Wunks - [Fearsome Critter | Snipe.] 

• About this Critter: Wunks are typically described as small, timid creatures which live underground. They are seldom seen. as whenever a Wunk sees somebody (or something sees it) it will dig a hole, jump inside and then 'pull the hole in after itself' vanishing without a trace. Wunks can also change shape to look just like anyone you know, (though they typically choose not to.) - There was a time where children in Maine would go on adventures and hunt 'wunks' in the deep woods in the dead of  autumn nights, wunks were said to be hunted because of their valuable golden fur, the youngsters would be  Armed with nothing but a sack or a pillowcase. They had to be absolutely silent in order to sneak up on a wunk ; sadly, none were ever captured, alas, they would vanish, escaping back to "Spirkland" in the very nanomoment which the sack closed around them. Wunks may also be have beem to blame for phantom noises and other odd calls in the woods. If you didn't know what it was, then 'it was a wunk'.

• History & early appearances: This critter is perhaps earliest mentioned in the works of famous American poet, James Whitcomb Rileys (1849-1916.) writings, namely; “The Raggedy Man”  which was first published in 1888. - Riley is said to have taken his inspiration for the poem from a German tramp who was hired by his father in his youth to do yard work & various farm chores, the tramp; He told him stories of "Giunts, Griffuns and Elves. "An' the Squidgicum-Squees 'at swallers the'rselves" - The section of the 'Raggedy Man Poem' where in the Wunk's are first mentioned goes as follows; 

"An' The Raggedy Man, he knows most rhymes,

An' tells 'em, ef I be good, sometimes:

Knows 'bout Giunts, an' Griffuns, an' Elves,

An' the Squidgicum-Squees 'at swallers the'rselves:

An', wite by the pump in our pasture-lot,

He showed me the hole 'at the Wunks is got,

'At lives 'way deep in the ground, an' can

Turn into me, er 'Lizabuth Ann!

Er Ma, er Pa, er The Raggedy Man!

Ain't he a funny old Raggedy Man?

Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man! "

[The passage from the poem with a 1910 illustration of the kids finding the 'wunk hole'] - One can also listen to Riley tell the full poem on youtube over here and listen to a musical version here,

Today: James is probably best known as the origin of “Little Orphant Annie" (which if you didnt know was originally titled: "The Elf Child.") - This poem later inspired a comic strip,which in turn, inspired the broadway play, musicals, movies etc. – (Most of us 90s kids are familiar the story with from various grade school plays.) – Similarly "raggedy man" is thought to have inspired the namesake for the raggedy ann dolls. – I could also go on about 'Gobble-uns' and how 'they'll git cha if you don' watch out!' (but that's perhaps a story for another day.) - it would perhaps be amiss not to also mention that Riley also wrote about 'Wunks' & 'Wunkland' a bit more in depth (though not by very much!) later on in "Flying islands of the night." – [First published in 1891, with a final illustrated version published in 1913.] - This three act fantasy play;  is a fairly typical star crossed lovers story with some light family betrayal in the mix. – To the point: The "Princess of the Wunkland" Dwaine, elopes with Amphine, an elf of Spirkland. - one particularly famous line goes:  “But Dwaine hides in Spirkland and answers not at all!” 

[Wunk princess Dwaine & Amphine sit in the garden - illustration by James booth.]

Which brings me to the next point; both Wunks, Dwaine and Wunkland are also mentioned across various newspaper articles; often alongside several other famous maine area fearsome critters such as The Dingmaul (Plunkus), Kicklesnifters, Tree Squeaks and Side Hill Gougers. – A 1925 article titled 'In Spirkland' concludes by listing several more creatures including; "Lurloo, Winno-welver, Twittering-teeper, Tcheucker and the Drowsy-Cover" which all originate from the song about Dwainie, which is sung towards the end of Act 1! - However, This article mentions them as if they where actual strange animals that inhabited Maines woodlands in the same breath as the other critters mentioned above, the article famously concludes with; “But Dwaine hides in Spirkland and answers not at all!” –

'In Spirkland' [earliest published; 1925] 

•| Wunk hunting |•

Simultaneously to the above; Wunks have also been said to be well known & hunted in Maine area since at least the 1910s-1930's, where-in children were said to hunt them in the same manner as snipes. - Back In 1919; a separate poem was written by one C.C Walsh: About some kids out on one of these "wunk hunts” - in which, the 'wunks' which they are hunting are rather bizarrely described as having six eyes (3 green! 3 red!) Four legs and bushy tails which they can use to glide! These 'Wunks' are described as valuable because of their golden fur. This poem describes a typical “snipe hunt” where-in the kids are left “holding the bag” by the end of it. – (it might sound unrelated, however; its the same otherwise the Squidigcum squee is mentioned along side them here as well! )

[a poem by C.C.Walsh "Hunting wunks" better res: 1919]

[Spirkland, hole digging Wunks (etc) mentioned in  "the English language in America, 1925]

['Wunk hunting' mentioned again in another paper in 1931.] 

Eventually, Riley's Wunk was catalogued in a proper fearsome critter bestiary; by woodsman Henry H Tryon's  [Fearsome Critters 1939.] -  raggedy man is mentioned in the preface of the book!

...About 30 years Later, Wunks where finally illustrated proper by Glen Rounds & listed as a fearsome critter in “Kicklesnifters and other fearsome critters" [Alvin Swartz 1970s] along with a bunch of others, Swartz also quite cleverly also included the "Lugubrious Whing-Whang." which was mentioned in Another of James Rileys poems. however in the same breath, Notably he did not mention the creatures origins at all! (quite a funny way to "pass the balloon" i suppose) 

[Glen Rounds take on the 'wunk' 1970's]

...Later, Sometime in the mid 2000's-(2009-ish?) both the 'Wunks' and 'Squidigcum-squees' names where both added to lumberwoods.orgs critter routunda! (as they should be, its a comprehensive list of most early fearsome critters!) - The museum's curator Len also wrote a fun lymric about wunks & included them in "Lenwoods Lexicon of Lumberwoods Lore” - Unfortunately, Lens rhymes where lifted and copy pasted to various fandom wikis. - Where they are quite often unaccredited (& thus easily taken out of context.) - it seems that the critters pollinated out of context from there on. – On the 'cryptidz wiki' (which most armchair researchers will visit at least once) - Both the "Wunks" and the "Squidigcum-Squees" where given completely unrelated portraits to go along with their scant biographies (netiher of which even mention rileys poems!) – Today, people seem to rarely (if ever) relate the two creatures back to Riley's poems or even the historic 'Snipe hunts' at all, (which is a bit of a shame in my opinion!)

[The armadillo-like "wunk" according to the cryptidz wiki. this image presesnts its own mystery as well, putting the image into google reverse image search brings up a lot of Hispanic coloring books with similar armadillos but i've yet to find this images true origin. (Lost Media?) - This one seems to have served as the inspiration for the metazoo card game's take. but otherwise; it has seemingly nothing to do with wunks as a whole.]

But, i digress; I suppose as with most 'Snipes', a 'Wunk' can look however you'd like it to. (it is said to be a shape-shifter afterall!) but i do think its important to write out a comprehensive background for such creatures, especially when they've been largely forgotten about in the popular context! --Anyway, To end this i feel i should say, to have "Wunk" at someone is to have "Winked" in pass-tense and to give someone a "knowing wink" means to indicate that something is a joke or 'perhaps a signal that a situation not as serious as it seems'; which fits this critter quite well overall If you ask me! 😉

[Sticker Art by @samkalensky (yo that’s me!) part of my fearsome critters collection of stickers consider supporting for many more. ]