Overview
The Owlman is said to haunt the woods around the church of St Mawnan and St Stephen in Mawnan, a village near Falmouth on the south coast of Cornwall, England. Witnesses describe a man-sized, owl-like figure with feathers, pointed ears, glowing eyes and black, pincer-like claws.
The first report came on April 17, 1976, when two young sisters, June and Vicky Melling, said they saw a large winged figure hovering over the church tower. Their father was so upset he cut the family holiday short. The case was taken up by Tony 'Doc' Shiels, who got a drawing from one of the girls and gave the creature its name.
A few months later, on July 3, 1976, two 14-year-old girls camping nearby reported a big owl with pointed ears, as big as a man. Further sightings near the church were reported in 1978, 1979, 1989 and 1995, and an owl-like call was reported at Mullion churchyard in 2000.
Skeptics suggest barn owls or an escaped eagle-owl, and some historians think the whole story may have been one of Shiels's pranks. The legend lives on in Cornish folklore, a play and a 2013 horror film.
Timeline
- Apr 17, 1976June and Vicky Melling see a winged figure over Mawnan church tower.
- July 3, 1976Sally Chapman and Barbara Perry, both 14, report an owl-like man while camping.
- 1978, 1979Further sightings reported near the church.
- 1989, 1995More sporadic reports.
- 2000A loud owl-like sound is reported at Mullion churchyard.
- 2012Play Horse Piss for Blood draws on the legend.
- 2013Horror film Lord of Tears features an Owlman figure.
Reported sightings
St Mawnan and St Stephen's Church, Mawnan, Cornwall
April 17, 1976 On the record
Sisters June and Vicky Melling, on holiday with their family, said they saw a large winged creature hovering above the church tower. They called it a big feathered bird-man. Their father was disturbed enough to end the holiday early. Tony 'Doc' Shiels reported the case and received a drawing from one of the girls, which he named the Owlman.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgWoods near Mawnan church, Cornwall
July 3, 1976 On the record
Sally Chapman and Barbara Perry, both 14, were camping nearby when they said they saw a big owl with pointed ears, as big as a man. They described glowing eyes and black, pincer-like claws. Both girls already knew the earlier story, which skeptics note.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgNear Mawnan church, Cornwall
1978 Told story
Another sighting of the Owlman was reported in the woods by the church. Details and witness names were not given in the sources reviewed.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgNear Mawnan church, Cornwall
1979 Told story
A further sighting near the church was reported. Like the 1978 account, it is listed in summaries of the case without details.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgNear Mawnan church, Cornwall
1989 Told story
The Owlman was reported again in the Mawnan woods more than a decade after the first wave.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgNear Mawnan church, Cornwall
1995 Told story
A 1995 report near the church is among the last sightings associated with Mawnan. Details were not given in the sources reviewed.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgMullion churchyard, Cornwall
2000 Told story
A loud, owl-like sound was reported at the churchyard in Mullion, farther along the Lizard peninsula. No creature was seen.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgEvidence
Witness drawing (1976) Disputed
A sketch by one of the Melling girls, passed through Doc Shiels.
Physical traces Unexplained
None reported.
What each side says
What witnesses and researchers report
Supporters note that the first witnesses were children on holiday with no reason to invent a monster, and that their father reacted strongly enough to leave. The second pair of girls gave a vivid, specific description.
Sightings have clustered tightly around one church and its woods across two decades, which some see as a sign of something real in that place.
What skeptics and scientists suggest
Joe Nickell points out that church towers are common nesting places for barn owls, which can look large and ghostly at night. Writer Lionel Fanthorpe suggested an escaped Eurasian eagle-owl, a very big bird.
Occult historian Gareth Medway argues the whole story may have been a hoax by Doc Shiels, who had a reputation for pranks. He notes that witnesses were either linked to Shiels or spoke only through him, and others could not be checked. The July 1976 witnesses already knew the first story.
Open questions
- Did the Melling family ever speak to anyone other than Shiels?
- Was an eagle-owl loose in Cornwall in 1976?
Visiting
Where: Mawnan Smith area, near Falmouth, Cornwall, England. Ask locally for the footpath to the church.
Access: The churchyard is reached by public footpaths; please respect it as an active place of worship.
Events: None.
Did you know?
- The Owlman inspired the 2012 play Horse Piss for Blood and the 2013 horror film Lord of Tears.
- Some skeptics suspect an escaped Eurasian eagle-owl, a very large owl, could explain the sightings.