Ghosts

  • Ghosts,  Indonesia,  Malaysia,  P

    Pontianak

    The Pontianak is a form of ghost from Indonesia and Malaysia. They’re believed to be stillborn children who’ve risen from the grave. They take the form of grown women but make a cry like a lost child to lure in victims. After luring people in, they cut them open and consume their entrails. 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.

  • Ghosts,  Japan,  O,  Yokai

    Obake/Bakemono

    The Obake is a ghostly form of yokai from Japan. Their name means “changed thing,” and they have many evil powers.They can change visibility and solidity at will. They may utilize deception, and while they are not always evil, female Obake are considered more evil. Female Obake may use seduction to enhance terror. Most Obake are humans who transform after death into physical manifestations of their nature in life and sometimes eat flesh.  Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Spirits and Ghosts in World Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.

  • Germany,  Ghosts,  K

    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.

  • Ghosts,  Japan,  Y,  Yokai

    Yurei

    The Yurei is a ghost from Japanese folklore. They are created when a person dies unexpectedly or is murdered or commits suicide. They return from death to enact revenge. They are often seen wearing white kimonos and headbands. This is due to the color white representing mourning. They also often have wild hair, solid upper bodies, fading lower bodies, and feet that are not visible. 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.

  • Ghosts,  Shapeshifters,  Slavic,  V

    Vodnik/Vodyanoi/Vodyanoy

    The Vodnik is a creature from Slavic mythology. They are sometimes thought to be the ghost of a drowned child and they may take the form of a living child to lure other children in to meet the same fate. When the child approaches the deep or rapidly moving water, the Vodnik holds them down and drowns them. They may also take the form of a fish, a fish/human hybrid, a coin in the water, a floating log, a large fish, a fiery-eyed monster, a human-faced seal, a giant frog, or an old man with green hair and beard. They lurk at the bottom of bodies of water and drag…

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  • Ghosts,  Scandinavia,  U

    Utburd/Utböling/Utkasting

    The Utburd is a form of ghost from Scandinavian mythology. They’re thought to be the ghosts of children left outside to die due to exposure. Sometimes the children are left out because they are deemed weak and deformed. Sometimes they’re viewed as identical to the Myling. They’re malicious creatures that seek vengeance. To stop a Utburd, their body must be found and properly buried on Holy ground and they could be stopped if you burn the remains. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Spirits and Ghosts in World Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016. Kvideland, Reimund, and Sehmsdorf, Henning K.. Scandinavian Folk Belief and Legend. United States, University of Minnesota…

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  • Ghosts,  H,  Japan,  K,  P,  S,  T,  Urban Legends,  Yokai

    Teke Teke/Shaka Shaka/ Pata Pata/ Kata Kata/Koto Koto/ Hijikake Babā

    The Teke Teke is a form of ghost from Japanese urban legends. The name is an onomatopoeia meant to reference the sound of them dragging themselves with their hands. They are almost always women and look like people cut in half at the waist. Despite the fact that they crawl, they are thought to be capable of keeping up with cars when in pursuit, sometimes reaching 150km per hour. They commonly carry scythes or sickles. Teke Teke can be found in urban areas, commonly along dark roads. Getting attacked by a Teke Teke is horrific, but stories are often unclear about the specifics of these attacks. Commonly victims are cut…

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  • Ghosts,  Indonesia,  S,  Seducers,  Vampires

    Sundel Bolong/Sundal Bolong

    The Sundel Belong is a form of ghost from Indonesia. The name translates to “prostitue hole” referring to the large hole in their backs. Sometimes they’re ghosts of women who died while pregnant outside of marriage. As the baby is still inside her body when she’s buried, it is born in the grave and bursts out of her back. This action leaves a massive hole in her back. She often has long black hair reaching all the way down her back to cover the hole. They often take the form of a seductive woman in a white dress. They appear pale but entirely human aside from the hole in their…

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  • Ghosts,  S,  Scandinavia

    Skrat

    The Skrat is a form of ghost from Scandinavian myth and a variation of the Myling. They toy with people at night, typically appearing at midnight and especially during the winter. They are known to hang on sledges and make the horses tired from the added weight. Once the horse is tired, the Skrat disappears while laughing. They have horse-like laughs and if someone finds treasure, the laugh of the Skrat can make it vanish.  Citations: Northern Mythology: Comprising the Principal Popular Traditions and Superstitions of Scandinavia, North Germany, and the Netherlands. United Kingdom, E. Lumley, 1851.

  • Ghosts,  Ireland,  R,  Undead,  Vampires

    Revenant

    The Revenant is a form of undead creature and at one time it was used as a synonym for “ghost.” Their name is a variation of the French “revenir” meaning “to return.” They return from the grave and can be physical or incorporeal. In Irish folklore, they are physically risen bodies that sometimes attend their own funerals. Other times they are undead, with some being vampiric in nature. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2017. Guiley, Rosemary. The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits. United States, Checkmark Books, 2007.