Boqs are large, hairy wild men of the forest. In the folklore of more northern tribes, such as the Bella Coola, boqs are malevolent, dangerous monsters who may eat people or molest women. But in Chinook and Salishan versions of these legends, Boqs are sometimes depicted as more benign beings like the Halkomelem Sasquatch. Sometimes Boqs are also called by the name "Skookum," which is a word from the Chinook Jargon trade language meaning "big" or "powerful." This is sometimes a source of confusion, because "Skookum" has been used in Chinook literature to refer to many different sorts of powerful beings, not just Boqs.