, dubbed “Mothman,” was first seen by two couples driving through the McClintic Wildlife Management Area in the year 1966. They reported to have seen the creature perched on an old building, and then recall driving away in fear as the creature flew after their car. Once nearing civilization, Mothman backed off. They went back to confirm what they had seen and reported it to police.
The McClintic Wildlife Management Area is also called the “TNT Area,” and is a common destination for those trying to catch a glimpse of the cryptid as well as those with an interest in history. The TNT Area is named because of the abandoned storage shelter that was used to store explosives in World War 2.
The Mothman is described as being 6 to 8 feet tall with terrifying red eyes, a gray or brown body and with a wingspan of around 10 feet. A statue of the creature was erected in 2003 by artist Bob Roach.
The origin of the Mothman is unknown. Some believe he came to be from a curse after the murder of Native American Chief Cornstalk, in that same area very long ago. Others believe he’s an alien, a radioactive bird mutation or just your run-of-the-mill cryptid spawned in the forest.
The area that Mothman is seen in is also believed to be under a blood curse from the Native Americans that lived there before. Therefore, some believe that Mothman is either enacting the curse of Chief Cornstalk or if he is the curse himself.
However, the native history is not commonly discussed on most internet cryptozoology communities.
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There’s a famous story about the Mothman. The creature was spotted on and around the infamous silver bridge many times before it collapsed in Dec. 1967, tragically killing over 40 people. The bridge’s collapse was due to a small defect and poor maintenance. The weight of cars on the bridge during holiday rush hour traffic was too much for the old bridge to handle. Sightings of the Mothman declined greatly after the event.
The local legend was that the Mothman made the bridge fall. And yet, others don’t believe the Mothman is evil. Some Mothman fans insist he’s an omen-- warning Point Pleasant residents about future disasters. Residents of Point Pleasant reportedly do not like the notion that the Mothman was trying to warn them about the bridge disaster.
In such a small, close-knit community, it seems possible that the Mothman is a scapegoat. With such a small population residents mostly likely know their officials by name-- maybe seeing them at church on the weekends. Perhaps it’s easier to blame a foreign creature for poorly designed architecture than it would be to blame your friends and neighbors. Perhaps the Mothman was created as an explanation Point Pleasant residents so desperately needed and turning him into a warning would rob them of that.
“It’s no one’s fault-- it’s that darn Mothman again,” is a lot easier than “It’s the architects’ fault!” or “Those cars shouldn’t have been stopped on the bridge in the first place!”
My long-term obsession with Mothman began in my freshman year of high school. My friend told me about the legend through a joke on social media and I very quickly became invested. We had movie nights watching classics like ‘The Mothman Prophecies’ and laughing about how funny the creature looked. We chose to believe in the Mothman.
From then on, the legend has always been a part of my life. It’s a funny joke, but also oddly comforting. Seeing an article about the Mothman is, in a weird way, like seeing a message from an old friend.
For most holidays my friend’s gifts to me and mine to them consisted of Mothman t-shirts and stickers. Most notably a t-shirt that reads “Mothman is real and he’s my boyfriend.” I’m not sure who is creating these, but I’m glad they must be enjoying the legend.
Deep down, we knew the Mothman couldn’t be real, but we needed to have the fun that belief brings. Believing in the supernatural is inherently enjoyable, much like children’s belief in the tooth fairy.
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One in 4 residents of Point Pleasant live below the poverty line, according to the 2010 census. Small towns are economically vulnerable in current years because of an increase in globalized economy. Point Pleasant relies on tourism revenue to keep themselves afloat.
The little town made $58 million in tourism-related revenue according to the West Virginia Division of Tourism in 2013. West Virginia state government saw a total of $4.27 billion spent directly by tourists in 2010.
Mothmania brings tourists from all over the world. Even over the pandemic, when the annual Mothman Festival was not taking place, travelers came and left an offering of many cans of beans at the foot of the Mothman statue. This trend spread over the app TikTok. It got to the point when officials had to ask that Mothman enthusiasts donate the beans to food shelters instead.
The annual Mothman festival in September brings in thousands of tourists, keeping the little town alive. The festival began in 2002 and has only not been taking place in person in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 concerns. It is scheduled to continue in 2022, much to the excitement of Mothman enthusiasts.
An average of 10,000 to 12,000 people come from all over to see the festival. Which is over double the town’s population! Most hotels are over 30 minutes away, unlike in a bigger city where there are airbnbs on every block. That distance must be nothing compared to how far Mothman enthusiasts have traveled.
Local businesses offer Mothman merchandise and themed food. Restaurants in the area offer specialties such as a Mothman pizza, Mothman cookies and even chocolate Mothman droppings.
The official Mothman museum is even in the process of creating a Mothman 1966 themed escape room. Merchandise can even be purchased through the internet, shipping all over the world.
With the rise of social media among younger generations in the last decade, Mothman has become an ongoing joke. Out of nowhere, teens are posting about their love for the creature, that he is even an ally to the LGBTQ community. Cryptids have always been an interest among people society deems “weird.” Perhaps he acts as a source of comfort, for teens who don’t fit in, he doesn’t fit in either-- he’s not even human!
Even though the legend of this creature has, in the past, always been associated with tragedy, the Mothman has brought so much good to the community. Whether through tourism, serving as a scapegoat or even bringing happiness through becoming an inside joke and a local celebrity, the Mothman serves Point Pleasant well.
Cryptozoology has changed over the years, as have the people so interested in it.
Whether or not the residents of Point Pleasant believe in the Mothman does not seem to matter. Some can tell stories of their sightings or recall what their neighbor said 30 years ago. Others just put on a show, maybe for the money or maybe just for the fun of it.
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Despite not truthfully believing in the legend, I will always be drawn to these virtually harmless paranormal creatures. It could be a fear of the unknown, a longing for something more or sheer boredom. The seemingly paranormal will always be there to fill that void. It’s just human nature to be interested in what we may never understand. We never grow out of our childlike curiosity. Maybe I get bored of my average day-to-day life. I think I’m always looking for something more. Humans being drawn to the paranormal is a tale as old as time. We will always be wanting more, whether that is aliens, ghosts or giant 8-foot-tall moth-like creatures.
I reached out to this same friend, Lynn Cothran, a former UMW student and believer in the Mothman, to better understand their belief.
I suppose they’re a lot like me. Ever since Lynn picked up a book on cryptozoology as a child the interest has never faded. We’re both just always looking for something new, something strange.
“Mothman has become a defining factor of Point Pleasant, an otherwise unremarkable small town, and transformed it for the better,” they said.