Spirits
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Godzadowi
The Godzadowi is a mystical event from the Seneca and Iroquois people. It’s described as a form of possession hysteria that commonly occurs during the midwinter festival. It’s believed that certain spirits cause different reactions in those they possess. If one is possessed by a bear spirit, they may show great strength, grunt, clench their teeth, and be calmed with berries. Citations: Gill, Sam D., and Sullivan, Irene F.. Dictionary of Native American Mythology. United Kingdom, Oxford University Press, 1994.
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Fetch
The Fetch is a supernatural creature from Scottish myth. They are thought to be made of all the negative qualities and traits of a person. Everyone is believed to have one, but it is suppressed by conscious and societal laws. If someone is disturbed or unbalanced enough, the Fetch can separate from the person and become a whole separate being. Sometimes they remain completely invisible and whisper temptations into the ear of their better half. This may cause one to believe they are insane, or cause them to become insane. They can move objects and harm people and can also manifest looking identical to their better half. Citations: Maberry, Jonathan.…
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Erestun/Xloptuny
The Erestun is a form of spirit from Russian myth. They possess someone who is on the brink of death, often causing accidents, illnesses, or violence. They are thought to be the spirits of evil sorcerers formed when the sorcerer splits its soul, or when they somehow lose their physical body. They enter the body in an invisible astral form and cause what appears to be a miraculous recovery. They need to feed on human blood to maintain control of the body they possess and prey on the friends and family of their host. Sometimes they take only a small amount of blood, but in desperate situations, they will drain…
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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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Tiamat
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Ka Dinga Pepo/Ka Denga Pepo/Ka-Dinga Pepo/Kadinga Pepo
Ka Dinga Pepo is a phenomenon from Zanzibar. The term is Swahili with “ka” meaning ‘a form of,’ “Dinga” meaning a cramp-like seizure, and “Pepo” referring to an evil spirit or plague. The term refers to a spiritual attack causing sickness. The term was also for the origin of the name for ‘dengue fever’ in 1800. Citations: Africanderisms: A Glossary of South African Colloquial Words and Phrases and of Place and Other Names. United Kingdom, Longmans, Green and Company, 1913. Dobson, Mary. Murderous Contagion: A Human History of Disease. United Kingdom, Hachette Book Group, 2015. Fabes, Stephen. Signs of Life: A Doctor’s Journey to the Ends Of The Earth. United…
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Doppelgänger
The Doppelgänger is an entity from German myth. The name translates to “double walker” or “double goer.” They appear as a shadowy double of the person who sees them, and it’s often believed everybody has one, most often invisible and without power or will. When they are seen, it is almost solely by their real counterpart and in a shadow or reflection moving in a weird way. They are sometimes evil, but more often are benign. In some rare cases they may be helpful. They sometimes manipulate the real person into doing evil and may separate from the body as the real one sleeps to go commit misdeeds. They may…
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Digana Mara Bona/Tiggana Marrabona
Digana Mara Bona is a mythical figure from East Tasmania. Its name means “the Twilight Man” or “the Dim Light Man,” though it could also generally mean “spirit.” It is seen as a spirit of great creative power. Citations: Worms, E. A. “Tasmanian Mythological Terms.” Anthropos, vol. 55, no. 1/2, 1960, pp. 1–16. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40453717. Accessed 1 Feb. 2023.
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Cherufe
The Cherufe is a creature originating from the myths of the Mapuche and Araucanian people of Chile and Argentina. The Cherufe is thought to inhabit magma pools and active volcanoes, and the body of the Cherufe is thought to be made of the same molten materials. The Cherufe is described in various manners. – Some in cryptozoology believe the Cherufe to be an undiscovered species capable of living in magma pools. Often these are depicted as lizard-like humanoids. – Some stories say that the Cherufe came to earth as cannibalistic giants disguised as comets. Sometimes they’re described like dragons, or giant humanoids with reptilian skin. These Cherufe prey on any who…
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Chelid/Kalit
The Chelid are powerful spirits from Palau sometimes identified as gods. It’s believed ancestral spirits called Bladek could become Chelid. Sacrifices were made to Chelid in a community house known as a Bai. These sacrifices were sometimes animals, but more often they were symbolic. The Father of all Chelid is called Ucheliangl. The Chelid would interact with humans through spiritual leaders known as Koran who would frequently undergo ritual possession and speak for the Chelid. Sometimes Chelid would only reveal themselves to certain people. They would typically be called to deal with issues too large for Bladek to help with. Often Chelid could be used to assist in divination, however…
