Axehandle Hound: Fearsome Critter

Another absurd creature from the American mythos of fearsome critters, the axehandle hound embodies the old cliche of “you are what you eat”. The axehandle hound’s face bears resemblance to a dachshund, with a long slender body. His face however bears more resemblance to the blade of an axe. This gives his body the appearance of an axe handle, which is what legend says the hound subsists on.

A wild, nocturnal canine, the axehandle hound existed as explanation of the bane of missing handles of lumberjack’s tools of trade. As red oak wood handles were seen as inferior to many lumberjacks of the time, it was said that axehandle hounds would not eat this type of axehandle.

One of the more popular fearsome critters, Jorge Luis Borges mentioned the mythical axehandle hounds in his book Book of Imaginary Beings.

image via lumerwoods.com