Shapeshifters
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Striga/Strigen/Strigle(pl)
The Striga are powerful shapeshifting witches from Hebrew and Roman myth. Its name comes from the Italian word “strega” meaning “witch” which also serves as the root word to many other mythical creatures. They resemble old women, and it is unclear whether they are living creatures or undead. They can transform into birds like magpies and crows, but often take the form of owls which they are commonly represented as. They are thought to be intelligent and very strong, and they drain the blood of children. When children are attacked by the Striga, they are either drained of blood or cursed to waste away and die. It’s thought they cannot…
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Skinwalker/Yeenaaldlooshii
The Skinwalker comes from Navajo, Hopi, and Pueblo myth. Though they are known for taking the form of coyotes, they can also take other animal forms. Some believed the Anasazi were these shapeshifters and the word Anasazi either means “ancient enemies” or “ancient ones.” Skinwalkers were inherently viewed as evil, but in more recent times they are not always seen that way. They wear the skin of wolves or coyotes to transform. Citations: Brown, Nathan Robert. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Werewolves. United Kingdom, DK Publishing, 2009. Steiger, Brad. The Werewolf Book: The Encyclopedia of Shape-Shifting Beings. United Kingdom, Visible Ink Press, 2011.
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Skatene
The Skatene is a bogeyman figure from the Choctaw Native Americans. Her story teaches children to not trust strangers, even if they seem nice. She appears as an old woman who could turn herself into an owl. There is a story where she befriends a child to gain access to the household, and then cut the fathers head off. She then fled with the severed head in a basket and threatened to blind any animals who asked about it. Some wildcats confronted her and ignored the threat. They saw the severed head and one held her down while the others grabbed a club. Skatene managed to escape in the form…
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Rougarou
The Rougarou is a creature that was thought to be a combination of the French Loup Garou and the Algonquin Wendigo. Various Louisiana Native American tribes believed the Attakapa to be a tribe of shapeshifting cannibals. Attakapa even means “man eater” in Choctaw. The story goes that after a difficult period of war, the starving Attakapas gained the ability to shapeshift from dark spirits who possessed them. After being possessed, they would hunt humans as their prey. During the summer they would take human form and live normal lives, only taking constant animal forms during the winter when food was more scarce. Particularly cruel Rougarou however would take animal form…
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Rore-Trold
Rore-Trold is a notable Troll from a lake in the Rorevan in Nedenaes. It may appear as a horse, a large serpent, or as multiple people. When ice is thickest during the winter, Rore-Trold is thought to make a long broad chasm with ice fragments lying in it. Citations: Ruickbie, Leo. The Impossible Zoo: An Encyclopedia of Fabulous Beasts and Mythical Monsters. United Kingdom, Little, Brown Book Group, 2016.
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Pau-Walu
Pau-Walu lived by the Wailua river in Maui, Hawaii. His name translates to “eight dead”. He warned people going fishing that a shark would kill eight of them, and then he turned into a shark and killed eight of them. People quickly figured out what’s going on, and he was confronted, captured, and bound by a hero known as Hau-Ola the Strong then thrown into a fire. Citations: Beckwith, Martha Warren. Hawaiian Mythology. United States, University of Hawaii Press, 1976.
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O-Toyo
O-Toyo is from Japan. She could take the form of a human or a leopard. She killed a courtesan to steal her face, body, and memories and used this form to seduce a Prince named Hizen. She gradually drained his life force until she was discovered by a samurai named Ito Soda, who then killed her. 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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Niuhi/Lala-Kea/Kihikihi
The Niuhi is a class of man eating sea creature from Hawaiian myth. An alternate name Lala-Kea was once treated as a proper name, but eventually became synonymous with this classification. Sometimes any shark measuring over 3.5 meters is identified as a Niuhi, though they are sometimes believed to be the souls of demigods entering sharks after, or even before, their death. Alternate names like Lālākea refers to reef sharks, and Kihikihi refers to hammerhead sharks. They are believed to be capable of taking human form, have glowing fiery eyes, and are feared for their ferocity and reputation to devour all people. They are dark grey in color with lighter…
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Mòkìlà/Mòkèlàkèlà
The Mòkìlà is a strange creature that comes from the Baka people of Cameroon. They are a sort of therianthropic creature being a person capable of turning into an elephant. When in their animal form, they are indistinguishable from normal elephants to the untrained eye. Their face and body odor however is often still distinctly human. They could also be recognized by the fact they have shallower footprints than regular elephants, and that they aren’t with other elephants. Killing a Mòkìlà elephant is considered murder since they are people. Some think when a Mòkìlà dies, it leaves behind a single human corpse. Some however believed that when a Mòkìlà dies…
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Mbojo
The Mbojo is a shapeshifter from the beliefs of the Turu people from Tanzania. They are thought to be witch doctors that could become lions, and are blamed for various unexplained deaths. Sometimes however these deaths are thought be done by normal lions controlled by a witch-doctor. Often it would be believed that Mbojo would be hired basically as assassins to kill one’s enemies. Some however believe it is simply people who learned to kill in a way that imitates a mauling from a lion, or were convinced they were lions through drugs and other such means. Sometimes the Mbojo is used as a bogeyman figure of sorts. Some real…
