Encounter Atlas
The Pukwudgie is a small, human-like forest being from Native American tradition, about knee- to waist-high, with large ears and a grey complexion. In stories it can be mischievous or dangerous, and is said to vanish, shape-shift and lead people astray. Similar 'little people' appear in the traditions of many nations, including the Ojibwe, Mohegan, Mi'kmaq and Wampanoag.
The name entered print through Henry Rowe Schoolcraft's Ojibwe stories in 1839 and Longfellow's Song of Hiawatha. Local histories later tied it to Massachusetts, and Wampanoag storytellers retold it in their own way. These are living cultural traditions, and some communities prefer that their beings not be treated as monsters for entertainment, so this page sticks to modern reports.
In recent decades, hikers in Freetown-Fall River State Forest and the swampy Bridgewater Triangle have reported small grey figures, strange lights and a sense of being watched, often credited to Pukwudgies in paranormal books.
What witnesses report
- A small grey figure, knee- to waist-high
- Large ears and long fingers
- Glowing lights in the woods
- Feeling of being led off the trail
Famous cases
- 1839Schoolcraft's Ojibwe stories
Great Lakes region - 1855Longfellow's Song of Hiawatha
United States
Seen the Pukwudgie?
Tell us what happened. Every report is read by a person before it goes on the map, and you can stay anonymous.
