All language subtitles for Into the Unknown - 1x01_track1_eng

Cliff: Deep in the heart
of louisiana swamps,

legend has it there's a beast
that lurks in the shadows.

Some say it's half man,
half wolf.

It's huge,
at least 8 foot tall.

Others claim
it's a shape-shifting monster.

It can easily
outrun a man.

There are dark secrets
hiding here.

Locals believe it can take
your life or steal your soul.

[ whispering ]
something's definitely
come through here.

Oh, what the hell is this?

Oh, this is a pelvic bone.

♪

[ normal voice ]
I'm cliff simon.

I had my first paranormal
encounter when I was young,

and I've been fascinated with
otherworldly beings ever since.

As a military man,
adventurer, and survivalist,

I've explored the far reaches
of the physical world.

Now I'm using those skills
to investigate the unknown

in places so remote
few have dared to venture.

♪

♪

I'm in southern louisiana
to investigate reports

of an elusive monster
said to roam these vast swamps.

Look at this place.

There's just
a strange stillness to it.

♪

almost too still.

♪

the atchafalaya basin
is the largest swampland

in the united states,

covering an area 20 miles wide
and 150 miles long.

♪

♪

it's like something's
watching me.

[ insects and birds chirping ]

♪

according to cajun legend,
the beast that lurks here

was born under a full moon
in europe

in the heyday of the werewolf

and found its way
to north america

in the 17th century.

"loup" is french for "wolf,"

and "garou" means
"shapeshifter,"

which somehow evolved
into "rougarou."

described as a blood-thirsty
creature with a human body

and head of a wolf,

it's said to prowl
the swamps of louisiana.

♪

the moment I heard
about this half man, half beast,

with its fearsome reputation,

I knew I had to make
the pilgrimage to atchafalaya.

♪

♪

I'm determined to find out
if this beast

is merely a mythical creature
or something terrifyingly real.

♪

to start my quest,
I'm meeting with a local woman

who's heard about this creature
all her life.

Hey, dana!

Dana holyfield's family
has lived on the outskirts

of the atchafalaya
since before the civil war.

Great to meet you.
Nice to meet you.

Thank you for meeting with me.
It's a real honor.

Cliff: For as long as
they have lived here,

dana's relatives have
tangled with black bears,

wild boar, and alligators
in the swamp.

But there's one beast
that's kept them

on their toes for generations.

Cliff: I really appreciate
your time,

and I know you've got
a great story for me.

In 1963, my grandfather harlan
was on a hunting trip,

and they came across this thing
that was down on all fours.

And at first they thought
it was, like, a wild hog.

And it heard their voices,
and it turned around,

stood up, and faced them
on two legs.

My grandfather was 6'4",

and this thing was
taller than he was.

The eyes were these big,
amber-color eyes that was very,

he said, "sinister-looking."

that must have been
terrifying.

He didn't want to shoot it
'cause it looked too human,

but he said it was scary enough
he would have shot it

if it had come towards him,
but it took off running.

Wow.

Cliff: The sighting took place
on honey island,

about 90 miles southwest
of new orleans,

prompting harlan
to nickname the creature

the "honey island
swamp monster."

he probably thought he'd never
see it again, but he was wrong.

That was in '63,
and then it wasn't until 1974

that they came up
on the same area,

and they found a dead hog
in the trail

that had its throat
ripped out.

And then they found tracks.

He figured whatever
made these tracks

was probably this creature,
and they were unusual tracks,

like nothing
he'd ever seen before,

because they were three toes

and, like,
a little fourth dewclaw.

And he went back and poured
plaster of paris of them.

♪

wow.
That's amazing.

♪

so I can definitely
see claws.

Dewclaw.

It's absolutely huge.
Wow.

He had some experts
look at it.

They estimated it'd be
like 400 pounds.

It stood about 7 foot,
the one he saw,

so it was pretty big.

Also, it appears
to be webbed.

This animal has adapted
to its environment totally.

It's got to be able to swim,

as well as be
very nimble on land, so...

Cliff:
After finding the footprint,

dana's grandfather spent months
staked out in that same area,

convinced he was on the trail
of the swamp creature.

That's not the end
of the story,

'cause years later we found
another piece of evidence

after my grandfather died.

