Germany
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Railbach Burning Man
The Railbach Burning Man was a mysterious figure sighted in Railbach, Freientein, Germany in 1125. A man named Georg Miltenburger and several others saw this entity described as a man on fire running over hills. It was seen spitting fire out of its nose and mouth, and several claimed to see its exposed burning ribs. It was seen wandering the area for a long period. It has been suggested that this account could describe an alien figure wearing luminous clothes and expelling beams of light. Citations: Rosales, Albert. Humanoid Encounters 1 AD-1899: The Others Amongst Us. N.p., CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2017.
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Dopplesaugr
The Dopplesaugr is an undead creature from Hanover, Germany. They’re formed when a child is allowed to breastfeed after already having been weaned off of it, this causes them to return from the grave as a Dopplesaugr. Because of this origin, their name translates to “double sucker” and they eat woman’s breasts. They attack family members to feed on the flesh of the breasts, blood, and breast milk when available. However, they may feed on anyone if they become desperate enough. They may feed on their own breasts to get the energy to rise and can be preemptively dealt with by using thick wooden blocks to keep the jaw from…
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Blutsaugr
The Blutsaugr is a vampiric form of undead from the mythology of Austria, Germany, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The name translates to “blood sucker” and they have pale skin, rotten flesh, and emaciated frames. They are mostly mindless, only smart enough to avoid capture or death. In Bosnia specifically, the Blutsaugr is thought to have no skeleton and is covered in stiff dark hair. This version can turn someone else into a Blutsaugr by tricking someone into eating a bit of dirt from its grave, and can also turn into a rat, wolf, or hunting dog. Eating the meat of an animal killed by a wolf can turn someone into a Blutsaugr…
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Krampus
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Kobold
The Kobold is a form of household spirit from Germany and Switzerland. They test the house and its occupants early on. It carries a pouch containing dust and dirt and will sprinkle some in the family’s milk. If this goes unnoticed, then the Kobold decides it is welcome in the home. They settle in the house, often under the stove. They assist when cleaning if not being watched and keep other spirits from the house. They move on only after the last of the family dies. If any servants were employed at the house, they would have to be taught how to not anger the Kobold, or suffer bad luck…
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Kindermorderinn
The Kindermorderinn is a form of ghost from Germany. It’s thought to be the angry spirit of children who were murdered by their mothers. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Spirits and Ghosts in World Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016. 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. Ogden, Tom. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Ghosts and Hauntings. United States, DK Publishing, 1999.
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Walriderske
The Walriderske is a creature from German folklore. They are spirits of nightmares much like the Mara or Alpen. They are most often female and appear as rough haired animals that are black, brown, or white. Sometimes they may appear as a girl who simply likes night walking. They are sometimes apparitions that haunt people and may even be in league with the devil. They may stick with someone for their entire life and could be kind figures as they aren’t inherently evil. They travel in a spirit form rather than physically, blending the corporeal and incorporeal. When the spirit leaves the body, they are left asleep and appear lifeless.…
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Poltergeist
The Poltergeist is a form of ghost whose name means “noisy ghost” in German. They make their presence known by moving things, breaking things, and even interacting physically with the living. Often they are defined as ghosts that cause mischief, sometimes unexplainable noises. They are sometimes believed in modern days to not be actual creatures, but examples of a phenomenon called RSPK, meaning Recurrent Spontaneous Psychokinesis. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Spirits and Ghosts in World Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016. 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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Neuntöter/Neuntoter
The Neuntöter is an undead creature from Germany, usually Saxony. The name translates to “killer of nine” or “nine killer” and comes from the belief that these corpses take nine days to rise from the grave. They resemble corpses with rotting flesh and many open sores that smell like feces. They’re linked to the spreading of disease, which comes from their open sores. Because of this they’re typically seen during great epidemics. They are known to drink blood and may kill purely for its own enjoyment. A person will become a Neuntöter after death if they are born with teeth, born with a spoon in their mouth, or if they’re…
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Nachzehrer/Nachtzehrer
The Nachzehrer is from Germany. Born with cauls on their faces and cursed to rise from the dead, they eat their burial shrouds and their own flesh to give them the energy to break out of their graves. They get out of the grave at midnight, then hunt their family to feed on their blood. They are known to spread disease, cause famine, and destroy crops. They can be repelled by putting a pair of scissors open facing the head of the bed under the pillow. Garlic can be used to ward them off. They can be stopped through exorcism. Citations: Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural…
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Mare
The Mare is another term for an Alp from German myth. When an Alp attacks a horse, it is referred to as a Mare. It mounts the horse and rides it until it dies of exhaustion. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2017.
