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State Cryptids: Pukwudgies & The Mhuwe
In the forest, you go for a hike and lose your way. Weird things have been happening, you don’t know where you are and you feel like you’re being watched and followed. Either you’re being pranked by a Pukwudgie,a small humanoid forest spirit, or you’re being hunted by a Mhuwe, a monster that may have once been a human cannibal. Welcome to Delaware
Pukwudgie
The Pukwudgie is part of Indigenous American folklore, specifically the Lenape and Wampanoag tribes. They roam the forests of Delaware standing about three feet high with hunched backs and grey skin. Some stories even say they have quills on their backs like a porcupine.
The stories vary as to what these little creatures are like. Some say they are relatively harmless but enjoy pranking people by causing them to lose their way in the woods or causing memory loss. Other stories say they are more malevolent with their trickery by leading hikers off cliffs.
There are even variations that say they can shape-shift into other animals for protection or mischief. Whatever the situation calls for.
According to A-Z Animals, their name Pukwudgie translates into “little man of the woods that vanishes.”
The Pukwudgie is an interesting little tale that has lived on for thousands of years in the folklore of the Lenape and Wampanoag tribes.
The Mhuwe
Not much has been recorded of the Mhuwe. All that is known is that is also a part of the Lenape legends.
Like the Pukwudgie, it roams the Delaware woods. Stories say it’s similar to a Windigo, but is different as it is a man-eating ice giant.
In folklore, the Mhuwe is associated with cannibalism, starvation, and sin. It’s said that a person who has tasted human flesh can become cursed and turn into a Mhuwe and stalk prey in the forests until they are either killed, or the curse is lifted.
Conclusion
If you’re feeling froggy, enjoy a walk in the Delaware woods. But try to remember where you are at all times, watch out for cliffs, and don’t get caught by a Mhuwe. Real or not, stories of the Pukwudgie and the Mhuwe will keep any hiker or camper on high alert. Have fun in Delaware.
References
Jodie. (Apr. 10, 2023). Delaware Cryptids. Spook Shack.
Londos, T. (Dec. 15, 2023). What is the Pukwudgie Cryptid? A-Z Animals.
Native American Legends: Mhuwe (Mhwe)
Ostberg, R. (Jan. 5, 2024). Windigo:Algonkian mythology. Britannica