It was a 8-millimeter
film reel,

and we discovered that
he may have gotten closer

than what we thought.

Cliff:
Oh, 8-millimeter film.

I have it digitized since then
so we could watch it.

♪

♪

cliff: For a few seconds
I can't see anything but bush,

and then the bush
starts to move.

Something tall and hairy,
walking upright,

is moving through the woods
at a relaxed pace.

Maybe it's not aware
it's being watched.

Maybe it doesn't care.

Cliff: Let's rewind that.
I'm gonna to play that again.

Cliff: Up to now I've been
hearing, "half man, half wolf,"

but what I'm seeing
looks almost apelike.

I've got to wonder why harlan
kept the shocking piece

of footage a secret
and took it to his grave.

Dana: We don't know why
he didn't come forward.

My grandmother said
it's probably because

he was afraid
somebody was gonna kill it

or kill each other
looking for it,

because people would get
so spooked in the swamp,

shoot anything they saw.

And she thought maybe
he also wanted to get closer,

you know,
to learn more about it,

'cause he said
it looked so human

he wanted to know
what it was.

Cliff:
Wow. That's amazing.

I mean, it really
helps me a lot.

My whole objective on this trip
is to find the rougarou lair.

-So you're going looking for it?
-Yep.

Cliff: Perhaps against
my better judgment.

I know two people
that have disappeared

and died out there
while looking for this lair.

Old man williams --
he was a trapper.

He saw two at a time.

And then one day
they found his boat,

but they never found him.

Dana's reports of a man
seeing two rougarou

makes me wonder
how many of them there are.

Could it just be an extremely
rare species hiding in the swamp

and not just a legend
of the past?

Well, dana, I just want to say
thank you so much again.

Oh, it's my pleasure.

All the information
you've given me

is really helping me
so much, so...

-Good luck out there.
-Thank you so much.

-Be careful.
-I will. Take care.

Bye.
-Bye-bye.

♪

cliff: Dana's film is powerful
evidence of something out there.

The footage clearly shows
a humanlike figure

walking upright.

Unfortunately, the camera
wasn't close enough

to make out any details.

♪

to find out what this beast
really looks like,

I need a firsthand account.

Luckily I found
an apparent eyewitness,

a woman whose family ties
to the atchafalaya

go back more than a century.

♪

long before the french settlers
arrived in louisiana,

bringing their tales
of werewolves,

native americans were hunting
and fishing in this region,

passing down their own stories
of a beast in the bayou.

To the chitimacha
native americans,

the thing that lives
in the swamp is part monster,

part man, with an appetite
for all living creatures.

In their stories, if you dare
stare into its glowing red eyes,

it'll consume your soul

and turn you into
a vicious monster yourself.

♪

to find out more about
this legendary being,

I'm meeting
with chitimacha chief

shirell parfait-dardar.

♪

I'm meeting her
in the exact spot

where she claims
to have seen the rougarou,

deep in the atchafalaya swamp.

♪

shirell, great to meet you,

and thanks
for coming out here.

Tell me about this rougarou.

Its story
has been handed down

for generations
by our ancestors.

Parents down these bayous will
usually refer to the rougarou

to try to discipline
their children.

My own dad would get there
and say,

"hey, you guys better
cut it out,

or the rougarou's gonna
come and get you."

right.

So as a kid, I was absolutely
terrified of the rougarou.

I never thought that
I would actually see it.

It was still dark out.

You know, it was super early
in the morning.

We're on our way to work,

and we traveled this road
every day.

Here we are,
coming around the curve.

♪

my husband
slammed the brakes,

and we were just frozen.

Cliff: According to
chief parfait-dardar,

something was lurking
in the woods,

something monstrous.

♪

♪

cliff: I'm deep in
louisiana's atchafalaya swamp,

with chief
shirell parfait-dardar,

who claims she saw
the legendary cajun werewolf,

the rougarou, 20 years ago
in this exact spot.

Shirell: My husband
slammed the brakes,

and we were just frozen.

♪

it's huge,
at least 8 foot tall,

and it's very muscular.
Cliff: Mm-hmm.

We had the windows
rolled down,

and as it stepped...
[ grunting ]

...You could hear it grunting
every step it took.

