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  • found an Internet folklore creature
    https://www.reddit.com/r/fleshgait/comments/4up9d0/wtf_is_a_fleshgait/d5rson0

    <i>'A "fleshgait" is an internet-lore supernatural forest critter that seems to try to stalk and lure people by trying (usually badly) to make vocal noises similar to other animals or to human speech. People who believe they've actually seen it often describe it as walking around as if it has constant upper-body spasms. Aside from these characteristics there isn't much consistently known about it; even the fact of whether it stalks humans to predate them as opposed to just mind-screw with them really depends on which tale you're reading.

    The name "fleshgait" came from the name "skinwalker", which was an actual traditional folkloric figure - a dude, basically a Navajo "evil" medicine man who as part of his gig wears the skin of various animals in order to magically gain attributes or powers of those animals (such as enhanced speed, or hearing, or strength) for himself. The term has been appropriated as all get out on the internet though, first for werewolves, and then most recently for these critters until somebody decided that probably wasn't a good thing to do, so they coined the term "fleshgait" by using synonyms for "skin" and "walk"'.</i>

    October 9, 2016