FREIBURG SHRIEKER


Yet another case which seems inextricably linked to the MOTHMAN legend is that of the Freiburg Shrieker. What is unique about this case is the fact that the creature in question did not torment the witness, but, in all probability, is responsible for saving 21 lives.

The event began on September 10, 1978, at a coal mine in Freiburg, Germany. Employees of the mine were astounded to find the entrance to the mine shaft blocked by a mysterious terrifying black figure with huge outstretched wings.

Several of the men tried to approach the creature and enter the mine, thinking it might just be an apparition. They were forced to retreat, however, when the creature let out a series of unbearable piercing shrieks "like 50 people screaming" or "the brakes of a train."

After an hour or so of waiting, the befuddled men began busying themselves with cleanup outside the mine, all the while hoping that the creature would go away. Then at approximately 8 a.m., the ground beneath them shuddered with the tremendous force of a gigantic, subterranean explosion.

When the men returned to the mine shaft they discovered that the Shrieker was gone, replaced by a huge column of smoke and flame, which spewed from the entrance of the mine - a conflagration that surely would have sealed their fate had they been manning their posts within the mine.

An interesting postscript to this already fascinating tale is that of all the workers who were saved by this bizarre beast, less than one third of them remained in the mine's employment just six months after the event. Many of the men involved remained unemployed and some of them apparently suffered from serious psychiatric disorders.

Two of the men dedicated themselves to revealing what happened to the rest of the world. Both of these men died impoverished and unusually young. This is a fate which seems to have befallen more than one Mothman eyewitness, when he or she has attempted to share their story with the public. These facts have led some researchers to speculate that while the Shrieker may have saved these miners lives, it was almost certainly at the cost of their sanity.



As always, we welcome your questions, comments, and any additional information that you may have regarding any of the animals already represented on this site. We would also express our hearty gratitude to anyone who can provide us with details pertaining to any of the unique beasts which we may have neglected.
 

After an hour or so of waiting, the befuddled men began busying themselves with cleanup outside the mine, all the while hoping that the creature would go away.

This seems really strange to me. They go to work and find a dark unknown creature with outstretched wings waiting for them at the entrance to the mine, and nobody calls the authorities or tries to take it out with some heavy equipment or a shovel?

Would standing around watching it be the normal thing to do in a situation like this?
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That's what i thought the first time i heard it. of course, they were probably in shock.
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Omens of Doom? Why aren't there ever Omens of Hope?

Ah, that is spooky. Anything to do with aliens, moth man, jersey devil, dover demon (I live in new England, so...) freaks me out to death. I can deal with dragons. I can deal with flesh-eating worms. I can deal with anything but something like this. Spooky.

It seems pretty cool, although the only strange thing that I noticed, like you guys, was why they started to clean up around the area. I mean, come on. If I saw a seven foot shadow with wings that screeches so loud it kills ear drums, standing in the doorway of my dad's work place, I wouldn't be like "Hey, you know, someone's a litter bug and dumped their Mc. Donald's bag by the door..." I would scream and run in the opposite direction.

The hole concept of it being an omen of doom i dont see it, yes people have died, but have you ever thought it was because they worked in oh i dont know A COAL MINE!! workers have died quite young for working in a coal mine so it may not have been the creature that caused their deaths.

now normally im not a skeptic but when theres evidence that screams in my face then i cannot ignore that

This seems really strange to me. They go to work and find a dark unknown creature with outstretched wings waiting for them at the entrance to the mine, and nobody calls the authorities or tries to take it out with some heavy equipment or a shovel?

Would standing around watching it be the normal thing to do in a situation like this?