[ grunting continues ]

I'll never forget
that sound.

And it had a long face,
similar to that of, like, a dog.

We just --
we stayed in the vehicle,

absolutely terrified,
you know,

not wanting to upset
this creature,

because a being of that size --
my goodness.

I would imagine that it could
have at least flipped the car.

It would have easily
been able to remove us.

I am so grateful
that it did not look at us,

because growing up,
we had always heard that

if it looked at you,

that it could actually
steal your soul,

and you could be trapped
and become the rougarou.

♪

cliff:
Shirell's story is chilling,

but the more I hear,
the more I want to know.

I think I may have a place
that I can send you

where you can find him.

They're our native american
burial grounds.

According to shirell,

there are dozens
of these hallowed spots

throughout southern louisiana,

some dating back
more than 1,000 years.

Why do you feel
this is a good place for me

to look for the rougarou?

Well...Knowing that
these grounds are sacred,

we also understand that
the rougarou itself is sacred,

and these areas are
in the same type of area

that we believe
that rougarou would inhabit.

They're secluded,

and they have all of the natural
resources to survive,

and, therefore, we believe
that it would be drawn

to a place like that.

I'm really honored
that you have told me your story

and for directing me to what
I know is a very sacred site.

It's a real honor for me,
so thank you very much,

and I appreciate your time.
You're very welcome.

And, look,
be careful out there, okay?

Thank you.
Thank you so much.

-You're welcome.
-All right.

Cliff: Shirell is sending me
directions

to a nearby native burial site

where she thinks I may have
a good chance

at a rougarou encounter.

But first I'd like to get

some scientific perspective
on the legend

to find out if such a creature
could actually live here.

40 miles away,
deep in the bayou,

lives a man who should
be able to help me out.

♪

[ accordion playing ]

♪

♪

-cliff!
-Hey, tommy!

-Is that you?
-[ laughing ] it's me, man.

-All right!
-Geez.

Thought I'd give you a little
louisiana welcome, brother.

Whoo!
You found the place all right?

How are you?

Cliff: Biologist tommy michot
has spent decades studying

the gulf coast's wetlands
and their inhabitants.

Let's go take a walk.

♪

cliff: So tell me about
the physiology of the rougarou.

All we know is from
people's eyewitness reports.

Estimate is that they're about
7 to 10 feet tall,

from what people
have said.

They walk on
their hind legs.

They're carnivorous.

Most carnivorous mammals
have large canine teeth,

and also claws
on their forelimbs

that can be used for ripping
and shredding of prey items.

What about its eyesight?

Rougarou is probably gonna
have great night vision.

Their eyes would have greater
light-gathering capacity.

Does night vision
explain the red eyes,

the glowing eyes?
Probably so, yeah,

and a lot of reports have noted
that their eyes glow red.

From what I know,
the best way to find an animal

is to find its lair, right?

Yeah, if you can find
the lair,

then you have
a much better chance,

'cause you can stake it out

and then use
a wait-and-see attitude.

They need a place to stay,
a den of some sort,

and also to reproduce
and to rear their young,

and also places to capture prey
and to eat the prey.

-How do I find one?
-Let's walk down here.

♪

you know what
that is over there?

♪

♪

cliff: My investigation
into louisiana's rougarou

has taken me to the heart
of the atchafalaya swamp

with biologist tommy michot.

You know what
that is over there?

He has some
scientific theories

as to where a giant swamp beast
could be hiding.

Cliff: It looks like
some kind of den.

Maybe a gator wallow, yeah?

-That's exactly right.
-Wow!

My brother pulled a 12-footer
out of here last year

during that gator season.

12 feet?
Yep.

Holy crap.

That's one of
the larger ones.

Cliff: Seeing this gator wallow
has me thinking,

could a lot of those
so-called rougarou sightings

be a case of
mistaken identity?

Witnesses have described
the swamp beast

as having glowing eyes

that pierce through
the swamp at night.

Could it simply be the phenomena
known as eyeshine,

when the layer behind the eye
of an alligator

reflects lights in the darkness?

Or could the swamp monster
be real and very reclusive?

♪

those gators,
they come out of the water,

and they'll stay
in a place like this,

so this would be a great place
for a rougarou to hole up.

