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Kurrea
Kurrea is a monstrous creature from Australian myth. It was a large, monster-like creature resembling a giant lizard or crocodile. It lived in a swamp and eventually grew tired of hunting animals and targeted humans. Eventually, a warrior named Toolalla tried to attack the monster by throwing spears at it, but they all bounced off its hide. After this, Kurrea charged at Toolalla by swimming through rocks and soil like water. It began to gain on him until he saw his mother-in-law, and he hurried to her, since she was the only one who scared him aside from the monster. The monster stopped and turned around in fear, leaving a…
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Kodama
The Kodama are yokai from Japanese myth. They’re described as tree spirits similar to the Dryads of Greek myth. They embody specific trees and act as their “personality.” Kodama may help people if given offerings. Trees with Kodama are marked with shimenawa ropes, so they aren’t cut down. Cutting down a Kodama tree is thought to bring misfortune. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Spirits and Ghosts in World Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
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Koryo
The Koryo is a form of yokai from Japan and a variation of the Kitsune. It’s a fox spirit whose name translates to “ghost fox.” It’s thought to haunt and bewitch people. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. 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. Picken, Stuart D. B.. Essentials of Shinto: an analytical guide to principal teachings. United Kingdom, Bloomsbury Academic, 1994.
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Kludde
The Kludde is a monstrous dog from Flemish myth. It takes the form of a giant black dog wrapped in chains as some believe it broke free from Hell. It can also change into the form of a giant black cat, a giant crow, or some other night predator. It attacks isolated travelers and is big enough to take down a horse and break its back. It runs around on its back legs and is incredibly fast. When someone hears chains, the best thing to do is run and hide somewhere safe. Citations: Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural Beings That Haunt Us, Hunt Us, and Hunger…
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Kephn
The Kephn is a form of vampiric witch from the Karen people of Burma. They resemble severed human heads with their stomach hanging underneath but normally look like regular people. They’re believed to be people who made a deal with evil spirits for power. They hunt at night and are thought to feed on human souls. They sit in a chair and enter a trance to transform themselves into their monstrous form by tearing their head and stomach free. They can be killed if their body is burned when their heads are out flying and they can easily be killed in human form. A trained fighter known as a Ghurkha,…
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Kawauso/Kawaso
The Kawauso is a form of Yokai from Japanese myth sometimes equated to the Kappa. They’re known to cause mischief like Kitsune and Tanuki. They are related to river otters and can be found all across the country. Despite this, the real Japanese river otter was declared extinct in 2012. They have been depicted walking upright and wearing sedge hats. They commonly take the form of attractive people, often women, sometimes attempting to lure in victims they then kill. Other times they challenge humans to sumo wrestling matches. Citations: Foster, Michael Dylan. The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore. United States, University of California Press, 2015.
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Kaupe
Kaupe is a monstrous figure from Hawaiian myth. He was described as a cannibalistic dogman, vaguely connecting him later on to werewolf myths. He was said to live at Lihue on Oahu where he attacked people but avoided high chiefs. One story tells of when he went to the island of Hawaii and stole a chief’s son to sacrifice. This chief follows him and gets help from another chief. This chief teaches him a prayer to get help from Kanaloa which allows the father and son to escape and run away. When Kaupe went back to Hawaii to find them, he then used a prayer to kill Kaupe. Kaupe’s spirit…
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Chemosit/ Kalenjin/ Chemoiset/ Chimisit/ Chemisit/ Gononet/ Chemosisiek(pl)
The Chemosit is a mythical creature and cryptid from East Africa and Western Kenya and the myths of the Nandi people. It’s often believed to be similar to, or the same as, the Nandi Bear. They have tawny or reddish fur with stripes and an ape’s face. They’re nocturnal creatures known to make a moaning cry or a horrific roar. They sometimes stand on their hind legs and leave round bear-like pawprints. They have been reported breaking into native huts, killing the occupants, and eating the brains of their victims. In the 1960s a man named Angus McDonald was chased around his hut by a seven-foot-tall creature with an ape-like…
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Tsuchinoko/Gigi-Hebi/Bachi-Hebi/Koro/Koro-Hebi/Tsuchi-Korobi
The Tsuchinoko is a Cryptid, or UMA, and Yokai from Japan. The name Tsuchinoko has been translated as “child of the earth,” “small mallet,” or “mallet child.” This name references a Japanese mallet called a tsuchi similar in shape to the creature’s body. They’re described as short, thick, snake-like creatures. Some describe them as incredibly poisonous and believe they can survive even when their heads are cut off. They’re known to be incredibly rare with many trying hard to prove their existence. There is an urban legend from Kanazawa stating that there is a slope where one night a man saw something tumbling down it. When he approached he saw…
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Korreds
The Korreds are creatures from Breton myth in France. They resemble small humanoid creatures covered in shaggy hair with wrinkled faces, red eyes, goat legs, and cat claws instead of fingers. They’re known to be skilled metalsmiths who make beautiful coins. They’re also known to build stone houses called dolmen. Often Korreds have large dance parties around their dolmens with small fires lighting the area. Travelers who come close to these parties are invited to join and given delicious food and drink. If a human accepts an invitation to dance, they become enchanted and dance until they die of exhaustion. Citations: Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural…
