An illustration of an axehandle hound

In American folklore, the axehandle hound (axhandle hound, ax-handle hound, or similar) is a fearsome critter of Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Description

The animal resembles a dog with a body axe-like in shape. It has a head shaped like an axe blade, hence the name, complemented by a handle-shaped body atop short stubby legs. It subsists on a diet consisting entirely of the handles of axes which have been left unattended.[1] A nocturnal creature,[2] the axehandle hound travels from camp to camp searching for its next meal.[3] According to folklore, the axehandle hound strongly dislikes axe handles made from red oak.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ Borges, Jorge Luis (2005). Book of Imaginary Beings. New York: Viking Press. p. 83. ISBN 0-670-89180-0.
  2. ^ a b Tryon, Henry Harrington (1939). Fearsome Critters. Cornwall, NY: Idlewild Press. p. 5.
  3. ^ "Paul Bunyan natural history: describing the wild animals, birds, reptiles and fish of the big woods about Paul Bunyan's old time logging camps | Turning Points in Wisconsin History | Wisconsin Historical Society". www.wisconsinhistory.org.