u/Fionnua

After what Julie saw on the road in the past, I think we might know who/what the MIY is, based on real-life myth.

If I recall, one of the creators of the show mentioned that if anyone figured out the monsters, they'd understand everything. (Or something, correct me ye who remember.) But basically it sounds like the monsters may reference real life myth rather than be totally made up, and people have speculated about e.g. wendigos.

But we seem to have a decent sense now that MIY is probably the bargaining trickster who made the monsters 'monsters'. We've seen him kill a 'child' to resurrect the dead in monstrous form (the foetal chicken egg to wake poor Roger). Seems plausible he's the entity who convinced a batch of humans to let him kill their children then made them immortal monsters off the back of it.

So... let's think of the MIY as the important monster to decipher here. The original monster behind the monsters. And we know something very specific about the Man in Yellow. We know he eats livers.

So I googled 'mythical creature that eats livers'. (I know, really pulling out the research stops on this one.)

And look what I found.

Spearfinger (U'tlun'ta), pre-colonial Cherokee Mythology. A wicked shapeshifting witch who poses as a frail human (usually old woman) to trick her victims into trusting her, then cuts out and eats their livers.

That's... that's the Man in Yellow, isn't it? That's Sofia? It's Spearfinger. U'tlun'ta. The shapeshifting witch of USA-relevant Cherokee mythology, who poses as a harmless, frail human in need of help (in this case, as a friendly elderly man, or young religious girl) to deceptively gain the trust of her victims before eating their livers.

Thoughts? Theories?

If this isn't U'tlun'ta, the parallels are a heck of a coincidence.

Bonus creature I came across:

The Vrykolakas are infamous for knocking on doors at night and calling the resident's name; those who answer (open the door?) have their livers eaten. Smiley monsters, anyone? Maybe the MIY turned the child-sacrificers into Vrykolakas? The Vrykolakas aren't specifically known for what they eat from the human though when it's mentioned it's organs moreso than blood, but are mostly known for their particularly brutal and predatory way of attacking. Resonates with how the Smileys tear apart their victims in a very animalistic way.

Just a guess! But I suspect this may be an underground lake. With water drip-drip-dripping into it from above (like tears falling to fill the lake).

Reason for my theory: I'm rewatching season 4, and when Boyd is at Abby's grave (right after some characters are looking for the Lake of Tears), he specifically asks Abby "I could really use some help. I don't know if there's anything you can do, but... If you can hear me..." And that's when a hand reaches up from Abby's grave, grabs Boyd's arm, and tries to drag Boyd down underground at that spot. When he shakes free, the hand just lets him go; no scratches, no harm indicating the hand was trying to attack him maliciously.

And we know lots of important stuff is undergound in Fromville. The tunnels where the monsters sleep, for sure. With the paintings on the walls telling the story of the monsters' history. The sacrificial tables where the children were killed. And, Jade now believes, a hole in the ground in that room, where the children's bones are stored and from which they must be rescued.

So what if the Lake of Tears is also underground? And Abby was trying to help Boyd in answer to his request, by pulling him underground when he asked her to somehow help? Because going underground is the direction that would help him?