Ogres
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Zmeu
The Zmeu is from the myths of Romania and the Balkans. They take the form of a flying ball of light to hunt prey. In Romania they take the form of handsome men. They seduce female victims and drains their life force from them. In the Balkans they are believed to take the form of a scaly ogre who can shapeshift into various animals. 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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Mu Pitz/Piamupits
Mu Pitz is a cannibalistic monster, possibly fitting the category of Cannibal Giant. It comes from the Comanche people, largely from Texas. Sometimes it is seen as a cave dwelling ogre, but other times it is believed to be a giant owl person. It liked to prey on humans and mostly children, and was often seen as an evil spirit who served as a bogeyman figure. It stood twelve feet tall, and was covered in hair and wasn’t actually fully an evil force but rather a big dangerous creature that in a way represented the balance of nature. Citations: Eberhart, George M.. Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology. United Kingdom,…
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Irimu/Rimu/Izimu
The Irimu is from Wachaga myth. A man would become an Irimu by breaking some taboo. Descriptions of what it looks like varies. Sometimes it is a man who has brambles growing out of his body until he’s just a walking bush, and then he eats everyone. This form is cured by burning the bushes growing out of him. One story tells of one that got swept away in a river and got turned into a banana tree on the shore. A child took a banana and lost a finger in a type of sympathetic magic thing. Sometimes it is seen as an ogre-like creature. It is also sometimes in…
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Ga-Gorib
The Ga-Gorib is from the Khoikhoi people. It was a murderous creature that sat on the edge of a pit with a rock on its forehead. When people would pass, it would challenge them to throw the rock at its forehead. If they accepted, the rock would ricochet and kill the thrower. It was killed by Heitsi-Eibib. He refused to throw the stone at its forehead, then snuck around the Ga-Gorib and threw the rock at its head behind its ears which pushed him into the pit. Another version of the story told of the hero chasing it around the pit until it slipped and fell in. In yet another…
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Cafre
The Cafre is a creature from the Philippines. They resemble a boar with long tusks and black fur. They are significantly stronger and faster than normal boars. They can stand on two legs and understand human speech. They are relentless in hunting and tracking but are stupid and easy to trick. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
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Busaw
The Busaw are known from the Bagobos, Bukidnons, and Mandayas people of the Philippines. During the day, they look exactly like regular humans and are known to have normal lives and may even have farms. At night they take ogre-like forms with hooked claws, long tongues, and pointed teeth. Female Busaw are also thought to have a singular eye like a cyclops. They live in trees near cemeteries, in caves, or on isolated farms in the woods. They move through the night to search for human flesh to consume, most often digging up corpses rather than hunting living humans. Buried bodies can be protected from the Busaw if they are…
