Greece
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Demon
A Demon is a form of dark spirit. The term means “replete with wisdom” and comes from the Greek word Daimon. Some cultures had demonic figures that were not necessarily evil, such as Egypt. Demons at large are well documented in ancient Middle Eastern cultures and it is thought that Hebrews absorbed some knowledge of Demons from Mesopotamia. Sometimes Demons are believed to have been spawned by Lillith, who was to be the first wife of Adam in Jewish beliefs. Christianisation often describes all pagan gods and spirits as demons despite their attributes. The idea is that they are disguises meant to trick humans into worshiping someone other than God.…
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Vrykolatios
The Vrykolatios is a form of vampire from Santorini, Greece similar to the Vrykolakas. They eat their victims alive and chew all the way down to the bone. They only stop feeding when the victim dies. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2017.
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Vrykolakas/Vrykolakes(pl.)/Timpaniaois
The Vrykolakas is a creature from Greek myth related to the Vrukolak of Dalmatia and the Vryolakas from Macedonia. It was believed that every Greek clan had one Vrykolakas. It’s possible that this was a more general term for vampires in Greek myth. They are often linked to stories of werewolves, with possible Serbian influence. They are thought to be vampiric spirits that possess the corpses of dead werewolves. As it is a spirit separate to the body, it is sometimes not seen as a form of undead. Sometimes the Vrykolakas was formed from the corpse of someone who had been excommunicated, with these Vrykolakas often being depicted as more…
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Lamiai
The Lamiai are vampiric creatures from Greek myth. They drink blood and consume the flesh of newborns. They attack their prey and rip out their entrails, drinking blood and any milk in the infant’s stomach. They may target pregnant women to kill the mother and the child. Sometimes they would seduce men, have sex with them, and rip out their throats right at the end. They are named after a queen of Libya named Lamia, who was one of the many people Zeus cheated on Hera with. Hera in her rage killed all the children Lamia had with Zeus, and Lamia cursed her for this cruelty. To get her revenge…
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Gegenees
The Gegenees are from Greek myth. They are massive humans with six arms. Their name means “earthborn.” They attacked Jason and the Argonauts along with Heracles and lost that fight. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Giants and Humanoids in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
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Empusa/Empusae/Mormolykiai
The Empusa is a bizarre creature that comes from Ancient Greece. They have human bodies, a bronze leg, and a donkey leg and face. They were seen as demonic creatures that served the goddess Hecate.They would lie in wait, hiding in dark spots by the side of the road. Their strange appearance is sometimes believed to be used to hide their true faces which are too terrifying for people to handle. They have the power to disguise themselves as attractive women, or vanish into thin air. They would consume the flesh of their victims. In one specific account, one was kept away when someone used harsh language towards it. Citations:…
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Chimera
The Chimera is from Greek mythology and is the daughter of Typhon and Echidna. It caused havoc in Lycia and the surrounding area. It is thought to have had the front half of a lion, the back half of a dragon (or a full lion body with a snake, or three snakes, for a tail) and the head of a goat in the middle of the back. Some said it had the lion’s head, the body of a female goat, and a snake’s tail. Other iterations said it had a lion, goat, and dragon head. It began killing the moment it was born. It was raised by a king of Caria…
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Cetus
The Cetus is an enormous sea monster from Greek myth. It was thought to be owned by Posiedon and possibly created by Zeus. It was made to kill princess Andromeda. She was chained to a rock to be fed to the Cetus because her mother bragged about her beauty and insulted the goddesses and nymphs. It ended up being turned to stone by Perseus by use of the head of Medusa. It had a giant body like a bloated whale or dolphin, with a tail divided into two fan-like sections. It was colored brownish-yellow and turquoise with no limbs other than vestigial membranous flippers on its torso. It had a…
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Brukulaco/Bruculaco/Burculacas
The Brukulaco are undead creatures from Greek myth. They are thought to be the corpses of excommunicated people returning from the dead due to being locked out of heaven. They resemble hunched men with sharp teeth, harsh eyes, and sharp claws. They have bodies constructed of mud, slime, and feces found in the ground as they rise, and large chests that sound like drums when hit. They are known to have strong muscular arms and legs. To lure in prey, the Brukulaco make sounds like the crying of a lost child, an injured woman, or a whimpering dog. They lure human victims to isolated locations and consume any who get…
