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Wyvern/Wivern
The Wyvern is a species of dragon from medieval heraldry throughout Europe. Its name is thought to mean “life viper” and they were originally seen as protectors of the land and bringers of life. After larger amounts of christianization, they were instead seen as giant predatory creatures associated with envy, pestilence, and war. They have large serpentine bodies, standing on two avian legs with eagle-like talons, long tails ending in a sharp barb, and heads resembling the typical European Dragon with large horns. In heraldry, the Wyvern are typically depicted as green with red undersides and wings. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore.…
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Wurdalak
The Wurdalak is from Russian folklore. They are heretics or blasphemers who rise from the grave after making a deal with the devil for immortality. Their hunger is insatiable and consumes its immortal life. They often look like a female who appears young and attractive to lure in victims. They return to the form of rotting corpses when alone with their victims which is their true form. Citations: Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural Beings That Haunt Us, Hunt Us, and Hunger for Us. United States, Kensington Publishing Corporation, 2006.
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Wume
The Wume are from the Togo people of West Africa. They are created when a criminal dies and isn’t buried or when someone dies while cursed. They are always hungry and are strong, smart, and very hard to kill. They have to be killed by a group of priests who have gone through a ritual cleansing. They are easiest to approach after feeding when they go into a catatonic state. They should be tied down with several layers of rope encasing them, and then their wrapped body should be taken to an undisclosed location and buried in an unmarked grave. Afterwards no one can speak of the location or approach…
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Wulgaru
The Wulgaru is a creature from aboriginal Australian myth. The Wulgaru is an artificial humanoid creature created by a man named Djarapa. He took living wood from a tree and shaped it into human form, with ball sockets and joints made from stone and wood, shards of flint for teeth, human hair, and pebbles for eyes. Djarapa tried to bring his creation to life with magic chants but on the second day with no results he kicked the Wulgaru and walked away. He heard heavy footsteps following behind him and turned to see the Wulgaru in pursuit with an enraged expression. He ran but couldn’t escape. He tried leading his…
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Wraith
Wraiths have old Norse origins. Their name is derived from word “vörthr” which means “guardian” or “watcher.” They appear as living people, foretelling that person’s death. Citations: Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural Beings That Haunt Us, Hunt Us, and Hunger for Us. United States, Kensington Publishing Corporation, 2006
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Wolverine Man
The Wolverine Man is a mythical figure from the mythology of the Dunne-za people. In the story, a man named Saya found a square pit going 12 feet down with bloody spikes on the bottom. This was a trap belonging to Wolverine Man who ate people. Saya put goose blood on the spikes and laid in the bottom pretending to be dead. When Wolverine Man returned, he was hungry and eager to eat his prey. He carried a large bag on his back that he put Saya in, and reset the trap. He brought the body back for his wife and children, their home was littered with body parts. The…
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Wiltshire Alien Worm
The Wiltshire Alien Worm was reported to Malcom Lees, who was enlisted in the 50s and 60s with the British Royal Air Force working in intelligence gathering. He received a call in 1962 of a UFO that had been sighted near the standing stones in Wiltshire. The witness was a middle-aged woman who liked to walk around the standing stones. One night at 10:30 she saw a small ball of light about 2 feet in diameter flying around. The light approached while hovering 12 feet in the air. The ball dropped 15 feet from her dripping some sort of liquid metal and then exploded in a white flash. She was…
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White Tiger/Baihu/Byakko/Chien Ping
The White Tiger is a creature that was initially a Chinese symbol and was later adapted into Japanese myth. It is one of the Shijin along with the Vermillion Bird, Azure Dragon, and the Black Tortoise. It is connected with the West, the color white, metal and Autumn. It was thought to represent warmth, clarity, and calm and was also often connected to the Sanyo-Do/San-In-Do Trunk Road. It is often depicted as a white tiger fringed with gold, and sometimes is even depicted with serpentine features. It has the associated mansions (these being associated with the phases of the moon) Tokaki-Boshi, Tatara-Boshi, Ekie-Boshi, Subaru-Boshi, Amefuri-Boshi, Toroki-Boshi, Karasuki-Boshi. These mansions lie…
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Whirling Whimpus/Knuckledragger
The Whirling Whimpus is a strange creature from Lumberjack Folklore. It has a variety of descriptions, often with a barrel shaped body, head like a gorilla, and long hairy arms that drag the ground. They often have tangled tawny hair but are sometimes described as also having purple and green feathers. Their legs resemble those of a mule, sometimes fusing at the bottom to make one giant hoof. They are known to polish this hoof until it shines. They’re known to eat bear, elk, and moose, but could only digest things in a gelatinous form. They’re known to spin in circles so fast that they become just a blur of…
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Wendigo
The Wendigo is a creature from the Algonquin speaking Native American groups. They are created when a human resorts to cannibalism. They are found in various forms in Canada and the Northeastern United States. Some legends claim the Wendigo is an evil force present in all people waiting to be awoken. Cannibalism awakens this spirit giving them supernatural strength and ferocity. They are described as being twice as tall as a man with glowing eyes, sharp yellow teeth, and a lolling tongue. They have a muscular build covered in coarse hair. Citations: Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural Beings That Haunt Us, Hunt Us, and Hunger for…
