Urban Legends
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Teke Teke/Shaka Shaka/ Pata Pata/ Kata Kata/Koto Koto/ Hijikake Babā
The Teke Teke is a form of ghost from Japanese urban legends. The name is an onomatopoeia meant to reference the sound of them dragging themselves with their hands. They are almost always women and look like people cut in half at the waist. Despite the fact that they crawl, they are thought to be capable of keeping up with cars when in pursuit, sometimes reaching 150km per hour. They commonly carry scythes or sickles. Teke Teke can be found in urban areas, commonly along dark roads. Getting attacked by a Teke Teke is horrific, but stories are often unclear about the specifics of these attacks. Commonly victims are cut…
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Phantom Clowns/Killer Clowns
The Phantom Clowns are an odd phenomenon encountered in New England, 1981. Many others were seen in various locations during the spring of 1981. Witnesses described various clowns attempting to lure away children, often into vans. They were noted to have targeted elementary school children, often trying to lure children in with candy. Some brandished weapons. They evaded capture and detection by any, other than potential victims. Despite their name, they are believed to be flesh and blood. They do however add a layer of validity to a larger Urban Legend of killer clowns. Citations: American Myths, Legends, and Tall Tales: An Encyclopedia of American Folklore [3 Volumes]: An Encyclopedia…
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Melon Heads
The Melon Heads are mythical creatures from Connecticut, New England, Ohio, and Michigan. They’re described as hideous mutants with giant bald and bulbous heads. They’re small in stature and have long spindly arms and fingers. They have crooked, blocky, and discolored teeth. Sometimes they have red eyes and they are considered extremely dangerous. Wearing dark, tattered clothes makes it harder for them to see and can prevent an attack and often attack during full moons. Some accounts say they can move incredibly fast, in one account one kept up with a car going 45 to 50 mph. They often make high-pitched screams before attacking. They live in shadows and on…
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Jersey Devil
The Jersey Devil is a cryptid from New Jersey with folkloric origins. The story of the Jersey Devil’s origin begins with a woman named Mrs. Shrouds, Mother Leeds, or Abigail Leeds. She had twelve children and cursed her hypothetical thirteenth child to the devil. She got pregnant not long after and gave birth to an inhuman creature. Another story said a woman got pregnant by a British soldier, and her child was cursed by her neighbors. This child had goat legs, a human torso, bat wings, and a long snout similar to a horse. It’s sometimes thought to be nine feet from head to tail. It’s thought to live in…
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Goblin Scarecrow
The Goblin Scarecrow is an urban legend from Pennsylvania. His story started in the mid 1950’s. It is said to be a grinning jack-o-lantern in ragged clothes that can be found in rural areas and on farms. It speaks as it moves. It screams and chases people while trying to bite them. Its body is made up of thousands of insects instead of straw. It was shot once and bled beetles and worms instead of blood. One report said it had chased someone with a scythe. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016. Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe: The Dark…
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Drop Bear/Pangkala
The Drop Bear is a goofy creature from Australian folklore. Stories of the Drop Bear have no clear origin and are generally accepted to be a joke targeted at tourists, since these are the Drop Bears main targets. Some describe Drop Bears as koala bears reaching anywhere from 3 to 8 feet in height with leathery backsides. They’re thought to have sharp claws and teeth, with estimates of incisors reaching 40 cm in length. They lurk in eucalyptus trees and drop down on victims. It’s thought no one has ever survived a Drop Bear attack, with victims sometimes having their neck broken from being landed on. They are sometimes thought…
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Deogen/De Ogen
After much research, I have concluded that Deogen lacks any reliable sources, and is likely fabricated. Despite no clear documentation in an official capacity, Deogen is recounted in various locations with many of the same details being shared. I have compiled information from the various unreliable sources and presented them with the context that this is likely a situation akin to fakelore rather than genuine folklore. Deogen is a ghost and urban legend from Brussels, specifically the Sonian Forest in Belgium. They appear as green fog or shadow figures. Their name means “the eyes” as this is how they commonly appear. They were recounted in a book called De Kinderen…
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Cropsey/Cropsey Maniac
Cropsey is an urban legend of a serial killer from New York State. Supposedly he started as a respected member of the community, but then started stalking and killing campers to get revenge for the accidental death of a family member. He was initially seen as an ax murderer but later viewed as some undead person. It’s thought he eludes the police in life and death. Citations: de Vos, Gail. What Happens Next? Contemporary Urban Legends and Popular Culture. United Kingdom, ABC-CLIO, 2012.
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Bloody Mary
Bloody Mary is a figure from a common American Urban Legend. The story of Bloody Mary is commonly known among teens and preteens, though the details vary from person to person. Some believe the legend to be metaphorically related to puberty with the bathroom, mirror, and blood. Bloody Mary is associated with a simple ritual meant to summon her from a mirror. – Some believe you must stand in an unlit bathroom, stare into the mirror, and say “Bloody Mary” three times. – Some believe the name must be said thirteen times or some other amount. – Sometimes it is necessary to prick ones finger in order to make her…
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Aka Manto/Aoi Manto/ Aka Kami/Aoi Hanten/Aoi Kami
Aka Manto is from Japan and is considered to be from modern folklore and urban legend. He haunts women’s restrooms. He stays in the furthest stall and ask the next occupant over if they want blue or red paper. If blue is picked, he hangs the woman. If red is picked, he slashes the woman repeatedly across the back with a blade. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Spirits and Ghosts in World Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016
