The Strange and the Unexplained Quiz

Answer: Rural New York state

The Rake is an internet horror creature that is widely believed to have originated from a collaborative monster-design thread on 4chan's /b/ board in late 2005. It was popularised by a 2006 story written by Bryan Somerville, then spread rapidly through horror websites, LiveJournal, 4chan and Reddit.

The creature is typically described as a pale, hairless humanoid that moves on all fours but stands about six feet tall when upright. It's most commonly associated with rural New York state. In the fictional mythology, the Rake stalks victims for long periods and often appears at the foot of their beds while they sleep.

Unlike many internet-born legends, the story has a much older history, claiming reports from four continents and the earliest testimony dating to 1691. These historical accounts are entirely fictional, but they helped make the legend one of the Internet's most enduring creepypastas.

Answer: Flat, featureless human-shaped silhouettes

Shadow People are dark humanoid figures reported by witnesses around the world. They're usually glimpsed at the edge of vision or seen standing in darkened rooms and are described as featureless black silhouettes that vanish when looked at directly. Many encounters occur during sleep paralysis, hypnagogic hallucinations, psychosis or delirium, but some witnesses claim the experiences happened while fully awake.

Explanations range from neurological and psychological causes to paranormal theories involving ghosts, interdimensional beings or the Jinn of Islamic tradition. Some researchers and paranormal writers distinguish between different types, including benign observers and malevolent figures.
Whether understood as a product of the mind or something unexplained, Shadow People continue to be reported across many cultures and countries.

Answer: A wide-brimmed hat

The Hat Man is a well-known figure within Shadow People lore, reported by many people in different countries over several decades. He is usually described as a tall, pitch-black silhouette wearing a wide-brimmed hat and long coat or cloak. Witnesses often estimate his height at around seven or eight feet, though descriptions vary. Many Shadow People are reported as vague or fleeting, but the Hat Man is often described as having a more distinct appearance.

Many people experience an overwhelming feeling of dread or oppression in his presence, particularly during episodes of sleep paralysis. Some accounts also describe him as silently watching the witness or standing in a doorway, while others mention a mist or haze surrounding his figure.

Sceptics generally regard him as a recurring form of sleep paralysis or hypnagogic hallucination, while believers argue that the similarities between reports suggest a phenomenon that has yet to be explained.

Answer: His unnerving permanent smile

Indrid Cold, often known as the 'Smiling Man', is an allegedly humanoid figure associated with UFO reports from West Virginia in the late 1960s. On 2 November 1966, Woodrow Derenberger claimed that while driving home near Parkersburg, West Virginia, an unidentified craft landed on the road ahead of him. A tall man with a dark complexion emerged and is said to have communicated with him telepathically, introducing himself as Indrid Cold and assuring him that he meant no harm.

The encounter occurred during the same period as the famous Mothman sightings, which led some researchers to suggest a connection between the two. According to Derenberger, Cold claimed to come from a planet called Lanulos in the Genemedes Galaxy and spoke of two other beings, Demo Hassan and Karl Ardo. The figure's unnerving, constant smile earned him the nickname the 'Smiling Man', and his story became widely known after appearing in John Keel's 1975 book 'The Mothman Prophecies'.

Although some enthusiasts claim that Indrid Cold has continued to appear in West Virginia, there is no independent evidence that the encounters occurred.

Answer: UFO sightings or encounters

The Men in Black legend is generally traced to the early 1950s, when UFO researcher Albert Bender founded the International Flying Saucer Bureau in Connecticut. In 1953, Bender claimed he had been visited by three men in dark suits who warned him to stop publishing information about flying saucers. His account attracted the attention of writer Gray Barker, whose 1956 book 'They Knew Too Much About Flying Saucers' popularised the story and established many of the characteristics now associated with the Men in Black, including dark suits, black cars and mysterious threats.

As the legend spread, later reports described the Men in Black as increasingly strange, with witnesses claiming they had unnatural complexions, stiff movements and unusual speech. Some accounts even portrayed them as barely human. Sceptics regard the stories as folklore, misidentifications or embellishments of earlier reports.

