Legends of the Shadow Man span centuries, appearing in folklore, personal encounters, and even modern internet myths. GAYLE FIDLER explores her own encounters with a Shadow Man and her thoughts on the phenomenon
British and Irish folklore has many tales of encounters with dark, shadow men. This is a being that takes many forms. He is known by many names. The Shadow Man, The Dark Man, The Hat Man. His description varies. Sometimes he is described as blacker than black. A solid mass, devoid of all light.
He can be very tall or average in height. He may even be riding a horse or wearing motorbike leathers (Modern Fairy Sightings Podcast, 2024). Or, have no discernible features at all. He appears both in the physical world and in dreams. Day and night.
The Man in Black is a global phenomenon. Psychologist Carl Jung would describe him as an archetype, gathered in the collective unconscious.
Is this the dweller on the threshold? Our own shadow self, that we need to meet and overcome to continue our path of spiritual development and growth?
Or is he an independent entity? A force of nature? A forgotten God? Something that with current human understanding is difficult to put into words.
It would be impossible for me to capture here everything that I have learnt about him over the years. Yet, I know nothing. None of us do.
We can only describe our own experiences and recall folklore tales throughout history. One thing I can share is, that whatever he is, his influence is significant.
I had my own encounter with The Dark Man (as I prefer to call him) when I was very young. He was standing on the landing in my family home. Like so many of my paranormal peers, childhood knowledge of the supernatural was founded in books by Usborne and Hamlyn publishing. For many years, I believed I had seen a ghost. Something I identified as the spirit of a dead human, that for some reason still lurked in the corners of my house.
Today, with wider reading, research and practical experience. I no longer believe I saw a ghost. He was something else. What, I cannot fully explain. But whatever it was he set me on a path of adventure that I still travel to this day.
The Dark Man can be initiatory if you listen to him. He guides you along a murky and winding path. Where it leads only you can find out. But be cautious on your travels, what we may encounter is not always necessarily what we want.
Folklore paints him in many descriptions. Accounts tell of sightings around ancient sites. He may act as a guardian, a protector.
In 2003 cryptozoologist Jon Downes, along with his team from The Centre for Fortean Zoology investigated sightings of a large being at Bolam Lake in Northumberland. They saw what they described as an “enormous man shaped object.” (Redfern, 2012). Bolam Lake is situated very near a late bronze age burial cairn. Could there be any connection?
In their book, The Secret Country (1976), folklorists Janet and Colin Bord describe several encounters with guardian spirits at ancient sites. They have even catalogued cases of misfortune and death for those who have been stupid enough to damage or interfere with the area. Could The Dark Man be keeping watch and punish those who misbehave?
Another curious folklore fact is that The Dark Man has the ability to shapeshift. He does not always appear in human form. He may be seen as a bird, a deer, and a dog amongst other guises.
Folklorist Andrew Lang (Kirk, 1933) noted that fairy beings can shapeshift into animals such as a black dog. Black dogs are often depicted in folklore as omens of death, but that is not always the case.
In his book “Mystery Animals of Britain and Ireland,” writer Graham J McEwan has collected several accounts where black dogs have acted as protectors and helpers. Guiding people to safety as they walk lonely paths at night. Often along old corpse routes or ancient trackways. Is there a connection between The Dark Man and the Fairy Folk?
In Welsh mythology, Gwyn ap Nudd is ruler of the Welsh otherworld. King of the Tylwyth Teg or Fair Folk. He is also the leader of the Wild Hunt. A psychopomp with a blackened face, who leads a pack of hounds to gather human souls. He is said to dwell at Glastonbury Tor. A liminal, magical and ancient place.
But what of a more modern approach to The Dark Man?
A quick look through internet archives since 2009 introduce us to a new player in the Dark Man mythos.
Slender Man was created as an internet meme. A thin, unnaturally tall humanoid. But he did not stay restricted to the web. Slender Man sightings have been reported worldwide. A shadow-like entity that stalks and kidnaps people. Life imitating art is not as unheard of as it may seem.
Comic book writers and magicians Alan Moore and Grant Morrison have both reported unusual activity, playing out in real life from their work.
Moore claims to have seen his fictional character, John Constantine on two occasions in real life. Including in a sandwich shop in London. Morrison describes their work, The Invisibles as a hypersigil. A powerful, magical method for reshaping reality.
It would appear our Dark Lord is not satisfied solely with comic books and internet memes. He has had his hand in the creation of music for quite some time. From The Beatles to Black Sabbath. His influence on the music industry has been documented by many an esteemed researcher.
Some people who have had Dark Man sightings have claimed that it was accompanied by an intense fear. An unexplainable, dark feeling of complete panic. Here we have another contender.
The Great God Pan from ancient Greek mythology. He is a nature God and his popularity in the UK arose from the 18th century romantic movement. He was a popular figure amongst poets and artists. The word panic derives from his name. He was said to shout when awoken abruptly from his afternoon slumber, causing great noise and confusion.
I started this article with reference to my own Dark Man experience from my childhood. A few weeks ago, I made a trip up Glastonbury Tor to pay my own visit to Gwyn ap Nudd. On the way back down, I noticed a Robin intently watching us, so I stopped to take his photograph. My husband commented that the Robin was in the same spot when we set off up the Tor. I had completely forgotten about this until, I started looking at information for this article.
When I went onto a website to look at sightings, the first thing that popped up was a story from Almondbury in Yorkshire. A figure of a man on horseback, who also takes the form of a Robin (Paranormal Database). Was The Dark Man watching me in shapeshifting form on my way to pay homage? I will never know.
The Shadow Man stalks us. The Dark Man patiently watches. They are one and the same. Whispering to us from the underworld. Waiting for his moment to appear.
Have you ever encountered the Shadow Man? Share your story in the comments!