Little Green Men

By Natalie Pearce

Hollywood, social media, costume shops and sceptics would have you believe that aliens are little green men who beam people up onto their ships, which look like traditional saucers. You only have to google the image of an alien and the little green man appears. So, just how accurate is that depiction and why are extra-terrestrial beings portrayed in the media the way they are?  

The stereotypical appearance of these green beings is humanoid. In recent portrayals, such as the green aliens from Toy Story, as the Pokémon Elgyem, Yoda and the anime Dragon Ball Z, the green man makes a constant appearance. 

Tales of little green men

The use of the phrase ‘little green men’ can be traced back to the 12th century and the legend of the green children of Woolpit. These children, a boy and a girl, spoke a strange, unknown language and appeared human anatomically, but with skin that appeared green. Their green skin was probably due to their diet, which consisted entirely of raw green beans. Curiously, though, the little girl maintained that they came from a land where the sun didn’t shine, named St Martin’s Land. 

Folklore also depicts such beings in tales of fairies and goblins. These later found fame in popular children’s books and accompanying fairy tales, especially towards the end of the 19th century. Examples include the green man character in Kipling’s 1906 book Puck of Pook’s Hill, The Gift of the Magic Staff in 1902, in which a little green man befriends a boy, and in an 1899 story, which appeared in the Atlanta Constitution newspaper, The Green Boy from Hurrah, which depicted a tiny green-skinned being. 

Much of the modern-day reference to little green men dates back to the Kentucky Goblins (more here). In 1955, a family reported an otherworldly encounter with small beings on their farm in Kelly, Kentucky. Eight adults and three children witnessed a terrifying invasion by multiple creatures, who appeared impervious to the bullets the family fired at them. Witnesses recalled the beings as a metallic silver colour, but many of the newspaper articles that followed referred to them as little green men.

More recently, Little Green Men was even the title of the first episode of the second series of The X Files. This episode, which aired in the UK on 28 August 1995, was the first of the show’s to cover the topic of extra-terrestrial life. 

So widespread is the term that, in 2016, US Army Chief Mark Milley told cadets in Vermont how they would be dealing with little green men during their work in the military. Not surprisingly, the media took this to be a revelation of the US’ interaction with extra-terrestrials. But, when asked to clarify his statement, Milley said simply that he was referring to Russian and Ukrainian military, who wore green uniforms, not to anything out of this world.  

A host of encounters 

So, who or what are these little green men? Reptilians? Well, perhaps, but there is nothing little about these ETs. Yes, they are green(ish) but that’s really where any similarity stops. Reportedly arriving here on Earth during the time of the ancient Sumerians, reptilian beings came from the sky and were referred to as Anunnaki or Gods who live on Earth. They are said to be between five and 12 feet tall.

In addition to those in Kentucky, there have been various other recorded cases of human interaction with little green men over the years. In 1938, witnesses reported coming into contact with a ‘frog man’ in Juminda, Estonia. The being was noted to be less than one meter tall, having a round head with no visible neck structure, a large slit for a mouth and two small slits for eyes. Witnesses said it walked with a peculiar gait but was somewhat elegant. When the witnesses gave chase, it ran away and disappeared from sight. 

Three green frog-like beings were seen in Ohio in March 1955, described as having huge eyes. In the same year, in Georgia, Margaret Symmonds encountered four dark green-grey creatures, with glowing orange eyes, near her home. 

In 1956 in Derry, Alfred Horne was looking to cut down a Christmas tree near his home when he saw a naked humanoid with wrinkled, elephant-like green skin. The being was two feet tall with big ears, a domed head and snake-like eyes. Alfred recalled that the ET had two slits for a nose opening, very short arms and legs, but no discernible toes. He watched the creature for more than 20 minutes, then tried to capture it. It fled into the woods, startling Alfred with a blood-curdling cry. 

Following the release of the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Beryl Hickey came forward with her story of a close encounter. She had remained silent about her experience up to then, fearing ridicule. Her experience happened one night in 1930 and she described it as “the most terrifying thing I had ever seen”. 

Beryl and her father came face to face in their house with a green creature about 20 inches tall. It had a wide slit for a mouth, huge ears and glistened as if it was covered in some kind of oil. Strangely, Beryl recalls it had perfectly formed, tiny hands and feet. Beryl’s father threw a net over it and dragged it out of the house, while the being emitted a squeaky shriek.

A more recent sighting

In Pennsylvania in February 1981, five young boys witnessed a being similar to that seen by Alfred Horne in 1956. The boys, aged between 11 and 16, were playing on the railway siding when one spotted a green being sitting down, facing away from him. He crept up behind it and managed to pick it up, calling over the other boys to see what he had found. 

The being’s squealing and frantic struggling caused the boy to drop it, after which it ran off into a drainpipe. All the boys witnessed the creature, describing it as naked with no body hair or fur, just under three feet tall, humanoid in appearance, with large ears and a small tail. It ran off upright on its two legs and had visible nipples on its chest. 

It would seem that the description of little green men is probably more inaccurate than accurate. Nevertheless, first-hand experiencers have certainly come into contact with ET forms that are green, or at least greenish, over the years. Stories and media have kept the concept alive, which is why children frequently draw a little green being when asked to draw an alien. Until we get full disclosure, I guess we only have testimonials to rely on, so keep an eye out for little or big green ETs next time you’re out and about – you never know what might be around the corner!