Have There Really Been Goblin Sightings in Kentucky? [VIDEO]

I'm going to write a sentence that will be very puzzling, but I will explain. Here it goes...

I used to think goblins were not real.

BRING ON THE GOBLINS

Okay, now I know what you're thinking. "Goblins? Duh! Of course, they're not real; they're mythical creatures." So here's what I mean. I've seen pictures of elves, trolls, gremlins, and satyrs. But I always thought "goblin" was just a generic term for a scary--but maybe fun--creature. The way my mom always used the term--most often around Halloween--led me to think that way.

No, they aren't real. But they are DEFINED...as in they are as legitimate a fictional creature as the others I mentioned.

And back in the 1950s in Kentucky, I might have gotten an argument about them being fictional.

THE LEGEND OF THE 'HOPKINSVILLE GOBLINS'

Legend has it that in late August of 1955, 12 people--five adults, seven kids--arrived at the Hopkinsville Police Station with a bizarre tale of "little men" surrounding the farmhouse in which they were staying.

If that sounds like a description of aliens from outer space--as in "little GREEN men"--well, that's no accident. These "Hopkinsville goblins", as described to police on that summer day, DID sound like extra-terrestrials. Except E.T. wasn't among them, and nobody was phoning home.

The Evansville Courier & Press reports that a theory, at the time, suggested that these perplexed Kentuckians may have been seeing test flight monkeys. Back in the mid-20th century, they were used in rocket experiments. The thinking is that perhaps a crash led to the dispersing of said monkeys on this rural property.

You see, I think THAT'S a stretch, but, yes, it's certainly more plausible than goblins.

The entire event is known as the "Kelly-Hopkinsville encounter." Kelly is a town near Hopkinsville.

Kudos, by the way, to the narrator for his creepy tone.

As someone who gets kind of bored with the whole space alien thing--I was a huge X-Files fan unless they ventured into alien territory--I'm going with goblins, but it appears I'm in the minority.

Another aspect of this I find very interesting is that I'm not that familiar with this piece of Kentucky folklore, yet there is MERCHANDISE supporting it.

There seriously are a LOT of "Hopkinsville goblin" items for sale on Etsy, but I had to show you the soap because...well, it's GOBLIN SOAP.

This legend really has legs...and sleeves. I mean, you can't have goblin soap without a "Hopkinsville goblin" t-shirt, can you?

There's not one in my size or I'd buy it; I'm not kidding.

Now, how about this wickedly cool factoid? The date of this goblin or little green men sighting was August 21st, 1955. The 2017 eclipse also happened on August 21st. And where was the best place to view the eclipse? Southwestern Kentucky, in the Hopkinsville area.

So, WERE goblins seen on that possibly fateful night in southwestern Kentucky? Or were they aliens? Or test monkeys?

We'll just have to keep having fun with the story until we know for sure.