The Pope Lick monster is a creature of urban legend that lives beneath the Norfolk Southern Railway trestle that spans over Floyd’s Creek in the Fisherville area of Louisville, Kentucky.
It is described as a human-goat hybrid (faun or satyr) with powerful fur-covered goat legs and a deformed human body. Its face has wide–set eyes and a curved nose with short, sharp horns protruding from its forehead. Long greasy hair that matches the color of its fur surrounds the face.
Many stories of this monster are told. One says the creature uses hypnosis to lure its victims onto the trestle to be hit by an oncoming train. Another legend says the Pope Lick monster will leap from the trestle onto the roofs of cars passing by. Another one claims it will attack its victims with a blood-stained axe. It is also said that just the sight of the creature will cause anyone walking along the trestle to jump to their death.
It has also been said the creature was a circus freak that vowed revenge after being mistreated in the circus — a few legends of this version have been told. One says the creature escaped after the train in which it was riding derailed on the trestle. The other says it was a reincarnated form of a farmer that sacrificed goats to receive satanic powers.
Since the legend has started, and the trestle’s construction, there have been many deaths and accidents.
The Pope Lick Monster was featured in a short film in 1988 called The Legend of the Pope Lick Monster. It was a 16 minute film made by Ron Schildknecht that was shown at the uptown theater on December 29, 1988. The film caused uneasiness with Norfolk Southern Railway, claiming it would encourage teens to visit the trestle and put their lives in danger from oncoming trains. They issued a statement at the showing informing the viewers of the danger and that anyone caught on the trestle could face prosecution for trespassing.
Image Caption: Statue/sculpture of a faun or satyr (human-goat hybrid mythological figure). Credit: Thinkstock.com
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