Otgiruru/Owenga

The Otgiruru is an undead creature from the Herero people of Namibia, that may be related to the Ovengua, Ovengwa, or Owenga. They are created when evil sorcerers do not not pass to the afterlife, either by choice or by not being allowed to. Sometimes they are thought to be ancestors that come back due to anger to torment the living. They rise from the dead and construct a new body for themselves out of whatever bad things they can get ahold of such as dirt, raw meat and organs from animals, insects, and other similar things. The body they create typically resembles a dog rather than a human. They are known to hunt at night, and may disguise themselves as normal dogs, howling and whimpering, attacking anyone who answers. They may even make the sound of a family pet to lure people into investigating. They consume their victim’s flesh, blood, soft tissue organs, and bone marrow. Despite their supernatural power they never attack more than one person at a time, and retreat if any more than one is present. To kill the Otgiruru, they must be pinned down with spears and hacked to pieces. These cut up pieces then have to be burned in separate fires so they cannot heal themselves.

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