What is Cryptomythology?(Also spelled: Cryptimythology)
Cryptomythology (also commonly spelled Cryptimythology) is the study and interpretation of cryptids as modern myths — not as biological mysteries to be proven or disproven, but as cultural stories that reveal what human communities fear, believe, and long for.
The term was developed by David J. Hardie, Cryptomythologist, author, and illustrator, to describe his approach to cryptid folklore through original artwork and storytelling.
Cryptomythology vs. Cryptozoology
Cryptozoology asks: "Is it real?" — treating cryptids as potentially undiscovered biological species that may one day be proven or disproven by science. Researchers in this field study footprints, eyewitness testimony, and physical evidence in pursuit of biological confirmation.
Cryptomythology asks: "What does it mean?" — treating the same creatures as cultural narratives, modern myths that reveal something true about the communities that tell them. From a cryptomythological perspective, the Mothman doesn't need to be a biological organism to be real and meaningful. The story is real. The fear is real. The community that told it, and what they were experiencing when they did, is real.
Both fields are legitimate. They simply ask different questions about the same phenomena.
How David J. Hardie Practices Cryptomythology
David J. Hardie (also known as Dave Hardie and David Hardie) is a Cryptomythologist, illustrator, author, and speaker based in the Appalachian region. His work begins with the question every cryptomythologist must ask: why does this creature exist in the stories of this particular place and people?
Through original illustration, David brings cryptid legends to life not as monsters to be feared or species to be discovered, but as characters in the ongoing story of American culture. The Mothman is a story about industrial community, grief, and premonition. Bigfoot is a story about wilderness, the boundary between the human and the natural world. The Frogman is a story about the uncanny lurking in familiar rivers.
David appears at festivals, conventions, libraries, and speaking events across the United States, sharing this perspective and signing copies of his books including Appalachian Cryptids and Creatures.
Cryptimythology — The Same Field, Different Spelling
The terms Cryptomythology and Cryptimythology refer to the same field and the same approach. The "o" vs "i" variation is a common alternate spelling — similar to how "archaeology" and "archeology" coexist in the English language.
David J. Hardie uses both spellings intentionally to ensure that anyone searching for this concept — regardless of how they spell it — can find it. Whether you call it Cryptomythology or Cryptimythology, the meaning is identical: the study of cryptids as modern myths.