Indrid Cold

Indrid Cold (also known as the Grinning Man or Smiling Man) is a mysterious legendary being believed to be connected to the Mothman, first encountered by Woodrow Derenberger, as reported in John Keel's non-fiction book The Mothman Prophecies . ^[1] He is described as being a humanoid entity, claiming extraterrestrial origin, with an inhumanly large smile on his face. ^{[2] [3]}

History

On Wednesday, November 2, 1966, shortly after 7:00 PM, a man named Woodrow Derenberger was driving home on Interstate 77 near Parkersburg, West Virginia. Derenberger claimed to have seen an unidentified flying object resembling a "kerosene lamp chimney", which blocked the road ahead of him and forced him to stop. ^[1] According to Derenberger, a man—whom he described as being six feet tall, having an olive complexion with dark brown hair, and wearing a glossy dark blue coat—emerged from the craft and walked up to Derenberger's vehicle and told him to roll down his window. He revealed his name to be Indrid Cold and told Derenberger that he meant no harm. The two continued to talk for about 10 minutes, before Cold returned to the craft and left. ^[3]

After reporting what he had seen to the police, Derenberger's story gained significant media attention—possibly due to the ongoing sightings of Mothman in Point Pleasant. The following afternoon at 4 PM, WTAP-TV aired a 30-minute interview with Derenberger. Following the interview, other people claimed to have encountered Indrid Cold, and local newspapers ran stories about the mysterious figure for the next three weeks. ^{[3] [4]}

A character based on Indrid Cold appeared in the 2002 movie The Mothman Prophecies . ^{[5] [6] [7]}

See also

• Men in black

References

1. Dunning, Brian (June 18, 2013). "Who Is the Grinning Man?". Skeptoid Podcast #367. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
2. Keel, John (1975). The Mothman Prophecies (1st ed.). New York: Saturday Review Press. ISBN   978-0-8415-0355-7.
3. Carey, Liz (December 3, 2021). "Local Lore: Woodrow Derenberger and the Legend of Indrid Cold". The Daily Yonder. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
4. "Parkersburg Salesman Speaks With Spaceman". newspapers.com. Beckley, West Virginia: The Raleigh Register. November 4, 1966.
5. "For Gere, horror movie has metaphysical side". newspapers.com. Raleigh, North Carolina: The News and Observer. January 24, 2002. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
6. Strauss, Bob (January 25, 2002). "'The Mothman Prophecies: Film has metaphysical attraction for star". Victoria, Texas: The Victoria Advocate/New York Times News Service. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
7. Carey, Liz (December 3, 2021). "Local Lore: Woodrow Derenberger and the Legend of Indrid Cold". dailyyonder.com. The Daily Yonder - Center for Rural Strategies. Retrieved March 2, 2025.