Dingmaul - [fearsome critter]

The Dingmaul. (Latin: Saxicatellus vociferens) - [Fearsome Critter] - aka: the "plunkus", "thump-cat" "kindling-cat" or "ding-ball"

•About this critter: A sorry-looking big cat with a thin wolf-like pelt, short legs, and a hard teakettle-sized boney ball at the end of its long powerful tail, which it uses to pulverize its prey into jelly. After a meal, it enjoys sunbathing on a well-known rock in the Presidential mountain range. it solemnly watches over the valley below, paying little mind to hikers. (so long as they keep their distance.) Females, who have the larger tail-ball use it to keep off insects, for courtship and to break dead wood into nesting material..

• History: The Dingmaul was first illustrated in "fearsome creatures" by Henry H Tyron [1935] - his book also introduces us to a number of regional feline critters that fall under the "wampus-cat" umbrella including the "Ball-Tailed cat", "Slivercat" "Splintercat", "The Santer", "Wampus" & "The Cactus Cat" - His entry for the Dingmaul goes as follows: 

"THE DINGMAUL (Saxicatellus vociferens)

Well known the White Mountains. In fact, above timber line in the col between Mt. Adams and Mt. Jefferson of the Presidential Range there is a conspicious, flat-topped boulder which for many years has been ”Dingmaul Rock.“    Conclusive, exhaustive researches have clearly proven the existence of two distinct varieties—The Northeastern (S.vociferens var. pulsens) Both varieties are cat-like, being long, slim, slick, sorry-looking gentlemen having wolf-like pelts. Their bodies are long, with short, powerful legs. As Irving Cobb has put it, “He's built low to the ground like a carpet-sweeper.” The head is round, sessile, feline, with tufted ears and glowing eyes. Neither variety is harmful, but both possess a curious, inquiring nature. They are fond of lying out in open, sunny spots, (the top of Dingmaul Rock for example), and carefully scrutinizing what goes on in the valley below.  

The tail is very long, frequently twice the length of the body; but the California variety caries a medium-sized bony ball on the end thereof. This is used to keep off flies, to pound on dead trees to produce supply of soft silvers for lining the nests, and, in the mating season to beat on the male’s chest to call his mate. The female also wears a ball a shade bigger than the male’s. But she only uses it to bean him with when he gets too obstreperous.   Ranger Bill Gott once watched one of the California variety galloping along the crest of the Siskiyous, with the ball lashing from side to side and striking the trees with tremendous force “That,” commented Ranger Bill, “is the biggest kindlin’ cat I ever saw.”   The cry of the Eastern species is a dreadful horrendous wail, while the call of the Western variety sharply resembles the toot of a logging donkey. The females of both species invariably whelp on the top of a large, exposed rock. '

The 'Dingmual Rock' in question is in fact a real location located in New Hampshire, along the Appalachian trail (known as Castle trail) between mount adams and mount jefferson. the rock, Which is actually named after this critter, had been famous for a number of years prior to Tyrons writings. The location is mentioned in a number of newspaper articles[below] as well as early A.M.C hiking guides for the area [the earliest one on record being 1907.]

[Castle trail via Google Maps. -  I'd picture the rock in question here but unfortunately, the only picture of it online belongs to a hiking blog from 2010!! (fortunately, said blog also shows you how to get to it!) - I've put out a reward for whoever can send me a better, up to date photograph! Expect an information update should that ever come about.]

....The critter itself seems to date back to campfire stories as early as 1889, but it likely dates back orally much further...

[Dingmaul mentioned in a 1889 paper]

[paper from 1901 mentioning the rock and the Dingmaul.]

• Variants: Ding-ball ("Felis caudaglobosa")

A very similar Behaving & Named (but perhaps a touch more violent) Critter, is instead referred to as the "Ding-ball" earliest record was in "American myths & Legends." [1903] in the section titled "MAINES WOODLAND TERRORS" alongside the Will-am-alone, Sidehill-winder, Razor-Shins, Wendigo and other mysterious & terrifying creatures from Maine area, the entry for the ding-ball goes as follows:

[I'd surmise that The fact that the "ding-ball" - 'sings with a human voice' likely ties it a bit closer, as a parallel to 'wampus cat' & native mythological roots, which eventually mixed with European lore & terminology.] According to Packard's Mythical Creatures of Maine, the "ding-ball" is in fact a different critter from the "dingmaul" altogether and is a bit more panther-like than the Dingmaul is [they classify it in Latin as "Felis caudaglobosa"] Packard also ends their entry mentioning that it's simply a larger local variant of Ball-tailed cat.

Sticker art by @samkalensky part of my fearsome critters collection of stickers, check my shop and follow for many more