Mysterious Creatures : A Guide to Cryptozoology

Sphenodonts were once widespread, and
fossils from the Late Triassic through the
Jurassic, 210–140 million years ago, have
been found in England and continental
Europe.
Sources: Richard Wallis (letter), British
Herpetological Society Bulletin, Autumn-Winter
1987, p. 65; Karl Shuker, “Land of the Lizard
King,” Fortean Times, no. 95 (February 1997):
42–43.
Ge-No’sgwa
Cannib al G iant of the northeastern United
States and Canada.
Etymology: Seneca (Iroquoian), “stone giant.”
Variant names: Ot-ne-yar-hed (Onondaga
/Iroquoian), Stone giant.
Behavior: Rubs its body with tree resin and
sand.
Distribution: New York; Ontario, Canada.
Sources: Hartley Burr Alexander, North
American Mythology (Boston: Marshall Jones,
1916), p. 29; William Martin Beauchamp,
Iroquois Folk Lore, Gathered from the Six
Nations of New York (Syracuse, N.Y.: Dehler,
1922); Marvin A. Rapp, “Legend of the Stone
Giants,” New York Folklore Quarterly 12
(1956): 280–282; Joseph Bruchac, Stone
Giants and Flying Heads (Trumansburg, N.Y.:
Crossing, 1979); Marianne Mithun and Myrtle
Peterson, “Ge:no:sgwa’ (The Stonecoat),” in
Marianne Mithun and Hanni Woodbury, eds.,
Northern Iroquoian Texts (Chicago: University
of Chicago Press, 1980), pp. 110–122.
Gérésun Bamburshé
Wildm an of Central Asia.
Etymology: Tibetan (Sino-Tibetan), “wild
man.”
Physical description: Covered in long hair.
Behavior: Stands erect. Wears clothing made
of skins. Throws stones at travelers.
Distribution: Central Tibet.
Sources: William Woodville Rockhill, The
Land of the Lamas (New York: Century, 1891),
pp. 116–117, 150–151; William Woodville
Rockhill, “Explorations in Mongolia and
188 GE-NO’SGWA
Tibet,” Annual Report of the Smithsonian
Institution, 1892, pp. 669–670; William
Montgomery McGovern, To Lhasa in Disguise
(New York: Century, 1924), pp. 118–121.
Gerit
Giant Hominidof East Africa.
Etymology: Kalenjin (Nilo-Saharan) word.
Variant names: Gereet, Gereit, Kereet,
N’gugu (Masai/Nilo-Saharan), Tiondo (Kalenjin/Nilo-Saharan).
Physical description: Slightly larger than a
human. Dull reddish-yellow.
Behavior: Bipedal. Steals honey from beehives.
Habitat: Caves. Does not frequent the thick
forests.
Distribution: Western Kenya.
Present status: The name is easily confused
with that of the hyena-like Geteit.
Source: Bernard Heuvelmans, Les bêtes
humaines d’Afrique (Paris: Plon, 1980), p. 544.
Geteit
Local name for the Nandi Bear of East Africa.
Etymology: Kalenjin (Nilo-Saharan), “braineater.”
Variant names: Gadett (Masai/Nilo-Saharan),
Keteit, Ketit.
Behavior: Said to break into native huts at
night, kill the occupants, and eat their brains.
Kills goats and sheep in the same way. Rises on
hind legs to attack.
Distribution: Western Kenya.
Significant sighting: In the 1920s, a Gadett
was said to have eaten the brains of fifty-seven
goats and sheep over a period of ten days, leaving
thirteen victims alive. In this instance, the
animal turned out to be an unusually large
Spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta).
Source: Charles R. S. Pitman, A Game
Warden among His Charges (London: Nisbet,
1931), pp. 287–302.
Get’qun
Cannib al G iantof Alaska.
Etymology: Na-Dené word.