About this episode

The episode explores the legend of the Albatwitch, a cryptid from Pennsylvania, and its connections to German folklore.

Deep in the forests overlooking Pennsylvania's Susquehanna River, hikers still whisper about a small, hairy creature that watches from the treetops, steals apples, and pelts trespassers with the cores. It's called the Albatwitch, a bizarre cryptid unlike Bigfoot or any other creature in American folklore. But is it really a monster? Or is it the last surviving echo of German folklore carried across the Atlantic by homesick immigrants more than three centuries ago? Tonight, we trace the remarkable evolution of one of Pennsylvania's strangest legends, from medieval Europe to modern eyewitness sightings at Chickies Rock.

Topics covered

• cryptids
• folklore
• Pennsylvania legends
• cultural history
• immigration
• mythology

Keywords

• Albatwitch
• cryptid
• Pennsylvania
• folklore
• German immigrants
• Susquehanna River
• Chickies Rock
• legends
• mythology

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Albatwitch

Places: Pennsylvania, Susquehanna River, Chickies Rock, Germany

More episodes of Haunted American History

• The Theater Built on a Massacre: The Fulton Theatre (Pennsylvania) · July 20, 2026 · 23 min
• The Medieval Dance of Death: The Dancing Plague of 1518 (France) · July 19, 2026 · 23 min
• The Nightmare That Inspired Freddy Krueger: The Hmong Sleep Deaths (United States) · July 18, 2026 · 25 min
• The Forest That Eats People: The Molalla River Corridor (Oregon) · July 17, 2026 · 20 min
• The Cemetery That Buried Portland's Secrets: Lone Fir Cemetery (Oregon) · July 16, 2026 · 23 min
• The Coffin Filled with Whiskey: The Aurora Colony (Oregon) · July 15, 2026 · 24 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Haunted American History podcast page.