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Rougarou
The Rougarou is a creature that was thought to be a combination of the French Loup Garou and the Algonquin Wendigo. Various Louisiana Native American tribes believed the Attakapa to be a tribe of shapeshifting cannibals. Attakapa even means “man eater” in Choctaw. The story goes that after a difficult period of war, the starving Attakapas gained the ability to shapeshift from dark spirits who possessed them. After being possessed, they would hunt humans as their prey. During the summer they would take human form and live normal lives, only taking constant animal forms during the winter when food was more scarce. Particularly cruel Rougarou however would take animal form…
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Rostunger/Rosmar
The Rostunger is a sea monster known from Medieval times. They walk along the ocean floor on four short legs. They’re described as similar to the sea-calfe and sleep twelve hours a day. Their skin is too difficult to pierce with any weapon and they hang from rocks by their two long teeth. These teeth measure 3.75 feet in length and their bodies measure around 52.5 feet long. Citations: Topsell, Edward. The Elizabethan Zoo: A Book of Beasts Both Fabulous and Authentic. United Kingdom, F. Etchells & H. Macdonald, 1926.
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Rore-Trold
Rore-Trold is a notable Troll from a lake in the Rorevan in Nedenaes. It may appear as a horse, a large serpent, or as multiple people. When ice is thickest during the winter, Rore-Trold is thought to make a long broad chasm with ice fragments lying in it. Citations: Ruickbie, Leo. The Impossible Zoo: An Encyclopedia of Fabulous Beasts and Mythical Monsters. United Kingdom, Little, Brown Book Group, 2016.
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Riverside Monster
The Riverside Monster was sighted in 1958 at Riverside California near the Santa Ana River Bridge. The witness was going to cross the bridge before his car was attacked by a reptilian creature. He shook the creature from his car and ran it over. He drove off and reported the incident to the police. It has been sighted since, often closer to the riverbed, and leaves behind a green residue after attacking vehicles. Citations: Newman, Rich. Haunted Bridges: Over 300 of America’s Creepiest Crossings. United States, Llewellyn Worldwide, Limited, 2016.
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Revolving Beast
The Revolving Beast comes from Celtic myth and is specifically from a poem recounting the voyage of Mael Duin. The voyaging ship he is on gets to an island with a stone fence around it. As soon as the crew got on the island, a massive creature started running around and then charged at Mael Duin with surprising speed. It resembles a mammal in many depictions but is actually thought to be representative of reptilian life. It has the ability to change form but doesn’t really classify as a shapeshifter. Instead of turning into something else, its bones move beneath the skin, which would either remain still or revolve like…
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Revenant
The Revenant is a form of undead creature and at one time it was used as a synonym for “ghost.” Their name is a variation of the French “revenir” meaning “to return.” They return from the grave and can be physical or incorporeal. In Irish folklore, they are physically risen bodies that sometimes attend their own funerals. Other times they are undead, with some being vampiric in nature. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2017. Guiley, Rosemary. The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits. United States, Checkmark Books, 2007.
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Rawhead/Tommy Rawhead/Bloody Bones
The Rawhead is a creature known from British and US folklore, commonly the American Midwest. Stories of this creature are thought to have originated in Britain or Celtic myth. It’s used as a bogeyman figure, and often seen as a companion to Bloody-Bones with them sometimes being seen as two parts of the same entity. One is a headless skeleton that dances, and the other is a skull that bites people. It’s described as very ugly with blood constantly pouring from the mouth. Sometimes it’s described as a tall figure in a black cloak. In the Pacific Northwest it sometimes appears as a cloud of green fog. It is thought to…
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Rattlerrabbit
The Rattlerrabbit is a creature from the Mimbre Valley of the American Southwest. It’s thought to have lived there 1000 years ago, and it’s now presumed to be extinct. It has the “scientific name” Lepus casteneta. It has the body of a rabbit all the way down to the waist and a big rattlesnake tail. It is very obscure and is only known through Native American pottery. Citations: Wyman, Walker Demarquis. Mythical Creatures of the U.S.A. and Canada. United States, University of Wisconsin-River Falls Press, 1978.=
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Ramanga
The Ramanga comes from the Betsileo people of Madagascar. Their name translates to “blue blood.” They are referred to as ceremonial vampires, meaning the name describes an occupation rather than a species. They eat the nail clippings and drink the blood and spit of nobles. This was done as a precaution to prevent these biological materials from being used by a witch to create some kind of fetish, meaning a magical item. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2017. 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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Raiju
The Raiju is a Japanese Yokai. They are the companions of the god Raijin. Its name means “thunder animal” or “thunder beast.” This creature of lightning resembles a cat, badger, ball of fire, ball of lightning, monkey, raccoon, dog, weasel, white and blue wolf, or wolf made of lightning with a cry like thunder. They attack only during thunderstorms and are otherwise harmless. They may fall asleep in a person’s belly button, which kills the person when the god Raiden throws lightning bolts to wake the Raiju up. They become agitated in storms and jump from tree to tree. Lightning strikes on trees or houses are said to be Raiju claw…
