Woodwose Woes: The Pursuit of the Hirsute

Sasquatch. 

Yeti. 

Yowie. 

Woodwose. 

Skunk-Ape. 

Albatwitch.   

Bigfoot.   

It is a universal image: the mysterious tall hairy man in the woods, half-ape and half-human. He’s an icon, a joke, a marketing ploy, a  mascot, a hoax, an obsession, and - for some - a life-changing reality. As a follow-up to his presentation ‘Flying Saucer to Fairyland’, Troy Chambers will examine just how universal the ‘hairy hominid’ archetype truly is, across time, culture, folklore, experience and myth, to remind (or introduce) how far the roots reach with this elusive enigma. We will range from the ancient imagery of the wild man and hairy saints, the development of ‘lost ape’ theories, to the present day resurgence of thought that sees bigfoot not as an undiscovered animal, but as a potent point of contact with the mysteries of the forest, and the spirits who live there.  From examinations of Monster Theory and our eternal fascination with the strange to Chambers’ own experiences with things that stalk the forest at night - get your blurry camera ready for a deep dive into the strange meeting of magic and monsters and the  living development of ancient folklore.

About the Presenter:

Troy Chambers is one half of Wolf & Goat (the Wolf half), and in addition to his involvement in several ATRs, including Ocha, Obeah and  Quimbanda, is dedicated to bridging the gap between the various examinations of weirdness in the world.

*This class is part of the General Admission & Sunday 8/15/21 Day Pass registrations, if you are interested in attending all of the events during this festival, or all of the events offered on Sunday 8/15/21, please select the appropriate registration type on our Events & Registration page.*

**Attendees will have access to this recording until the end of 2021 - class recording links will be emailed to attendees within 7 business days of the conclusion of the festival. To protect the IP of our presenters, class recordings will not be downloadable.**

***Your class link will be emailed to you in your confirmation email. If you have not received your registration confirmation email within 24 hours please email info@salemsummersymposium.com***

****PLEASE NOTE: We cannot guarantee that any class registration within 24 hours of the class start time will be admitted to the livestreaming of the class. You will however receive the class recording link within 7 business days of the conclusion of the festival and will have access to the recording for the remainder of 2021****