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Ramanga
The Ramanga comes from the Betsileo people of Madagascar. Their name translates to “blue blood.” They are referred to as ceremonial vampires, meaning the name describes an occupation rather than a species. They eat the nail clippings and drink the blood and spit of nobles. This was done as a precaution to prevent these biological materials from being used by a witch to create some kind of fetish, meaning a magical item. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2017. 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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Raiju
The Raiju is a Japanese Yokai. They are the companions of the god Raijin. Its name means “thunder animal” or “thunder beast.” This creature of lightning resembles a cat, badger, ball of fire, ball of lightning, monkey, raccoon, dog, weasel, white and blue wolf, or wolf made of lightning with a cry like thunder. They attack only during thunderstorms and are otherwise harmless. They may fall asleep in a person’s belly button, which kills the person when the god Raiden throws lightning bolts to wake the Raiju up. They become agitated in storms and jump from tree to tree. Lightning strikes on trees or houses are said to be Raiju claw…
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Radiant Boys
The Radiant Boys are from Europe and Great Britain specifically and are the ghosts of children murdered by their mothers. They glow like phosphorus. They chase people for miles and lure them into bogs. 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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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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Rabisu/Rōbēs
The Rabisu are vampiric spirits from ancient Akkadian myth. Their name means “evil fiend” or “evil croucher.” They’re ambush predators that stalk from the shadows and lunge at unsuspecting humans to drain their life force. They are known to cooperate amongst each other and even with other creatures like Labartu. They often appear in nightmares and hide out in rarely visited places. Rabisu would often be a term placed before various forms of demons, and at one time a Rabisu was a high official just under a judge much like a magistrate, with the name changing context due to the fear of the power these people held. People who can…
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