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Vampire Vine/Devil’s Snare
The Vampire Vine is a cryptid plant from Nicaragua. According to locals they are also referred to as Devil’s Snare. They were encountered by a naturalist named Dunstan who was walking with his dog. The dog was suddenly wrapped up in vines causing it pain. Dunstan hacked away the vines and freed his dog. As he pulled loose the vines, they wrapped around his arms and gripped it strong enough to leave blisters. The vines were thin rope-like tissue similar to roots or overlapping stems like a weeping willow. They were nearly black in color and covered in a foul-smelling viscous substance. It caused serious pain and left small, puckered…
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Dzoo-Noo-Qua
Dzoo-Noo-Qua is from Kwakiutl Native Americans. She was an ugly giantess who stole children. She lived across a river in a remote area. She kept her life essence in a hole in the ground. She was killed when “Sky Boy” shot an arrow into the ground. Citations: Rose, Carol. Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend, and Myth. United Kingdom, Norton, 2001. Sullivan, Irene F., and Gill, Sam D.. Dictionary of Native American Mythology. United Kingdom, Oxford University Press, 1994.
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Durango Six Armed Reptilian
The Durango Six-Armed Reptilian was sighted near Durango Mexico on November 10, 1965. A witness and his 15 year old son sighted a hovering disk close to the ground. A round opening was visible at the top and a reddish smoke leaked out. What climbed out was a creature described as a short humanoid creature with long ears, six tubular arms, and a long greenish tail. It carried around something resembling a metallic umbrella and seemingly used this to make signals. The creature saw the witnesses and jumped down before they immediately ran away. Citations: Rosales, Albert. Humanoid Encounters 1965-1969: The Others Amongst Us. N.p., CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016.
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Duppy
The Duppy is a form of ghost from the West Indies. They are believed to be all the evil that escapes the body after death. This evil takes a semi-corporeal form and can be summoned and bound to be used as servants or weapons. They can be summoned accidentally by playing cards near the grave of someone recently deceased. Pouring rum and some silver coins into a grave can cause the Duppy to take form. If the summoner loses control of the Duppy, it will destroy everything they love, and then brutally kill them. They cannot be stopped at night, but you can scatter tobacco seeds to distract the Duppy…
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Dungavenhooter/Dungaven Hooter/Dungaven-Hooter
The Dungavenhooter is a bizarre creature from Lumberjack Folklore. They resemble large alligators with no mouths and massive nostrils. They live in logging regions and lie in wait until a person approaches. When a victim is close enough, the Dungavenhooter will swipe its tail to take their feet out from under them. The Dungavenhooter will then jump on and pulverize their victims until they’re broken down into a gaseous state, which they then inhale to consume them. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016. Matthews, John, and Matthews, Caitlin. The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures: The Ultimate A-Z…
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Duck-Footed Dum-Dum
The Duck-Footed Dum-Dum is a silly creature from Lumberjack Folklore. It goes by the “scientific name” Ventertympanum coxi. The skin on their backs is similar to a drum and they have two tails shaped like drum sticks. They use these tails to quickly hit their backs, making a drumming sound. This sound is used to indicate to fish that spawning season has begun. Citations: Yarns of the Big Woods, Written and Illustrated by Art Childs
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Drop Bear/Pangkala
The Drop Bear is a goofy creature from Australian folklore. Stories of the Drop Bear have no clear origin and are generally accepted to be a joke targeted at tourists, since these are the Drop Bears main targets. Some describe Drop Bears as koala bears reaching anywhere from 3 to 8 feet in height with leathery backsides. They’re thought to have sharp claws and teeth, with estimates of incisors reaching 40 cm in length. They lurk in eucalyptus trees and drop down on victims. It’s thought no one has ever survived a Drop Bear attack, with victims sometimes having their neck broken from being landed on. They are sometimes thought…
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Dreki/Drekar
The Dreki are a form of Dragon present in Norse myth. They were often thought to be capable of flight, could breath fire from their mouths or nostrils, and may be described as having only two clawed front limbs. The Dragon Nidhogg from Norse myth was often referred to a Dreki instead of other kinds. The Dreki is depicted on viking ships, likely for the purpose of sympathetic magic. The Dreki are distinctly different from the Ormr, another form of Dragon in Norse myth. Citations: Fee, Christopher R.. Mythology in the Middle Ages: Heroic Tales of Monsters, Magic, and Might. United States, Praeger, 2011. Jesch, Judith. Ships and men in…
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Draugr
The Draugr are undead creatures from Norse myth. They are thought to be evil spirits possessing the corpse of deceased Vikings. They protect the treasure they’re buried with and collect more treasure by robbing other graves. They are capable of controlling weather, most often causing storms and thick fog. They can also take the form of predatory birds or wolves and possess supernatural strength with an invulnerability to weapons. They rise in the middle of the night to attack sleeping people, consume their flesh and blood, and bring back their bones to gnaw on in the grave. To kill a Draugr, someone who is pure of heart and in good…
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Drakul
The Drakul is an undead form of vampire from Moldavia and Romania. The name relates to words for “devil” and “dragon” and is often used as an expletive. Drakul also served as a nickname to the father of Vlad Tepes who was associated with a group called the Order of the Dragon. This led to Vlad the Impaler to be referred to as Dracula. Along with being the name used by Bram Stokers character, there were several people in history referred to as Dracula. They’re corpses raised from the dead after being possessed by a demonic force. They have pale skin, hollow eyes, walk around naked, and carry their coffins…
