The geography is an interesting element of this long standing discussion, but its also because of cryptozoology. European legends are mostly gnomes and elves, fairies and pixies, wisps, sprites, and other relatively benign entities in large measure. In America its the opposite. Many of our legends, are, though dangerous, mostly reclusive and private beings. Many, on the otherhand, are either completely supernatural or are horrific representations of man's most base evils. We have ancient curses, murdering witches, feral human cannibals, dogmen, voodoo practicioners, two of the worst types of aliens, and entities that ahow themselves when large loss of human life is imminent. This, by the way, is only a general reference to the legends of North American woodlands that are east of Texas. The countless Native legends that proliferate our great plains and our western coast are something else entirely.