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Wyrm/Ormr/Verm/Worm
The Wyrm is a form of dragon originating in Norse myth. They’re described as serpentine creatures and deemed dragons when large enough. The earliest known depiction of this creature is a wood panel from the year 1100. This image shows a Wyrm with an open mouth filled with teeth, eating a person. It had almond-shaped eyes, a curved nose on a long snout, a recurved horn, and ears that were laid back. Its long neck was in two coils, and it appeared it may have had a rider on its back at some point. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland,…
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Orobon
The Orobon is a monstrous creature from medieval belief. They were thought to have lived in the Red Sea and the Mount Mazocan region. They were described as amphibious creatures measuring nine to ten feet in length. They were covered in thick scales like a crocodile and had long tails. They would use these tails to grab humans and constrict them to death, before pulling them into the water, where they would be swallowed whole. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
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Uthikoloshe/Oothikoloshe
The Uthikoloshe is a mythical creature from Bantu folklore. They’re short hairy hominids with muscular shoulders and chests, sloping foreheads, and bowed legs. They live in small mud huts by rivers or deep in the forest wearing sheepskin clothes and using primitive tools. They may also wear bright and shiny items stolen from their victims. They’re known for dancing and in some areas, it’s thought all women have an Utikoloshe as a secondary husband. They have their own language but can also speak Bantu, albeit with a notable lisp or slur. They often convince the children to play with them. They practice a unique form of witchcraft and commonly have…
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Chōchin Obake/Chochinobake/Obakechochin
The Chochinobake is a form of yokai from Japanese myth. They’re a form of tsukumogami, meaning an inanimate object that gains sentience after years of neglect. With this creature, the object that transforms is a chochin, a form of paper lantern with a spiral frame made of bamboo. These lanterns are commonly hung outside of businesses and are extremely common. They don’t appear in the oldest yokai depictions and are thought to be related to an older yokai called Burabura. These are Kitsune disguising themselves as lanterns in rice fields rather than tsukumogami like Chochinobake. They resemble worn cochin lamps with a massive tear for a mouth containing a large…
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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.
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Obour
The Obour is a form of vampire from Bulgaria. When a person is murdered, their spirit suddenly leaves their body only to attempt to re-enter the body later to find it dead. Nine days after burial, the Obour leaves the grave in the form of a supernatural fireball with telekinetic abilities. If these spirits become too harmful they may be captured and bottled by a Djadadjii. They attack anyone who bites cow udders for blood and milk, manipulate shadows to do obscene things, smear feces on holy things, and make random loud noises. This ethereal vandalism continues for forty days before the Obour rises from the grave in its physical…
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Oupire
The Oupire is a form of vampiric creature from Moravia. They returned from the dead to prey on their villages and families, spreading plague with their bite. They are known to attack humans and livestock. Citations: Maberry, Jonathan, and Kramer, David F.. THEY BITE. United States, Citadel Press, 2009.
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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…
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Ovengua
The Ovengua are from Guinea. They are created when an evil sorcerer or a corrupt person dies. Their bones escape their grave one by one and gather back up in a secret location. They move through the forest and attack travelers at night. They catch and eat people and may drink blood. They live in caverns during the day. They can be attacked by a lot of spears and must be burned completely to ash or they will come back. They may take a ghostly or a physical form, which is for the sake of feeding. The creatures can be appeased by leaving out bowls of animal blood outside the…
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Otgiruru/Owenga
The Otgiruru is an undead creature from the Herero people of Namibia, that may be related to the Ovengua, Ovengwa, or Owenga. They are created when evil sorcerers do not not pass to the afterlife, either by choice or by not being allowed to. Sometimes they are thought to be ancestors that come back due to anger to torment the living. They rise from the dead and construct a new body for themselves out of whatever bad things they can get ahold of such as dirt, raw meat and organs from animals, insects, and other similar things. The body they create typically resembles a dog rather than a human. They…
