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Wawkalak
The Wawkalak is a strange form of werewolf from Russian belief. They were formed when a person angered the devil and was cursed by him to become a wolf. The Wawkalak would be recognized and cared for by their family. They have no malevolence and are often quite friendly, but they are forever doomed to be driven out of the village they’re in over and over again. Citations: Guiley, Rosemary. The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Monsters. United States, Facts On File, Incorporated, 2004.
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Wanagemeswak
The Wanagemeswak are mythical creatures from Penobscot mythology. They are dwarves with hatchet-like faces. They live in rivers and small pools of water and can only be seen from the side. They make small clay dolls and leave them behind for humans to find, bringing good luck. Citations: Gill, Sam D., and Sullivan, Irene F.. Dictionary of Native American Mythology. United Kingdom, Oxford University Press, 1994.
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Wamp
The Wamp is a creature from Lumberjack Folklore. They have the scientific name “Caudasal lakeshorekearn.” They have grey bodies shaped like salt sacks roughly the size of a raccoon. They notably have hollow tails with a structure resembling a salt shaker at the end. They sprinkle salt on tree roots for deer to lick up. Citations: Yarns of the Big Woods, Written and Illustrated by Art Childs
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Walriderske
The Walriderske is a creature from German folklore. They are spirits of nightmares much like the Mara or Alpen. They are most often female and appear as rough haired animals that are black, brown, or white. Sometimes they may appear as a girl who simply likes night walking. They are sometimes apparitions that haunt people and may even be in league with the devil. They may stick with someone for their entire life and could be kind figures as they aren’t inherently evil. They travel in a spirit form rather than physically, blending the corporeal and incorporeal. When the spirit leaves the body, they are left asleep and appear lifeless.…
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Vryolakas
The Vryolakas is a form of vampiric creature from the Republic of Macedonia related to the Vrykolakas. They are created when a cat or dog jumps over a body before it’s buried. They can also be created when someone dies from murder, suicide, if one ate meat from something killed by a werewolf, if someone splashes wine on the face of a corpse, or when an evil magic user dies. They are only active from 10 pm until morning and are weak to sunlight. They hunt humans to drain them completely of blood. They often have a compulsion to pour wine over their own faces, some believing they do this…
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Vrykolatios
The Vrykolatios is a form of vampire from Santorini, Greece similar to the Vrykolakas. They eat their victims alive and chew all the way down to the bone. They only stop feeding when the victim dies. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2017.
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Vrykolakas/Vrykolakes(pl.)/Timpaniaois
The Vrykolakas is a creature from Greek myth related to the Vrukolak of Dalmatia and the Vryolakas from Macedonia. It was believed that every Greek clan had one Vrykolakas. It’s possible that this was a more general term for vampires in Greek myth. They are often linked to stories of werewolves, with possible Serbian influence. They are thought to be vampiric spirits that possess the corpses of dead werewolves. As it is a spirit separate to the body, it is sometimes not seen as a form of undead. Sometimes the Vrykolakas was formed from the corpse of someone who had been excommunicated, with these Vrykolakas often being depicted as more…
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Vrukolak
The Vrukolak is a vampiric creature from Northern Dalmatia, related to the Vrykolakas. They are created when a cat or dog jumps over a corpse, or when someone is murdered without any witnesses. They first target former friends and family from life, and victims of a Vrukolak also become a Vrukolak. They can transfix people with eye contact or an unnatural screech. It’s impossible to kill them, but they can be crippled to keep them from rising again. To do so you have to cut the tendons in their legs and then nail the coffin down and drive the final nail into their hearts. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Vampire…
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Vodnik/Vodyanoi/Vodyanoy
The Vodnik is a creature from Slavic mythology. They are sometimes thought to be the ghost of a drowned child and they may take the form of a living child to lure other children in to meet the same fate. When the child approaches the deep or rapidly moving water, the Vodnik holds them down and drowns them. They may also take the form of a fish, a fish/human hybrid, a coin in the water, a floating log, a large fish, a fiery-eyed monster, a human-faced seal, a giant frog, or an old man with green hair and beard. They lurk at the bottom of bodies of water and drag…
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Vlkodlak/Volkodlak
The Vlkodlak is from Serbian legend. They starts out as werewolves, being humans who could turn into wolves without any additional supernatural abilities. After they die as werewolves, they rise from the grave as a Vlkodlak. They resembles a drunk person with skin flushed red like blood. They exist in this form for seven years and drain the blood of the living. After these seven years, they become normal humans, which will turn into a Vlkodlak again upon its death. A Vlkodlak can also be created if someone sees a werewolf and survives, which guarantees they become this after death. They can also be created by eating sheep that has…
