Dingbat – [Fearsome Critter]

Description

Dingbat – [Fearsome Critter] – Latin name: Bunkeri edithil. (Wyman) 

• About this critter: An unusual flying animal from Ricelake, Wisconsin. Often described as more ‘Owl-Like’ than bat (but just as often described as a mix of the two or a mammel-bird hybrid) it has horns similar to a Jackalopes.  Occasionally, It lets out a startling whinnie like that of a horse, causing nearby marksman to miss their targets, It rejoices in the misery of deadshot deer-hunters, dining on their lead bullets plucked from mid-air. Its incredibly fast and it makes a game of catching shots that would have been sure to hit the targets. To make matters worse, it chases down the shots with the gasoline from the hunters automobiles, leading to a long and arduous walk home…

• History:  At one point the term ‘Dingbat’ meant an “unknown alcoholic drink” [1838] but during civil war times, it became slang for “a bullet (or generally any sort of missile)” – By 1905, it seems to have become an offshoot of the word “Dingus.” –The Latin name for the critter: “Bunkeri edithil” (given by Professor Walker d Wyman in his“Mythical creatures of the north country” 1978″) honours Edith Bunker from All In The Family [1971-1979] who was often called such by her husband. – To call someone a “Dingbat” is to call them “unusual, silly, foolish or stupid.”

The most well known taxidermy specimen of the dingbat was put on display at  the “Friendly Buck-horn” tavern in the 1950s & featured on a number  of promotional postcards.

[image source: chuckstoyland] – The back of the postcard reads: “The  DINGBAT” is a very unusual flying animal. It whinnies like a horse and  lives on a diet of gasoline seasoned with bullets. This “DINGBAT” was captured by the local chapter of “Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Deer Hunters.” and is on Display at the “FRIENDLY BUCKHORN” – it is one of many strange creatures native to the area near Rice Lake.”

The Dingbat later received some news attention, featured in an article called  “Folklore: the states mythical creatures” in 1978 promoting Walker D Wyman’s book “Mythical creatures of the north country” (His wife & artist Helen, gave it a duck-like beak instead) – The dingbat is also one of many critters alliterated about in Lenwoods Lexicon of Lumberwoods Lore (2019) lens poem (which has been taken and spread across several wikipedia entries without attribution since) – Goes as follows;

DINGBAT: A spry and spirited surreal something that sits silently with sharp-sighted sprightliness. This courageous catcher cunningly captures caps, catapulting from cartridges contained in the compact cannons carried by chasers, careening on a collision course with the country critters they corner. This fearsome flurry is furiously fast and features a furred figure, feathered flappers, foreboding face and horns of a hart. The hurdler is the hero of hinterland habitants and the headache of hunters.

There’s also a Terry Toon short titled DINGBAT LAND [1949] starring Gandygoose and Sourpuss, the two enter a storybook in  order to hunt the mythical dingbat. (which appears to be much more duckling like.)

[Art sticker by samkalensky part of my fearsome critters collection of stickers follow and support for many more!]