Hoot-nanny - [Fearsome Critter]

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Hoot-nanny - [Fearsome Critter] - aka: "Hootenanny"

• About this critter: The results of a Mad-Lumberjack who crossbred Michigan "Hoot-Owls" with "Nanny-goats" (among various other animals) and let them roam freely in the thumb of Michigan. if you're alone In the woods and you hear the bleating cry of a goat; do not fear the "Hoot-Man" it's just the echoing 'howls of a hoot-nanny!!'

• History: To begin, the 'hoot-nanny' is yet another Fearsome Critter, as briefly noted by Walker D Wyman in "Mythical Creatures of the North Country" [1969] and "Mythical Creatures of the USA and Canada" [1978] - It is listed incredibly briefly in the notes under the biography for another critter called the "hoot-pecker"

which is a cross between your average woodpecker and an hoot-owl. This odd bird crossbreed is supposedly native to the thumb of Michigan. it never sleeps and spends all its time pecking away.)

[A 'hoot-pecker' as illustrated by Helen B Wyman.]

...Wyman includes the "hootnanny" in his notes and says that the source for it and the "hoot-pecker" story is reputable mythologist, E.C.Beck who says In "They Knew Paul Bunyan" (1956) that the hoot-owl has also been crossed with the nanny-goat, and this is how the 'Hoot-nanny' came into existence." - No doubt this 'E.C' is Earl Clifton Beck of Michigan:

"Earl Clifton "E.C." or "Doc" Beck began his lifelong study of northern Michigan lumberjacks in the 1930s. He collected their songs, stories, and dances through the 1940s, urging the 70- and 80-year-old former lumber workers to let him collect and publish the material before it disappeared. Doc taught English and folklore at Central Michigan University, where he also chaired the English department. In addition to his passion for teaching, Doc's love was collecting songs in the woods. He once described his fieldwork as "high adventure," adding that "it has given me unforgettable experiences, vigorous days in the out-of-doors, and some most interesting friends." - [quote source: MSU's traditional arts program] - Earl published 3 books. - "Songs of Michigan", "Lore of the Lumber camps", and "They knew Paul Bunyan."

In "They Knew Paul Bunyan" [1956] - Beck sources the story to "Alec Thorpe" (quite likely one of the many Michigan Lumberjacks whom he interviewed) - Alec apparently told stories about his success in crossing hoot-owls with other animals . - The Full story goes as such:

"Frequently Jack Fathey, who spent his last years in the Midland area, told his best stories when arguing with Alec Thorpe. Alec liked to tell about his success in crossing hoot-owls with other animals. He first crossed hoot-owls with woodpeckers to produce the hoot-pecker, which never slept and which later was sent to the Northwest to fight the spruce beetle around the clock. He also tried a cross between hoot-owls and nanny goats; that is how the hoot-nanny came into being. He went almost too far when a Scotchman eloped with one of his fairest owls; the firstborn was the original hoot-man." -

"The one and only mention of hoot-owls & hoot-peckers." - "They Knew Paul Bunyan" [Beck, 1956] - Note: also mention of the 'original 'Hoot–man.' - (see also, Cryptid: "Owl-Man.")

...Of course, naming-wise: A "Hootenanny" is a colloquialism for an event, usually one involving Folkmusic. (Quite similar to a "hoedown" however, hoedowns are more so those with square dancing involved, and hootenannies are usually a bit more spontaneous.) - in the early days, Hootenanny was often a placeholder name used synonymously with "thingamajig" or "whatchamacallit." so, I'd say the fact that it has been used as a critter name certainly holds up.

"What did the farmer get when he crossed an owl with a goat? A hootenanny!"'

- an old gag. (exact date/author unknown.)

Said gag has been used widely in gagbooks and in papers too:

[1963, where in a hootenanny is mentioned as a monster, cross between an owl and a goat]

[ok, this is just getting confusing. 1963]

finally, a Hoot-nanny was also defined in a lumberjack slang dictionary as "another name for a small device used to hold a crosscut saw whilst sawing a log from the bottom up"

...it's fairly obvious at this point that this critter is probably just supposed to be one of those gag-critters that weren't meant to be given much more than a second thought, but well, several paragraphs & clippings later, here we are. - No matter how you fling it, it's still a pretty corny joke, but i do think it holds up nonetheless.

The hoot-nanny does technically in fact have one PopCulture appearance! - it appears in "The Farm of Tomorrow" [Tex Avery, 1954] (the closing gag.) – [Although the cartoon came out two years prior to Becks book, I would not chock this up to this "hoot-nanny" being a cartoon reference, more likely, its a creative coincidence, the above gag has likely been around for a whole while longer.]

Indeed, it is a cross between a goat and an owl, so i suppose, The final thing to state is that of course, as with other Chimerical/Crossbred critters such as the Coonigator or the Beavershark, such mutant, inter-species crossbreeds are (thankfully) biologically improbable, (at least outside of our imaginations & a pen to the paper) I'm just releived that the results are not another sidehill gouger. The opposite result being "Nannyhoote" or a "Whobilly" remains to be seen however.

Art by @samkalensky part of my fearsome critters collection of stickers, thanks for reading, follow & support me for more!

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Hoot-nanny - [Fearsome Critter]

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