Learning the history behind the Dogman legend

Linda Godfrey has a unique connection with the creature known as Dogman.

Godfrey currently lives in eastern Wisconsin near Lake Geneva and has written numerous books including “The Beast of Bray Road,” “Weird Michigan,” “Weird Wisconsin,” “Strange Wisconsin” and the yet unpublished “Strange Michigan.” She has been writing about the Dogman, or Manwolf as it is called in Wisconsin, for about 15 years.

Her first written account of the Dogman happened back in the early 1990s when she wrote a story for the newspaper she was working at in Wisconsin. She has never seen one of the creatures outright but said she has seen glimpses of one in the Traverse City area. She also has seen and recorded footprints that she believes to be from the creature.

“I was a reporter for a newspaper and it covered all of Walworth County in Wisconsin and the story of the upright wolf creature I called the ‘Beast of Bray Road,’” she said. “It started some natural exposure and then I heard about the Michigan Dogman. Both Wisconsin and Michigan seem to have this creature that walks on its hind legs but looks like a wolf.”

Although Godfrey believes the Dogman/Manwolf is real, Jonnie Jay Sam, director Little River Band of Ottawa Indians Historic Preservation Department, said a similar creature also has a place in his tribe’s oral tradition.

Sam said that terms such as folklore, legend and myth can be considered terms of “prejudicial nature” and are sometimes used to lessen the importance or value of stories being told.

“Oral tradition is not limited to the tribes of North America, it is shared by all people at one time or another in their past. I am hoping that the value of these types of stories is not lessened to others,” he said. “The presentation of the story by the person telling the story provides and increases the impact of the information being passed to the listener.”

Although Sam is aware of the Dogman stories, as he grew up in Manistee County and heard them, he said the tribe has a similar story about a creature called the “bear walker.”

“According to the stories told there are people who have the power or ability to change into an animal. These are people who have studied with others that know this power, and it usually takes a long time,” he said. “The power to change into a bear, wolf or large bird with a glow around the mouth of the creature and its eyes. The evil ones attack and harm or kill people. Seeing one causes victims to faint and causes fear in viewers. In many ways, the bear walker is similar to the Loup Garou or werewolves.”

Sam said the importance of folklore and legend are used to teach and explain the nature of the world around the tribe and the values important to the tribe. He also said they are ties to the past and a look at the way people viewed the world.

“A people without their legends/folklore are a people without an identity or cultural existence,” he said.

For more information about books Godfrey has written go to www.weirdmichigan.com. For more information about the Michigan Dogman, go to www.michigan-dogman.com

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