The paradox remains that although the Men in Black are said to silence witnesses, stories about them have continued to circulate for decades, which has helped to secure their place in UFO folklore.

Answer: Walking pairs of trousers

The Fresno Nightcrawler first gained widespread attention after CCTV footage recorded in 2007 by a resident of south Fresno, California. The video appears to show a white, long-legged figure crossing a lawn, followed by a smaller figure moving in the same direction. The creatures are often compared to walking pairs of trousers because they appear to have almost no upper body, with most of their height made up of long, stilt-like legs. The SyFy programme 'Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files' investigated the footage but was unable to determine conclusively whether it was genuine or a hoax.

Further footage claiming to show similar creatures was recorded near Yosemite National Park in 2011, and alleged sightings have since been reported in other countries, including Poland. Unlike many paranormal entities, the Nightcrawlers have become popular online because of their unusual appearance and apparently harmless behaviour.

Claims have also been made that Native American rock art depicts similar figures, suggesting a much older tradition. However, when Weird Fresno founder Michael Banti contacted representatives of local tribes, they said they didn't recognise the carvings as depicting the creatures.

Answer: Leaping over buildings and walls with ease

Reports of the mysterious figure Spring-Heeled Jack occurred in England between 1837 and the early twentieth century, with most sightings occurring in London and the surrounding counties. Witnesses described a tall man capable of extraordinary leaps over walls and rooftops. He was often said to have glowing red eyes, clawed hands and the ability to breathe blue flames. They also claimed he frightened or assaulted young women before escaping with astonishing speed.

Despite numerous sightings and police investigations, Spring-Heeled Jack was never identified. Some contemporaries believed he was an aristocrat or practical joker, while others regarded him as something supernatural. As the reports gradually faded, he became one of the best-known figures in Victorian folklore and an enduring mystery of nineteenth-century Britain.

Answer: Allow them inside the house or vehicle

Black-Eyed Children are figures from modern urban legend. Reports of them first gained widespread attention in the 1990s. Witnesses describe children or teenagers approaching homes or cars, usually at night, and asking to be let inside. Their defining feature is their completely black eyes, which have no visible whites or pupils. Many people who claim to have encountered them describe an overwhelming sense of fear or unease.

In most accounts, the children leave after being refused entry, but the experience is often said to leave witnesses deeply unsettled. Sceptics regard the stories as urban legends, misidentifications or hoaxes, while believers suggest the figures may be supernatural beings, extraterrestrials or other unexplained entities. Whatever their origin, Black-Eyed Children have been widely discussed on paranormal websites and forums ever since.

Answer: A head shaped like an ace of spades

On 12 September 1952, several people in Flatwoods, West Virginia, reported seeing a bright object streak across the sky before coming down on a nearby hillside. When a group went to investigate, they claimed to encounter a tall creature estimated to be 3-4 metres high. It was described as having a head shaped like an ace of spades, a glowing red-orange face and a dark, greenish body. Witnesses also mentioned a hissing sound and a pungent mist before the figure disappeared.

Several of those present later complained of nausea and irritation to their eyes and throat, although the cause was never established. Explanations have ranged from a misidentified barn owl illuminated by the investigators' torch, combined with the effects of fear and an unusual meteor, to the possibility of an extraterrestrial visitor. Its origin remains a mystery.

Answer: The creatures seemed unaffected when they were shot at

On the night of 21 August 1955, the Sutton family and a visiting friend reported a frightening encounter at their farmhouse near Kelly, Kentucky. They claimed that several small creatures with large eyes, pointed ears and claw-like hands appeared around the house. Members of the family fired at the figures several times, but said they appeared unharmed and continued returning throughout the night before eventually disappearing.

Police investigated the scene and found no evidence of a deliberate hoax, although they couldn't determine exactly what had happened. The witnesses appeared genuinely frightened, and the incident became one of the best-known alleged alien encounters in American history.

Sceptics have suggested that the family may have mistaken great horned owls or other wildlife for the creatures, while believers regard the Kelly-Hopkinsville encounter as one of the strongest cases in UFO folklore.