The Boojum Snark

The Boojum Snark is the unseen antagonist of the poem "The Hunting Of The Snark" by Lewis Carroll. It is a Species of Snark, a creature that the protagonists are attempting to hunt. They have various types, for example some have feathers and bite, while others have whiskers and scratch.

In The Poem The Boojum is first mentioned in the second verse "The Bellman's Speech". When the Bellman is describing Snarks, he says that "although common Snarks do no manner of harm/Yet I feel it my duty to say/Some are Boojums..." before being interrupted. In the third verse, the Baker says that if you meet a Boojum, you will "softly and silently vanish away", which is his greatest fear. Boojum Snarks are not mentioned again until the final verse "The Vanishing". The Baker goes on ahead of the other members of the hunting party until he is completely out of sight. When they attempt to look for him, he is heard shouting that he had found a Snark. However, he realizes only too late that it's a Boojum and is unable to warn the others. The others look for him, but conclude that he has softly and silently vanished away.