The Northfield Pigman is a terrifying Vermont legend that dates back over 50 years. And, while there is no known photographic evidence of the Pigman cryptid, there have been many reported sightings making him a central figure of the local Northfield and Vermont folklore.
| Cryptid Name: | Northfield Pigman / Vermont Pigman |
| Location: | Northfield, Vermont, United States |
| Category: | Folklore Cryptid |
| Description: | Pig-like face, white fur, cloven hooves, or talon-like claws. |
| Size: | Approximately 5 to 8 feet / 1.5 to 2.5 meters. |
| Behavior/Characteristics: | Aggressive and dangerous. |
| Diet: | Rumors of slaughtering and eating pigs. |
| Habitat/Environment: | Hills around Devil’s Washbowl in Northfield, Vermont, and abandoned farms |
| Evidence: | No photographic evidence, numerous reported sightings, local folklore |
| Sightings and Encounters: | Reported sightings by teenagers, farmers, and locals. |
| Skepticism/Explanations: | An elaborate hoax; A person with mental illness; Urban legend. |
What Does The Northfield Pigman Look Like?
The Northfield Pigman is described as a hybrid cryptid that is half-pig, half-human. It is said to have the body of a man with the head of a pig. It is covered in white hair or fur and is generally described as being taller than the average human.
There are a few eyewitness accounts describing the Northfield Pigman as a naked man who is wearing a grotesque hollowed-out pig’s head as a mask.
The Northfield Pigman Legend
The legend of the Northfield Pigman begins in 1951 when a 17-year-old by the name of Sam Harris disappeared on the night before Halloween. Despite a massive search involving hundreds of locals and police officers, he was never found and, to this day, no one knows what happened to him. While some suggested that he had run away from home or been kidnapped or murdered, others suggested that something even more sinister happened to him.
Soon after his disappearance reports about the Pigman began to emerge and some suggested that Sam Harris was the Pigman. One famous eyewitness account was given by a group of teenagers who saw a naked, white-haired figure with a pig’s head behind their school. A local farmer confirmed this description when he saw a similar figure digging through his garbage. The farmer also reported that some of his pigs had gone missing during that time.
Possible Explanations
There are a few possible explanations for sightings of the Northfield Pigman. The most popular theory is that the Pigman is Sam Harris himself. They speculate that Sam survived after his mysterious disappearance and somehow lost his sanity after experiencing some type of trauma.
Of course, the Pigman could be some type of elaborate hoax that someone else created which has become rather dark and twisted especially considering the grotesque mask the prankster uses and the killings of local animals.
Others have suggested that the Northfield Pigman could be a genuine cryptid that is a type of hybrid creature that is linked to some type of genetic anomaly.
