DISCLAIMER: Although I do not subscribe to this belief, I believe it is noteworthy as Bigfoot Lore.There is several pieces of Mormon literature claiming that Bigfoot is a modern incarnation of Cain, the brother and murderer of Abel, from the Bible story of Genesis.
Here's a Cain/Abel refresher in case you haven't been attending Sunday school.
The first children of Adam and Eve, born after the Fall of Man. Once, when they were grown men, both Cain and Abel offered sacrifices to God. When Cain saw that Abel's pleased God whereas his did not, Cain murdered his brother out of jealousy. For his crime, Cain was exiled by God to a life of wandering in a distant land.
Most recently the BF/Cain connection was a research paper written by Matt Bowman and published in Journal of Mormon History. The paper is based on several sources including David Patten’s story of encountering Cain, a letter published in Lycurgus Wilson’s biography of Patten, Spencer Kimball's Miracle of Forgiveness, a poem referencing the event by Eliza R. Snow, and meeting records of Quorum of the 12. The biggest contribution to the lore Mr. Bowman provides is evidence the story was widely circulated in the 19th century.
The paper goes on and cites Church Archives I finding similar stories; such as a page marked “from the papers of E. Wesley Smith,” mission president in Hawaii in the 1920s and brother of Joseph Fielding Smith, describing Wesley’s meeting with Cain, and explaining that his brother told him of David Patten’s encounter.
Here is a direct quote from Lycurgus Wilson’s biography of Patten:
"As I was riding along the road on my mule I suddenly noticed a very strange personage walking beside me.... His head was about even with my shoulders as I sat in my saddle. He wore no clothing, but was covered with hair. His skin was very dark.
I asked him where he dwelt and he replied that he had no home, that he was a wanderer in the earth and traveled to and fro. He said he was a very miserable creature, that he had earnestly sought death during his sojourn upon the earth, but that he could not die, and his mission was to destroy the souls of men.
About the time he expressed himself thus, I rebuked him in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by virtue of the Holy Priesthood, and commanded him to go hence, and he immediately departed out of my sight...."(Lycurgus A. Wilson, Life of David W. Patten [Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1900], p. 50., as quoted by Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness [Salt Lake City, Bookcraft, Inc.]18th printing 1991 p.p. 127-128.)
Another recent publishing of this connection is a fictional book that uses the Folklore as a jumping point. The book is title Clan of Cain by Shane Lester. It uses the same David W. Patten experience and then continues as a fictional adventure. Here is his book as described by him
Clan of Cain: The Genesis of Bigfoot is a newly published book that offers a different dimension to the Bigfoot mystery. A recently uncovered document reveals a possible connection between the origins of the Mormon Church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) and Bigfoot. Searching through the archives of historical church documents the author; Shane Lester uncovered an extraordinary story that becomes the foundation of a new theory about the origins of Bigfoot.
There are a few more sensational press Bigfoot has recieved lately, which I will be posting in the next few days. Then I will get back to more serious stuff. Stay tuned for Bigfoot Endorses Clinton, and NASA:BIGFOOT IS A MARTIAN!
Wow, BF Researcher Epic Gilgamesh, you sure have set the blogging bar high for this club. My interest has been peaked. There sure are all sorts of theories out there and I can't wait to explore them. Thanks for the post, keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I’ve heard this before. It’s definitely made its way into Latter-day Saint folklore, although it’s certainly far from well-known, let alone doctrine. ;-)
ReplyDeletebtw - nowhere in the Bible does it state that Cain and Abel were Adam and Eve’s first children, and several scriptural and pseudopygriphal documents specifically state that they weren’t. Just FYI….
it also states, in the bible, that god "put a mark on cain, so that whoever sees it will slay him, cain is not bigfoot
ReplyDeleteActually, the Bible states in Genesis 4:15 "And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him." The mark was put on him so that he would NOT be slain. Any that did so, as the Bible puts it, "vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold." According to Genesis, Cain's punishment for murdering his brother Abel was that he was "cursed from the earth" and that "when thou tillest the ground , it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth." So are Cain and his descendents Bigfoot, well, only God knows. It is as good as any other theory out there at present. Only a fool would be too quick to judge one way or another.
ReplyDeleteAs a member of the Church, I have heard this story since I was a kid. Interestingly enough, when I learned Dr Medlrum was LDS the first thing I wondered was what he thought about the story. From his comment, it doesn't sound like he puts too much weight in the thought that Cain is Sasquatch. Most Mormons have never read the actual account, even saying it was Bringham Young who ran into him (Cain). Trust me, the Mormons have just as many crazy stories based on heresay as the Catholics! And the Catholics down here on the border make this story as plausible as saying the sun rose today!
ReplyDeleteMaybe the guy did see Cain. I've heard wilder stories by elected officials. Do I buy into it? I take the old guy by his word, but in no way do I think it was a Sasquatch, or some mystical Indian shift changing wolf sprit. Just, (as you would imagine a guy who's been around since day one and killed his brother from sacrifice envy), a grumpy hairy stinky guy who can't die. Come on! Haven't you seen The Highlander or Hanckock? $hit would get old after awhile! Oh, and just because I'm LDS doesnt mean that I want more wives, wish smoking stinky weed was against the rules, or finds Utah a comfortable state to visit.
I really believe that there is a simple bi-ped who is smarter than a gorrilla, and almost as smart as my ex-wife. Not some invisible magic monkey man who likes to smell your undies in your backpack after a long hike as you snore away, but a real to life, no $hit, tall and smart-ish primate who takes care of their dead. Think about it for a second. All this thing has to do is have a genetic urge to discard their dead, and you would never find one. And we haven't found one...
In the end, just take this story for what it is. An old overly religious guy hopped up on talks of Jesus and which wife he was going to shag that night, and making sense of things that make no sense.
ON THE TRAIL ----in OKLA :We have followed It AL Over,, by,,reports Legends Stories,, by Upstanding Pillars of their Communities.I Have, HEARD This same story told By All Around the FIRE at nite. I Don't go with The One Denomination ,, This Belong's to all Firstnation,, Ameraindians,,--Native FIRST American's The Honest Truth
ReplyDeleteKelly--
ReplyDeleteDavid Patten was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve and one of this first martyrs for the gospel of Jesus Christ in this dispensation. Although your writing is witty, I don't know if I would talk about him in that context and tone. I have been reading about him recently more than I have before, and it just made me uncomfortable is all. Thanks! Those interested in learning more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the actual doctrines of the church should visit www.mormon.org. At first glance, they might not seem near as fun as Bigfoot folklore :), but they will bring lasting satisfaction and answer great questions of the soul.
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=1829822915130
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