H
-
Zduhać/Aloviti/Vjedogonja/Wind Chasers/Cloud Chaser/Hail Defender/Fairy Man/Dragon Man
The Zduhać are mythical figures from Slavic myth. They are described as people capable of protecting people, homes, and entire villages from rain and hail. They are often thought of as mythical creatures, like dragons or fairies, but in human form. Sometimes they were seen as prophets and connected to angels and saints. They are generally seen as heroic figures that look entirely human, though often melancholic, thoughtful, strong, resourceful, and resilient. A Zduhać could be detected from birth if they were born with the caul still on their head, and they would also often have an affinity to crows. Some believed however that a Zduhać could only be born…
-
Troll/Hill Men/Hill-People/Jutul/Orcs/Rise/Trolds/Trows/Trulli
Trolls are creatures from Scandinavian folklore. Some count them as one of four kinds of fae seen as enemies to mankind. They are larger than humans, initially by a major degree but over time the difference was lessened, though they are always significantly stronger than humans. They are thought to be cannibalistic creatures that eat humans. They have hunched backs, long crooked noses, grey clothes, and red hats. They can become invisible through the use of their magic hats and are thought to be capable of giving immense strength to someone, see the future, and shapeshift into any form. In ballads they are said to have a king, but this…
-
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…
-
Huspalim
The Huspalim is strange creature from Ethiopian folklore. They resembled giant marmots. Sightings of them were recorded by Europeans during medieval times. They had huge round heads, tiny round ears, monkey-like faces, round paws, and bald red spotted skin. They were supposedly kept in cages on the island of Zacotera, where they could serve as good food but only if the meat was beaten thoroughly. Citations: Rose, Carol. Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend, and Myth. United Kingdom, Norton, 2001.
-
Humababa/Huwawa/Kumbaba
Humbaba is from Sumerian, Mesopotamian, Assyrian, and Babylonian mythology. He was appointed by the god Enlil to guard the cedar trees in the world of the living. He was dangerous to any who entered his forest. He was a large humanoid with a lion head and dragon teeth whose roar was like a storm. His breathe was like death and he could breathe fire. Covered in plate-like scales, he had talons like a vulture and a tail that had a snake head at the end of it. He personified natural elements and was protected by seven mystical auras. No one ever escaped his wrath. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, which…
-
Hugag
The Hugag is a creature from Lumberjack Folklore. They’re thought to be prehistoric looking creatures that live in lake states. They are roughly the size of and shape of a moose, with leathery heads, necks lacking hair, incredibly long upper lips that hangs low and prevents them from grazing, long tails, ragged, uneven floppy ears, and bushy coats. They have no ankle or knee joints, and four toed feet. They are constantly moving and wobble as they move. They eat leaves and tree bark. When they sleep, they lean against trees to keep themselves stable. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States,…
-
Hoop Snake
The Hoop Snake is a dangerous southern snake from Lumberjack Folklore. They may be black or multicolored. They can grow to 8 feet long but are very thin. They have a stinger 1-5 inches in length at the end of their tails. They can grab their stingers in their mouths making themselves into large hoops. If a person is injected with venom from this stinger they will die within minutes. They can’t chase people uphill by rolling but they still can slither, though they get tired of this very quickly. If you are being chased by a hoop snake, you can also jump through its hoop to confuse it, making…
-
Hone-Onna
The Hone-Onna is an undead Yokai from Japanese myth. The name translates to “bone woman.” They often linger in dark streets, down alleyways, and graveyards. They are believed to be women who die and return from death due to love, rather than anger. They return to their partner in life to continue living a life with them, appearing at night and leaving during the day. They appear as they did in life, though their true form is that of a rotting skeletal woman. The strength of their illusion grows stronger as they continue to further rot. The only ones who could see this form are those unaffected by love and…
-
Hodag/Black Hodag
The Hodag is a well known creature from Lumberjack Folklore. They live in the swamps of West Virginia and Wisconsin. They have horns and spikes on their bodies and are often depicted with a crazed grin. Sometimes they have the head of a bull with a human face, short legs, clawed feet, a humped back like a dinosaur, and a prehensile serpentine tail ending in an arrowhead. Some describe them as chimerical hybrids of a frog, lizard, and mammoth. They eat wildlife, often feed on turtles, snakes, and muskrats from nearby swamps, and sometimes also eat humans. They smell so bad that people have been known to faint when they…
-
Hinqumemen/Engulfer
The Hinqumemen is a creature from the myth of the Coeur d’Alene Native Americans. It is a living sentient lake. If any take water from the lake, it will follow them back to their village in an amorphous form. It engulfs its victims in water and drags them back to the lake. Once back, it drowns them. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
