CEN"IRE F::>R NEWFOUNDLAND STUDIES TOTAL OF 10 PAGES ONLY MAY PE XEROXED (Without Author's Pcrmiuion) CEN"IRE F::>R NEWFOUNDLAND STUDIES TOTAL OF 10 PAGES ONLY MAY PE XEROXED (Without Author's Pcrmiuion) THE HONEY ISLAND SWAMP MONSTER: THE DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF A FOLK AND COMMODIFIED BELIEF TRADITION by © Frances Leary A thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department ofF olklore/School of Graduate Studies/ F acuity of Arts Memorial University of Newfoundland December 2003 St. John's Newfoundland Library and Bibliotheque et 1+1 Archives Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de !'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 0-612-99088-5 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 0-612-99088-5 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library permettant a Ia Bibliotheque et Archives and Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par I' Internet, preter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans loan, distribute and sell theses le monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, worldwide, for commercial or non­ sur support microforme, papier, electronique commercial purposes, in microform, et/ou autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve Ia propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in et des droits meraux qui protege cette these. this thesis. Neither the thesis Ni Ia these ni des extraits substantiels de nor substantial extracts from it celle-ci ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement may be printed or otherwise reproduits sans son autorisation. reproduced without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a Ia loi canadienne Privacy Act some supporting sur Ia protection de Ia vie privee, forms may have been removed quelques formulaires secondaires from this thesis. ont ete enleves de cette these. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires in the document page count, aient inclus dans Ia pagination, their removal does not represent il n'y aura aucun contenu manquant. any loss of content from the thesis. ••• Canada Abstract Over the past twenty years folklorists have looked seriously at the relationships between narrative and the development and maintenance ofbelieftraditions. More recently belief studies have focused on tourism, commercialization and the commodification ofbeliefphenomena. Within this context a few folklorists have examined cryptozoological traditions, most notably the Sasquatch, studied by Carpenter and Taft, and the Giant Squid, explored by Aldrich. In Louisiana there have been reports of a creature that has come to be known as the Honey Island Swamp Monster, and its home is the 250 acre Honey Island Swamp that lies on the border of Louisiana and Mississippi. In the past 27 years, this creature has evolved into a folk and commercial belief tradition, and this thesis will explore the development and maintenance of these two divergent narrative corpuses. Chapter One examines past and present theoretical arguments surrounding monsters, specifically focusing on the hairy monster tradition. Chapter Two identifies the features that define the Honey Island Swamp Monster folk belief tradition as unique. Chapter Three investigates the genres utilized to perpetuate the folk and commodified belief traditions and introduces the divergent paths of the two traditions. Chapter Four examines the commodified tradition in a more detailed fashion by investigating the influences of the academic world, the media, the tourism industry, and the enthusiast tradition. Chapter Five explores the explanatory traditions employed by believers and nonbelievers to attempt to explain the existence of the Honey Island Swamp Monster belief tradition. 11 Acknowledgements Many people have contributed to the thesis. Above all, I would like to thank Dr. Diane Goldstein, whose guidance and inspiration have enabled me to grow as a researcher, a writer, and dare I say a folklorist throughout this process. Without her, this thesis would not be what it is today; she helped me find its soul. I would also like to thank my professors at the Memorial University of Newfoundland. They have inspired and criticized, praised and critiqued, all the while shaping me with their wisdom. Additionally, I must thank Sharon and Cindy; they are true gems. Critical to this thesis were my informants, who provided insight into this belief tradition. I would like to extend my gratitude to the following: Harvey Hood, Larry Buehler, Danny White, Ed Marten, Claude Bellows, Denty Crawford, Ben Aiken, George Billiot, Cyrus Blanchard, Michael Hahn, Joey Hatty, Nolan Trasclair, Denny Holmberg, Dana Holyfield, Loren Coleman, Bill Asmussen, Lee Murphy, M. K. Davis, Barry Jean Ancelet, Matt