Bogeyman Figures
-
La Tunda
La Tunda is a bogeyman figure from the African-Ecuadorian people from the Colombian Pacific area, sometimes specifically the Esmeraldas Province. It is said she was once a favored angel from “the time when animal spoke,” but she defied God and was thrown into the Valley of Tears as punishment. Other stories however say she is a mother who killed her child in the woods and was cursed to search for this child until Judgement Day. Some other stories say that at some point she married the Devil and gave birth to Cuco. She is often thought to have eyes like a caiman, hairs like a porcupine, and a grinder (specifically…
-
Skatene
The Skatene is a bogeyman figure from the Choctaw Native Americans. Her story teaches children to not trust strangers, even if they seem nice. She appears as an old woman who could turn herself into an owl. There is a story where she befriends a child to gain access to the household, and then cut the fathers head off. She then fled with the severed head in a basket and threatened to blind any animals who asked about it. Some wildcats confronted her and ignored the threat. They saw the severed head and one held her down while the others grabbed a club. Skatene managed to escape in the form…
-
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…
-
Pontarf
The Pontarf is a monster from Medieval times in Europe. It was used as a bogeyman figure who snatched up unattended children. It is described as a giant fish who is found off the coast of Europe, that can stretch its body to steal children no matter how far inland they are. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
-
Mu Pitz/Piamupits
Mu Pitz is a cannibalistic monster, possibly fitting the category of Cannibal Giant. It comes from the Comanche people, largely from Texas. Sometimes it is seen as a cave dwelling ogre, but other times it is believed to be a giant owl person. It liked to prey on humans and mostly children, and was often seen as an evil spirit who served as a bogeyman figure. It stood twelve feet tall, and was covered in hair and wasn’t actually fully an evil force but rather a big dangerous creature that in a way represented the balance of nature. Citations: Eberhart, George M.. Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology. United Kingdom,…
-
Mbojo
The Mbojo is a shapeshifter from the beliefs of the Turu people from Tanzania. They are thought to be witch doctors that could become lions, and are blamed for various unexplained deaths. Sometimes however these deaths are thought be done by normal lions controlled by a witch-doctor. Often it would be believed that Mbojo would be hired basically as assassins to kill one’s enemies. Some however believe it is simply people who learned to kill in a way that imitates a mauling from a lion, or were convinced they were lions through drugs and other such means. Sometimes the Mbojo is used as a bogeyman figure of sorts. Some real…
-
Knecht Ruprecht
Knecht Ruprecht is a figure from German mythology whose name means “servant Ruprecht.” He wears a dark hooded robe accented with fur, has a dark bushy beard, and carries switches and a large sack. This sack may be used for carrying off bad children or bringing presents to the good ones. Other times he gives the switches to bad children or their parents rather than using them himself. He may have ashes on his face and may rub ashes in the faces of bad children to mark them. This visual may have been meant to bring to mind blacksmiths, whose image sometimes brought to mind the devil with darkness and…
-
Intulo
The Intulo is a creature from Zulu mythology in South Africa. It’s thought to be a cross between a human, and a lizard or alligator. Originally in the Zulu creation myth, everything was immortal before it was decided everything should die. Intulo became the messenger of death and has since become a bogeyman figure. It has also occasionally been sighted in rural areas. Citations: 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.
-
Indacinga
The Indacinga is from Ponca Native Americans. They are powerful beings that can uproot trees and flip lodges. They hoot like owls and are thought of as bogeyman figures. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016. Sullivan, Irene F., and Gill, Sam D.. Dictionary of Native American Mythology. United Kingdom, Oxford University Press, 1994.
-
Hans Trapp
Hans Trapp is a mythical figure from the Alsace-Lorraine region of France. He is related to the figures Knecht Ruprecht and Père Fouettard. He was also associated with a historical figure known as Hans Von Trotha, who was a knight and nobleman from the 1400s. He had a dispute with an abbot from a Benedictine monastery. He made a dam to deprive the town of Weissenburg of water and then broke it to flood the area. For this crime and others, he was summoned by Pope Alexander VI. He refused to appear and insulted the pope, resulting in his excommunication. Because of this, he was sometimes referred to as the…