It's also a great place
for an alligator

to take my head, right?

Why would a land animal
choose an aquatic wallow,

or an aquatic nest?

Well, the rougarou, yes,
it would be a land animal,

but they would want to have
a location near the water.

That would be great for it
for many reasons --

for protection,
also for a vantage point

to be able to see
prey items.

And many of the reports
have found rougarous

in aquatic or semi-aquatic
environments --

swamps, bayous.

This would be a great place
for a rougarou.

I'm gonna go check it out.

I've never been in
an alligator wallow.

-Just be careful.
-Yep.

♪

wow.
Look at this place.

It's perfect.

You could definitely imagine
a 10-foot-tall,

fur-covered creature
hiding out in this wallow.

♪

♪

oh, wow.

There's definitely
more than enough space

in there for a big animal.

Is there anything else
or anywhere else

where the rougarou
might hide?

Yeah, I have one more place
up here in the trees.

Let's go check it out.
I'll show it to you.

All right. Great.

♪

if a rougarou was gonna find
a place to make a nest or a den,

another option
would be in a tree.

Now, that would be a great place
if I were a rougarou.

You could find a big tree
where you can climb up

and crawl inside
or come in from the bottom,

or a place where maybe two
or three branches come together.

♪

and what a great
vantage point.

Cliff: But louisiana black bears
are also known to make dens

in the elevated hollows
of giant cypress trees,

and -- wouldn't you know? --
Their eyes glow red at night.

Could people just be mistaking
a black bear for the rougarou?

♪

despite the lack
of definitive proof,

it's surprising to me
how persistently this legend

lives on in the hearts and minds
of so many locals.

♪

-I'm on the bayou a lot.
-Yeah?

You know, I go out trawling.
I got out crabbing.

I do different things.
I fish at night.
Right.

You know, I'm on the water
a lot by myself at night.

Out in the woods,
you always hear something.

-Yeah.
-Something you can't explain.

Cliff:
Jeff's a local gator hunter

and knows the swamp's legends
and dangers well.

If you're going
after this thing,

you got your work
cut out for you.

My grandfather saw it, and he
told me the stories about it.

He's a big believer.
Have you seen it?

I've never run across it
personally.

Any advice you can give me
about this thing?

-You're on its turf...
-Yeah.

...Its own --
it lives here.
Right.

You're going into
its territory.

It could be marsh
you find it in.

It could be water
you find it in.

It could be land
you find it on.

Right, right.

You're fighting something
that can steal your soul,

so if he can
steal your soul,

that's a big difference
from fighting anything physical.

Cliff: Jeff's the second person
to warn me

about the rougarou's menacing
supernatural powers.

Shirell: Because growing up,
we had always heard that

if it looked at you,

that it could actually
steal your soul,

while I'm not sure I believe it,
it never hurts to be prepared.

♪

I'm headed to terrebonne parish

to meet up with
a voodoo priestess

who john thinks can prepare me

for any possible encounter
with the rougarou.

♪

voodoo is
an afro-caribbean religion

brought to the u.S. From haiti
in the 17th century.

Its lore, which has a strong
foothold in the bayou,

is steeped in mysticism,

and followers believe in their
own versions of a swamp monster,

either evil sorcerers
wearing animal skins,

or their red-eyed victims,
possessed by evil spirits.

Voodoo priests and priestesses
are said to have the power

to protect people
from such a fate.

♪

ava kay jones is
a priestess of local renown,

and before I venture further
into the lair of the rougarou,

I'm putting myself
in her hands.

Cliff: So how best can I prepare
myself for this encounter?

You're going to need some very
strong spiritual protection.

Cliff:
Ava gives me 13 shells

that will distract the rougarou
if he comes near.

I present this to you,
cliff,

to protect you
from all harm and evil,

protection from possession
by the rougarou.

♪

I have prepared for you
a special louisiana charm,

but we here in bayou country
call it "gris-gris."

gris-gris -- the most popular
talisman in voodoo,

made with herbs, bones, hair,
even fingernails.

Each bag is designed to ward off
a specific form of evil.

Most of the herbs in here
are bitter herbs.

Evil spirits
do not like bitter herbs.

It is a repellent to them.