DeLuca, Kenneth Joholske, Diana Jones, Julia Price, Dr. Paul Wagner, Sue Wagner, Craig Woolheater, and Nancy Burris. I would like to thank God and my family for being my rock: my husband Del, my love and inspiration; my parents Susan and Randolph, whose love and encouragement give me strength; my sister Anne, my kindred spirit; my brother Chris, who supports without hesitation; my grandmother Marian, a shining example of determination; and Cam and Chris for accepting me into their family and lending constant support. Last, but not least, I extend my gratitude to monster lovers everywhere. You keep the mystery alive! m Table of Contents Abstract 11 Acknowledgments m List ofTables v List ofPhotographs Vl List of Appendices Vll Introduction 1 Chapter One: Monster Theory 11 Chapter Two: An Experience-centered Study 33 Chapter Three: Belief Gemes 81 Chapter Four: Commodification 112 Chapter Five: Explanatory Traditions 144 Works Cited 171 Appendix 186 IV List of Tables Table 1: List of Narratives and Sources 36 Table 2: Comparative Analysis 69 Table 3: List of Primary and Features with Corresponding Narratives 73 v List of Photographs Photograph 1: The Honey Island Swamp 2 Photograph 2: Copy of Plaster Cast Made by Harlan Ford 26 Photograph 3: Audubon Zoo Display 103 Photograph 4: Rue-Ga-Rue Display, Cajun Pride Swamp Tours 108 Photograph 5: Honey Island Swamp Monster T-Shirt 126 Photograph 6 (in Appendix A.l): Captain Ben Aiken 187 Photograph 7 (in Appendix A.3): Captain Joey Hatty 190 Photograph 8 (in Appendix A.4): Captain George Billiot 193 Photograph 9 (in Appendix A.5): Captain James Carmadelle and Grandson 195 Photograph 10 (in Appendix B.l): Curt Burnette 197 Photograph 11 (in Appendix B.2): Captain Michael Hahn 198 Photograph 12 (in Appendix B.3): Captain Cyrus Blanchard 199 Photograph 13 (in Appendix B.4): Captain Nolan Trosclair 200 Vl List of Appendices Appendix A: Excerpts from Swamp Tour Transcripts 186 A.l Captain Ben Aiken 187 A.2 Denny Holmberg 189 A.3 Captain Joey Hatty 190 A.4 Captain George Billiot 193 A.5 Captain James Carmadelle 195 Appendix B: Additional Informants' Photographs 196 B.1 Curt Burnette 197 B.2 Captain Michael Hahn 198 B.3 Captain Cyrus Blanchard 199 B.4 Captain Nolan Trosclair 200 vn 1 Introduction The Mystery Begins Every part of the world holds secrets, mysteries that cannot be explained by means of conventional science. Cryptozoological phenomena serve as one group of these unsolved mysteries. Bille asserts that "despite all the scientific progress of the twentieth century, some creatures remain in the shadow lands of zoology. These are the animals just being discovered, the presumed-extinct animals that may not really be gone, and the mysterious creatures which are not yet recognized as 'official' inhabitants of the animal kingdom" (9). Tales of these creatures pervade local folklore and, in some cases, have spread throughout the world. Known by locals as "Wookie," "Rugaru," and "The Thing," the Honey Island Swamp Monster is one such creature, an as-of-yet-unidentified humanoid primate that roams the territory on the border of Louisiana and Mississippi that is known as the Honey Island Swamp. The Honey Island Swamp The Honey Island Swamp covers 250 square miles and is located near the mouth of the Pearl River that divides the southeastemmost portion of Louisiana from Mississippi. Honey Island, an expanse of grassland forest, lies in the swamp between the East Pearl and West Pearl rivers and stretches from three to seven miles wide and fifteen to twenty miles long (see Photograph 1). According to Dr. Paul Wagner, "This swamp is unique because it's one of the least-altered river swamps in the country. It's pretty much in its original condition, almost a pristine wilderness" ("Honey"). Honey Island Swamp serves as home for a vast array of wildlife, and 70,000 acres of the swamp is a 2 Pbolognpb I: The Honey hland S"omp 3 permanently-protected wildlife area, the Nature Conservancy's first Louisiana nature preserve. Inhabitants include alligators, red wolves, deer, black bears, black panthers, wild boar and many species of exotic birds, including the bald eagle. The swamp also lives up to Louisiana's nickname, Fisherman's Paradise. It provides local fishermen with such treats as bluegill, largemouth bass, redear sunfish, warmouth, alligator gar, freshwater drum, buffalo fish, flathead catfish, and crawfish ("Honey"). In addition to its many forms of wildlife, the Honey Island Swamp has given birth to several local legends. Tales reveal that Jean Lafitte, "the noted pirate and hero of the Battle ofNew Orleans, made a living off of pirate booty worth millions buried in the marshes" ("The Swamps"). The most famous local lore, however, regards reported sightings of a Bigfoot-like creature in the Honey Island Swamp.