The Owlman of Mawnan is a prominent figure in British folklore and urban legends. It is an owl-like humanoid cryptid reportedly sighted near Mawnan Church in Cornwall, UK.
Legend and Description
The Owlman is described as a large creature, typically 4 to 6 feet tall, with a wingspan of 7 to 10 feet.
Key characteristics from witness accounts include:
- Appearance A human-sized, feathered bird-man with a sinister, owlish face.
- Eyes Large, glowing eyes, often described as red or orange.
- Limbs Sharp talons or pincer-like claws.
- Sound The creature is often associated with strange hissing sounds or loud, owl-like hoots.
- Habitat Sightings are concentrated around the wooded area and church tower of St. Mawnan and St. Stephen's Church in the village of Mawnan Smith.
Key Sightings
The legend gained notoriety following a series of sightings in the summer of 1976.
- April 1976: Two young sisters, June and Vicky Melling, on holiday with their family, were the first to report seeing a huge, winged figure with glowing eyes perched atop the church tower. Their father, Don Melling, cut the family vacation short due to their distress.
- July 1976: Two other teenage girls camping nearby also reported an encounter with a large, hissing, owl-like creature with glowing eyes.
- Subsequent years: Sporadic sightings continued into the 1980s, 1990s, and even the early 2000s, adding to the creature's lore.
Sceptics propose the sightings were likely to be a misidentification of large, real-world owls, such as a Eurasian eagle-owl, whose size and nocturnal habits could easily be misinterpreted through fear and the power of suggestion. Hoaxes, possibly by paranormal investigator Tony "Doc" Shiels who was involved early on, have also been suggested.
Regardless of its origins, the Owlman has become an iconic part of Cornish folklore, a British equivalent to the American Mothman legend. It continues to inspire stories, artwork, and discussions about cryptids and unexplained phenomena in Britain.