Der Grossman

Being one of the more popular cryptids as of now, most people believe that this “Slenderman” is a new type of creature. This is not so, as there are accountings from centuries ago of this exact cryptid, although not as the “tall, dark and handsome” figure the consensus on the web makes him out to be.

Der Grossman (the Tall Man) is an entity that originated from German folklore from the 1600s. It was described to be an abnormally tall (obviously) and thin man, with skin as pale as a ghost, and a blank face. Regarded as a fairy of the Black Woods of Germany, it was a mysterious, seemingly wrathful being that hunted children, a ghost story to keep kids from running away from home, wandering into the woods or trespassing on anyone’s property. However, there have been a couple of bizarre sightings of Der Grossman by German soldiers during the World Wars. And not just in the Black Woods, but in any area across Europe with a dense amount of woodland. This led to theories of Der Grossman being a sort of guardian of the forest.

Since 2009, recent sightings of Der Grossman in American woods have cropped up on the internet, with many believing that the creature stalked captive German soldiers to the United States after World War 2. Whether that’s true or not, one thing is certain: Der Grossman, collectively known online as Slenderman, is here to stay, haunting the woods of wherever it happens to be in the States. And, with newer technology, we are able to gather photo evidence of this cryptid. From the clearest pictures we can find (or as clear as you can get with an entity that can screw with handheld cameras), we’re able to get a better look at this creature’s appearance, which is theorized to be plant-like in nature. While having arms, Der Grossman seemingly doesn’t have any legs, with the entire body resembling a tree’s base covered in black petrified bark lined with sharp twigs, and its “arms” being large twisting branches. Where everyone would see the white features of its head and dress shirt with a tie, is actually a jagged fissure splitting across the top torso, revealing a colony of pale fiddleheads sprouting from the top, with the largest one vaguely resembling a humanoid head.

Even now, Der Grossman still roams across America, looking to hunt anyone who even dares stray off the woodland clearing, with his legacy long standing as one of the scariest cryptids in recent history.