♪

carry it knowing that
you are well-protected

against any encounter
with the rougarou.

I will do a prayer
of protection for you now.

♪

♪

one final step.

♪

as in many religions,
followers of voodoo

believe that water
has a cleansing power,

and around here,
there's a lot of it.

Spiritual baths are said to heal
illness and bring good fortune.

Step into the bayou

until the water is
chest-deep.

♪

now turn and face me.

♪

these waters will fortify
the powers of the rituals

that I have performed
upon you.

♪

now immerse your head.

♪

♪

cliff:
Now that I've been through
a voodoo protection ceremony,

I'm finally ready to enter
the louisiana swamps

in search of
the elusive rougarou.

I've heard stories
that this mythical creature

can shapeshift from an aquatic
creature to a land dweller,

so I'm gonna start my search
on the water.

♪

so I'm heading to what's
probably the best spot

for me to be in.

It's about 20 minutes straight
down the swamp this way.

I'm heading south
to two locations

where I've been told the
rougarou might be lurking --

the native american
burial ground

and harlan holyfield's
hunting grounds on honey island,

where he allegedly
captured the beast

on 8-millimeter film
more than 40 years ago.

Those locations
are just five miles apart.

But this is the biggest swamp
in the u.S.,

and without a gps compass,

I wouldn't have a chance
of finding my way in

or out.

♪

oh, hold on a second.
Hold on.

What's that up there?

It looks like
an abandoned gator wallow.

I'm gonna go check that out.

This cypress tree is huge.

The base must be
over 20 feet in diameter.

♪

this hole --

it looks like it goes
all the way up to the canopy.

I mean, if something actually --
a rougarou was inside there,

he could climb right up
the inside of this tree

and be hiding out
right at the top.

So I've got to go
check this out.

♪

while the alligators might
have abandoned this wallow,

it's also a perfect home
for a cottonmouth,

a venomous water snake
that's highly defensive.

♪

[ grunting ]

♪

it stops about halfway up.

I mean,
I could stand up in here.

I see no snakes,
nor are there any signs

that other predators
have been here,

like claw marks or hair.

But there's nothing in here.

No rougarou, no alligators.

Just tons of spiders.

[ breathing heavily ]

all right.

Okay, let's move on.

♪

♪

I'm using my gps compass

to navigate to
the native burial ground that

chief shirell parfait-dardar
told me about.

She thinks it's a prime location
to spot the rougarou,

and because it's on an island,
it can only be accessed by boat.

♪

listen to that.

It's dead, dead silent.

It's unbelievable.

At night, travel here
becomes slow and dangerous.

A submerged rock or log
could damage the boat

♪

there's a feeling to this place,
to the air.

There's just this life
everywhere.

♪

you know, I want to get familiar

with the normal sounds
of the swamp,

because if there's something
moving at speed towards me,

be it a gator or rougarou,

I need to know it.

I think I'm gonna
get out the hydrophone.

This hydrophone is basically

an underwater microphone
on steroids.

If the rougarou is indeed
aquatic,

I'll need to be able
to distinguish it

from the gators lurking here.

American alligators
are extremely vocal,

making an array of sounds to
communicate different messages.

A hiss threatens
a possible attack.

Whew! Wow.

This bayou's teeming with life.

[ gurgling and grunting ]

♪

♪

wow!
Look at those gators.

♪

they're everywhere.

This would not be
a good time to capsize.

♪

♪

♪

cliff:
I'm on the hunt for louisiana's
notorious swamp creature,

the rougarou.

It's close to midnight
in the atchafalaya swamp,

and I'm using a hydrophone
to listen for any unusual sounds

that could signal
the beast's presence.

Alligators are all around me.

Alligators have had
millions of years of evolution

to perfect their camouflage.

Their jaws generate
3,000 pounds per square inch,

enough to crush a human skull.

They prowl around, unseen,
and then, "snap!"

you won't know they're there
until you're in their jaws.

But I'm not picking up
anything out of the ordinary,

so it's time to bring up
the hydrophone and keep moving.

♪

shirell told me that
the ancient burial site

is somewhere in this area.

♪

if the rougarou seeks isolation,
I'm in the right place.

If the gps coordinates
she gave me are correct,

this should be the location

of the native american
burial ground,

but I can't see any markings.

