January 7, 2020 ▸ Cryptids, Paranormal

Episode 444: Puckwudgie: Evil Pyromaniac Leprechauns

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On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we examine a little known (but pretty freaky!) cryptid known as the Puckwudgie. Think of it as a leprechaun, but instead of hoarding gold, it likes to murder people, set things on fire, and shoot poisonous darts at fools. This supposed creature is native to North America, and it has a deep folklore in various Native American groups such as the Wampanoags, Ojibwe, and Algonquian tribes. However, the sightings and encounters continue to this day in New England.

So what is a Puckwudgie? It is a short creature (maybe three feet tall) with large eyes, an oversized nose, and a bloated or rounded belly. It is said to be able to vanish in plain sight, light fires at will, and transform into some type of porcupine/humanoid half breed. If you encounter one, it is likely to follow you around and mess with you. Depending on your reaction, and the demeanor of the individual Puckwudgie, this could come in the form of tying your hair in knots. It could also lead to burning your house down, tormenting you for years at night, or even luring you off a cliff and making it look like suicide.

The Native American groups thought that these little critters were once friendly with humans, but in an encounter with a mythic giant who scattered them all over the countryside, they turned on everyone and become less mischievous and more malicious. Modern tales of them often involve people walking in wooded areas in the Bridgewater Triangle, a zone of strange paranormal occurrences. They have a lot of activity in Freetown, Massachusetts, home to Lizzie Borden. They even made their way into Harry Potter’s lore as mischievous little creatures as well. On this one, we cover the ancient mythology as well as the modern day encounters and come to a decision on what we think of this freaky little deaky.

Visit Our Sources:

https://thoughtcatalog.com/january-nelson/2018/08/pukwudgie/

https://the-line-up.com/pukwudgie

https://www.reddit.com/r/Humanoidencounters/comments/4tefuk/pukwudgie/

http://newenglandfolklore.blogspot.com/2019/01/two-encounters-with-pukwudgies-in.html

http://www.native-languages.org/pukwudgie.htm

https://www.astonishinglegends.com/astonishing-legends/2018/10/22/pukwudgies

https://www.animalplanet.com/tv-shows/freak-encounters/full-episodes/pukwudgie

http://www.ancientpages.com/2018/04/09/pukwudgie-the-trickster-grey-faced-humanoid-creature-in-native-american-beliefs/

http://www.paranormal-encounters.com/wp/what-exactly-is-a-puckwudgie/

http://www.historynaked.com/pukwudgie/

https://cambridge.wickedlocal.com/zz/news/20191017/4-local-cryptids-you-may-run-into-around-new-england
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pukwudgie