They are generally described as resembling a human head with long dark hair, "terrible eyes", and a large mouth filled with razor sharp fangs.

[9][5][4][10] According to folklore, the Flying Head drove the original native inhabitants who lived in the area of the state of New York near the source of the Hudson River, in the Adirondack Mountains away from their hunting grounds before the Europeans came.

The name of the previous inhabitants has been lost to history and the legend of The Flying Head ensured that every neighboring tribe steered clear for many years.

[12] The Great God hath sent us signs in the sky we have heard uncommon noise in the heavens and have seen HEADS fall down upon the earthOne version of the story says that there was once a very severe winter that killed off plants and drove the moose and deer to other areas.

[15] Young members of the community began to talk of migrating from the area, surrounded as they were by hostile tribes, merely to shift their hunting ground for a season was not possible.

They said too that the famine was a scourge which the Master of Life inflicted upon his people for their crimes; that if the punishment were endured, it would pass; if ran from, the results would follow them forever.

The legend goes on to say that bubbles and slime appeared on the lake, heralding a terrible monster: a giant head with wings, which the tribe could apparently never escape.

One evening after they had been plagued a long time with fearful visitations, the Flying Head came to the door of a lodge occupied by a lone woman.