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Mandurugo
The Mandurugo is a creature from the Capiz people of the Philippines. Its name means “bloodsucker.” It commonly takes the form of an attractive woman to lure people in, though their true form is a rotting corpse with sharp teeth. Sometimes they are thought to be a form of undead, but sometimes is thought to be a form of living vampire. This living form of Madurugo will lead a normal human life but will go to their window at night when others are asleep, transform into a flying monster, and hunt for blood. They can be hurt with weapons, but not killed. They are vulnerable to fire and little else.…
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Manananggal
The Manananggal come from the myths of the Bicol people of the Philippines. Their name is from the word “Tanggal” which means “to separate.” They look like women with bat wings who can split their bodies at the waist. Their intestines trail behind as they fly. They use their long thin tongues to drain the blood of pregnant women and also eat the hearts of their fetuses. Some stories claim they prey on men because they are ladies that were left at the altar. Sometimes the curse is from a black chick (a baby chicken, c’mon people) given to the future Manananggal which eats her internal organs but keeps her…
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Mahwot/Karnabo
The Mahwot, later called the Karnabo, is a monster thought to live in the Lower Meuse Ardennes in France. It is described as an amphibious creature as large as a calf and shaped like a lizard. It rarely leaves the Meuse, and it foretells disaster and destruction. It is thought to come when mothers call for it to attack disobedient children. It is known to make a nasal sound that paralyzes and suffocates people who get too close, and it kills cattle. Later iterations had a human face, eyes like a basilisk, and a trunk-like nose. It is often thought to be locked away in an abandoned slate quarry. Citations:…
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Mahaha
The Mahaha is a demonic creature from Inuit myth. It has sharp nails and is known to tickle people to death. It makes people laugh and cuts open their insides. It is similar to the Aagjuk, specifically to ones living on the moon. Citations: Aupilaarjuk, Mariano. Perspectives on Traditional Law. United Kingdom, Language and Culture Program of Nunavut Arctic College, 1999. Gogerty, Clare. Sacred Places: Where to Find Wonder in the World. United Kingdom, Octopus, 2020. Hulan, Renée. Northern Experience and the Myths of Canadian Culture. United Kingdom, McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2002. Jenness, Diamond, and McGrath, Robin. Canadian Inuit literature: the development of a tradition. Ottawa, National Museums of Canada,…
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Machi
Machi are shamans from Mapuche myth. Machi are differentiated from Kalku by their benevolent nature and roles in society. The Machi and Kalku balance each other representing good and evil respectively. Machi are most commonly women, though this refers to gender and its presentations rather than biological sex. Gender is relatively fluid among Machi and is judged on different standards, being anatomy, positioning in sexual contexts, and ritual presentation. Machi are often stigmatized as witches or sexual deviants in modern society and are frequently subject to bigoted beliefs. They are known to use familiars and will become possessed by these familiars to navigate the spirit world. Their job is to…
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Macan Gadungan
Macan Gadungans are creature from the folklore of Java, Indonesia. They are Therianthropes( humans that turn into animals) that can turn into a tiger. Their name means “false tiger” or “disguised tiger.” It is a crazed or rabid tiger with the soul of a sleeping human inside of it. People who lack a philtrum (the depression in skin between your nose and your upper lip) could activate this transformation with a ritual called Ngelu Gadungan. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
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Mokele-Mbembe
The Mokele-Mbembe is a cryptid fromthe Republic of the Congo. It can supposedly be found in the Likouala Swamp and Lake Tele. Its name translates to “one who stops the flow of rivers” referring to its massive size. It’s believed to be an herbivore that attacks anything that enters its territory. It’s thought to especially dislike hippos and kills them on sight. Its diet is thought to largely be the Malombo plant which refers to Landolphila mannii or Landolphia owariensis. It’s thought to be between a hippo and an elephant in size with a thick rounded body, four thick legs, a long tail like a crocodile, a long tapering neck,…
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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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P-Skig-Demo-Os/M-Ska-Gwe-Demo-Os
P-Skig-Demo-Os is from the Abenaki people of the US and Canada. She appears human, is evil and spiteful, hides in shadows and makes a cry to lure in children and men for her to kill and eat. Anyone pitying her, even only in their thoughts, will suffer misfortune and never find love. She is a Bogeyman figure. 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.
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Bmola/Bumole/Pomol
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Martlet/Mercula/Merle/Merlette
The Martlet is a creature from heraldic symbology. It resembles a bird with no beak or feet and is believed to have been representative of fourth-born sons. Due to its lack of feet and overly long wings, it can’t take off if it ever lands on the ground. To combat this issue, the Martlet perch in high places to dive down before flying. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
