My mother is a huge bible thumper. She was terrified by things she experienced when still with my biological father. I was around 3 when she left him, perhaps younger so needless to say I didn't remember him. Around age 16 she told me all about him and I met him for the first memorable time around 17 or so. I can tell it made my mother nervous how many similar interests I had to him though I was never around him to be exposed to them.
Yeah I have some pretty bizarre stories. I have to wonder how many of them were true, and how many of them were LSD inspired.
I believe making up your own is the way to go. :)