B
-
Blue-Cap/Blue-Bonnet
The Blue-Cap is a form of Fae from English myth. They are thought to live in mines and often work alongside human miners. They’re thought to be strong and industrious with a deep understanding of rocks and ore, and the supernatural ability to control these things. While not mining, they resemble blue and white balls of light that are cold to the touch. Some believe they have troll-like forms and scoop rocks and ore from mine walls. If a Blue-Cap assisted in a mine, they had to be given exact payment for that day’s work. If left unpaid or underpaid, they would leave the mine forever. If they were overpaid,…
-
Bloody Mary
Bloody Mary is a figure from a common American Urban Legend. The story of Bloody Mary is commonly known among teens and preteens, though the details vary from person to person. Some believe the legend to be metaphorically related to puberty with the bathroom, mirror, and blood. Bloody Mary is associated with a simple ritual meant to summon her from a mirror. – Some believe you must stand in an unlit bathroom, stare into the mirror, and say “Bloody Mary” three times. – Some believe the name must be said thirteen times or some other amount. – Sometimes it is necessary to prick ones finger in order to make her…
-
Bloody Bones/Old Bloody Bones
Bloody Bones is a bogeyman figure from England and the United States. It’s described as being incredibly ugly with blood and bone visible, and sometimes even looks like a dancing headless skeleton. He was often seen as a companion to Rawhead, or one part of the same being. He is also sometimes related to a figure named High Walker, who could raise the bones of the dead. Rawhead and Bloody Bones defied him and ended up causing his death. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016. Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Fairies in World Folklore and Mythology. United States,…
-
Blood Dogs/Scots Hounds
The Blood Dogs are mythical creatures from Scotland and Northern England. They have grey bodies, and red eyes, and leave no mark on the ground to indicate their presence. Their baying is thought to sound like the wind. They’re believed to haunt battlefields and lick up the blood of fallen soldiers, digging through the dirt for soaked-up blood and unburied corpses. In Scotland, they only feed on the blood of English people and are thought to be the ghosts of the hunting dogs belonging to Bonny Prince Charlie. They form out of morning mist, the day after a large battle. Citations: Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural…
-
Black Tortoise/Black Warrior/Xuánwǔ/Genbu/Chih Ming
The Black Tortoise 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, White Tiger, and the Azure Dragon. It is connected to the North, the color black, water, and winter. It was thought to represent cold, harshness, and power, and was also connected to the Funaoka-Yama Mountain. Sometimes it was represented as a traditional Chinese warrior with turtle and snake motifs, and other times it was depicted as a turtle and snake mating, combining into one singular animal. The reason for the snake and turtle being intertwined has been lost to time.…
-
Black Shuck
The Black Shcuk is a supernatural creature from the folklore of England. They are often sighted in Anglia, Essex, Norfolk, and Suffolk, and sightings continue to this day. They are most active on stormy nights and just before bad weather. They may be named after the war dog of Thor and Odin named Shukir, but the name could also come from the word “shucky” which means hairy or shaggy. They have several different descriptions often having glowing red saucer-sized eyes, but sometimes only a singular eye. Sometimes they’re the size of a horse, other times the size of a large dog, and occasionally they have no head. They rarely pose…
-
Birmingham Fairy Alien
The Birmingham Fairy Alien was sighted on the morning of January 4, 1979. The witness was a woman named Jean Hingley. After she waved off her husband as he left for work, she saw a light in the garden. The light was orange and turned white. She entered the back door of her house and heard a sound like “zee zee zee.” Three small figures entered through the open door floating one foot above the ground. They stood 3.5 to 4 feet in height wearing silver-green tunics, pointed hats, and gloves all of the same color. They also wore silver waistcoats with silver buttons and had beautiful rainbow-colored wings. Her…
-
Binaye Ahani
Binaye Ahani was one of the Anaye of Navajo myth, whose name means “Ones who slays with their eyes.” It resembled a pair of limbless twins conjoined at the torso. It was able to fire lightning bolts from its empty eye sockets. It was killed by Nayenezgani who used salt to blind them. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016. Matthews, Washington. Navaho Legends. United States, American Folk-Lore Society, 1897.
-
Billdad
The Billdad is a creature from Lumberjack Folklore. It is believed to be found in Northwest Maine. It lives in Boundary Pond in Hurrican Triumph. It is very rare and shy, making it very seldom seen and is more often heard instead. It is the size of a beaver, with back legs like a kangaroo, short front legs, a beaver tail, webbed feet, and a beak like a hawk. It hunts for fish by slapping the water to stun them and then picking them up from the water. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
-
Big Man-Eater
Big Man-Eater is a figure from the myths of the Alabama tribe. He was a man who was really bad at hunting and told his wife to cut off her limbs for him to eat. She ran away and had her brothers kill him. They burned him to ashes, and from his ashes emerged bees, wasps, mosquitos, flies, and crows. Citations: Sullivan, Irene F., and Gill, Sam D.. Dictionary of Native American Mythology. United Kingdom, Oxford University Press, 1994.
