Peru
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Pishtaco
The Pishtaco is a legend from Peru and the Andes Mountains. They are described as looking like tall white men wearing long white coats which they use to hide knives. They are known to be aggressive and are considered very powerful. They sleep a lot and drink large amounts of milk. They are known to steal children, and sever their heads and limbs until there’s only a torso. They remove the body fat from their victims to run machinery and cover church bells. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2017.
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Likichiri
The Likichiri is a vampiric creature from Peru. It drains people of their blood and body fat as they sleep. It can shapeshift into various animals to sneak into homes. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2017.
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Jarjacha
The Jarjacha is a monstrous creature from Peruvian myth. It’s believed that everyone has a Jarjacha within them, and it can emerge when one is overcome by anger, jealousy, or any other negative emotions. When this happens, the Jarjacha takes over the mind, body, and soul. If released from a soul, then it can take everything from a person in life and after death. Once they are satisfied with the fear and suffering they have caused, they may return to rest in the soul. Jarjachas can turn others into Jarjachas and some become Jarjachas after breaking taboos or because of incest. They take the form of llamas with human faces,…
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Arequipa Martian Shrub
The Arequipa Martian Shrub is a creature sighted in Arequipa, Peru on September 29, 1965. It was sighted by Julio Lopez de Romana and Antonio Chaves Bedoya when they nearly ran it over. It was described as a dark shrub-like creature described as a Martian. They described it as having one eye, standing thirty-one inches(80 cm) tall, with silver and gold stripes around its body and several smaller eyes around the body. A small UFO was also sighted in the same area, and one UFO even followed their car. Citations: Keel, John A.. The Complete Guide to Mysterious Beings. United States, Tom Doherty Associates, 2002. The Humanoids. United Kingdom, Flying…
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Ai Apaec
Ai Apaec is a Peruvian deity from the North Coast in Mohican culture. He has massive fangs, a feline mouth, a jaguar-like headdress, and serpent earrings. He was called “The Decapitator” and was depicted on the pyramid of the moon. The spider-like tentacles in his depictions supposedly drained blood from victims. He was often depicted under the throne of the sky god and usually placed on a high mountain and he was thought to have a home on Cerro Blanco. He was seen as a founding deity and possibly the son of a mountain god. During times of drought or flood, he would oversee sacrifices and ask the gods to…
