What Is the Legend of the Mothman & Is It Real?

Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries revisits the eerie Mothman legend, focusing on theories about the mystical winged creature. The series previously looked into the Mothman legend in a 2002 segment. It now aims to link recent sightings of a similar creature in the Chicago area to the original stories dating 50 years back. Volume 4 episode 5, titled “The Mothman Revisited,” comprises interviews with paranormal investigator Tobias Wayland and his work on the decades-old mystery.

Unsolved Mysteries: Is the legend of the Mothman real?

Volume 4 of Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries attempts to decode the decades-old legend of the Mothman. Often linked to West Virginia folklore, sightings of the Mothman date back at least 50 years. Witnesses also claim to have spotted the winged humanoid creature during the day as well as nighttime in midwest cities such as Chicago, per WTRF.

According to Netflix Tudum, witness accounts describe the Mothman as a flying black humanoid cryptid. People who have allegedly sighted the creature claim it is about six and eight feet tall and has a body with wings similar to a bat. These Mothman sightings have surfaced worldwide, and people sometimes associate them with ill omens. Reports have also emerged from disaster-stricken areas such as Fukushima and Chernobyl.

Paranormal investigator Tobias Wayland explains the legend of the Mothman in the Unsolved Mysteries episode. Wayland, along with his colleague Lon Strickler, further looked into sightings of the entity, which they believe have increased in Chicago. During their research, Strickler entered 161 sightings in the area’s map. Most of these reports are from the Chicago O’Hare airport.

The first Mothman sightings date back to 1966. Reportedly, witnesses claimed they spotted a winged creature with red eyes near a deserted World War II-era factory in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Similar incidents have occurred with people who pass through the area.

In 2002, Unsolved Mysteries investigated the accounts of Point Pleasant residents who recalled seeing the Mothman. Through research, Tobias Wayland discovered that such sightings occur even today in the area.

Unsolved Mysteries Volume 4 is now streaming on Netflix.