| Long before Europeans or their descendants discovered "The Land of Trembling Earth", the indigenous tribal peoples who lived in and around the Okefenokee held a fear and reverence for certain supernatural aspects of this swamp. The earliest pioneer settlers to live around the swamp, all had stories of unexplained phenomenon and occurrences related to the Okefenokee. UFO sightings have been attributed to eerie and unearthly lights generated by so called "Swamp Gas". Add to this the fact that a swamp is a modern equivalent of the prehistoric Dinosaur’s habitat. Then guess what the dominant creature lounging at the top of the swamp food chain is (other than man)? The Alligator of course, a direct throwback to reptiles of the Mesozoic Era (The Age of Dinosaurs). Regardless of Okefenokee’s actual age, which is considered very young geologically, this mosaic of wetlands is a window back to something that existed hundreds of millions of years ago.
The allure and lore of Okefenokee, has inspired moviemakers, novelists’, artists’, and storytellers alike. A favorite monster, The Creature of the Black Lagoon was reportedly inspired by visits to the Okefenokee. In the past, swamps have been portrayed as gloomy, dismal, foreboding and mysterious places to fear and avoid. Now days a lot of us have evolved beyond misconceptions, to possess an enlightened understanding of what a swamp is and does. Certain mysterious attributes may be appreciated as sublimely unique, unusual and highly enchanting. Historically, man journeyed to the desert, the mountains or the sea, for inspiration to seek answers. Mankind just may have overlooked this primordial nexus, the nursery of life on our planet. Numerous extraordinary events have occurred and continually seem to pop up in and around the Okefenokee. We hope you will find these cases interesting, thought provoking and worth the visit. |