♪

I'm beginning to feel like
I shouldn't be here.

♪

I can feel the sacredness
of this place.

I can feel the spirituality.

It's very, very powerful.

But I don't want to add
to the disruption.

I'm gonna keep
moving further along.

But there's no sign of
a large creature here at all,

so I'll head across the channel
to honey island,

where harlan holyfield
claimed he had

multiple encounters
with the rougarou.

It's time to leave the safety
of the boat and head ashore.

♪

♪

I'm gonna set up a night-vision
camera to make sure

I don't miss anything
in the dark.

♪

this is the perfect spot for it.

I've got a clear view
all around me,

and maybe this thing

will even come down
to this water to drink.

That's what I'm hoping for.

♪

♪

♪

voodoo priestess ava kay jones
gave me a satchel

of bitter herbs
for spiritual protection.

She also advised me that salt is
supposed to repel the rougarou,

so I brought some along
to ward off any surprise attack.

I'm gonna keep dropping
the salt as I walk.

♪

it's hot and buggy,
but I push forward.

♪

swamp forests are notoriously
tough to navigate,

and the brush is so dense

you might not see the danger
until it's too late.

♪

suddenly, I come across
an old hunting cabin.

It looks eerily similar
to the cabin

I saw in harlan's home videos.

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

[ whispering ]
there's nothing in here.

No power, no lights,
no footprints.

♪

♪

[ normal voice ]
I push on.

The swamp is home
to black bears,

venomous snakes, and wild boars

known to charge
without provocation.

I've got to be
extremely careful.

♪

I'm seeing some kind of
animal trail.

♪

look at this.
This is broken off right here.

And this branch
has been pulled through.

There's another break
a lot higher up.

This thing could be
bigger than I am.

Keep an eye out.

♪

♪

the deeper I push into
the heart of honey island,

the more menacing
things become.

♪

[ whispering ]
look at this.

This is a pelvic bone.

♪

♪

cliff: Deep in louisiana's
atchafalaya swamp,

as I track
the legendary rougarou,

I'm finding some
unsettling clues --

a trail of snapped branches
and animal bones everywhere.

[ whispering ]
oh, this is a pelvic bone.

♪

this looks like a jawbone.

Look at this.

♪

oh, man.

♪

[ normal voice ]
they're scattered around the
base of this giant cypress tree,

which fits with what biologist
tommy michot told me earlier.

If a rougarou was gonna find
a place to make a nest or a den,

another option
would be in a tree.

♪

[ whispering ] I'm gonna get
a closer look at it

and see if there's
something up there.

♪

♪

♪

♪

I have to try and be
as quiet as possible.

♪

[ exhales ]

♪

[ normal voice ]
50 feet up, there's a large
hollow inside this tree.

Whatever once lived here,
it now looks abandoned.

The bones here are old
and bleached clean.

No trace of the rougarou.

Ah!

With the sun about to rise,

I think it's time
to get out of this tree

and get out of this bayou.

♪

♪

on my way back to the boat,

I retrieve
my night-vision camera.

♪

I review the footage.

It didn't capture
anything unusual.

♪

and while I never laid eyes
on this creature,

one thing's for sure --

the legend of the rougarou
lives on.

♪

♪

the dozens of cajuns and
native americans I've met here

all know someone
who's had an encounter.

My grandfather saw it, and he
told me the stories about it.

He's a big believer.

Chief shirell parfait-dardar
shared her vivid encounter.

♪

we stayed in the vehicle,
absolutely terrified,

you know, not wanting
to upset this creature.

And I followed
in the footsteps

of dana holyfield's grandfather
harlan,

who filmed some of
the most compelling evidence

of a possible rougarou sighting.

He didn't want to shoot it
'cause it looked too human,

but he said it was scary enough
he would have shot it

if it had come towards him.

I'm not convinced
it's a bear,

since all accounts suggest
that the creature

was taller than the witnesses
and walked upright.

Estimate is that they're about
7 to 10 feet tall,

from what people
have said.

The rougarou didn't reveal
itself to me on this trip,

but so much about this legendary
creature remains unexplained.

I'm convinced louisiana's
swampland is still holding tight

to some strange secrets.