Indrid Kold - a controversial character in American horror stories (7 photos)

“The Man Who Laughs” is a novel by Victor Hugo, dedicated to a boy specially mutilated for the amusement of the public, who was able to turn his life around and become a peer.





About a century after the book was published, a similar character now appeared in the States. But only the name was similar - the Grinning Man. Indrid Cold has firmly taken its place on the list of urban legends.

Sewing machine salesman



Woodrow Derenberger made his living selling sewing machines. November 2, 1966 was a long day for him. Around 7 p.m., he was driving home over a hill near Parkersburg. On that cold and damp evening, the last thing he wanted was to stop on the side of the road to straighten the sewing machine that had overturned in the back.

Derenberger could have parked better, but he left enough room for other drivers to pass his car while he went about his business. None of these drivers corroborated Derenberger's account of what happened next.

Returning to the driver's seat of his van, he continued on his way. At that moment, a car drove by and began to slow down.

Woodrow drove the car carefully and did not exceed the speed limit. Despite this, his first thought was about the patrol car and a possible alcohol test. He quickly discarded this thought when he realized that in front of him was not a car at all. Whatever it was, it was shaped like an old-fashioned kerosene lamp, with a bulbous center and flared edges.

Bitter cold





The door of a strange design opened and a man came out. According to Derenberger, the man was in many ways ordinary—of average height, tanned, dark-haired, with a classic haircut. But the unusually wide grin looked a little strange.

As soon as the man got out of the car, he walked towards Derenberger. As the distance shortened, Derenberger noticed that the man was wearing a dark overcoat, and underneath was a green metal uniform, sparkling in the dim light.

He introduced himself as Indrid Cold and said that he came from a place "less powerful than the United States." Indrid reported that this would be only the first of several such meetings. The entire message was conveyed through something akin to telepathy, and not a single word was spoken out loud. Both Indrid Cold and his kerosene stove left the scene.

Request for help



Indrid Cold indeed kept his word and visited Woodrow several more times. Sometimes with company. Derenberger said that his new friends came from a planet called Lanulos, and that during one of his visits he was allowed to go there on a trip. After the last of these meetings, Woodrow sought out renowned UFO researcher John Keel and recounted the events in detail. Allegedly, during the investigation, Keel frequently received mysterious phone calls from a man calling himself Indrid Kold.

New meeting



Woodrow Derenberger was not the only one to report the appearance of an ominous Grinning Man claiming to be alien. That same night, on the same road, two other men saw an oblong object land in front of their car. They were also forced to stop and watched as a man got out of the car and headed towards them. He asked both questions that seemed meaningless to them, after which he returned to the ship and flew away.

Strange walk



A few weeks before meeting Derenberger, the pair of boys met a man who terrified them both. The boys, James Yanchitis and Martin "Mouse" Munov, were walking home along Fourth Street in Elizabeth, New Jersey. They reached the corner opposite a local landmark called the Turning Circle. It was a hill with a high wire fence and a steep slope. They said that standing behind the fence was “the strangest man” they had ever seen. Neither one nor the other had the slightest idea how he got there or where he came from. The man just stood there and grinned his creepy “good” grin.

Since the 1960s nothing more has been heard of the Grinning Man. Until 2012, when a user named Blue_tidal posted a story on Reddit called “The Smiling Man.” The author shared a chilling encounter with a man similar to Indrid Kold. While walking at night, he noticed a man performing a strange dance. As the man approached, his wide smile became more and more sinister. The author managed to escape, but was haunted by nightmares for a long time. This post on Reddit brought Indrid Kold even more fame and a new round of popularity.



It is unknown who the Smiling Man was - a ghost, an alien guest who took on human form, or another hoax. However, it is possible that it was the result of collective fantasies or complexes. But the character continues to live, stimulating in people the ancient hidden desire for the supernatural and the desire to understand the mystery.