The Pope Lick Monster

Beneath a rusting railroad trestle in Louisville, Kentucky, legend says a creature waits. Part man, part goat, part sheep - the Pope Lick Monster is said to lure the curious onto the tracks where they meet their deaths. It’s a legend that has caused very real tragedy: multiple people have died on the trestle while searching for the creature that may not exist.

The Legend

The Creature

According to Louisville folklore, the Pope Lick Monster is:

• A human-goat hybrid
• Standing on two legs like a man
• Covered in coarse, matted fur
• Possessing a goat’s face with twisted horns
• Sometimes described as having a sheep-like appearance
• Approximately 6-7 feet tall

Origins

The creature’s origin varies by telling:

The Circus Freak A circus train derailed on the trestle, and a deformed human-goat hybrid escaped. Driven mad by abuse, it haunts the area seeking revenge.

The Farmer’s Son A farmer made a deal with Satan, sacrificing his goats in exchange for power. His son was born as the monster and was chained beneath the trestle.

The Reincarnated Farmer A farmer who abused his goats was reincarnated as the creature, forced to exist between human and animal.

Hunting Methods

The monster allegedly lures victims to their deaths through:

• Hypnosis: Victims are drawn onto the tracks in a trance
• Mimicry: It imitates voices of loved ones, calling victims onto the trestle
• A blood-curdling scream: Some claim to hear it before seeing the creature
• Simply appearing: Its terrifying form causes victims to fall or freeze on the tracks

The Trestle

Pope Lick Railroad Trestle

The actual location is a Norfolk Southern Railway trestle:

• Built in the 1920s
• Approximately 772 feet long
• 90 feet above Pope Lick Creek
• Still actively used by freight trains
• Posted with “No Trespassing” warnings
• Surrounded by fencing (often breached)

The Danger

The trestle is genuinely deadly:

• Trains cross regularly without warning
• There is no escape route - no walkways beside the tracks
• A train takes the full length of the trestle to stop
• The height makes jumping lethal
• Many have died or been injured

Real Deaths

The Legend’s Toll

The Pope Lick Monster legend has contributed to real fatalities:

1987: A young man was struck by a train while on the trestle.

2016: Roquel Bain (26) was struck and killed while on the trestle with her boyfriend, who survived by hanging off the side.

2019: A 15-year-old girl was struck and killed while crossing.

Multiple injuries: Others have survived falls or near-misses while seeking the creature.

The Tragic Pattern

Victims often:

• Are aware of the legend and searching for the monster
• Underestimate how quickly trains arrive
• Have no escape once they’re on the trestle
• Die not from the monster but from very real trains

Investigation

Sightings

Alleged sightings include:

• Shadowy figures moving beneath the trestle
• A creature watching from the woods
• Red eyes glowing in the darkness
• Strange sounds (screams, goat bleating)

Evidence

No physical evidence has been found:

• No photographs of the creature exist
• No hair, tracks, or DNA samples
• All encounters are testimonial
• The legend persists despite lack of proof

The Deeper Legend

Why Does It Persist?

The Pope Lick Monster endures because:

• The location is genuinely eerie
• The danger is real (adding adrenaline)
• The urban legend format is compelling
• Young people seek thrills and validation
• The deaths themselves reinforce the narrative

Psychological Factors

The legend may work on:

• The liminal space of the trestle (between earth and sky)
• Transgression (the “no trespassing” element)
• Coming-of-age rituals (proving courage)
• The genuine fear of being trapped on the tracks

Cultural Impact

Film

The Legend of the Pope Lick Monster (1988) dramatized the story.

Media Coverage

Each death brings renewed attention:

• Local news coverage
• Documentary interest
• True crime podcasts
• Paranormal investigation shows

Community Response

Louisville has attempted to:

• Increase security fencing
• Post more warning signs
• Publicize the danger
• Separate the legend from the real hazard

Related Goatman Legends

Pope Lick is one of several American Goatman legends:

• Maryland Goatman: Prince George’s County, connected to a USDA experiment
• Lake Worth Monster: Texas, a white-furred goat-man seen in 1969
• Goatman of Appalachia: Various Appalachian sightings

The goat-human hybrid is a persistent American folklore motif.

What Is the Pope Lick Monster?

If Real

• A genuine cryptid hiding in the woods
• A survivor of some unknown circumstance
• Something that defies classification

If Legend Only

• A story that explains accidental deaths
• A coming-of-age test for local youth
• A warning given the form of a monster
• A way to process fear of the dangerous trestle

The Reality

The Pope Lick Monster probably doesn’t exist. But the danger it represents is very real:

• The trestle is deadly
• Trains cannot stop in time
• There is no escape once you’re on the tracks
• The legend draws people to their deaths

Legacy

The Pope Lick Monster represents:

• Urban legend in its purest form
• The danger of seeking forbidden experiences
• How legends can cause real harm
• The line between thrill-seeking and tragedy

A creature that may not exist has caused deaths that definitely happened. Young people climb the fences, walk onto the tracks, and discover too late that the real monster was never a goatman.

It was a train that couldn’t stop.

The Pope Lick Monster legend persists. The warnings go unheeded. And beneath the old trestle, something waits - if only in story, if only in the imagination of those who climb toward their own destruction.

Some monsters kill with claws. This one kills with curiosity.