Is the Mongolian Death-Worm a real creature or just a myth?

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In summary, the Mongolian Death-Worm is a creature that fascinates and intrigues Nick Redfern, as it is the only known creature to kill for fun and has been known to leave behind strange glass-like structures called fulgurites.
  • #1
Ivan Seeking
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LAIR OF THE BEASTS: In Search of the Death-Worm
By: Nick Redfern
Date: Saturday, September 13, 2008


As someone who spends pretty much his entire life chasing, investigating, and writing about mysterious beasts and diabolical monsters, I have to admit that I have come across some extremely wild and far-out stories in my time – and that’s putting it mildly!

But, the one strange creature that fascinates and intrigues me perhaps more than any other, is the aptly- and intriguingly-named Mongolian Death-Worm. [continued]
http://www.mania.com/lair-beasts-search-deathworm_article_87259.html [Broken]
 
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  • #2
I wonder if they'd be good eating.
 
  • #3
With or without spice?
 
  • #4
Hmm, maybe it'd make a good lure for catching the Loch Ness Monster.
 
  • #5
At least El Blanco only kills for eating, while this worm has killed an entire herd of camels just for fun.
 
  • #6
I could never understand how an animal could travel through sand in a quick manner. Just watching the movie tremors is ridiculous enough for me. That is unless this death worm has tunnels that should have been found when the camels were found.
 
  • #7
Dr. Karl Shuker, a British-based author and investigator of mysterious animals, says that “during the 1960s a single death worm had killed an entire herd of camels when they unsuspectingly plodded across an expanse of sand concealing one of these dreaded beasts lying beneath the surface.”

Shooting from the hip: I can easily imagine one way to account for this claim when combined with the claim of electrocution: The herd was hit by lightning. This sometimes happens to herds of cows, and the effects of a nearby strike are greatest in the presense of dielectric materials, like sand - the electric potential between the legs of the animal is maximized.

I wonder if the death-worm is known to leave a trail of glass - fulgurites?

In fact it occurs to me that fulgurites can even look like giant worms.
http://www.minresco.com/fulgurites/fulimages/tx114b.jpg
But I have never seen a red one.
http://www.minresco.com/fulgurites/fulgurites.htm
 
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  • #9
Borek said:
With or without spice?

GROOOOOOAAAAAANNNNNN! :rolleyes:
Ivan Seeking said:
Another tempting anecdote: They are said to appear in conjunction with rain storms.

Oh, they mean earthworms! :biggrin:
 
  • #10
Um, er, I was thinking of lightning.
 
  • #11
Ivan Seeking said:
Um, er, I was thinking of lightning.

Or that. :rolleyes: :biggrin: That's the cool thing about mythology, at least to me (and I'd consider death-worms to fall under the category of mythology)...if you think about it long enough, you can see how natural phenomena might have gotten interpreted in such interesting ways. A streak of lightning viewed as a worm...yeah, that could make sense.
 
  • #12
Moonbear said:
Or that. :rolleyes: :biggrin: That's the cool thing about mythology, at least to me (and I'd consider death-worms to fall under the category of mythology)...if you think about it long enough, you can see how natural phenomena might have gotten interpreted in such interesting ways. A streak of lightning viewed as a worm...yeah, that could make sense.

What I find a bit interesting is that few people claim to have actually seen one. Even the anecdotes often refer to indirect evidence that might be explained in part by lightning - the ability to kill many animals with one strike, and perhaps even the wormlike structures that can be left in the sand by a lightning strike. But then there are explicit descriptions of them that would be completely inconsistent with this idea. However, it wouldn't be surprising to find that there are a couple of explanations that account for the myth.

From my point of view, what would be unusual is to have such a pervasive myth for no reason whatsoever. There should be either a strong cultural motivation, such as religion, or real phenomena that have been interpreted improperly...or there is a five foot blood-worm that spits acid and electrocutes camels. :biggrin:
 

1. What is "In Search of the Death-Worm" about?

"In Search of the Death-Worm" is a scientific exploration into the existence and characteristics of a legendary creature known as the death-worm. The author delves into various theories and evidence surrounding this creature, in an attempt to uncover the truth about its existence.

2. Is the death-worm a real creature?

There is no conclusive evidence to prove the existence of the death-worm. The author presents various accounts and sightings of the creature, but none have been scientifically verified. Therefore, the existence of the death-worm remains a mystery.

3. What is the appearance of the death-worm?

According to various reported sightings, the death-worm is described as a large, red, and snake-like creature with no eyes, legs, or visible mouth. Some accounts also mention spikes or horns on its body. However, without concrete evidence, the exact appearance of the death-worm is still unknown.

4. Where is the death-worm said to live?

The death-worm is said to inhabit the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. However, there have been alleged sightings of similar creatures in other parts of the world, such as Africa and the United States. These claims have not been substantiated by scientific evidence.

5. What is the purpose of this book?

The purpose of "In Search of the Death-Worm" is to present a scientific investigation into the existence of the death-worm and to explore the cultural significance and impact of this legendary creature. The author also aims to inspire readers to question and critically analyze extraordinary claims and legends.

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