Abbey Sweeney 3/12/12 Period 2

Widely known as The Slender Man. Also known as The Tall Man, Der Grosse Mann in Germany (originated from here), Fear Dubh in Scotland, and Takkenmann in Belgium. Originated from German mythology. An immortal being that has been around for centuries, from as long ago as 9000 B.C. to time today. Der Grosse Mann (The Tall Man) is thought to be the basis of the more widely known Slender Man that was actually recently created. The Slender Man was based off of the legend of The Tall Man to make the myth more widely known. Both are very closely related.

The Tall Man has been around for ages. The earliest known records are cave paintings of a long, spindly figure leading a smaller figure, most likely a child, by the hand. These paintings were found in Serr da Capivara National Park in Brazil. They are thought to date back to as far as 9000 B.C. Hieroglyphic carvings have been found depicting a tall, elongated figure with multiple extra appendages dating back to the time of the ancient Egyptians. The most popular depictions of The Tall Man came from old German woodcuts made by Hans Freckenburg. These were discovered in Halstburg Castle in Freckenburg was widely known for realistic human anatomy in his art, but the figure in these woodcuts was portrayed with multiple appendages and looked very skeletal. Many believe that Freckenburg was trying to represent The Tall Man, or Der Grosse Mann as he was called in Germany.

In Germany, The Tall Man was a monster that lived in the Black Forest. Children who crept into the woods to escape punishment from their parents would be chased by him until they confessed their wrongdoings. If they did not confess, he would catch them and take them away. Today, The Tall Man appears all over the world. He is depicted as a tall, sickly thin, skeletal figure dressed in a black suit. He is often seen with multiple appendages, like tentacles, that he may use as weapons. He has a blank face, no features whatsoever. He does not speak. He is never seen with any other beings, and works alone. He preys on mainly children. Stories heard long ago would tell that children were taken away by The Tall Man. It is still unknown what exactly he does with them. He may kill them, eat them, or just take them away to an undisclosed location or dimension.

There are no stories that tell that the Tall Man has died or has been captured. He has existed since before our time, and is believed to be immortal. No accounts of defeating the Tall Man have been found yet. It is unknown to what his weaknesses are. He seems to be much stronger and more powerful than any normal human.

A journal discovered tells a story of a being that bears uncanny resemblance to The Tall Man. This journal is believed to date back to the 1700s. The journal entry tells of a small child that was afraid and was telling his father of something called ‘Der Grosse Mann.’ The child’s father did not believe him, and the child was killed. A Romanian tale also tells of a being called ‘The Tall Man.’ In this story, ‘The Tall Man’ forces a woman to kill her own husband and children.

One of the most famous stories concerning the Tall Man is the Henderson Horse Farm incident of A man by the name of Ted Henderson killed his wife Judi after she had been taken from her home along with her daughter. Ted shot his wife because she claimed that by doing so ‘she would be saved.’ The Tall Man still took Ted’s daughter away and she was never found. Ted was charged with the murder of his wife and was admitted to Jenkins Mental Hospital. On the third anniversary of the murder, Ted was found dead in his room, having chewed through his restraints and his own wrists. He bled to death. The body of Ted and Judi’s daughter was never found.

The Tall Man has since spiked in popularity in modern times. Many web series’ have been made that revolve around a figure called ‘The Slender Man.’ Characteristics of the Tall Man were taken and used to create the Slender Man, and the two creatures are extremely closely related. One of the most popular series’ is ‘Marble Hornets.’ Another is ‘everymanHYBRID.’ There is another called ‘TribeTwelve.’ All revolve around college aged students who are being harassed by ‘The Slender Man.’ Each has a different plot but all tell of the basics of ‘The Tall Man,’ or ‘The Slender Man.’

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Surge, Victor. The Tall Man. Digital image. Wikia, 10 June Web. 21 Mar Freckenberg, Hans. Der Ritter. Digital image. Web. 21 Mar The Tall Man (Brazilian Cave Paintings). Digital image. Web. 21 Mar