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Mokele-Mbembe
The Mokele-Mbembe is a cryptid fromthe Republic of the Congo. It can supposedly be found in the Likouala Swamp and Lake Tele. Its name translates to “one who stops the flow of rivers” referring to its massive size. It’s believed to be an herbivore that attacks anything that enters its territory. It’s thought to especially dislike hippos and kills them on sight. Its diet is thought to largely be the Malombo plant which refers to Landolphila mannii or Landolphia owariensis. It’s thought to be between a hippo and an elephant in size with a thick rounded body, four thick legs, a long tail like a crocodile, a long tapering neck,…
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Jersey Devil
The Jersey Devil is a cryptid from New Jersey with folkloric origins. The story of the Jersey Devil’s origin begins with a woman named Mrs. Shrouds, Mother Leeds, or Abigail Leeds. She had twelve children and cursed her hypothetical thirteenth child to the devil. She got pregnant not long after and gave birth to an inhuman creature. Another story said a woman got pregnant by a British soldier, and her child was cursed by her neighbors. This child had goat legs, a human torso, bat wings, and a long snout similar to a horse. It’s sometimes thought to be nine feet from head to tail. It’s thought to live in…
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Jerangkong
The Jerangkong are from Indonesian myth. They are ghosts in the form of human skeletons and are sometimes covered in blood or dirt. They make a chattering sound like hard wood hitting together. They create a gap in their graves and emerge in the form of smoke. They mean no harm. They burn on contact. They have various origins but are said to have been egg thieves in life. They will continue to steal eggs when in the form of the Jerangkong. They will not break the egg but will suck the egg out through the shells pores. Citations: A Book of Indonesian Ghosts. N.p., StoryTale Studios
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Jarjacha
The Jarjacha is a monstrous creature from Peruvian myth. It’s believed that everyone has a Jarjacha within them, and it can emerge when one is overcome by anger, jealousy, or any other negative emotions. When this happens, the Jarjacha takes over the mind, body, and soul. If released from a soul, then it can take everything from a person in life and after death. Once they are satisfied with the fear and suffering they have caused, they may return to rest in the soul. Jarjachas can turn others into Jarjachas and some become Jarjachas after breaking taboos or because of incest. They take the form of llamas with human faces,…
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Janet Russell Alien Encounter
This encounter comes from a woman named Janet Russell, who recounted this to Brad and Sherry Hansen Steiger in the book Real Aliens, Space Beings, and Creatures from Other Worlds. Janet Russell is a public figure, considered to be one of the best physics in the US, having been on tv and radio multiple times. The incident occurred on March 27, 1962. She was 22 and pregnant with her fourth child and going to the doctor. She saw a ship when she was on route 112. The spacecraft was described as looking like a moon that continuously changed colors and sparkled like sequins. She got out of her car to…
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Jaguareté/Cougar Noire
The Jaguareté is a cryptid from Brazil and Guyana that commonly live on the seashore. Its name comes from the Guaraní word meaning “great beast” which is also the linguistic origin of the term jaguar. They resemble jaguars with black fur on their heads, backs, sides, and tails, as well as largely white fur on the undersides, lower jaws, and paws. They are known to eat lizards, alligators, fish, turtle eggs, and the buds and leaves from the prickly pear cactus. Citations: Eberhart, George M.. Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology. United Kingdom, ABC-CLIO, 2002.
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Jago-Nini
The Jago-Nini is a cryptid from Gabon. It strongly resembling a dinosaur, and is thought to be similar to the Mokele-Mbembe. They are believed to be amphibious creatures living in swamps and rivers. It’s name may come from the Punu or Sira language, and may possibly mean “great diver.” It attacks and consumes humans and West African manatees. Citations: Eberhart, George M.. Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology. United Kingdom, ABC-CLIO, 2002.
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Ittan-Momen
The Ittan-Momen is a Yokai from Japan classified as a Tsukumogami. They look harmless, resembling a long strip of cloth, sometimes over 30 feet in length. They fly through the sky at night to search for sleeping victims. They wrap around their victims heads, crushing the skull and smothering the victim. If the trust of the Ittan-Momen is gained however, it enjoys being worn as a turban. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
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Isithfuntela
The Isithfuntela is from West Africa. They are created when witches enter the bodies of those who have committed suicide. The witch will cut out the corpse’s tongue and drive a wooden peg into its skull to bind it. They can also control them separately to themselves. They lack physical strength and cannot fight a healthy person one on one, but can shapeshift, often turning into bats and rats, and can hypnotize people. They can also raise the dead which turn to dust once the sun rises. They must feed on human blood to survive. They hypnotize their victims and drive wooden pegs into their brains to kill them, then…
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Isis
Isis is the Egyptian goddess of wisdom and magic, as well as the wife to Osiris. She is one of the daughters of Geb and Nut. She is seen as the mother to kings and is depicted as a human with a crown that has cow horns and a sun disk, though she may be depicted with the features of a hawk or just fully as a hawk. She has a symbol attributed to her known as the Tyet, or the Isis Knot. It is thought this symbol represents life and well-being, and some believe it to be a depiction of an ancient tampon. She saved Osiris when Set threw…
