Undead
-
Nachzehrer/Nachtzehrer
The Nachzehrer is from Germany. Born with cauls on their faces and cursed to rise from the dead, they eat their burial shrouds and their own flesh to give them the energy to break out of their graves. They get out of the grave at midnight, then hunt their family to feed on their blood. They are known to spread disease, cause famine, and destroy crops. They can be repelled by putting a pair of scissors open facing the head of the bed under the pillow. Garlic can be used to ward them off. They can be stopped through exorcism. Citations: Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural…
-
Mjertovjec
The Mjertovjec is an undead creature from the myths of Belarus. They have the features of vampires, werewolves, and witches, and are created when a werewolf or a witch dies. They may be the ghost of someone who cursed their father during church service. They are described as having purple faces. One could also become a Mjertovjec if they committed heresy, abandoned their faith, or committed crimes against God. They feed on human flesh and blood, hunting only at night. Mjertovjec can be destroyed by sprinkling poppy seeds on the road between their grave and their former house. They could also be killed by driving a nail into their coffin. Citations:…
-
Mandurugo
The Mandurugo is a creature from the Capiz people of the Philippines. Its name means “bloodsucker.” It commonly takes the form of an attractive woman to lure people in, though their true form is a rotting corpse with sharp teeth. Sometimes they are thought to be a form of undead, but sometimes is thought to be a form of living vampire. This living form of Madurugo will lead a normal human life but will go to their window at night when others are asleep, transform into a flying monster, and hunt for blood. They can be hurt with weapons, but not killed. They are vulnerable to fire and little else.…
-
Lobishomen
The Lobishomen are undead vampiric creatures from Brazil. They appear with hunched backs, stumpy legs, pale faces, bloodless lips, jagged black teeth, yellow skin, and bristly hair. They target women and drain them of just enough blood to live off of. The bite causes the victim to become extremely horny, and crave the blood of children. They can be stopped with wolfsbane, and Lobishomen can be kept in the grave if this is planted above it. Creating a paste of wolfsbane and sweet onions and then smearing it around the doors and windows will keep out the Lobishomen. Citations: Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural Beings That…
-
Kudlak
The Kudlak is a creature from Croatian myth. They are born with a caul, which would either result in Kudlak or a Krsnik. They are a form of living vampire that preys on humans in the area. They are thought to have the ability to shapeshift and often takes the form of pigs, oxen, or horses, typically with a black coloration. They are also believed to fly on night winds and use magic. With magic they can magically learn secrets, cause illness, and kill whenever possible. It is often believed every community would have one Kudlak and one Krsnik. Though classified as a living vampire, they can rise from the…
-
Krvopijac/Krvoijac
The Krvopijac is a vampiric creature from Bulgaria. They are created when someone smokes or drinks during Lent. Sometimes these people transform immediately, but sometimes they transform after death, the process taking forty days to occur as an insult to numerology from the devil. Their skeletons are thought to melt and then reform into new forms of a much stronger material. They have pale rotting flesh, rotting teeth, sunken eyes, and smell strongly of rotten meat. They have forked tongues and only one nostril. They are incredibly strong and can only be combatted by fire. Their graves can be found by having a naked virgin ride a black foal through…
-
Khmoch
The Khmoch is a reanimated corpse from the myths of Cambodia. They have rotting flesh, sunken eyes, and a terrible smell. They are known to eat human flesh and blood. They are also thought to appear as an owl before a person’s death using its call to bring the death quicker. They are often believed to be ancestors that came back to control the living through possession. To avoid this, people have to honor their ancestors. Citations: Enright, Laura. Vampires’ Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Bloodthirsty Biters, Stake-wielding Slayers, and Other Undead Oddities. United States, Potomac Books Incorporated, 2011. Leach, Mark M. Cultural Diversity and Suicide: Ethnic, Religious,…
-
Kathakano
The Kathakano is an undead monster from Crete. They cause people to distrust smiling strangers since they pose as a happy stranger or happy drunk person. When someone approaches the smile gets larger and larger and reveals massive sharp teeth. They spit acidic blood at victims like a snake which causes immediate pain and blindness. It uses this opportunity to attack their victim and drain them of blood. They return to their graves during the day and can be killed during this time by digging up the body and performing an exorcism. They can also be stopped by driving thick stakes through the shoulders and thighs to pin the body…
-
Jiangshi/Chiang-Shih/Kiang-Shi/Kuang-Shi
The Jiangshi are a form of undead creature from Chinese myth. They’re most often formed when someone dies from murder, hanging, drowning, suicide, or dying during the committing of a crime. It is believed they are the lesser of the two souls, called the p’o, that remains in the body after death. They have incredibly stiff bodies due to rigor mortis and have to hop around because of this. They’re believed to become stronger the longer they exist, with rigor mortis wearing off, and they would become smarter and more malicious. They can leap from massive distances and even learn how to fly. They have been known to appear as…
-
Jerangkong
The Jerangkong are from Indonesian myth. They are ghosts in the form of human skeletons and are sometimes covered in blood or dirt. They make a chattering sound like hard wood hitting together. They create a gap in their graves and emerge in the form of smoke. They mean no harm. They burn on contact. They have various origins but are said to have been egg thieves in life. They will continue to steal eggs when in the form of the Jerangkong. They will not break the egg but will suck the egg out through the shells pores. Citations: A Book of Indonesian Ghosts. N.p., StoryTale Studios
