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Peluda/La Velue/Peallaidh/Pehuda
Peluda was a giant dragon from medieval French myth. It’s believed it refused to board Noah’s Ark but survived the flood anyway. After this, it was thought to live in the Huisne River near the village of La Ferte-Bernard. It’s believed that when it entered the river, the water level would rise and flood nearby farms. It had four stubby legs ending in turtle-like claws, and a scaly tail. It had shaggy green hair over its body, and its back was covered in sharp quills. It developed a taste for young maidens and was able to breathe fire. A man went to a wise woman after his fiancée was killed…
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Nagual
The Nagual is a supernatural creature from Aztec myth. Its name is thought to come from the word Naualii, which were dark sorcerers. The youth of this community would go to a solitary area as a coming-of-age rite. The animal that appears to them in their dreams is their Nagual, a guiding or totemic spirit. While rare, the Nagual could appear as a natural phenomenon like lightning or a meteor shower. These spirits could be used to gather information and deliver it to their human while asleep. That can also be sent to antagonize others. Mexican folklore describes them as shapeshifting creatures. They’re believed to stand seven to eight feet…
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Lou Carcolh
The Lou Carcolh is a giant monster from French myth. It’s thought to live in a cave beneath the town of Hastingue, France. It is described as a combination of snail and serpent, with a large shell on its back, and long, hairy tentacles. These tentacles could stretch out beyond the horizon, and it uses these to snatch people up and pull them into its mouth. It is thought to leave a trail of slime, and none would dare to follow it. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
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Lone Pine Mountain Devil
The Lone Pine Mountain Devil is a cryptid local legend from Southern California. Some view this creature as the West Coast counterpart to the Jersey Devil, although others believe it’s a hoax spread by the internet. Some cryptozoologists suspect these creatures could be living Microraptors. The first reported encounter of this creature comes from 1878. The witness was a Spanish man, Father Justus Martinez, claiming that he and his companions had been attacked. When he arrived at the local mission, he told the priests his group of thirty-six others had been attacked by “winged demons.” The mission thought the devil took the form of lizards and attacked. The group had…
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Kurrea
Kurrea is a monstrous creature from Australian myth. It was a large, monster-like creature resembling a giant lizard or crocodile. It lived in a swamp and eventually grew tired of hunting animals and targeted humans. Eventually, a warrior named Toolalla tried to attack the monster by throwing spears at it, but they all bounced off its hide. After this, Kurrea charged at Toolalla by swimming through rocks and soil like water. It began to gain on him until he saw his mother-in-law, and he hurried to her, since she was the only one who scared him aside from the monster. The monster stopped and turned around in fear, leaving a…
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Kodama
The Kodama are yokai from Japanese myth. They’re described as tree spirits similar to the Dryads of Greek myth. They embody specific trees and act as their “personality.” Kodama may help people if given offerings. Trees with Kodama are marked with shimenawa ropes, so they aren’t cut down. Cutting down a Kodama tree is thought to bring misfortune. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Spirits and Ghosts in World Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
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Jet Baba/Turbo Granny
Jet Baba is a figure from a Japanese urban legend. Baba means old lady and may be translated as “hag” or “granny,” and “Jet” refers to her running speed. The story goes back to July 2001. In the story, a university student was returning home after visiting his parents for the holiday of Obon. To avoid traffic, he decided to take mountain roads at night. He pulled over to pee in some bushes, and when he finished, he looked up and saw a floating old woman in a white kimono. Her eyes were wide open and staring at him, and she was completely still. Upon closer inspection, he realized the…
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Jembalang Tanah/Jin Tanah
The Jembalang Tanah is a form of nature spirit from Malaysian myth. They’re considered dangerous and can cause epidemics and natural disasters. They can be forced to comply with agreements like demons. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Spirits and Ghosts in World Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
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Ekimmou/Edimmu/Ekimmu/Ekimu
The Ekkimou is a form of vampiric spirit from ancient Assyria. They’re thought to date back to 4000 b.c and are therefore among the oldest recorded myths. They’re ghost-like creatures, bitter and angry. It’s believed they are doomed to stalk the earth and desperately wish to be alive again. They attack and kill humans and may even stalk prey for years. Occasionally, they will leave for a time and return suddenly to taunt their prey with telekinetic abilities. Often they are created when burial procedures aren’t followed, families don’t give proper funerary offerings, or not enough funerary offerings, an improper burial, or simply not burying the body at all. It’s…
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La Cocollona
The Cocollona is a mythical creature from Girona, Spain. The legend originated in the 1980s. There was a girl, the child of a widower, who was taken to a monastery in Santa Clara. Her father had to leave and left her with the nuns. She grew up poor but didn’t care about this and instead just missed her dad. She had a secret door out of the Convent she used to sneak out on moonlit nights. Since the nuns were corrupt with the seven deadly sins, they became jealous of the girls’ happy retreat. They tried to follow her, but found the door had no lock or key. They became…
