Dwayyo – The Maryland Wolf Man
For generations, whispers have echoed through the dense woodlands of Maryland, speaking of a creature both familiar and terrifyingly alien. This is the legend of the Dwayyo, also known as Dewayo, a cryptid said to haunt the forests, a being that blurs the lines between wolf and man. Its descriptions paint a picture of a creature steeped in primal fear, a reminder of the untamed wilderness that persists even in the modern world.
The Dwayyo is most commonly described as a wolf-like being, its body covered in thick, dark fur. Witnesses recount a long, bushy tail reminiscent of a canine, and a pronounced, dog-like nose. Yet, what sets the Dwayyo apart from any ordinary wolf is its bipedal stance. It is said to stand upright, like a human, utilizing its forelegs as arms, adding an unsettling intelligence to its already formidable appearance. Height estimations vary, but most agree that the Dwayyo stands approximately six feet tall, a towering figure that commands attention and inspires dread.
Adding to the intrigue surrounding the Dwayyo is its purported rivalry with another Maryland cryptid, the Snallygaster. The Snallygaster, a fearsome flying reptile known for its blood-sucking habits, is said to be the Dwayyo‘s mortal enemy. Local lore suggests that their violent clashes date back to the early settlement of the Middletown Valley, painting a picture of a constant struggle between two apex predators within the region’s ecosystem of myth.
The documented history of the Dwayyo sightings begins in 1944, in West Middleton, Frederick County, Maryland. Witnesses reported hearing chilling, "frightful screams" emanating from the woods. While the sounds alone were enough to spark fear, the discovery of unusual footprints further solidified the claims of a strange creature lurking nearby. However, it wasn’t until two decades later that the Dwayyo truly captured the public’s imagination.
A newspaper account published in the Frederick News Post on November 27, 1965, brought the legend of the Dwayyo to the forefront. The article detailed a harrowing encounter experienced by a man identified only as John Becker, near Gambrill State Park. According to the report, Becker was investigating a strange noise in his yard when he was confronted by a large, dark figure. He described it as being "as big as a bear," covered in "long black hair," and possessing a "bushy tail." The creature reportedly growled like a wolf or dog and attacked Becker, standing on its hind legs. Becker fought off the creature, which then retreated into the woods, leaving him and his family in a state of terror. The report, filed anonymously with local state police, marked the first official mention of the creature being referred to as a Dwayyo.
Following the publication of Becker’s account, a wave of reports flooded local newspapers. People from surrounding areas began to share their own experiences and sightings, creating a frenzy of speculation and fear. The story spread like wildfire, captivating the community with the possibility of a wolf-like creature roaming the Maryland wilderness. However, as quickly as the frenzy began, it subsided. By mid-December, the Dwayyo story began to fade from the headlines, relegated to the realm of local folklore.
The Dwayyo resurfaced in the summer of 1966, again near Gambrill State Park. A man identified only as "Jim A." reported encountering the creature while heading toward a campsite. His description differed somewhat from the initial reports. He described the Dwayyo as a shaggy, two-legged animal, about the size of a deer, with a triangle-shaped head, pointed ears, and a pointed chin. It was dark brown in color, and according to Jim, it emitted a "horrid scream" before backing away from him. He further described its unusual gait, noting that its legs seemed to "stick out from the side of the trunk of the body," giving its movements an almost "spider-like" quality as it retreated.
Another significant sighting occurred in the fall of 1976, in Frederick County near Thurmont. Two men driving off Route 77 onto a private road witnessed a large creature run across the road in front of their car. Their description was particularly detailed: The creature was estimated to be "at least 6 ft tall" and inclined forward due to its speed. Its head was described as "fairly large and similar to the profile of a wolf." The body was covered in brown or brindle-colored fur, with a striped pattern of darker and lighter banding on the lower half. The forelegs were described as "slimmer and held out in front as it moved," while the back legs were "very muscled and thick, similar to perhaps a kangaroo." The witnesses emphasized that this was not a hominid-type creature or an ape but was "much more similar to a wolf or ferocious dog," despite its upright posture. They were particularly struck by the size and strength of the back legs, the stripes on the lower half of the body, and the canine-wolf-like head.
Adding to the body of anecdotal evidence, in 1978, two park rangers near the Cunningham Falls area reportedly encountered "a large hairy creature running on two legs." While this account is brief, it further contributes to the pattern of sightings suggesting the presence of an unusual, bipedal creature in the Maryland woods.
The legend of the Dwayyo finds a potential historical echo in the folklore surrounding the Hexenwolf. More than two centuries ago, in the late 18th century, Pennsylvania Dutch settlers began migrating to Carroll, Frederick, and Washington Counties of Maryland. These settlers brought with them tales of the Hexenwolf, a wolf-like creature that was deeply ingrained in their German folklore. The Hexenwolf, much like the Dwayyo, was described as a mammalian biped with wolf-like features but with the stance and stature of a human. The similarities between the Hexenwolf and the Dwayyo suggest a possible connection, perhaps with the settlers’ stories influencing or merging with existing local legends.
The Dwayyo remains an enigma, a captivating blend of folklore, eyewitness accounts, and unexplained phenomena. Whether it is a misidentified animal, a surviving relic of a long-extinct species, or simply a product of local imagination, the legend of the Dwayyo continues to persist, reminding us that the wild places still hold secrets and that the line between reality and myth can be blurred in the shadows of the forest.