If you have ever seen the movie “The Mothman Prophecies-Voices in the Shadows” starring Richard Gere and Laura Linney, then you know what we’re talking about. Directed by Mark Pellington and based on the book by John Keel, the film is about the mysterious events that occurred in the town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Basically, from 1st September 1966 until mid-November 1967 in Mason County, West Virginia, hundreds of sightings had been reported of a humanoid shaped being, over two meters tall, with red gleaming eyes and above all enormous wings. A local reporter baptized this mysterious being as the Mothman, a similarity between Batman, who at that time was extremely popular on American TV. There are several assumptions about these sightings. According to some (including John Keel), there is a conspiracy theory involving UFO’s, Men in Black and associates all this with the collapse (in 1967) of the Silver Bridge, bridge over the Ohio River which connected Point Pleasant with Kanauga. In this collapse, which occurred on the bridge during rush hour when there were many cars, 46 people lost their lives. According to others, the Mothman was a supernatural creature (such as the Thunderbird) with the task of helping humanity at critical moments. He was sent to warn of forthcoming disasters, but was never taken seriously. According to skeptics, witnesses simply made a mistake and, due to darkness and a few beers, they exchanged an owl or a barn owl for a mysterious creature. In fact, the horned owl, the largest of the species in America, is indigenous to those areas.
However, the story is fascinating and in Point Pleasant now there is a museum, The Mothman Museum (411 Main Street, Point Pleasant WV 25550), which collects objects and testimonies related to the sightings of the 60’s. Furthermore in Point Pleasant, every mid-September the Annual Mothman Festival is held, which includes live music, guided tours to the most important sights and theme stalls.
