THE MANTIS MAN OF TEYMAREH: How Can This Ancient Iranian Carving Depict a Mantis-Human Hybrid?

Carved into Iranian stone thousands of years ago, a 14-centimeter figure depicts something that shouldn't exist: a creature with the anatomically precise head and grasping arms of a praying mantis merged with the squatting legs of a human. The ancient petroglyph's disturbing accuracy—matching specific details of local Empusa mantids that modern entomologists needed careful study to identify—raises unsettling questions about what prehistoric artists witnessed in the remote Teymareh region.

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IN THIS EPISODE: A 17-foot Boston Whaler disappeared with five Hawaiian fishermen in 1979. Ten years later, the boat turned up 2,200 miles away with one crew member buried in a mysterious grave — and no trace of the other four men. (Mystery of the Sarah Joe) *** From Puerto Rican farm animals found completely drained of blood to hairless creatures stalking Texas ranches, the chupacabra has terrorized livestock owners across the Americas for decades — but the truth behind these vampiric attacks reveals something far stranger than fiction. (The Goat Sucker) *** Religious scholars are finding medieval manuscripts filled with encounters that mirror modern UFO reports — and the U.S. government seems very interested in the Vatican’s research. (When Angels Become Aliens) *** An ancient Iranian petroglyph depicts an impossible hybrid: a creature with the anatomically precise head and raptorial arms of an Empusa mantis fused with human legs in a squatting position, carved by someone who somehow knew entomological details that modern scientists needed careful study to identify. (Mantis man of Teymareh) 
CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Lead-In
00:02:26.070 = Show Open
00:04:36.920 = Mantis Man of Teymareh
00:25:24.153 = Mystery of the Sarah Joe
00:40:20.547 = The Goat Sucker
00:56:24.951 = When Angels Become Aliens
01:05:39.892 = Show Close
SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…
Mantis Man of Teymareh: https://weirddarkness.com/ancient-mantis-man-petroglyph-iran-teymareh-rock-art-mystery/
Mystery of the Sarah Joe: https://weirddarkness.com/sarah-joe-missing-fishermen-mystery/
The Goat Sucker: https://weirddarkness.com/chupacabra-blood-drained-history-goat-sucker-cryptid/
When Angels Become Aliens: https://weirddarkness.com/vatican-angels-aliens-ufo-files/
=====(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: September 17, 2025
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